Jafar Panahi sentenced again as his Oscar-nominated film defies Iran’s crackdown
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has again been sentenced to prison, this time for propaganda against the state. A Tehran court convicted him in absentia in December 2023, handing down a one-year jail term and a two-year travel ban. The ruling comes as his latest film, It Was Just an Accident, wins global acclaim—including the Palme d’Or at Cannes and an Oscar nomination.
His work has long defied Iran's restrictions, with films like This Is Not a Film and Taxi shot secretly under house arrest or using unconventional methods. Despite facing decades of repression, Panahi continues to create films that challenge the regime, though he rejects the label of a political artist.
Panahi's troubles with Iranian authorities began in 2010, when he was first detained and sentenced to six years in prison. The court also imposed a 20-year ban on filmmaking, foreign travel, and media interviews. Despite this, he found ways to keep working, often in secret.
In 2022, officials ordered him to serve the original prison term. He spent seven months in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison before his release in early 2023, following a hunger strike. His latest conviction stems from charges of spreading anti-government propaganda—a pattern of legal action tied to his films.
It Was Just an Accident marks a shift in tone, taking a more direct stance against Iran's regime than his earlier work. Yet Panahi describes himself as a 'socially engaged' filmmaker rather than an activist. He has even expressed sympathy for those enforcing the system, comparing them to 'pieces of a big machine' trapped in a broken structure.
His defiance is not without risk. Iran's crackdown on dissent has intensified in recent years, with at least 2,403 protesters killed and over 18,000 arrested since nationwide demonstrations began. Panahi's films, often made under house arrest or with hidden cameras, have become acts of resistance simply by existing.
Despite the dangers, he remains committed to cinema. Whether shooting on an iPhone or using dash cams, as he did for Taxi, he takes joy in the creative process. His work continues to reach global audiences, even as Iranian authorities seek to silence him.
Panahi's latest sentence adds to a long history of state repression, yet his films still find ways to circulate internationally. The Palme d’Or and Oscar nomination for It Was Just an Accident highlight his enduring influence, even from behind bars. With protests and arrests ongoing in Iran, his case underscores the risks faced by artists who challenge the regime.
