Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi received a rousing welcome in Tehran after winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his bold new film It Was Just an Accident. Returning to Iran for the first time since his travel ban was lifted, Panahi was greeted by cheering supporters who gathered at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport in the early hours of Monday.

Panahi, who has long faced persecution for his politically charged films, made a rare public appearance at Cannes this year. His Palme d’Or-winning film tells the harrowing story of five Iranians confronting a man they believe tortured them—a fictionalized narrative rooted in Panahi’s own experience of imprisonment. Upon receiving the award, Panahi delivered a message of unity and liberty, declaring, “What matters most right now is our country and the freedom of our country.”

The emotional homecoming contrasted starkly with the muted and politically charged response from Iranian state officials. While government media outlets acknowledged his win, coverage was minimal, and the Iranian Foreign Ministry objected strongly to French officials’ praise of Panahi’s work as a symbol of resistance against Iran’s regime. Despite political tension, Panahi’s return signals a renewed surge of energy for Iran’s independent cinema movement.