Sunday
May252025
Cannes Diary 07: Palme d'Or Winner "It was just an accident"
Sunday, May 25, 2025 at 12:02PM by Elisa Giudici
Jafar Panahi's "It was just an accident"
In awarding the Palme d'Or to Jafar Panahi, Jury President Juliette Binoche was keen to emphasize that the prize was not awarded due to the notorious political and judicial circumstances surrounding the Iranian filmmaker, but rather for the profound humanity that permeates his cinema. The reference, quite evidently, was to those who venomously suggest that the oppressive conditions Panahi and his colleagues have battled for decades somehow aid their entry into the festival's honor roll. Yet, the issue is far more complex, much like the narrative of It Was Just an Accident itself...