Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or Winner ‘It Was Just An Accident’ Gets First Trailer Ahead of October Release

Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just An Accident” won the Palme d’Or in May, and will be rolled out in theaters this October 15. Neon has now released the first trailer.

This is a film that arrives already steeped in significance. Its critical reception was almost inevitable—not only for its artistic merit, but because of the deeply personal and political conditions under which it was made.

Panahi, previously sentenced to six years in prison in Iran, served two before being released in 2023 after a hunger strike. His return to Cannes marked a powerful comeback, greeted with emotion, warmth, and critical acclaim.

“It Was Just An Accident” follows Vahid (played by Vahid Mobasseri), who becomes convinced he recognizes a man, not by appearance, but by a sound: the groaning creak of a prosthetic limb. That sound sparks a chilling memory. Vahid believes he has found Pegleg, an enforcer for the Iranian regime who once tortured him.

What follows is a spiraling moral thriller that traps its characters in a fog of doubt. Without a plan, Vahid abducts the man, enlisting others who were also tortured by Pegleg to confirm his identity. That certainty proves elusive would be an understatement.

There are absolutely gripping moments in “It Was Just an Accident,” but I wouldn’t have given it the Palme. There were three or four stronger films in competition. The film is messy in tone, and does at times veer into the implausible. With that said, it’s absolutely worth a look.

Panahi, the acclaimed director of “This Is Not a Film” and “The Circle,” both masterworks, was unable to attend the Venice premiere of his last feature, “No Bears,” three years ago. At Cannes, Panahi was greeted like a rock star—ovation upon ovation, even before the film screened, and with Panahi activist Juliette Binoche firmly implanted as Jury President, the Palme d’Or felt inevitable.