Offscreen Central sat down with Amir Etminan, the editor of the Palme d’Or winner, It Was Just an Accident, to discuss what it was like working with Jafar Panahi, how the incredible pacing of this film came together, and the importance of women in Iranian cinema.

Sarah Abraham: Thank you both so much for talking with me today. We at Offscreen Central are so excited for this film and are honored to have you here. Speaking for myself, I loved the film. It is probably my favorite of the year so far, and I am a huge fan of Neon and Iranian cinema, so this is very exciting for me.
Mojtaba Bahadori: Thank you, we are happy to have a conversation with you.

Sarah Abraham: My first question is, the film only has about a 104 minute runtime, but it flies by with such a momentum, despite there being a lot of long and continuous shots. Can you talk about how you found the right balance with keeping the audience engaged with the story and the characters?
Amir Etminan: First of all, the engaging part of the film for the audience, it comes from the rhythm and the tempo of the film by itself. The second place, we had the tempo and the rhythm for each character and also for each scene. We tried to marry these two tempos together in each scene, and that’s how we created the third tempo, which engaged the audience. Each scene was based on emotion that we wanted to give the audience. So, they had a very specific tempo and rhythm and also had different scenes and sequences next to each other. Because we respect the tempo of each feeling next to each other, it has this harmony, and that’s why the audience doesn’t feel this transition between the different tempos, slow and fast. We started the film with a very high tempo and high rhythm, because we wanted immediately to go very fast and go to the subject of the film. Then, we kept the same fast tempo and rhythm for each character to introduce them. After the introduction of the characters and the general idea of the film, you could slow down and sit down as an audience and see what’s going to happen to them. So, we could slow down the rhythm after the introduction of each character and all the unit scenes. As an independent Iranian film, we are not insisting to have a fast or slow tempo film. We are deciding that the tempo of each scene is based on the emotion and the storytelling that you have to transfer to the audience.

Sarah Abraham: That’s awesome. Thank you so much for describing all of that. I think part of what you were saying with the tempo leans into one of my questions about if you had worked with the cinematographer (Amin Jafari) and maybe the sound editors (Valérie de Loaf and Nicolas Leroy), because those aspects of the film are so important, specifically with the sound of the fake leg and the shot of the sun setting in the desert. I was wondering if there was any collaboration between those departments?
Amir Etminan: The sound had a very important place since the beginning with this project. Actually, because I was present with shooting since the beginning, we had a constant collaboration together, with the sound recorder and the cinematographer. As you know, the sound of the fake leg has a very important place in the film, like a character by itself. So, it was considered, since the beginning during the production period, to think about the sound and keep it as an important part of the project. Since the first day of the shooting, we had a very sensitive idea about the sound of this fake leg. Even during the time that he was off, we went to a medical clinic and found someone who had a fake leg, and we registered the sound of the walking of this person to have exactly the same sound for the process of the editing on a timeline.

Sarah Abraham: The ending sound is something that I am still hearing. I think the powerful aspect of all of it was conveyed very well.
Amir Etminan: For Mr. (Jafar) Panahi, it was also a very sensitive subject. He was very sensitive about how to create this sound to represent what he had in his mind for the film. Just for recording this sound of the fake leg really put a lot of effort to have the right sound for the end of the film.

Sarah Abraham: I want to ask some questions about filming this project in secret without permission from the federal government if you are comfortable.
Amin Etminan: So, Iranian cinema today has two parts. One is like the main body of the cinema which, the majority are making comedy films or films that have propaganda for the government. Then, we have the independent cinema which is cinema not seeking permission from the government, and not very pleasant for the government to exist. We are used to making those kinds of films without permission. A part of the difficulties for the independent cinema, when we are talking about working with Mr. Panahi is then another problem because he’s known as an activist. Not only we can call him a political activist, but he’s a social and critical activist. Not only in Iran, but he is known globally. So, Working with Mr. Panahi, he highlights the independent work and has more difficulties. But actually we are just making film about the social situation and human situation in Iran. But, the Iran government, because they are not appreciating us, that they are putting us under “political filmmakers,” but, in fact, we are just social filmmakers.

Sarah Abraham: Thank you so much for sharing all that. One of my best friends, his mom is from Tehran, and I am someone of Lebanese heritage, so I am very passionate about seeing all types of Middle Eastern filmmakers and just supporting the people and their right to speak up. This is very meaningful.
Amir Etminan: Before I started the interview, I read the text that you have Lebanese origin and have Iranian friends, so please be comfortable to ask me any question you have and I am very happy to talk to you.

Sarah Abraham: I had one question about what it was like working with Jafar Panahi. I’m very happy that more people are discovering his talent and are seeing on worldwide stage, a film from our part of the world. I think it is important that people will see this film and hopefully seek out more Iranian cinema or films from that region and realize we are not a monolith.
Amir Etminan: Working with him is really an honor not only professionally but morally, because of his character. He’s a wonderful person. Professionally speaking, he’s an amazing director and great at mastering what he’s doing. I see him, of course, as a great master of the cinema. Character wise, he’s someone that, if he will say something he will always do it. He is a real activist and he’s fighting for his belief, and he is a very moral person. As an Iranian, I feel a duty towards the situation going on. With all the people there that have been killed, harmed mentally or physically by this government. Working with Mr. Panahi is like taking my part in this fight, this activity against this totalitarianism system.

Sarah Abraham: Wow, thank you so much for sharing that. I mentioned I love seeing Iranian cinema and just the complexity of these characters. The whole ensemble was beautiful and they felt very real and lived in, specifically the two female characters (Mariam Afshari and Hades Pakbaten). I think there is such a stereotype of Middle Eastern women that we are all, like, quiet and afraid. For my last question, I’m wondering, how do you think the role of women in Iranian cinema is helping the people and do you see a future for them in this…I don’t want to say “fight…”
Mojtaba Bahadori: Do you mean, like how the film is impacting the future of Iranian woman in their fight?
Sarah Abraham: Yes! Thank you.
Amir Etminan: I think for talking about the women in Mr. Panahi’s films, we have to go back to his older films, like Offside and 3 Faces. In Offside, there’s a story of a young lady who wants to go to the sports studio and she wants to participate in a match. In 3 Faces, the story is of a woman who’s fighting for her social rights. I think women are a very central and important subject for Mr. Panahi in all of his films. He’s very clever in casting the actor and actress and he knows exactly what he wants. He really avoids the feeling of an exaggerated situation. He really tries to focus on storytelling more than trying to be very flashy and impress the audience by exaggerating acting or those kind of things. He’s very clever in choosing them and to have natural acting in front of the camera.

Sarah Abraham: Thank you both so much again for taking the time to speak with me today. I’m so excited for more people to see this film.
Mojtaba Bahadori: Thank you, Sarah.
Amir Etminan: Thank you, Sarah! I am happy to have this conversation and I wish peace for Lebanon.
Sarah Abraham: Thank you, for that. I wish peace for Iranians as well. We have two of the best foods in the world.

A huge thank you to Mojtaba Bahadori for being a translator for this interview!

It Wast Just an Accident is in select theaters now.
You can find our review of the film here.