yek tasadef sadeh/ it was just an accident (d. jafar panahi)

It Was Just an Accident opens with all the hallmarks of Iranian cinema: neorealism, long scenes in cars, an opaque layer of mystery. It also won the Palme D’Or, an instant source of scepticism. However, I would suggest its roots are more tied to that rare genre, the camper van drama, which includes Little Miss Sunshine and the Sorin’s Historias Minimas. In Panahi’s tale, the minivan contains five clearly defined characters and a kidnapped torturer. Unless the kidnapper, driver and owner of the van, Vahid, has made a mistake and kidnapped an innocent man. This becomes a twisted road movie, which is also a meditation on state abuse and revenge. Panahi’s narrative has a straightforward, traditional brilliance: we need to know if the kidnapped man is indeed the torturer, and if he is what actions his victims will take. It deserves all the garlands and prizes it has received. Cineastes don’t need to spend big bucks to construct a film which is gripping and thought-provoking. The irony is that this film is reflective of issues in so many countries: the next night we went to see a documentary about the Uruguayan dictatorship, and Panahi’s story speaks eloquently to that time: the cruelty and damage inflicted by state terrorism on defenceless people who might, one day, seek retribution.

no bears (w&d jafar panahi)

Panahi’s sly, funny and ultimately tragic tale achieves everything it sets out to do and more. It is a social comedy; it is a portrayal of life on two frontiers (Iran/Turkey, Turkey/Europe); it is an indictment of international migration policies; it is an indictment of the Iranian government. There are no heroes in this film, least of all the director, played by the director himself, whose desire to do something as simple as make a film helps to provoke the death of his leading actress. Watching the way the audience shifted from perhaps condescending amusement to the brink of tears was a masterly example of the craft of cinematic storytelling.