Iranian Palme d'Or winner Jafar Panahi calls for toppling of Tehran regime

Published on 19/06/2025 - 9:25 GMT+2

After winning Palme d’Or astatine Cannes for his stunning thriller It Was Just An Accident, 1 of Iran’s astir celebrated filmmakers Jafar Panahi has called for nan autumn of nan Tehran regime, against nan backdrop of escalating conflict betwixt Israel and Iran.  

Panahi posted a powerful connection connected Instagram that appears to push for nan toppling of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  

In his impassioned appeal, Panahi urges nan United Nations and nan world organization to "immediately and decisively compel some regimes to cease their subject attacks and extremity nan sidesplitting of civilians.” 

The filmmaker, whose existent whereabouts stay unknown, goes further: “The only imaginable measurement to flight is nan contiguous dissolution of this strategy and nan constitution of a people’s responsive and antiauthoritarian government.”  

While powerfully condemning nan Israeli aggression, Jafar Panahi takes purpose astatine nan Islamic Republic: “An onslaught against my homeland, Iran, is unacceptable. Israel has violated nan integrity of nan state and should beryllium tried arsenic a wartime aggressors earlier an world tribunal. This position successful nary measurement intends that we should disregard 4 decades of mismanagement, corruption, oppression, tyranny and incompetence connected nan portion of nan Islamic Republic." 

He concludes by saying: “This authorities has neither nan power, will, nor legitimacy required to tally nan state aliases negociate crises. Staying successful this authorities intends nan continued autumn and nan continuation of nan repression.” 

The 64-year-old dissident head has been imprisoned doubly successful Iran and banned from filmmaking for his anti-regime stance and “propaganda against nan state”. He spent 7 months down bars successful 2022 and 2023 for demonstrating against nan imprisonment of his friend and fellow filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof.  

Panahi has continued to make films successful defiance of nan repressive authorities and is champion known for films like This Is Not a Film, No Bears and Taxi Tehran, which won nan Golden Bear astatine nan Berlin Film Festival successful 2015.  

After winning nan Palme d'Or connected 24 May, Panahi returned to Iran, contempt nan threats against him. As he near nan airport, he was greeted by supporters. One personification was heard shouting "woman, life, freedom" arsenic Panahi passed done nan airdrome - a building that became nan motto for protests that collapsed retired crossed Iran pursuing the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini successful constabulary custody in 2022. 

Panahi precocious travelled to Australia wherever he won nan Sydney Film Festival’s apical prize connected Sunday for It Was Just An Accident. The Palme d’Or winning film, which was inspired by his clip successful Iranian prison, focuses connected a group of erstwhile governmental prisoners who kidnap nan man they judge to beryllium their erstwhile torturer.  

In our reappraisal of It Was Just An Accident, we said: “Panahi signs a taut, gripping and utterly engrossing thriller that doubles arsenic an indictment of nan Islamist Republic and calls retired nan sins of authorities despotism. (...) Not only is it a richly deserved Palme d’Or, nan past segment will make your jaw driblet to nan floor.” 

Check retired our afloat Culture Catch-Up connected Jafar Panahi and nan authorities of Iranian film.  

It Was Just An Accident will beryllium released successful France connected 1 October. Mubi has acquired distribution authorities to nan movie successful nan UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria, and Neon has bought nan authorities for North America. Release dates successful these territories are TBD.