{"id":680877,"date":"2025-05-26T14:49:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T12:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/numero.com\/non-classifiee\/cannes-2025-jafar-panahis-it-was-just-an-accident-awarded-the-palme-dor-by-juliette-binoche\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T11:25:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T09:25:01","slug":"cannes-2025-jafar-panahis-it-was-just-an-accident-awarded-the-palme-dor-by-juliette-binoche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/movies\/cannes-2025-jafar-panahis-it-was-just-an-accident-awarded-the-palme-dor-by-juliette-binoche\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannes 2025: Jafar Panahi\u2019s It Was Just an Accident awarded the Palme d\u2019Or by Juliette Binoche"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Jafar\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Jafar Panahi, winner of the Palme d’Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in the Palais des Festivals, on May 24th, 2025 \u00a9 Lyvans Boolaky\/Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

On Saturday, May 24th, on the stage of the Grand Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Lumi\u00e8re, Jafar Panahi<\/strong> brandished the Palme d\u2019Or he received for his eleventh feature film, <\/span>It Was Just an Accident<\/span><\/i>. The whole scene was a miracle in itself, since the Iranian director had been forbidden to leave his country for 14 years. Sentenced to six years in prison for \u201cpropaganda against the regime\u201d in 2010, then placed under house arrest, the sexagenarian was arrested once again in 2022. He was only released in 2023 after a hunger and thirst strike. He has announced his intention to return to his home country.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

A resilient artist and great filmmaker, Jafar Panahi was awarded the Palme d\u2019Or by Juliette Binoche among twenty-two other feature films from around the globe. A \u201cconscious\u201d Palme as conflicts rage from Gaza to Ukraine. The rest of the winners\u2019 list, which was both expected and fairly balanced, gave a pulse to the current state of cinema<\/a>. The art form is still cherished in France, but increasingly threatened worldwide by political and financial censorship. So much so that the Cannes Film Festival<\/a> once again fulfilled its role as a protective bubble. Here\u2019s our view on the winners\u2019 list through eight films.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Image of Jafar Pahani’s film
It Was Just an Accident <\/em>in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Palme d\u2019Or: It Was Just an Accident<\/i> by Jafar Panahi<\/strong><\/h3><\/h2>\n\n

Last year, <\/span>The Seed of the Sacred Fig <\/span><\/i>by Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof was the favorite for the Palme d\u2019Or before being edged out by Sean Baker\u2019s surprise entry <\/span>Anora<\/span><\/i>. This time, Juliette Binoche<\/strong>, who is particularly attuned to the <\/span>Woman, Life, Freedom<\/span><\/i> movement, honored another Iranian director. Jafar Panahi<\/strong> embodies the resistance against the rule of the Mullahs in Tehran. His film <\/span>It Was Just an Accident<\/span><\/i> tells the story of how victims of torture by the regime find their torturer. They grapple with what to do with him, on the verge of suffering and absurdity. A nuanced reflection on revenge and trauma, with great political strength, and a consensual Palme d\u2019Or.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

It Was Just an Accident<\/span><\/i> will be out in theaters on September 10th, 2025.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

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Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd and Elle Fanning starring in the film
Sentimental Value<\/em> (2025)\u00a0\u00a9 Kasper Tuxen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Grand Prix: Sentimental Value<\/i> by Joachim Trier<\/strong><\/h3><\/h2>\n\n

The Norwegian director, known for <\/span>Oslo, 31. august <\/i><\/strong>(2011), charmed festival goers with a sweeping, ambitious film. Drawing its inspiration from Chekhov and Bergman, <\/span>Sentimental Value<\/i><\/strong> weaves a family drama where an aging patriarch, embodied by the stellar Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong>, strives to complete a new film, hoping his eldest daughter will play the lead role. Deeply literary and vibrant, Joachim Trier<\/a>\u2019s film masterfully blends creativity and familial bonds. A somewhat conservative choice, but certainly not a scandalous one.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Sentimental Value<\/span><\/i> will be out in theaters on August 20th, 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Nadia Melliti at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival \u00a9 Nathan Merchadier for Numero.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Best Actress: Nadia Melliti in The Little Sister<\/i> by Hafsia Herzi<\/strong><\/h3><\/h2>\n\n

Jennifer Lawrence, the favorite, wasn\u2019t invited to the party. The divine surprise of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival<\/strong> was Nadia Melliti. Discovered during a street casting in Paris, the lead actress in Hafsia Herzi\u2019s third feature film portrays a high school senior, who is about to enter university as a philosophy student. Coming from an Algerian background, she explores her homosexuality while living in the suburbs and practicing Islam. Both reserved and subtly expressive, the 23-year-old actress is making her debuts and contributes greatly to the success of <\/span>The Little Sister<\/span><\/i>, an elegant adaptation of Fatima Daas\u2019 autobiographical novel. This award also celebrates director Hafsia Herzi<\/strong>, whose organic and precise filmmaking deeply resonates in us.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Little Sister<\/span><\/i> will be out in theaters on October 1st, 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Wagner Moura starring in the film
The Secret Agent<\/em>\u00a0(2025) \u00a9 Victor Juca.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Best Performance by an Actor: Wagner Moura in The Secret Agent<\/i> by Kleber Mendon\u00e7a Filho<\/strong><\/h3><\/h2>\n\n

In <\/span>The Secret Agent<\/i><\/strong>, one of the most impressive films in competition, Brazilian actor Wagner Moura, well-known for his role as Pablo Escobar<\/strong> in <\/span>Narcos<\/i><\/strong>, portrays a former scientist trying to rebuild his life during the military dictatorship in Brazil in the 1970s. As the protagonist of this historical, political thriller and also\u00a0 sensual and contemporary fresco about oppressed people living in an unfair regime, Wagner Moura<\/strong> exudes casual charisma and depth. A cool star, just the way we like them.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Secret Agent<\/span><\/i> will be out on January 14th, 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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The Young Mother’s Home<\/em> (2025) by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne \u00a9 Christine Plenus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Best Screenplay: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne for The Young Mother\u2019s Home<\/i><\/strong><\/h3><\/h2>\n\n

After two Palmes d\u2019Or (<\/span>Rosetta<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>L\u2019Enfant<\/span><\/i>) and a Grand Prix (<\/span>The Kid with a Bike<\/span><\/i>), the brilliant Belgian filmmakers won their second Best Screenplay award after <\/span>Lorna\u2019s Silence<\/span><\/i>. Their thirteenth feature, <\/span>The Young Mother\u2019s Home<\/span><\/i>, follows teen mums and their newborns in a women\u2019s shelter. Although the Dardenne brothers\u2019 captivating direction is essential in their work, Juliette Binoche, Jeremy Strong<\/strong>, and the other members of the jury found a way to highlight this beautiful, generous, tense film, which premiered on the festival\u2019s last day.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Young Mother\u2019s Home<\/span><\/i> (2025) is currently out in theaters.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Wagner Moura starring in the film
The Secret<\/em> Agent<\/em>\u00a0(2025) \u00a9 MK Production – One Two Films – Lemming.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Best Director: Kleber Mendon\u00e7a Filho for The Secret Agent<\/i><\/strong><\/h3><\/h2>\n\n

After Wagner Moura<\/strong>\u2019s award for Best Actor in <\/span>The Secret Agent<\/span><\/i>, this second award underscores the jury\u2019s love for this exploration of Brazil\u2019s contradictions from the 1970s to the present day. Although it missed out on the Grand Prix and the Palme d\u2019Or, Kleber Mendon\u00e7a Filho<\/strong>\u2019s double recognition cements his status as an main figure in cinema. Let\u2019s hope for a box office success worthy of the film\u2019s warmth and depth.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Secret Agent<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 will be out in theaters on January 14th, 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Olivier Laxe at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival \u00a9 Nathan Merchadier for Numero.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Joint Jury Prize: Sirat<\/i> by Oliver Laxe and Sound of Falling<\/i> by Mascha Schilinski<\/strong><\/h3><\/h2>\n\n

By combining two unrelated films, the jury likely wanted to avoid making a choice and to highlight youth. German director Mascha Schilinski<\/strong>, the only one of the seven female directors in competition to win a prize, surprised the audience with <\/span>Sound of Falling<\/i><\/strong>. Her 2-hour-40-minute feature film draws the impressionistic portrayal of women from the mid-20th century to today. Avoiding clich\u00e9s of historical dramas, this stylized immersion into female experiences of oppression struck a chord.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

It\u2019s a pity that <\/span>Sirat<\/span><\/i> by the emerging Spanish director Oliver Laxe<\/strong> landed so \u201clow\u201d in the list. His film is an upfront powerful road movie through the rave culture, a metaphysical fresco influenced by Antonioni and Gus Van Sant that lifts us off the ground and powerfully captures the chaos of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Sirat<\/span><\/i> will be out in theaters on September 3rd, 2025. <\/span>Sound of Falling<\/span><\/i> is coming out soon.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Shu Qi starring in the film
Resurrection <\/em>(2025) \u00a9 Films du Losange.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Special Award: Resurrection<\/i> by Bi Gan<\/strong><\/h3><\/h2>\n\n

Bi Gan<\/a> was the first to go on stage to receive the least coveted award of the evening. But it is an award nonetheless! The 35-year-old Chinese filmmaker delivered a splendid film. The hero is a man who dreams in a world that no longer dreams. He journeys through the history of cinema and China. Both referential and poetic, this third feature from one of today\u2019s greatest filmmakers was our favorite of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival<\/strong>, along with <\/span>Sirat<\/span><\/i> by Oliver Laxe. Two cinematic gestures we would have liked to see win big, but which the jury wisely didn\u2019t overlook<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Resurrection<\/span><\/i> (2025) is coming out soon.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Une publication partag\u00e9e par Festival de Cannes (@festivaldecannes)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>