Celebrated Iranian director Jafar Panahi returned to Tehran's international airport on Monday, greeted with cheers and a bouquet of flowers following his Palme d'Or win for the revenge thriller "It Was Just Accident" at the Cannes Film Festival. This victory marks Panahi as the second Iranian to receive the coveted French prize, which has significant implications given the backdrop of his past imprisonments for protesting the Iranian regime.
Panahi's Cannes appearance was a historic event, as it marked his first visit in 15 years amid ongoing travel bans that have restricted his international presence. His award-winning film, which critiques torture in Iranian prisons, has sparked heated dialogues between French and Iranian officials, further asserting the film's thematic impact.
As he embraced supporters at the airport, fellow Iranian filmmaker Medhi Nadari captured the moment, referring to it as "history-making" in an Instagram post. Among the crowd, chants of "woman, life, freedom" rang out, echoing the sentiments felt during protests that emerged following the death of Mahsa Amini under police custody in 2022.
During his acceptance speech at Cannes, Panahi emphasized the importance of freedom in Iran, urging citizens to unite against oppression. The French Foreign Minister's remarks on Panahi's film as a "gesture of resistance against the Iranian regime's oppression" elicited a sharp response from Iranian officials, prompting a formal protest to the French envoy in Tehran.
Upon his return, Panahi reiterated his commitment to his homeland, expressing hope and determination to explore new cinematic endeavors. "As soon as I finish my work here I will go back," he assured reporters while at Cannes, underscoring his unfinished mission as an artist and advocate for freedom.
