Jafar Panahi’s new film submitted as France’s Oscar entry

“Good news came through last night.”

On the morning of Sept. 18 at BIFF Hill in Haeundae, Busan, Iranian director Jafar Panahi, 65, appeared in high spirits during a press conference organized by the Busan International Film Festival. The reason was the announcement that his new film, "It Was Just an Accident," had been officially submitted as France’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at next year’s Academy Awards.

Panahi previously won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival in 2002 for The Circle and the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2015 for "Taxi." In May of this year, he won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for "It Was Just an Accident," achieving a “triple crown” by claiming the top prize at the three major international film festivals. He is only the fifth filmmaker in history to accomplish this, following Jean-Luc Godard of France and Robert Altman of the United States, and is the first Asian filmmaker and the only living director to do so.

However, submitting the film for the Academy Awards was a difficult process. “In a closed country like Iran, government approval is required to submit a film to the Oscars. This time, it was possible through France, the co-producing country,” Panahi said. “The global filmmaking community must stand in solidarity to prevent such obstacles from arising.”

Panahi has a long-standing connection with Busan. He attended the first Busan International Film Festival in 1996 with his feature debut The White Balloon and has since presented several of his works there. This year, marking the festival’s 30th edition, BIFF awarded him the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award. "It Was Just an Accident," which premiered first at the festival’s gala presentation, is scheduled for its world premiere in South Korea on Oct. 1.

The film tells the story of Bahid, a mechanic who was once imprisoned as a political prisoner, and his conviction that a man he hears walking with a prosthetic leg is the intelligence officer who tortured him. For Panahi, who has sharply criticized Iranian society through his films, this spirit of resistance remains a central theme in his work. He has faced multiple travel bans in Iran and was prohibited from making films for 17 years. Reflecting on his past, Panahi described himself as a “social filmmaker.”

“When filmmaking was impossible, I filmed myself at home,” he said. “No matter how much they told me not to make films, my will to create was strong. I want to send the message that no one in this world can stop this. Filmmakers will always find a way.”

Recently, the domestic and international film industry has faced concerns over the impact of online streaming services and other changes. Panahi dismissed such excuses, saying, “There may be challenges, but the younger generation has access to incredible technologies and opportunities. Filmmakers have a responsibility to tell stories with integrity.”


부산=김태언 beborn@donga.com