'It Was Just an Accident' was secretly shot in Iran and won big at Cannes. Now it's an Oscars contender.

Iranian director Jafar Panahi puts a lot on the line for his work

Iranian director Jafar Panahi puts a lot on the line for his work.

Authorities could again arrest him for speaking out against the country’s hard-line regime. They could send him back to the notoriously cruel Evin Prison in Tehran, which houses many of Iran’s political dissidents. He could again be placed on house arrest and barred from making films.

But Panahi, now 65, has largely ignored these attempts at silencing him over the years, instead focusing on doing what he loves most: making films about his homeland.

When he was imprisoned and charged with “propagandizing against the government,” he went on a hunger strike until authorities released him on bail. His filmmaking ban — which was supposed to last for 20 years — ended up serving as creative inspiration, fueling critically acclaimed films such as “This Is Not a Film” and “Taxi.”

With his latest movie, “It Was Just an Accident,” which was released in limited North American theaters over the weekend, Panahi once again defied the government’s attempts to censor his art, though it has meant putting himself at risk.