"One of the year's best is yet another moving, prickly and hopeful morality tale from [Jafar] Panahi."—Radheyan Simonpillai, CBC Radio
“The film is astutely aware of the physical and psychological scars that result from living in a state of tyranny.”—Mark Hanson, Slant Magazine
“Shot in secret under constant threat, [It Was Just an Accident] draws on Panahi's own harrowing experiences, infusing every frame with urgency and authenticity.”—Peter Howell, Toronto Star
A Blue Carpet Dash Film
Vahid, an unassuming mechanic, has a chance encounter with Eghbal, a man he strongly suspects to be his former sadistic jailhouse captor. Panicked, Vahid gathers several former prisoners, all abused by that same captor, to try and confirm Eghbal's identity. As the bickering group drives around Tehran with the captive, they must confront how far to take matters into their own hands with their presumed tormentor.
From master filmmaker Jafar Panahi (No Bears) comes a searing moral thriller that engages with complex ideas about the uncertainty of the truth and the choice between revenge and mercy, as Panahi turns his personal dissonance into a profound and galvanizing work of art.