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2025.10.01 21:08

NYFF63 (3) Vengeance or Mercy: Panahi’s Moral Dilemma 'It Was Just An Accident' ★★★★☆

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*"It Was Just an Accident" opened in New York and Los Angeles on October 15th. In New York, it's playing at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Film Forum, the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and the AMC Theater chain. <Update>

https://www.fandango.com/it-was-just-an-accident-2025-242732/movie-overview

NYFF63 (9/26–10/13)

From Prison to Palme d’Or

It Was Just An Accident ★★★★☆

*칸영화제 황금종려상 수상작 '그저 사고였을 뿐(It Was Just An Accident)' ★★★★☆ <Korean version>

It Was Just An Accident, یک تصادف ساده by Jafar Panahi #NYFF63

"If someone causes you harm, do not seek revenge, but quietly sit by the river and watch the water.

Soon enough, his body will float by."

— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

What does one do when confronted with a nemesis who has ruined their life? Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, in the Tao Te Ching, advises against direct vengeance, suggesting that time and natural justice will eventually prevail. True wisdom lies in letting the natural course of events unfold.

Jafar Panahi’s Iranian black comedy It Was Just An Accident follows Vahid, who believes he has identified his former torturer, Peg Leg, as Eghbal—a man he holds responsible for past traumas. What begins as a random traffic accident, when Eghbal hits a stray dog, escalates into a tense, darkly comic drama. Vahid abducts Eghbal, gathers former prisoners and associates, and attempts to confirm his suspicions. Yet life’s unpredictability intrudes: a phone call from Eghbal’s daughter reveals that his wife is in labor, forcing an abrupt moral reckoning.

It Was Just An Accident, یک تصادف ساده by Jafar Panahi #NYFF63

From the opening scene, a two-shot close-up at night of Eghbal driving with his wife, sound plays a central role. The barking dog, a child dancing to music, the creak of a prosthetic leg, and the cawing of crows all gain extra resonance, anchoring the narrative in sensory reality. Because Vahid was blindfolded during his torture and Eghbal is abducted and confined in a coffin with his eyes covered, the auditory experience is heightened, as if we are hearing from both perspectives. Panahi transforms a seemingly simple accident into a meditation on guilt, justice, and the echoes of past trauma. The pun of "Dog" becoming "God" in English seems intentional, underscoring the moral universe at play.

It Was Just An Accident, یک تصادف ساده by Jafar Panahi #NYFF63

In the climax, Eghbal cries, “That was my job at the time!” and Vahid breaks down with him. They are, perhaps, both victims of a harsh Iran, caught in cycles of oppression. The film resonates with critiques of power and oppression, recalling Yun Heung-gil’s novel The Armband (1982) and Park Jong-won’s film Guro Arirang (1989), based on labor narratives by Lee Mun-yeol.

Yet Panahi emphasizes forgiveness and compassion even amidst anger and resentment. The ending scene is a close-up long take of Vahid from behind, with the prosthetic leg sound present. The final shot lingers: physical wounds may heal, but psychological scars persist. As we watch, we are invited to ponder whether true power lies in vengeance or in mercy.

It Was Just An Accident, یک تصادف ساده by Jafar Panahi #NYFF63

Panahi—himself a former political prisoner in Iran—draws from personal experience to craft the screenplay, blending suspense, absurdity, and human insight. Shot clandestinely in Iran with international backing from France and Luxembourg, the film exposes state violence, labor struggles, and corruption, all filtered through Panahi’s lived experience.

With this film, Jafar Panahi became the fourth director to achieve the “triple crown” of major festival awards: the Palme d’Or at Cannes, the Golden Bear at Berlin (Taxi, 2015), and the Golden Lion at Venice (The Circle, 2000). The previous three directors to accomplish this were Michelangelo Antonioni (Italy), Robert Altman (USA), and Henri-Georges Clouzot (France). Its triumph at Cannes, under the guidance of jury president Juliette Binoche—who had previously advocated for Panahi’s release and starred in Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy (2010)—marks both a personal and artistic vindication after 15 years. 103 min.