Jafar Panahi's Latest Film 'It Was Just an Accident' Explores Iranian Society Through Masterful Framing

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi's newest work 'It Was Just an Accident' (2025) is currently available on MUBI as part of a retrospective of his career. The film, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, follows a group of strangers traveling in a vehicle with a man they suspect was their torturer. Panahi's cinematic style frequently employs framing devices like windows and windshields to explore social constraints in Iran. Despite facing government restrictions and imprisonment, Panahi continues to film clandestinely in Iran, focusing on everyday stories that reflect the country's complex social realities. His films have received major awards including the Golden Lion at Venice and Golden Bear at Berlin.