It Was Just an Accident is Panahi's Crowning Achievement

Memento Distribution

5/5 stars

Jafar Panahi may just be the bravest filmmaker working today. Although arrested multiple times by the Iranian government, including in 2010 when he was banned from making a film for the following 20 years, Panahi has remained one of the most exciting voices in world cinema.

With half of his filmography now being made illegally, he has challenged the authoritarianism of Iran's government in his own uniquely compassionate, humanistic way. His work culminates with It Was Just an Accident, easily his most outspokenly political film to date. The film manages to be a cry out against political injustice without ever losing that deep connection to humanity.

Auto mechanic Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) is approached by a man with a prosthetic leg (Ebrahim Azizi) to fix his car. Upon talking with the man, Vahid suspects that he may have been the government agent who tortured him in prison. Vahid kidnaps the man, intending to kill him and bury his body in the desert, but first, he needs to be sure it's him. He takes him to various other former prisoners (including a couple in the middle of their wedding rehearsal) to see if they think he is the right man, and a series of mishaps, both comedic and tragic, unfold over the course of the day.

The story is clearly very personal to Panahi, along with anyone else who suffered under that authoritarianism. Where seeking justice against the state seems nearly impossible, the oppressed turn to individuals working under the state. That said, despite the serious story, it manages to be darkly funny through much of the runtime, proving that Panahi still maintains his deep empathy even in the direst of circumstances. The story flawlessly builds to its heart-stopping finale, probably the best use of sound since The Zone of Interest. It Was Just an Accident will be playing at 1020 Collective on Wednesday, April 8 at 5 p.m.

Written and directed by Jafar Panahi // Starring Vahid Mobasseri, Ebrahim Azizi, Mariam Afshari, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, George Hashemzadeh, Dalmaz Najafi, Afsaneh Najm Abadi, and Ali Rastegari // 104 minutes // Memento Distribution // Rated PG-13