Jafar Panahi Reflects on Iran’s Violence and His Hope to Return Home: “I Will Be Back”
Iranian director Jafar Panahi is currently navigating the awards circuit with his film It Was Just An Accident, while closely monitoring recent violent events in Iran from afar.
Although information remains limited due to an internet blackout that began on January 8, reports indicate that at least 2,500 people have been killed and approximately 18,000 arrested during nationwide protests against the hardline government, which began in late December.
Panahi’s film, which won the Cannes Palme d’Or, draws on his personal experiences in prison and was secretly filmed in Iran. The narrative revolves around a group of former inmates who believe they have identified one of their cruel jailers through the distinct sound of his false leg.
“A very common experience that prisoners of conscience have is that they are after being arrested, they are taken to interrogation sessions, and they are placed in front of a wall and then blindfolded,” Panahi explained. “The auditory sense of the prisoner is the sense that works the most, and there is this sense of wondering about who this person is and whether or not they could be recognized if the prisoner meets this person outside.”
He emphasized that his film raises critical questions about the ongoing cycle of violence in Iran and expressed concern that recent killings mark a dangerous escalation.
The director suggested that in the future, Iranians might seek revenge against those who supported the Islamic regime, drawing parallels to the treatment of Nazi collaborators after World War II. “The corpses that lie flat on the ground day after day, and the videos that come out of those scenes will remain in the minds of people… I remember seeing films of the perpetrators of the Second World War who were then dealt with by regular citizens after the end of the war,” Panahi stated.
He recalled instances from France, where women associated with occupying soldiers were publicly shamed and humiliated, noting that historians estimate about 10,000 people accused of collaboration were executed. He added, “This happened in the aftermath of a war… Now imagine people who have gone to peaceful protests in Iran, where they’ve met with military bullets and equipment, and then fallen and rolled in their own blood in front of the eyes of many other people.”
Panahi raised further concerns regarding the future of Iran’s clerical class once the current regime falls. “We have to think about what will happen to the clerics after this government falls. Are people able to forgive them?” he questioned, cautioning that violence often begets more violence.
While his film includes themes of human decency, Panahi expressed skepticism about the ability of the current government to exhibit such qualities. “Unfortunately, what you see in this government is an absolute lack of rationality. All they can think about is murder and they are only going to make the situation worse,” he said.
He criticized the government for its approach, stating, “Any other regime, or political structure by now would have been looking for a solution around what is happening today with the protests… But instead, they’re worsening the violence with their lack of rationality and with their constant killing machine.”
Assessing the government’s standing, he remarked, “This state is a failed state in every imagined way – politically, ideologically, economically, and even environmentally – but they have been sticking to power as hard as they can.” He refrained from commenting on whether external intervention might help resolve the current crisis.
On his way to the Golden Globes, Panahi expressed his distress at the rare footage emerging from Iran, despite his interpreter Sheida Dayani suggesting otherwise. “I insisted but after seeing them, I felt suffocated to the point that I couldn’t stay in the car and I couldn’t breathe,” he revealed.
As Panahi prepares to attend the European Film Awards in Berlin, where his film is nominated for several accolades, he reiterated his desire to return home once the awards season concludes.
He explained that his limited ability to return to Iran is due to a complicated visa situation with the U.S. requiring him to periodically return to France. “I have to keep going back every 20 days to apply for a visa. I have no choice but to stay here,” he said. “Otherwise, I wanted to go back right now to visit my mother, my siblings, my son.”
Despite the turmoil, he affirmed, “No matter what the situation is in Iran, you can be sure that I will return.”
