Overview

• The film arrives in French cinemas today after winning the 2025 Palme d’Or and being selected as France’s submission for the 2026 Best International Feature Oscar.
• Shot covertly in Iran without government approval and featuring actresses without headscarves, the feature cannot be distributed inside the country.
• Panahi says cast and crew were repeatedly questioned about their involvement and that plainclothes security agents searched a night shoot for footage.
• Iran’s ultraconservative Fars agency denounced the work and criticized France’s Oscar choice, while reformist voices, including an Iranian Oscar committee member, argued it would have been Iran’s strongest pick.
• The drama draws on Panahi’s time in detention to explore prison abuses and moral reckoning, and he continues to reject exile while warning of rising authoritarian trends abroad.