Radio Atlantic: “Iran Wants Him Arrested. He’s Going Back Anyway.”

Episode Date: February 12, 2026

Host: Hanna Rosin
Guest: Jafar Panahi (Iranian director), via interpreter Shaida Dayani

Episode Overview

This episode centers around acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, whose latest film, “It Was Just An Accident,” has been nominated for two Oscars. Amidst personal risk—he’s been sentenced in absentia by Iran to a year in prison—Panahi speaks candidly about the escalating political repression in Iran, the mass protests and violent crackdowns, the responsibilities of artists in authoritarian times, and why he insists on returning to his homeland despite real threats to his safety. The conversation delves into the human stories caught in cycles of state violence, Panahi’s creative resistance under censorship, and what broader lessons he believes the U.S.—and the world—should heed today.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Film’s Intent and the Cycle of Violence

[03:20–04:19]

• Panahi explains his motivation:

  “Usually these types of films are made after the fall or change of a regime… But I wanted to make this film now because I wanted to have the audience think about the future and I wanted to prepare the audience about what is about to come.”

  • He’s breaking with tradition by addressing the trauma and cycles of violence before political change, not after.
  • The film asks if the cycle of state violence can ever end, or if it’s doomed to repeat.

2. Personal Impact of the Protests and Repression in Iran

[04:19–06:11]

• Panahi describes being abroad for the Oscar campaign as massive anti-government protests break out in Iran.
• He experienced deep anxiety during the internet blackout, losing contact with loved ones in Iran:

  “My friends and I issued a statement and said when they do shut down the Internet, it means that they're going to commit a big massacre.” (05:14)

• He details learning of colleagues and family being swept up in mass detentions, underscoring the atmosphere of collective grief:

  “You cannot think about individuals… the numbers are so high and the pain is so strong that people feel that they're each other's family members.” (11:43)

3. Firsthand Accounts of Crackdowns and Arrests

[06:11–08:34]

• Panahi recounts his co-writer Mehdi Mahmoudian’s arrest:

  “I sent him a message around 3:30am Paris time and the message was not seen… That’s when I was suspicious something’s happened. I heard through BBC Persian he’s been arrested.” (06:28–07:14)

• The practice of not notifying families, the isolation of political prisoners, and the conflation with criminal detainees:

  “Mehdi… is kept in a cell of 17 by 17 meters with 30 other prisoners, none of whom are political prisoners.” (08:34)

4. Observations on Protest Dynamics—and State Violence

[09:27–11:24]

• Panahi notes that the state actively infiltrates and disrupts peaceful demonstrations to justify violence:

  “The trolls of the regime penetrated voice protests… and started committing acts of violence to make the protests violent. That gave the regime an excuse to crack down violently.” (09:46)

• The regime’s intolerance extends even to families peacefully demonstrating with children; thousands have died in as little as 10 hours of crackdown.

5. The Fate of Dissent and the Universality of Repression

[13:00–15:38]

• On returning to the U.S. for the first time in 20 years, Panahi draws parallels to Iran, warning that symptoms of repression are appearing in the U.S.:

  “The U.S. is different. When the political atmosphere changes in this direction in the U.S. it will also be contagious in the rest of the world.” (13:00–13:26)

• Violence anywhere is a warning for all:

  “The killing of even one person anywhere in the world is too much. As soon as this happens, you can be sure that there is a problem. And that problem will grow, and one day it will reach tens of thousands of people.” (15:04)

6. Artistic Defiance; Making Films Under Ban

[16:15–18:39]

• Panahi reflects on his decades-long government ban on filmmaking and his persistent defiance:

  “When they gave me a ban of not working for 20 years, I had two choices. Either… sit at home, or look for solutions… My friend and I started making a film in my home. And we said, this is not a film… I knew myself… I’d hide a camera in a taxi, and that’s how Taxi was made.” (16:50–18:39)

• Technology has allowed subversive artistic work—“you could even make a film on a cell phone.”

7. The Ending of “It Was Just An Accident” and Cycles of Hope

[19:40–22:20]

• Panahi wanted the film to be both realistic and emotionally authentic, intentionally removing humor in the final act:

  “In the last 20 minutes, I intentionally took out the humor… I wanted the audience to hold its breath and to think about the film.” (20:12)

• On hope breaking the cycle:

  “The fact that the interrogator might have been moved, as little as it might be, is that point of hope… that the cycle of violence could end at some point.” (21:55)

8. Humanizing the “Villains” and Condemning the System

[22:33–23:25]

• Panahi seeks to emphasize that the cruelty of interrogators is systemic, not individual:

  “These people… may be very different people in their family settings… The problem is not with the individual. The problem is with the system…” (22:33)

9. Why Panahi Will Return to Iran—Despite Prison Threats

[23:25–24:44]

• For Panahi, home is a non-negotiable part of his creative and personal identity:

  “At the end of the day, I want to have the sense of living, and I know it's in a certain place I can have that... I could come here and make a commercial film… but when it's me and myself in my solitude, I would ask if I am embarrassed by making that film.” (23:45–24:44)

10. Sustaining Meaning, Despite Despair

[25:33–26:44]

• Panahi on how he endures:

  “Because I have made my choice about what type of filmmaker I want to be and who I want to be, I will find a way around it, no matter what. I'm not a captive of moments or days because I see a greater future, I see from above.” (25:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On state repression, globally:

  “Whether we accept it or not, what happens in the world is affected by the great powers, including the U.S. The more repressed the greater powers are, the more you see its effect in the other countries.” (13:47)

• On cycles of violence:

  “If in our own work we cannot stand against repression, it’s going to get out of control.” (16:05)

• On defiant creativity:

  “Even if I start driving, I'm going to hide a camera somewhere in a taxi. And that’s exactly what happened.” (17:50)

• On hope and realism:

  “The interrogator might have been moved, as little as it might be, is that point of hope… the cycle of violence could end at some point.” (21:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Panahi’s film and purpose: 03:20–04:19
• Impact of Iran’s protests: 04:48–06:11
• Co-writer’s arrest: 06:11–08:34
• State infiltration & protest violence: 09:27–11:24
• Collective mourning: 11:43
• Warning for America & repression elsewhere: 13:00–15:38
• Making banned films, “Taxi” anecdote: 16:50–18:39
• End of the film, cycle of violence: 19:40–22:20
• On systems vs. individuals: 22:33–23:25
• Commitment to return to Iran: 23:45–24:44
• Enduring through meaning: 25:33–26:44

Final Thoughts

This episode paints a portrait of an artist who refuses to be broken by authoritarian power. Through personal losses, censorship, and exile, Panahi insists on his calling and hope for change—not just for Iran, but for all societies confronting repression. The conversation is laced with both urgency and uplift, inviting listeners to reflect not just on Iran’s plight, but on the responsibility of citizens, artists, and democracies everywhere.