Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has returned to Iran, sources tell Iran International, this after Panahi was campaigning his Palme d’Or film, “It Was Just An Accident,” since last fall in the US and Europe.
According to the outlet, Panahi entered Iran on Tuesday by land via Turkey due to flight restrictions. Panahi previously stated he would return to Iran after the Oscars, despite potential risks, including an active warrant for his arrest.
A brave man. Anyone else would have avoided going back to Iran like the plague, but Panahi is making a statement — and that’s despite the Iranian regime’s multiple attempts to destroy him, his family, and his art.
Back in December, Panahi had been sentenced, in absentia, to one year in jail by the Iranian Revolutionary Court. Given the outstanding warrant for his arrest, immediate incarceration likely awaits him.
What did Panahi do exactly to warrant going back to jail? Well, he made art. The official complaint against him was mainly related to accusations of “propaganda against the state.” Iranian authorities specifically cited this film as part of the accusations leading to his one-year prison sentence.
“It Was Just An Accident” had been shot secretly last year, without an official permit in Iran. During production, some crew members were reportedly detained or questioned. According to a recent account, after just one day of filming, some team members were arrested. Before the Cannes premiere, some associated with the film — including female actors — were reportedly summoned by Iran’s “Ministry of Intelligence.”
Making this film was an undeniably courageous act. In my review, I questioned what consequences Panahi might face upon returning home. I hope he remains safe and untouched — but I can’t shake the feeling that he won’t.
The title was ultimately changed because it was "too long" and "too complicated," though I suspect Warner Bros. was just horrified by the thought of selling a $180M movie with a title that sounds like an eye-roll.