The French film festival has awarded Iranian director Jafar Panahi the top prize for his film "Un Simple Accident," which was co-produced by Luxembourg’s Bidibul Productions. This marks the first time a Luxembourg co-production has won the prestigious Palme d'Or, as Panahi received this esteemed honor at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday evening. "Un Simple Accident" (It Was Just an Accident) was produced in collaboration with four French and Iranian film companies alongside Bidibul Productions.
A simple accident remained shrouded in mystery until its world premiere on Tuesday, as little information about the production had been shared with the public prior to that moment. Directed by the acclaimed Panahi, who previously won the Golden Lion in Venice for "The Circle" (2000) and the Golden Bear in Berlin for "Taxi" (2015), the film was shot in Iran without official permission. To protect the director and his team, details about the film were kept under wraps until the last minute.
This year, Panahi returned to one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals for the first time in over 15 years. In his latest work, he boldly critiques the regime in his home country. Known for his provocative films, Panahi has faced imprisonment in Iran and endured a lengthy ban on his filmmaking activities.
A politically charged and gripping 24-hour drama, his latest film, "Un simple accident," reflects his ongoing engagement with political themes. Inspired by his experiences in prison, Panahi shared insights about the film during a press conference at Cannes.
In this intense narrative, the political message is vital, but the storytelling itself—depicting the impact of Iran's radical and violent regime—stands out as particularly distinctive. Christel Henon, a producer at Luxembourg's Bidibul Productions, noted in an interview with the Luxemburger Wort that Panahi has once again pushed himself to the edge.
While Panahi is celebrated at the Croisette and globally, he is viewed as a dissident in Iran. Nevertheless, the 2012 winner of the EU’s Sakharov Human Rights Prize sees no reason to live in exile. In a recent interview with Luxemburger Wort, the director stated, “I have to go home. I would be more afraid of staying here. I would constantly wonder when I could return home.”
A Historic Moment for Luxembourg
After the announcement, Luxembourg's Culture Minister Eric Thill congratulated Panahi and the producers of Bidibul, Christel Henon and Lilian Eche, on their success. In a social media post, Thill remarked, “This is another significant award that demonstrates the international and global recognition of the Luxembourg film sector.”
Alongside the Palme d’Or, the film also received the Prix de la Citoyenneté (Citizenship Prize) at Cannes, which recognizes a film's humanist qualities. This was announced in a press release by the Luxembourg Film Fund on Saturday.
“This Palme d’Or represents a historic milestone for Luxembourg,” stated Film Fund Director Guy Daleiden in the release. “It acknowledges years of dedication to creating open, ambitious, and profoundly human cinema. This achievement highlights the maturity of our industry, the bravery of our talents, and the extent of our international collaborations across various borders and contexts.”
Grand Prix Awarded to Joachim Trier
On Saturday evening, additional awards were presented on the Croisette, including recognition for the Dardenne brothers for their screenplay for The Young Mother’s Home (Jeunes mères) and the Grand Prix awarded to Joachim Trier for his film Sentimental Value.
This year's jury was predominantly composed of women and was led by French actress Juliette Binoche. The panel included American actress and director Halle Berry, Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher, French-Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani, South Korean director and screenwriter Hong Sang-soo, Mexican director, producer, and screenwriter Carlos Reygadas, American actor Jeremy Strong, Congolese director Dieudo Hamadi, and Indian director and screenwriter Payal Kapadia.
Last year, Payal Kapadia's feminist social drama, "All We Imagine as Light," co-produced by the Luxembourg film company Les Films Fauves, won the Grand Prix at Cannes. This year, 22 films competed for the prestigious Palme d’Or.
2025 Cannes film festival award winners
Palme d’Or: “Un simple accident” by Jafar Panahi
Grand Prix: “Sentimental Value” (“Affeksjonsverdi”) by Joachim Trier
Award for best director: Kleber Mendonça Filho for “The Secret Agent” (”O Agente Secreto”)
Best screenplay: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for “The Young Mother’s Home” (”Jeunes Mères”)
Best actress: Nadia Melliti for her performance in “La Petite Dernière.”
Best actor: Wagner Moura for his performance in “The Secret Agent” (”O Agente Secreto”)
Jury prize: “Sirāt” by Oliver Laxe and “Sound of Falling” (”In die Sonne schauen”) by Mascha Schilinski
Special jury prize: “Resurrection” (”Kuang ye shi dai”) by Bi Gan
