It Was Just An Accident
NZ release: 04 November 2025
Violence, offensive language and cruelty Rated on: 29 January 2026
What’s it about?
An unassuming mechanic is reminded of his time in an Iranian prison when he encounters a man he suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor. Panicked, he rounds up a few of his fellow ex-prisoners to confirm the man's identity.
The facts
- Directed by Jafar Panahi (The White Ballon, Taxi Tehran)
- Persian and Azerbaijani languages
- Runtime: 103 minutes
- The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 78th Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2025, where it won the Palme d'Or.
Why did it get this rating?
This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.
Violence
A character is kidnapped by being knocked over by a van. We subsequently see him bound and gagged. Characters slap him around the head.
We see the captive being tortured by being put into a dirt grave and dirt shovelled on to him while he cries out for mercy. We also see him blindfolded and tied to a tree while several characters interrogate him.
There are discussions and descriptions of violence and torture that former political prisoners were subjected to.
Offensive language
There is translated swearing throughout the film in moments of high tension. Words such as ‘b*stard’, ;sh*t’, ‘ars*hole’, ‘f*ck’ and ‘m*therfucker’ are used to insult or for emphasis.
When content stays with you:
We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.
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