It Was Just an Accident

Salar runs a bookshop and becomes a touchpoint in the pursuit of identity. He refuses to help identify the captive at first but eventually points Vahid toward Shiva, playing a cautious intermediary role in a web of past tortures. His guarded nature underscores the moral ambiguity of aiding in a cycle of violence.

Eghbal is the man who was tortured and who stubbornly clings to his narrative of regime protection. He initially resists acknowledging his identity and only confesses after being confronted with the victims’ memories. His complicity is framed by a defense of his actions as a necessity for survival.

The Groom appears in the wedding pictures, representing ordinary life before the violence breaks into the present. His engagement underscores the fragile continuity of personal milestones against political terror.

Vahid is an Azerbaijani auto mechanic who recognizes the voice and leg markings of Eghbal. He orchestrates the abduction and becomes a catalyst for the moral reckoning that unfolds, torn between vengeance and restraint.

Shiva is a photographer who documents a wedding while unwittingly guiding the search for the truth. She recognizes the scent and the possibility of identity, yet remains cautious due to the trauma shared by survivors. Her insistence on accountability propels the final confrontation.

Golrokh reveals her past torture and becomes a witness to the brutality of Eghbal. Her presence layers the narrative with personal memory and the demand for recognition of suffering.

Hamid is Shiva’s former partner who erupts with a desire for immediate vengeance. He represents the instinct to end violence through force, clashing with Vahid and Shiva’s more wary approach toward justice.

The captive’s daughter and the human link to the consequences of the violence. Her presence marks the cost of the conflict on innocent family members and adds urgency to the desire for a safe future.

Pregnant wife of Eghbal, she embodies the personal stakes and the hope for new life amid fear. Her experience underscores the theme of birth and renewal after darkness.