A painful and profoundly timely film about the near-impossible breaking of cycles of violence, set against a backdrop of generalized rage.
A Simple Accident manages to offer a deeply human perspective on a situation usually treated from a distant, geopolitical viewpoint: the repressive system in Iran. Shifting the focus from statistics and strategies to people confronting their torturer face to face, this surprise film from TIFF.24 is a masterclass in wisdom—and it’s no wonder it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year.
The "accident" referenced in the title is the first domino to fall, drawing in a motley group of people who have endured unimaginable suffering at the hands of a man whose identity is difficult for them to confirm—but whose presence reopens old wounds and stirs a desire for revenge. Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) hears the distinctive creak of an artificial leg from a man whose car breaks down in front of his house. In a minimalist manner, without flashbacks or voice-over explanations, the film follows Vahid as he prepares his attack on the man he believes to be an agent and torturer for the secret police. The individual is captured and locked in a trunk inside a van, and Vahid embarks on a tragicomic quest to confirm his identity in order to take revenge. One by one, more characters join him, each with their own horror story and set of scars, and what unfolds is a harrowing look at the tension, anger, and trauma hidden within Iranian society.
The premise brings Tarantino to mind, but director Jafar Panahi opts for a far more subtle approach, deliberately avoiding the ultraviolence we’ve come to expect from other landmark films about revenge. Where Lady Vengeance or Kill Bill offer bloody catharsis, A Simple Accident focuses on the humanity that the characters ultimately refuse to abandon in the name of justice. This understanding of how anger quietly seeps from individuals into the fabric of society lies at the heart of a film that is perhaps more restrained than we might prefer—but all the more theatrical and remarkable because of it. The acting is clearly rooted more in stage tradition than cinematic realism, but this contributes meaningfully to the nuanced tone set by the script, elegantly underscoring the film’s core message: complex problems require complex solutions, and anything else is merely a delayed continuation of hate and resentment.
Saturday, June 21st, 7:00 PM / Cinema Florin Piersic