The film ‘A Simple Accident’ directed by Panahi became France’s representative at the 2026 Oscars.
France has officially selected the film ‘A Simple Accident’ directed by Jafar Panahi as its representative to compete in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Oscars.
This film, which premiered at the recent Cannes Festival and won the Palme d’Or, tells the story of a group of former prisoners who encounter someone they believe to be the same guard who tortured them during their imprisonment, a narrative that places them in a difficult decision between revenge or forgiveness.
Upon receiving the Cannes award, Panahi urged Iranians to set aside their differences and strive for the freedom of Iran.
‘A Simple Accident’ is considered one of the main contenders to be among the final Oscar nominees, similar to ‘The Fig Tree of Temples’ which was presented by Germany last year.
This news was announced one day after the film ‘Cause of Death: Unknown’ directed by Ali Zarnegar was introduced as Iran’s representative.
The last time France won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film was in 1993 with the film ‘Indochine’ directed by Régis Wargnier.