Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has made history by winning the Palme d’Or, the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival, for his latest film It Was Just an Accident. This achievement makes Panahi the only director to have won the top prizes at Europe’s three major film festivals: Cannes, Venice, and Berlin.
Panahi, 64, has faced repeated imprisonment and a ban on filmmaking and international travel in Iran due to his outspoken criticism of the government. Despite these challenges, his films have continued to gain international acclaim.
His previous awards include the Golden Lion at Venice in 2000 for The Circle and the Golden Bear at Berlin in 2015 for Taxi.
Cannes ceremony held at the Grand Théâtre Lumière in the Palais des Festivals, Panahi delivered an emotional speech condemning the restrictions imposed by the Iranian regime.
Wearing sunglasses, he urged unity and freedom for his country, saying, “No one should have the right to tell us what we should wear or what we should or shouldn’t do. Cinema is a reflection of society, and no one can control that. Let us hold on to hope.”
The award was presented to him by actresses Cate Blanchett and Juliette Binoche, the latter serving as head of the jury. Binoche praised Panahi’s film, stating, “Art brings life, hope, and forgiveness into even the darkest moments. That’s why we chose “It Was Just an Accident for the Palme d’Or.”
Panahi was imprisoned in 2023 for protesting the detention of two fellow filmmakers and was released later that year. Due to travel restrictions, this was his first in-person appearance at an international festival in 15 years and his first physical presence at Cannes in 22 years. His last visit to Cannes was in 2003, when his film Crimson Gold won a Jury Prize.
Panahi has a long history of accolades at Cannes, including the Camera d’Or in 1995 for “The White Balloon”, and a special screening of “This Is Not a Film” in 2011, which was secretly smuggled out of Iran.
With this historic Palme d’Or win, Panahi continues to highlight the power of cinema to challenge oppression and inspire hope.
