In A Simple Accident by Jafar Panahi, a van crosses the desert on the outskirts of Tehran, transforming the road into a space of moral doubt and traumatic memory. (Credit: Les Films Pelléas)
It all starts with a “just an accident,” according to the father of this Iranian family, which at first glance seems like any other. A little girl fidgeting in the back seat, a doting mother, and a father who has just run over a poor dog on the road as they drive through the outskirts of Tehran at night. The engine then starts to sputter, forcing them to stop and seek help at a small roadside shop.Suddenly, the camera shifts to focus on Vahid, an employee at the shop where the car has stopped. A chill runs through him; he recognizes the father before even seeing his face. The squeak of his prosthetic leg with every step — he is sure it’s Eghbal, nicknamed “la Guibole” ("The leg" in French) — his captor and torturer when he was a prisoner of the mullahs. What follows is an almost surreal road movie, so offbeat is the plot. But...
It all starts with a “just an accident,” according to the father of this Iranian family, which at first glance seems like any other. A little girl fidgeting in the back seat, a doting mother, and a father who has just run over a poor dog on the road as they drive through the outskirts of Tehran at night. The engine then starts to sputter, forcing them to stop and seek help at a small roadside shop.Suddenly, the camera shifts to focus on Vahid, an employee at the shop where the car has stopped. A chill runs through him; he recognizes the father before even seeing his face. The squeak of his prosthetic leg with every step — he is sure it’s Eghbal, nicknamed “la Guibole” ("The leg" in French) — his captor and torturer when he was a prisoner of the mullahs. What follows is an almost surreal road movie, so offbeat is...
