Screening at Kai Cinema: It Was Just an Accident

Genre: Thriller
Running time: 1 hr 45 min
Countries: Iran, France, Luxembourg
Year: 2025
Director: Jafar Panahi
Cast: Vahid Mobasseri, Maryam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi
Language: Persian
Subtitles: Estonian

Nominated for 2 Oscars: Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay.

Winner of the top prize, the Palme d’Or, at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, *It Was Just an Accident* is Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s first film since his recent release from prison. This thriller follows citizens plotting revenge against a man accused of torturing them.

*It Was Just an Accident* begins in a vehicle, as several of Panahi’s previous films do. Driver Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi) is on his way home to his wife and daughter when he accidentally runs over a dog and damages his car’s engine. This sets in motion events that delve deep into the workings of Iran’s repressive regime.

Imprisoned because of state censorship, Panahi returned behind the camera after a hunger strike and an international campaign for his release. The result is an unforgettable thriller that asks a painful question: should victims of state violence show mercy, or are they entitled to seek revenge?

Distributor: KP Distribution

We also invite everyone to visit the solo exhibition *An Island in the Sea* by acclaimed artist Jane Jin Kaisen, now open at Kai Art Center. This captivating journey, comprising seven films, takes viewers deep into Korean traditions and history. Kaisen’s work is being shown in the Baltics for the first time.

A combo ticket for the exhibition and film screening on the same day costs €15 (€10 for a concession ticket). The gallery is open until 18:00, so combo-ticket holders are asked to visit the exhibition before the screening begins.