Overview

• French release begins this week for Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winner, extending the film’s post-Cannes momentum.
• In fresh interviews, Panahi characterizes the feature as a social inquiry that asks how to resist being pulled into violence.
• He recounts clandestine production practices forged under a 20-year filmmaking ban, using tiny crews, phones, and car-mounted cameras.
• Recent coverage highlights scenes that break Iranian taboos, including insults toward authorities, uncovered women, and portrayals of denunciation and corruption.
• Panahi, previously jailed in Iran, has said he intended to return to Tehran after Cannes, a stance that underscores the risks surrounding his work.