The Palme d'Or for "A Simple Accident" by Jafar Panahi: "It's a Palme d'Or that has such political value," explains its producer

Philippe Martin underlines the exceptional political and symbolic significance of this award.

Emotions were palpable at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, May 24, after Jafar Panahi was awarded the Palme d'Or for his film A Simple Accident . " It's a Palme d'Or that has such political value and is so important in Iran," Philippe Martin, the film's producer, explained on franceinfo on Sunday . "For several days now, significant pressure has been mounting from that side as well. The entire Women, Life, Freedom movement was also embodied by this possible award."

Philippe Martin praises the talent of the Iranian filmmaker, recalling that "he is an immense filmmaker" , and that "this Palme d'Or, certainly, has an enormous political value, but it has above all an aesthetic value" . Jafar Panahi had already received the Caméra d'Or at Cannes in 1995 for The White Ballon and the Jury Prize - Un Certain Regard for Blood and Gold in 2003, but he had never yet been crowned with the supreme distinction.

The producer of A Simple Accident also recalls the clandestine filming conditions: "The fact that the film is shot in secret all the time creates a necessity for the actors and for Jafar Panahi, an extremely fast pace of filming, hoping to be able to finish the day without the police arresting them or seizing the camera or the rushes as has already happened."

Deeply moved, Philippe Martin recalls an email received by Jafar Panahi from his screenwriter, currently detained in Evin Prison in Tehran. This message explained how "all the prisoners of Evin were waiting for this Palme d'Or" , that "it would be essential for them that Jafar Panahi wins this very important prize, because it is a prize for all of them". According to Philippe Martin, for the film crew, the joy of this award remains "very special" , between artistic pride and hope for those who, in Iran, see in this prize a symbol of freedom and resistance. "It is a complex joy" , concludes the producer.