In a dramatic and emotional close to the 78th Cannes Film Festival, Iranian director Jafar Panahi was awarded the prestigious Palme d'Or for his powerful revenge thriller It Was Just an Accident, reports RFI.
The moment was both triumphant and poignant, marking a major victory for a filmmaker who has long worked under extreme political pressure.
Panahi, who has been banned from leaving Iran for over 15 years, was presented the award by Cate Blanchett to a roaring standing ovation.
The filmmaker, visibly stunned, threw his arms up in disbelief before rising to applaud the crowd.
In a heartfelt speech, he championed freedom of expression, declaring: “No one should dare tell us what kind of clothes we should wear, what we should do or what we should not do. The cinema is a society".