It Was Just an Accident (Jafar Panahi, 2025)The most momentous occasion at this year’s Cannes was neither Tom Cruise’s red-carpet arrival nor Denzel Washington’s surprise honorary Palme d’Or—it was the return of Jafar Panahi to the Croisette after 22 years. The day after It Was Just an Accident premiered at Cannes, I interviewed Panahi about the film’s making, aided by an interpreter who translated between Farsi and English. It’s been 15 years since I was last able to watch a film of mine with an audience. I didn’t even know if this connection would happen between the audience, the film, and myself again. But I think when you’re making underground cinema, being in a car gives you [at least] a minimum level of security.