Keswick Film Club - It Was Just An Accident

Synopsis

Jafar Panahi manages to continue making films whatever the Iranian authorities throw at him and this one has won him the Palm d'Or at Cannes. "The director's politically-charged revenge thriller asks nuanced questions about the nature of trauma and oppression with a blackly comic story informed by his own experiences with imprisonment" - Christina Newland, Sight & Sound.

Starting with the accident where 'Peg Leg' runs over a dog, he is recognized by Vahid as the man who tortured him in prison… or is he? Along with other ex-prisoners he picks up along the way, they try to decide if it is right to kill the torturer and, if not what is the right thing to do? No-one is even sure he is the right man. Panahi has stretched his already formidable talent into black comedy here, "...clearly having a whale of a time taking the piss out of the corruption, cruelty and bribery rife in his country. One police officer even fishes out a card reader to take a bribe when the gang don't have cash to hand to get out of a tight spot" - Phil de Semlyen, Time Out. One of the world's best director's on top of his game; not to be missed!