Jaffar Panah’s Easy Accident: Why is Iranian film France on Oscar?

Jaffar Panah’s eleventh film, a simple accident, won the Palme D’uu or Cannes 78 Film Festival, which was awarded President Juliet Binoch and chosen for French representation in Oscar. This is not an official nomination, just a selection. The final decision will be announced on January 22, 2026.

However, many viewers question this decision. Why is the film not an Iranian and director and shot in the streets of Tehran is not a country of origin?

The answer is simple: in Iran, a film that exceeds the Iranian regime censorship becomes an illegal film. This is the case with Jafar Panah’s works, including a simple accident that has to make his own feature film that has to be shot in Tehran.

Jaffar Panah’s explanation

“To send your film to an Oscar, it must be theatrical in its country of origin. But it is impossible for meExplains Jafar Panahi’s separation. We must adhere to the conditions of the state and therefore censorship. I have never done it. Unfortunately, we depend on these rules.“

He continues: “That is why we have to find a solution. Although I hear the Oscars. There are many prizes and international parts small. They may not really see that they think about this part of their selection, but at the same time, all of these countries should still find a way out.“

The role of French

Other countries face this problem, such as Russia or China, and the filmmakers of this nationality, in turn, should find decisions.

To exist, the simple misery of the UN has found help in France, thanks to the CNC, the distributor of Memento or MK2. “This film shows that the cinema has no boundaries and that we can spoil the walls that stand between us“, Capar Panahi concludes.

Simple accidents, currently in movie theaters