IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

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Storyline (warning: spoilers)

It Was Just an Accident stands as one of Jafar Panahi’s most intimate and morally complex works, exploring how small moments can ignite long buried memories. The film begins with a family driving through a quiet rural landscape when they accidentally strike a stray dog. Panahi films the moment with restraint, letting the stillness of the scene echo the emotional tension that follows. From this simple event, the story shifts toward a deeper psychological conflict. Vahid, a former political prisoner, becomes convinced that a man they meet later on the road is the interrogator responsible for his past suffering. Panahi handles this suspicion with patience and clarity, letting uncertainty build through gestures, pauses and the uneasy interplay of memory and present experience. The audience is invited to question not only the man’s identity but also the fragile nature of Vahid’s recollections, shaped by trauma and time.
The film introduces a small group of survivors who travel with Vahid. Their attempts to identify the man include listening for subtle voice patterns, reading posture and taking in fleeting expressions. These moments blend tension with quiet moments of humour, revealing how trauma can bind people together while also exposing the differences in how each person copes. Their interactions bring lightness to an otherwise weighty narrative and enrich the emotional landscape of the film.
Throughout the journey, Panahi uses roadside encounters and bureaucratic obstacles to paint a portrait of a society marked by confusion and quiet pressure. These scenes give the film a social dimension without overwhelming the personal story at its core.
The conclusion avoids final judgement. Instead, Panahi leaves both characters and viewers with the uncomfortable realisation that certainty is rarely attainable. This choice makes the film a compelling and humane study of memory, doubt and the long shadow of past harm.