2025 Oscars: Mohammad Rasoulof Risked Personal Freedom For Cinematic Freedom With ‘Sacred Fig’ [VIDEO]

Iranian indie writer-director-producer Mohammad Rasoulof risked his freedom to secretly shoot the powerful new film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig in Iran. He managed to escape his native country in the nick of time. The film focuses on how power and fear effect one family. The patriarch, Iman (Missagh Zareh) is an attorney given a new position where he is expected to blindly sentence people who may not be guilty. His ambitious wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) seeks a better life, so she is, initially, supportive. When his teen daughters (Setareh Malek and Mahsa Rostami) become embroiled in the anti-hijab movement and a handgun goes missing at home, Iman lets his paranoia get the best of him and goes after his own family.

Sacred Fig is rich, bold, courageous filmmaking.

Rasoulof began his career making documentaries and shorts. He ran into censorship issues in Iran with his second feature and none of his 8 features have ever been screened publicly in Iran, although they’ve been highly acclaimed all over the world, garnering many awards including Un Certain Regard (twice) at the Cannes Film Festival. They include, The White Meadows (2009), Goodbye (2011), Manuscripts Don’t Burn (2013), A Man of Integrity (2017) and There is No Evil (2020).

In 2010, Rasoulof was arrested and accused of filming without a permit and sentenced to six years in prison (later reduced to one year).

After attending the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and returning to Iran, he was officially barred from leaving the country, accused of “endangering national security” and “spreading propaganda against the Islamic government.” He did not let any of this stop him from working.

In July 2019, because of his film A Man of Integrity, he received a one-year imprisonment sentence, appealing the verdict. March 2020 saw yet another prison sentence for “propaganda against the system.” He was also banned from making films for two years.

In July 2022, he was arrested and jailed after criticizing the government’s treatment of protestors. He was temporarily released in February 2023 because of ill health, then resentenced to a year in prison.

In April 2024, the director received an 8-year prison sentence.

When it was announced that the 2024 Cannes Film Festival selected Sacred Fig to for the main competition, Iranian authorities interrogated the cast and crew, and they were banned from leaving the country. They also pressured Rasoulof about withdrawing the film. He, and some crew, managed to escape to Europe. It was an arduous 28-day journey.

The film is Germany’s Oscar submission. With 22 nominations (and 4 wins) it is the third most nominated country, behind France and Italy. Last year, Ilker Catak’s The Teacher’s Lounge received a nomination.

Neon will release Mohammad Rasoulof ‘s The Seed of the Sacred Fig in theaters on November 27, 2024.