I sit down with Amir Etminan, the editor of the Palme d’Or-winning film It Was Just an Accident (2025).
This is one of the stealthiest edited films ever, both literally and figuratively. Etminan cut much of the film on Adobe Premiere while in hiding from the police. But also on screen, much of It Was Just an Accident is composed of long takes.
Etminan takes us through how he sculpted the long takes both visually and sonically to preserve the rhythm of director Jafar Panahi, whom he holds in the highest regard.
For me, the film is about retribution by people with a lot of heart. It’s about an eye for an eye with someone who has lost a leg.
Trailer:
Etminan previously cut the director Jafar Panahi’s film No Bears (2022), which won the Special Jury Prize at Venice.
