Cinema. The Palme d'Or winner "A Simple Accident" will represent France at the Oscars

The Palme d'Or winner "A Simple Accident" , by Iranian director Jafar Panahi and co-produced in France, will represent France at the Oscars, the CNC, in charge of the selection, announced in a press release on Wednesday evening.

For CNC president Gaëtan Bruel, this selection shows that France "is the beating heart of international co-productions and a welcoming land for creators from all over the world, particularly those who are prevented from working in their own country."

Jafar Panahi, who won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in May for his clandestinely shot film, has been imprisoned twice in his home country, where he returned after receiving his award.

“The more it is seen, the more it will be talked about, the better it will be.”

Recognized as one of the major figures in Iranian cinema, the filmmaker had already received several awards, notably in Berlin and Venice. However, he had never competed for an Oscar.

"The only way to compete for the Oscars is to be nominated by a country, and Iran never wanted Jafar Panahi to represent Iran," explained Philippe Martin, founder of Films de Pelléas, which co-produced the film.

"I'm also very happy because this film has such a strong political message that the more it resonates, the more it will be seen, the more it will be talked about, the better it will be," he also said. The French production company also co-produced "Anatomy of a Fall," by Justine Triet, which won Best Screenplay at the 2024 Oscars and the Palme d'Or the previous year.

In 2015, the CNC had already selected a foreign language film to represent France in the American competition, with "Mustang," by Franco-Turkish director Deniz Gamze Ergüven.