When it comes to Iranian cinema, it is worth brushing up on the plural of paradox. Despite decades of censorship, travel bans, and often actual house arrests, Iran has remained one of the world’s most consistently celebrated cinematic cultures. Cannes in particular has long favored these visually subtle, emotionally raw social dramas—whether made by Abbas Kiarostami, Asghar Farhadi, or, most often, the Panahi family.
Jafar Panahi’s son, Panah Panahi, took home the top prize this year with his film It Was Just an Accident, which continues his father’s tradition of highlighting injustices while avoiding overt didacticism. The Palme d’Or is his first major international prize, though critics have long considered him the heir apparent to Iran’s neo-realist tradition. The film, which centers on a hit-and-run involving a government official, deftly dissects the contradictions of modern Iranian life with humor, tenderness, and a quiet fury that never tips into melodrama.
The Cannes jury, led this year by French actress Léa Seydoux, praised the film for its “moral clarity and artistic restraint,” calling it “a masterclass in modern storytelling.” But not all reviews were glowing. A handful of American critics found the film too slow-paced and elliptical, accusing it of “aestheticizing misery” without offering concrete solutions. Others, however, praised it precisely for refusing to moralize or simplify.
Notably, Panahi used his acceptance speech to call attention to his father’s continued travel ban, ending his brief remarks with the words: “Cinema is not a crime.”
Whether or not It Was Just an Accident will receive international distribution remains uncertain, but for now, Cannes has spoken: Iranian cinema is still a force to be reckoned with.