A co-production between Iran, France, and Luxembourg, It Was Just An Accident is the latest film from writer/director Jafar Panahi. It’s in Persian and Azerbaijani, with English subtitles, and is one of the four films the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is showcasing in local cinemas under World Cinema 2026, running until Feb. 3. Accident and Sentimental Value are among the five films nominated for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Oscars. And for cinephiles and film lovers, all of the four films of FDCP’s World Cinema 2026 are very much worth watching.

A scene from 'It Was Just An Accident.'

Any film from Jafar Panahi is to be treasured, as he is constantly in conflict with the Iranian authorities. His work is a critical snapshot of the social, political, and gender structures of today’s Iran. He was imprisoned in 2010, and a 20-year ban on filmmaking was imposed upon his release. His film output is done clandestinely; filmed illegally, in defiance of the court order. Of course, his films are banned and condemned in Iran.

‘Un Simple Accident’ (its French title) won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2025, and has a second nomination in the Academy Awards this March, for Best Original Screenplay. At its core, the thriller/comedy is about a group of former Iranian political prisoners, and what they can and will do with their former tormentor, when by coincidence, he falls into their collective laps.

It starts off one night, when a man with his pregnant wife and child runs over a dog on a poorly lit hillside road. They end up in a neighborhood store/garage, where the resident mechanic, Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), recognizes the sound of the man's walk, as it involves one artificial leg. He follows the man the following day, convinced it is Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi), the sadistic intelligence officer who tortured him and many others years ago.

Vahid manages to abduct the man, but when the man insists that the scars on his leg are recent and he can’t be Peg Leg, doubt creeps into the mind of Vahid, and he seeks confirmation from those who were incarcerated with him many years ago. These include a wedding photographer named Shiva, the bride Goli, and a volatile former detainee named Hamid. As they were all blindfolded, their memory of Peg Leg was sensory: for Vahid, it was the sound of his walk; for Hamid, the feel of the scars; and for Shiva, his smell.

From this simple premise, Panahi explores themes of justice, retribution, vengeance, and resignation. These former detainees are all good people at heart, and there’s a constant struggle not to end up as violent and unprincipled as their former captors. And what’s amazing with the treatment is the abundance of dark humor and sweet irony in so many of the scenes.

Authoritarian regimes are widely criticized, as are corruption and weak governance. One extremely funny incident is when a security guard hints at a bribe, is rebuffed for not having cash, and then brings out a credit card terminal. In the desert, mention is made of the absurd play Waiting for Godot, and how the situation in contemporary Iran is its own form of painful and tragic absurdity.

While leaving a strong message and an extra-creepy, cryptic ending, there’s also a sure-footed lightness to how Panahi presents his themes and arguments. It Was Just An Accident is anything but an accident - there’s intent and creativity we can enjoy, and leave the theater pondering. Watch this film if you have the opportunity.

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