Joana is cycling to work. Suddenly a car drives out in front of her, with the driver having no regard whatsoever towards the cyclist – the fancier the car, the bigger the privileges.

Joana has no other choice than to try and get an explanation from the driver by standing in front of the car when it stops at a red light. But instead of restoring justice, the driver slides her shoe from the brake to the accelerator and hits Joana head-on. The journey of the woman and her son then proceeds as planned, while Joana is trying to stay alive by hanging on to the bonnet for a whole city block. One person’s misery is another person’s sensation, so not long afterwards Joana finds a video of the incident on YouTube. She had planned to forget about the accident, but now she unexpectedly again faces the driver, Elaine. This time, it is Joana who has power over the fate of Elaine and her son.

“The Accident”, inspired by a true story or, more precisely, a video, is a captivating thoughtful analysis of the polarity of people’s natures which correlate in unforeseen aspects. Directed with wonderful sensitivity, Bruno Carboni’s drama does not provide black-and-white judgments, but leaves room for a dialogue. It is a sharply apt portrait of everyday moral dilemmas which seem of little importance, but may turn life upside down when a wrong decision is made.

Elise Jagomägi