Jafar Panahi's 'It Was Just an Accident' Is an Incredibly Bold Act of Cinematic Resistance

On Nov. 25, the Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Mass. will be presenting Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi with the Coolidge Impact Award. It's reserved for artists within the film world who demonstrate "artistic bravery and persistence of vision, and whose work inspires social change." Panahi more than deserves this great honor, as his latest film "It Was Just an Accident" further shows the brave perseverance of a filmmaker continuing to make his art while under the thumb of an oppressive regime that's tried — and failed — to silence him. In the event this is the first time you're hearing about him, then let this be an incentive to seek out his work. Upon being arrested by the Iranian government in 2010, Panahi was not only sentenced to six years in prison, but also a 20-year ban on making movies, writing screenplays or leaving the country. The blatant act of censorship caused an international uproar among filmmakers and other industry talent alike. Although the prison sentence was ultimately commuted to a house arrest arrangement, it's infuriating for any governing body to think they have the nerve to tell an artist that they aren't allowed to create, especially under trumped up charges. Thankfully, Panahi is one of cinema's greatest modern rock stars, and made a bunch of movies illegally anyways. 2011's "This Is Not a Film," for example, was an insightful documentary he filmed with director Mojtaba Mirtahmasb about his house arrest, which was smuggled into the Cannes Film Festival through a flash drive hidden inside of a cake. Not only did Panahi get "It Was Just an Accident" into Cannes 14 years later, but it took home the festival's top prize known as the Palme d'Or and struck a deal with Neon to distribute the film. Panahi's "Taxi" was where I was first introduced to his humanistic qualities as a filmmaker of the people. Even if you divorce the circumstances in which it was made, his latest film is an incredibly brave and bold moral dilemma thriller about the sins of the past, and how we justify our actions in order to live with them. "It Was Just an Accident" opens with an Iranian family driving down a dark road late at night, where a father (Ebrahim Azizi) accidentally runs over a dog. He moves it to the side and continues on while iterating the titular excuse when his daughter shows concern. When the car is brought to a local shop, auto mechanic Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) is startled by what he perceives as a familiar creaking sound that strangely belongs to Eghbal the Peg Leg, an Iranian prison guard notoriously known for torturing political prisoners in inhumane fashion. Emboldened by the possibility, Vahid kidnaps the man with the intention of burying him as retribution for the traumatic injustices inflicted upon him. The plan gets complicated, however, when the man instills doubt in his captor's mind as to whether he got the right guy. Vahid, in order to make sure he hasn't committed a grave mistake, pulls him from the near eternal earthly prison and stuffs him into the back of his van. The potential torturer is carted around as more of Eghbal's victims get a chance to confirm whether it's him or not. They all must go on sensory recollection considering they never saw his face yet can't forget the echoing creak of the prosthetic leg that accompanied the cruel treatment behind bars. Among this group is a photographer named Shiva (Mariam Afshari), her temperamental partner Hamid (Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr) and an engaged couple, Ali (Madj Panahi) and Goli (Hadis Pakbaten). Together, they all hold the life of the kidnapped man in their hands as they discuss the merits of if it's him and how they will end up handling the situation if it is. "It Was Just an Accident" sneaks up on you in how it presents this story. Like Vahid, you're not really sure where this is going until you're thrown in the thick of it. Decisions that could lead to a multitude of consequences take place because the emotional rationale takes center stage. The anger and overwhelming hurt behind these characters are very real. Although they were blindfolded during their unjust imprisonment, Vahid, Shiva, Hamid, Ali and Goli are compelled by their sensory trauma in regard to touch, smell and sound. Panahi's tonal fluidity gives you the impression that this could have a number of outcomes, satisfying or otherwise. For all the heartbreaking scenes in which these characters confront their acceptance with killing this man, there's also a great deal of dark humor. A great example of this is when Vahid's van starts to break down in the middle of the road from out of nowhere, which instantly creates a source of tension as to whether they'll be caught with a man tied up and gagged in the back. It then cuts to an overhead shot of bystanders rushing in to help them move what is ostensibly a moving crime scene. Very few films this year come close to what "It Was Just an Accident" accomplishes in its final half hour. Every discussed theme comes back into action for an interrogative finale that had me leaning forward in my seat. Not to mention that its ending, much like the torment Eghbal doled out, echoes long after the credits roll. By all accounts, Panahi could so easily keep this to the chest; but he's an incredibly brave and bold filmmaker who uses the form to externalize the pain and paranoia he lives with for simply making movies, for cinema wields a power than no regime, nor their oppressive tactics can snuff out. It's not a matter of if the anger, the frustrations and joy will come out, but when. "It Was Just an Accident" is now playing in select theaters.