Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi achieved a major triumph at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, winning the prestigious Palme d’Or for his film It Was Just an Accident. The win marks an extraordinary turn of events for Panahi, who previously faced imprisonment, house arrest, and bans on filmmaking by Iranian authorities.
It Was Just an Accident is a tense drama exploring retribution, centered around a torturer abducted by his victims. The film is set for release in 2025 by Neon, a distributor now enjoying an unprecedented streak of six consecutive Palme d’Or wins, following acclaimed titles such as Parasite (2019), Titane (2021), Triangle of Sadness (2022), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), and Anora (2024).
During the ceremony, Panahi humbly accepted the award, reflecting on the universal drive to create art:
“We don’t know why we do it. It’s something I watch my small children do. They sing and dance before they can speak. But it’s another language. It could be a language of unification.”
This year’s Cannes jury was chaired by French star Juliette Binoche, with members including actors Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong, Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia, and Korean director Hong Sang-soo.
The festival’s Grand Prix (runner-up) went to Norwegian director Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value, while the Jury Prize was shared by Oliver Laxe’s Sirât and Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling.
Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent took home two awards: Best Director and Best Actor for Wagner Maura’s performance. Meanwhile, the Best Actress prize went to Nadia Melliti for her role in The Little Sister.