The Business Palme d’Or winner Jafar Panahi on ‘It Was Just an Accident’ and returning to Iran under legal threat
Feb 13, 2026
Jafar Panahi, Palme d’Or–winning Iranian filmmaker known for clandestine, socially engaged cinema. He talks about self-financing and tight trusted crews. He explains shooting in secret under censorship, representing women without headscarves, and why he chose to return to Iran despite legal danger.
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Smuggling Films Evolved With Technology
- Jafar Panahi described how he and collaborators smuggled films out of Iran using modern tech rather than physical negatives.
- He contrasted past tricks like hiding negatives with today's simple file uploads to send films abroad.
Home And Principles Outweigh Personal Risk
- Panahi says returning to Iran is nonnegotiable because his family and identity are there.
- He accepts the personal risks as the price of working in his country and staying true to his values.
Social Films Become Political Under Censorship
- Panahi says he makes socially engaged films that portray reality, not overtly political propaganda.
- He notes the regime treats any truthful divergence from its ideology as political and censors it.
