Overview
- The Palme d'Or winner is a leading awards contender and is representing France in the Oscars international feature race after Iran declined to submit it.
- Panahi says he restricted access to the screenplay, requiring actors to read it only in his apartment to reduce legal and personal risk.
- The ensemble includes underground artists such as Ebrahim Azizi, whom Panahi guided with input from former political prisoner Mehdi Mahmoudian.
- The director links creative decisions, including a sound-first opening, to insights from his 2022 arrest and seven months in prison.
- Recent coverage underscores the film's examination of vengeance, accountability and compassion under authoritarian pressure.