MOHAMMAD RASOULOF | IRAN, FRANCE, GERMANY | 2024 | 167 MIN | PERSIAN
When government lawyer Iman (Misagh Zare) receives a coveted promotion to the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, he finds that his new job comes with unexpected and dismaying responsibilities. Protests are raging in the streets, and Iman’s work increasingly involves carrying out the draconian anti-dissent measures of the Iranian regime. This brings Iman into conflict with his teen daughters Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki), forcing his wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) to act as a cautious mediator. But after a series of dramatic events, Iman’s paranoia begins to spin out of control, with dangerous repercussions for his family. One of the most acclaimed films to emerge from this year’s Cannes Film Festival, The Seed of the Sacred Fig boasts a real-life backstory that’s nearly as fraught and painful as its fictional narrative. Forced to make the film in secret, director Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil, PFF29) was sentenced to eight years in prison for supposed national security crimes and forced to flee Iran prior to its premiere, a fact that only serves to underscore the relevance of the film’s antiauthoritarian message.
Cast: Misagh Zare, Soheila Golestani, Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki
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