Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Defies Imprisonment to Craft Thrilling New Movie

In October 2025, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who has been imprisoned twice for making unauthorized movies, drew inspiration from his recent 7-month incarceration at the notorious Evin Prison to create the thriller "It Was Just an Accident." Panahi's frequent collaborator, editor Amir Etminan, played a crucial role in the film's production, employing extreme security measures to ensure the project remained undetected by Iran's autocratic regime.

Etminan and the "It Was Just an Accident" team were acutely aware of the risks they were taking. Panahi emphasized that their involvement could lead to imprisonment, and the crew received only small portions of the script at a time to minimize the danger. Etminan set up a makeshift editing suite in a safe house, working long hours to cut the footage without an assistant or internet access, and smuggling the final cut out of the country on a tiny device.

Despite the challenges, Etminan remained energized by the project, driven by the powerful story and his deep connection to Panahi's filmmaking style. The editor was particularly moved by a sequence depicting the emotional reunion of former prisoners, which he felt reflected the real-life suffering and conflict experienced by Iranians in recent years.