It Was Just an Accident

It Was Just an Accident is an Iranian dark comedy-thriller directed by Jafar Panahi. The film follows Vahid, a quiet mechanic and former political prisoner, whose ordinary routine is disrupted when he recognises a client by the distinctive squeak of his prosthetic leg — the same sound belonging to the man who once tortured him in prison. Acting on impulse and unresolved trauma, Vahid kidnaps the man and sets out to confront his past. As the journey unfolds, he is joined by other former prisoners, each carrying their own memories of violence and injustice. What begins as a personal act of revenge gradually becomes a collective reckoning, raising difficult questions about justice, morality, and forgiveness. It Was Just an Accident explores the lingering psychological scars of state brutality and the fragile line between accountability and vengeance.

Nell Carter