V E N T N O R   F I L M  S O C I E T Y​​

The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a gripping Iranian psychological thriller, secretly filmed by dissident director Mohammad Rasoulof, that powerfully indicts the oppressive Iranian regime and exposes the corrupt brutality of its justice system.

 

The "sacred fig" in the title refers to a parasitic tree that slowly strangles its host, serving as a metaphor for the destructive and suffocating nature of the religious regime.​

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The narrative focuses on Iman, a newly appointed investigating judge in Tehran's Revolutionary Court, a position that will bring him a higher salary and a better apartment. However, Iman soon learns that his role isn't to seek justice but to approve the harsh verdicts of his superiors, including handing down death sentences without reviewing the evidence. When his own gun goes missing, his paranoia intensifies and he begins to suspect his wife and rebellious daughters of stealing the weapon. He turns his brutal interrogation methods on his own family, becoming the very tyrant he’s meant to oppose.

 

Filmed secretly and smuggled out of Iran, this is a tense, powerful condemnation of a tyrannical regime. Shortly before the film was set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, director Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison, flogging, and a fine for "collusion with the intention of committing a crime against national security." 

 

Faced with imminent arrest, Rasoulof decided to flee Iran on foot, leaving his home and family behind. He successfully reached Germany and then France, arriving just in time for the festival. During the emotionally charged premiere, he publicly held up pictures of his main actors who were banned from leaving Iran, a powerful act of defiance against the regime. The film received a 15-minute standing ovation, a salute to Rasoulof's immense courage and the risks taken by his cast and crew. His ordeal ensured the film became an immediate and internationally recognized symbol of resistance.​ Rasoulof remains in exile in Germany, now joined by some of his family.

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The Critics Say...

“The film may not be perfect, but its courage -- and relevance -- are beyond doubt.” Peter Bradshaw, Guardian ****​

 

“The film itself is a mesmerisingly gripping and controlled parable-thriller in which the paranoia, misogyny and rage of the Iranian state are mapped seamlessly onto an ordinary family unit.” Robbie Collin, Telegraph

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"Rasoulof crafts an extraordinarily gripping allegory about the corrupting costs of power and the suppression of women under a religious patriarchy that crushes the very people it claims to protect." Ryan Lattanzio, Indiewire

 

“The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a mighty tribute to the filmmaker’s many countrywomen who continue to risk it all in the fight for their lives.” Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair

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