Iranian dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for his revenge thriller It Was Just an Accident. The award marks a significant moment for Panahi, who has been banned from leaving Iran for over 15 years.
The prize was presented by Cate Blanchett. Just three years ago, Panahi was imprisoned in Iran and later went on a hunger strike. Despite government restrictions, he has continued making films in secret, including This Is Not a Film, shot in his living room, and Taxi, filmed entirely inside a car.
When his name was announced, the crowd gave Panahi a thunderous standing ovation. Visibly emotional, he threw up his arms in disbelief and applauded both his collaborators and the audience. On stage, he was warmly welcomed by Cannes jury president Juliette Binoche, who had previously shown public support for Panahi in 2010 by holding up his name at the festival while he was under house arrest.
In his acceptance speech, Panahi emphasized the importance of freedom in Iran:
“Let us join forces,” he said. “No one should dare tell us what kind of clothes we should wear, what we should do or what we should not do. Cinema is a society. Nobody is entitled to tell us what we should or should not do.”
The win continued an impressive run for the indie distributor Neon, which has now backed the last six Palme d’Or winners. Neon acquired It Was Just an Accident for North American distribution after its Cannes premiere. Its previous Palme winners include Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall, and Anora. Of these, Parasite and Anora went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
Last year, filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran to attend the Cannes premiere of his film and later resettled in Germany. Panahi, however, has said exile is not an option for him. He plans to return to Tehran on Sunday.