Jafar Panahi returns to Tehran after Cannes Palme d'Or win

Palme d'Or winner Jafar Panahi receives hero's welcome in Tehran as his film challenges censorship in Iran.

Jafar Panahi speaks during the Palme d'Or winners press conference at the 78th Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 24, 2025, in Cannes, France. Photo by Victor Boyko/Getty Images

By Novanka Laras and Hayu Andini

Acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi made an emotional return to Tehran on Monday, just days after clinching the top honor at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Awarded the Palme d’Or for his searing political drama It Was Just an Accident, Panahi was welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd of supporters at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport. The moment symbolized not only personal triumph but also a broader statement about freedom of expression and artistic resistance in Iran.

For Panahi, the Palme d’Or win marked a landmark moment in a decades-long battle against state censorship and repression. Banned from filmmaking and international travel for years, and repeatedly jailed for defying the regime, Panahi’s presence in Cannes had seemed impossible until now. His film — a fictionalized account of five Iranians confronting their former torturer — has resonated deeply with audiences abroad and at home. Now, the director’s return has reignited debate over the role of art in confronting authoritarian power.

The director’s arrival in Tehran in the early hours of Monday was captured in numerous clips shared on social media by activists and fellow filmmakers. Footage showed Panahi smiling and waving as he descended the escalator into the arrivals hall, where dozens of supporters — some clutching flowers — cheered, applauded, and chanted slogans including “Woman. Life. Freedom!”, the rallying cry of the 2022-2023 protests that swept Iran.

Despite widespread concerns that Panahi might face arrest or harassment upon reentry, his arrival reportedly occurred without incident. Iranian director Mehdi Naderi shared clips on Instagram showing the 64-year-old being warmly embraced. “Fresh blood in the veins of Iranian independent cinema,” Naderi wrote, underscoring the symbolic weight of Panahi’s return.

French producer Philippe Martin, who accompanied Panahi in Cannes, confirmed the filmmaker had made it home safely. “He arrived in Tehran early this morning,” Martin told AFP. “He’s even obtained a visa to attend the Sydney Film Festival in ten days.”

The Sydney event is slated to screen a retrospective titled Cinema in Rebellion, celebrating Panahi’s body of work and spotlighting his ongoing struggle for artistic freedom in Iran.

A cinematic voice of resistance

Panahi’s latest film, It Was Just an Accident, presents a harrowing, politically charged story rooted in the real experiences of torture survivors. While fictional, the narrative draws heavily from Panahi’s own time in detention and his interviews with political prisoners. The five central characters confront a former interrogator in a tense encounter that unravels layers of state-sponsored brutality and moral reckoning.

In Cannes, Panahi used the platform to call for unity among Iranians. “Let’s set aside all problems, all differences,” he told a standing ovation crowd. “What matters most right now is our country and the freedom of our country.” His words echoed a broader cultural moment in Iran, where filmmakers, musicians, and writers are increasingly challenging the regime’s authority despite heavy restrictions.

Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, who also presented his latest work at Cannes after fleeing the country, praised Panahi’s victory in a social media post. “It won’t be long before It Was Just an Accident reaches its primary audience: the people of Iran,” Rasoulof wrote. He added that “the decayed and hollow machinery of censorship under the Islamic Republic has been pushed back.”

In stark contrast to the euphoric scenes at the airport, Iranian state media offered only muted coverage of Panahi’s Palme d’Or win. Outlets such as IRNA acknowledged the award but stopped short of offering detailed reporting or official praise. Analysts suggest the regime is struggling to reconcile Panahi’s global recognition with his defiant stance at home.

The situation escalated when French Culture Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the award as “a gesture of resistance against the Iranian regime’s oppression.” Iran’s foreign ministry swiftly summoned France’s chargé d’affaires, accusing Paris of politicizing the film and insulting Iran’s sovereignty.

“We believe that artistic events and art in general should not be exploited to pursue political objectives,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said at a press conference, dismissing the Cannes accolade as a Western provocation.

But for Panahi’s supporters, the award represents the exact opposite — a powerful demonstration of cinema’s ability to speak truth to power and unite a fractured nation around shared struggles.

A legacy still in the making

Panahi’s triumph in Cannes is only the second time an Iranian filmmaker has received the Palme d’Or, following Abbas Kiarostami’s win for The Taste of Cherry in 1997. But unlike Kiarostami, who remained more subdued in his political commentary, Panahi has become a lightning rod for resistance against the Islamic Republic’s repressive cultural policies.

His earlier works, including Taxi, The Circle, and This Is Not a Film, were made despite government bans and often smuggled out of Iran for international screenings. These films, praised for their inventive techniques and bold themes, have established Panahi as one of the most important voices in global cinema.

With It Was Just an Accident, Panahi has not only reaffirmed his artistic vision but also sent a message that Iranian cinema is far from silent. It is still daring, still engaged, and still deeply connected to the real-life experiences of its people.

With a visa in hand and a retrospective in Sydney on the horizon, Panahi’s journey from underground filmmaker to international laureate continues. But back in Iran, the risks remain. His win has drawn attention, stirred controversy, and raised expectations for what comes next.

For now, his supporters celebrate. The flowers, hugs, and chants at Tehran airport were more than just a welcome — they were an affirmation. In a country where expression is often curtailed, Jafar Panahi returned not just as a filmmaker, but as a symbol of resilience.

His story, like his film, may have been “just an accident” — but its impact will be felt for years to come.

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