WINNER, PALME D’OR, 2025 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

Vahid, an unassuming mechanic, is suddenly reminded of his time in an Iranian prison when he has a chance encounter with Eghbal, a man he strongly suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor. Panicked, Vahid rounds up a few of his fellow ex-prisoners to try and confirm Eghbal’s identity.  Master filmmaker Jafar Panahi creates a deeply felt moral thriller, where high stakes tension combines with unexpected flurries of humor and thoughtful, sometimes devastating questions regarding persecution and revenge.

“A BEAUTIFUL FILM. I have never seen anything quite like it.”
– Martin Scorsese

“ENDLESSLY FASCINATING AND EXTRAORDINARILY POWERFUL.”
– Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture

CRITIC’S PICK. “Searing… A circuitous, moving, and unexpectedly funny story of resistance… A cry from the heart, a comic howl in the dark and one of the year’s essential movies.”
– Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

“ONE OF THE MOST DECEPTIVELY PROFOUND MOVIES OF THE YEAR… A truly remarkable parable about empathy, mercy, righteousness, regret, and unfulfilled rage.”
– David Fear, Rolling Stone