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The Seed of the Sacred Fig

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The Seed of the Sacred Fig
French theatrical release poster
Persianدانه‌ی انجیر معابد
Directed byMohammad Rasoulof
Written byMohammad Rasoulof
Produced byMohammad Rasoulof
Rozita Hendijanian
Amin Sadraei
Jean-Christophe Simon
Mani Tilgner
StarringSoheila Golestani
Missagh Zareh
Mahsa Rostami
Setareh Maleki
Niousha Akhshi
Amineh Arani
CinematographyPooyan Aghababaei
Edited byAndrew Bird
Music byKarzan Mahmood
Production
companies
Run Way Pictures
Parallel45
Arte France Cinéma
Distributed by
  • Pyramide Distribution (France)
  • Alamode Film (Germany)
  • Films Boutique (Worldwide)
Release dates
  • 24 May 2024 (2024-05-24) (Cannes)
  • 18 September 2024 (2024-09-18) (France)
  • 26 December 2024 (2024-12-26) (Germany)
Running time
168 minutes
Countries
  • Iran
  • Germany
  • France
LanguagePersian
Box office$4.1 million[1]

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Persian: دانه‌ی انجیر معابد, romanized: Dāne-ye anjīr-e ma'ābed; French: Les Graines du figuier sauvage; German: Die Saat des heiligen Feigenbaums) is a 2024 political thriller drama film written and directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. The story centers on Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears.[2] It stars Soheila Golestani, Missagh Zareh, Mahsa Rostami and Setareh Maleki. The fictional narrative is combined with real images of the protests that were violently suppressed by the Iranian authorities.

The film premiered on 24 May 2024 at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, and was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in its main competition section, where the jury awarded it a Special Award. Ahead of its premiere, Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison by Iranian authorities. He successfully fled to Germany and attended the red carpet at Cannes. The film was chosen as the German entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.[3]

Plot

[edit]

Iman, a devout and honest lawyer, lives with his wife Najmeh and their daughters Rezvan and Sana. He has recently been appointed as an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The position provides him a higher salary and a larger apartment for his family. As the nationwide political protests against the authoritarian government unfold, Iman discovers that he was not hired because of his legal qualities. He is expected to approve judgments presented to him by his superiors without assessing the evidence, including death sentences. For this reason, he is required to remain anonymous. He is ordered to withhold information from his friends and family who could be targeted as a means of pressuring him. His children are expected to stay off social media. The government issues him a handgun for his family's protection, but Iman is woefully unprepared to handle the gun and fails to properly store it in a secure compartment in the house.

As nationwide political protests intensify, Iman's life is pervaded by mistrust and paranoia. The protests force him to sign several hundred death sentences a day. Meanwhile, Rezvan and Sana follow the protests in horror on their cell phones. The two daughters eventually rebel against their father at the dinner table. He berates them for their feminist sensibilities which he dismisses as enemy propaganda. Najmeh, who is just as devout as Iman, advises her daughters to stay away from their revolutionary friends. The relationship between parents and daughters deteriorates increasingly. When Sadaf, a good friend of Rezvan's, is shot in the face on the street during a demonstration against compulsory hijab, Najmeh and her daughters provide first aid in their apartment. They decide to keep the incident secret from Iman. A short time later, Sadaf is arrested.

At the same time, Iman's gun mysteriously disappears and he becomes suspicious of the women of his family, believing one of them has taken it and is lying to him. He forces both daughters and his wife to meet with his colleague Alireza for interrogation. Iman justifies this treatment by saying that he no longer feels safe in his own home since he can no longer trust his family. Iman's name, photo and address are revealed on social media. For their own protection, he decides to drive with his wife and daughters to his childhood home in the mountains. Before he leaves, a colleague gives him an extra gun for protection.

During the car ride, the family encounters a couple who recognize Iman. A car chase ensues, as Iman runs them off the road and threatens them with the new gun. While that confrontation is going on outside the car, Sana reveals to her sister that she took her father's original gun and has it now.

At the childhood home, Iman puts his family on trial. He interrogates the women and tries to force them to confess in front of a camera. To try and protect her mother and sister, Rezvan falsely confesses to hiding the gun. Iman locks Rezvan and Najmeh up, but Sana escapes with the gun. She is able to lock him in a shed and free her sister and mother.

In the end, a wild chase develops away from the home. Iman and Sana raise their guns at each other, but the ground below the father collapses, seemingly killing him.

The film ends with footage captured on mobile phones depicting the bloody protests on the streets of Tehran.

Cast

[edit]
  • Soheila Golestani as Najmeh
  • Missagh Zareh as Iman
  • Mahsa Rostami as Rezvan
  • Setareh Maleki as Sana
  • Niousha Akhshi as Sadaf
  • Amineh Mazrouie Arani as Woman in car
  • Reza Akhlaghirad as Ghaderi
  • Shiva Ordooie as Fateme

Background

[edit]
Mohammad Rasoulof

In the past, director Mohammad Rasoulof had repeatedly violated Iranian censorship regulations with his films and was given three prison sentences as well as bans on working and leaving the country. In 2020, his film There Is No Evil won the top prize at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was awarded in his absence.[4]

Rasoulof was originally scheduled to take part in the 2023 Cannes Film Festival as a jury member of the Un Certain Regard section. However, he was arrested in July 2022 after criticising the government's crackdown on protestors in the southwestern city of Abadan over a deadly building collapse. He was temporarily released from prison in February 2023 due to his health. Rasoulof was later pardoned and sentenced to a year in prison and a two-year ban on leaving Iran for "propaganda against the regime."[5]

Following the Cannes selection announcement, the Iranian authorities interrogated the cast and crew, banned them from leaving the country, and pressured them to convince Rasoulof to withdraw the film from the festival line-up.[6][7][8] On 8 May 2024, Rasoulof's lawyer announced that the director has been sentenced to eight years in prison as well as flogging, a fine and confiscation of his property.[9][10]

Shortly after, Rasoulof and some crew members managed to flee from Iran to Europe.[11][12] Rasoulof's described his 28-day escape from Iran as an "exhausting, long, complicated, and anguishing journey". He traveled on foot between border villages, ultimately arriving in a town with a German consulate which identified him using his fingerprints and issued him a temporary travel document which he used to travel to Germany.[13][14][15] Rasoulof and the cast and crew attended the film's red carpet at Cannes on 24 May 2024. During his appearance, he held two photographs displaying the actors Soheila Golestani and Missagh Zareh, both of whom have been unable to leave Iran.[16]

Production

[edit]

The Seed of the Sacred Fig is the tenth directorial work of Mohammad Rasoulof. The title refers to a species of fig that spreads by "wrapping itself around another tree and eventually strangling it". This was seen as a symbol of the theocratic regime in Iran.[17] Rasoulof wrote the screenplay and cast Missagh Zareh and Soheila Golestani in the main roles of the regime-loyal couple Iman and Najmeh, respectively. Gholestani had herself campaigned against wearing the hijab during the protests and had been arrested for this.[18] Rasoulof cast Mahsa Rostami and Setareh Malek for the roles of the daughters Rezvan and Sana, respectively.

The filming of The Seed of the Sacred Fig took place in secret and lasted about 70 days, from the end of December 2023 to March 2024. Rasoulof himself described it as "difficult". He could only film for a few days at a time and then had to take breaks.[19] Rasoulof worked with cinematographer Pooyan Aghababaei.[20] The director stated that he was in the middle of filming when he learned of his renewed prison sentence. Rasoulof was counting on the appeal process to take a long time to review his case. In addition, this period in spring coincided with the Nowruz (New Year) celebrations in Iran, which lasted two weeks. In fact, Rasoulof managed to finish his film by the end of the holidays. After the appeals court confirmed the verdict, he was forced to decide within a two-hour window whether to remain in Iran and surrender to arrest or to flee. He left all his electronic devices at home and fled to a safe place before crossing the Iranian border on foot.[19]

Poster with portrait of Mahsa Amini at a solidarity demonstration in Melbourne, Australia (2022)

The footage was smuggled out of Iran to Hamburg, where it was edited by Andrew Bird, who Rasoulof had previously worked with. Post-production took place in Germany.[19] Between the film's fictional scenes, Bird added real images of the political protests following the death of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in police custody in Tehran on 16 September 2022. The final 168-minute version shows real and graphic internet videos of the demonstrations and the subsequent violent crackdown by authorities.[21][22]

Rasoulof produced the film alongside Amin Sadraei, Mani Tilgner, Rozita Hendijanian and Jean-Christophe Simon. The production companies involved were Run Way Pictures of Germany and Parallel45 of France. It was co-produced by Arte France Cinéma with the support of the MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein. The Berlin-based company Films Boutique is handling the worldwide sales rights.[2]

Release

[edit]
Leading actress Soheila Golestani could not attend the premiere in Cannes
Rasoulof with part of his acting ensemble in Cannes

The Seed of the Sacred Fig was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 24 May 2024,[23] and went on to receive a special award by the jury, an additional designation behind the main jury awards of Palme d'Or, Grand Prix and Jury Prize.[24] The film received a standing ovation with reports that it lasted either 12 minutes[25] or 15 minutes.[26] Prior to its screening, Neon acquired North American distribution rights to the film, planning to release it later that year.[27] Following the film's premiere, Lionsgate acquired the distribution rights for the UK and Ireland.[28]

The film made its North American premiere at the 51st Telluride Film Festival.[29] It also screened in the Centrepiece section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival,[30] as well as in the Main Slate section of the 62nd New York Film Festival.[31] Pyramide Distribution theatrically released the film in France on 18 September 2024, under the title Les Graines du figuier sauvage.[32] Alamode Film is set to distribute the film in Germany on 26 December 2024, under the title Die Saat des heiligen Feigenbaums.[33]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 65 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "A searing indictment of oppressive rule, whether it be of a nation or in a household, The Seed of the Sacred Fig functions both as compelling drama and powerful political statement."[34] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 85 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[35] On AlloCiné, the film received an average rating of 4.4 out of 5, based on 39 reviews from French critics.[36]

Accolades

[edit]
Accolades for The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Asia Pacific Screen Awards 30 November 2024 Best Performance Soheila Golestani Nominated [37]
Astra Film Awards 8 December 2024 Best International Feature The Seed of the Sacred Fig Pending [38]
British Independent Film Awards 8 December 2024 Best International Independent Film Mohammad Rasoulof, Rozita Hendijanian, Amin Sadraei, Jean-Christophe Simon and Mani Tilgner Pending [39]
Cannes Film Festival 25 May 2024 Palme d'Or Mohammad Rasoulof Nominated [40]
Special Award (Prix Spécial) Won [41]
FIPRESCI Prize Won [42]
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Won [43]
François Chalais Prize Won [44]
Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai Won [45]
Chicago International Film Festival 27 October 2024 Gold Hugo The Seed of the Sacred Fig Nominated [46]
Silver Hugo – Best Screenplay Mohammad Rasoulof Won [47]
European Film Awards 7 December 2024 European Film The Seed of the Sacred Fig Pending [48]
[49]
European Director Mohammad Rasoulof Pending
European Screenwriter Pending
Hollywood Music in Media Awards 20 November 2024 Best Original Score – Independent Film (Foreign Language) Karzan Mahmood Nominated [50]
[51]
Middleburg Film Festival October 2024 Audience Award – International Feature The Seed of the Sacred Fig Won [52]
San Sebastián International Film Festival 28 September 2024 City of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Award for Best European Film Won [53]
Sydney Film Festival 16 June 2024 GIO Audience Award for Best International Feature Won [54]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b Rosser, Michael (3 May 2024). "Films Boutique boards Mohammad Rasoulof's Cannes title 'The Seed Of The Sacred Fig' (exclusive)". Screen International. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  3. ^ Rosser, Michael (22 August 2024). "Germany selects Mohammad Rasoulof's 'The Seed Of The Sacred Fig' for Oscars 2025". Screen International. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  4. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (22 April 2024). "Cannes Film Festival Adds Michel Hazanavicius, Mohammad Rasoulof Movies to Competition Lineup (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  5. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (22 April 2024). "Mohammad Rasoulof Sets Cannes Return with 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' — Though Whether He'll Be There in Person Is Unclear". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Iranian authorities ban film crew from attending Cannes Film Festival". euronews. 1 May 2024. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Cannes: Iranian Authorities Pressuring 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' Director to Withdraw Film from Competition". World of Reel. 19 August 2019. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  8. ^ Rosser, Michael (1 May 2024). "Iran bans actors, crew of Mohammed Rasoulof's 'The Seed Of The Sacred Fig' from attending Cannes". Screen International. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Iranian Authorities Sentence 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' Director to 8 Years in Prison and Flogging". World of Reel. 19 August 2019. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  10. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (8 May 2024). "Mohammad Rasoulof Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison, Flogging & Confiscation Of Property, Says Lawyer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  11. ^ Chrisafis, Angelique; Shoard, Catherine (13 May 2024). "Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof flees Iran to avoid prison". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  12. ^ Goldbart, Max (22 May 2024). "Mohammad Rasoulof Will Attend Cannes Screening Of 'The Seed Of The Sacred Fig'". Deadline. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  13. ^ Ntim, Zac (23 May 2024). "Mohammad Rasoulof On His "Anguishing" 28-Day Journey To Escape Iran After Covertly Shooting 'The Seed Of The Sacred Fig' & How He Landed In Germany – Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  14. ^ Zilko, Christian (18 May 2024). "Mohammad Rasoulof Details His 'Exhausting and Dangerous' Escape from Iran Before 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' Debuts at Cannes". IndieWire. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  15. ^ Roxborough, Scott (24 May 2024). "How Mohammad Rasoulof Escaped Iran and Why He Will Continue Fighting: "I Will Never Forget That the Islamic Republic Is a Terrorist"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  16. ^ Yuan, Jada (24 May 2024). "Iranian director risks Cannes appearance after escaping arrest". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  17. ^ Pilarczyk, Hannah (25 May 2024). "Die Töchter der Freiheit". Der Spiegel (in German). Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  18. ^ "Protesting Iranian Actors, Director Released on Bail". Voice of America. Agence France-Presse. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Rosser, Michael (23 May 2024). "Mohammad Rasoulof talks fleeing Iran and making Cannes Competition title 'The Seed Of The Sacred Fig'". Screen International. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  20. ^ Barraclough, Leo (19 May 2024). "Films Boutique Sells Mohammad Rasoulof's 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' to Multiple Territories (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  21. ^ Goldmann, Marie-Luise (24 May 2024). "Tosender Applaus für geflohenen iranischen Regisseur in Cannes". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  22. ^ Steinitz, David (24 May 2024). "Zeugnis aus der Finsternis". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  23. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 77th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2024. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  24. ^ "List of winners at the 77th Cannes Film Festival". AP News. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  25. ^ Setoodeh, Ramin; Shafer, Ellise (24 May 2024). "Mohammad Rasoulof's 'Seed of the Sacred Fig' Shakes Up Cannes With 2024 Record 12-Minute Standing Ovation, Becoming Palme d'Or Frontrunner". Variety. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  26. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (24 May 2024). "Mohammad Rasoulof's 'The Seed Of The Sacred Fig' World Premiere Gets Nearly 15-Minute, Emotional Standing Ovation – Cannes Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  27. ^ Ntim, Zac (18 May 2024). "Neon Takes North American Rights To Mohammad Rasoulof's 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  28. ^ Keslassey, Elsa (29 May 2024). "Mohammad Rasoulof's Cannes Prizewinner 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' Lures International Buyers, Including for the U.K., Japan and Germany (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  29. ^ Ford, Rebecca (29 August 2024). "The 2024 Telluride Lineup Promises "Cinematic Ecstasy"". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  30. ^ Pond, Steve (6 August 2024). "Toronto Film Festival Adds 43 International Movies From 41 Countries". TheWrap. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  31. ^ Aguiar, Annie (6 August 2024). "Festival Winners Crowd New York Film Festival Main Slate Lineup". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Les distributeurs ajustent leurs line-ups". Boxoffice Pro (in French). 7 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  33. ^ "Die Saat des heiligen Feigenbaums". Alamode Film (in German). Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  34. ^ "The Seed of the Sacred Fig". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2 December 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  35. ^ "The Seed of the Sacred Fig". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  36. ^ "Critiques Presse pour le film Les Graines du figuier sauvage" (in French). AlloCiné. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  37. ^ "17th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED". Asia Pacific Screen Awards. 16 October 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  38. ^ Pond, Steve (25 November 2024). "'Wicked' Leads Nominations for Astra Film Awards". TheWrap. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  39. ^ Szalai, Georg (5 November 2024). "British Independent Film Awards: 'Kneecap,' 'Love Lies Bleeding' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  40. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (22 April 2024). "Oliver Stone, Lou Ye, Michel Hazanavicius Films & 'The Count Of Monte Cristo' Among New Titles Added To Cannes 2024 Official Selection". Deadline. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  41. ^ "The 77th Festival de Cannes winners' list". Festival de Cannes. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  42. ^ Balaga, Marta (25 May 2024). "Mohammad Rasoulof's 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' Wins Fipresci Award at Cannes: 'A Courageous Story'". Variety. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  43. ^ "Le Prix du Jury œcuménique 2024 décerné à 'Les Graines du Figuier Sauvage'". Jury oecumenique au Festival de Cannes (in French). Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  44. ^ "Au Festival de Cannes, il n'y a pas que la Palme d'or, voici les autres films primés sur la Croisette". France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (in French). 25 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  45. ^ "Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai 2024 : LES GRAINES DU FIGUIER SAUVAGE de Mohammad Rasoulof". Association Française des Cinémas d'Art et d'Essai (in French). Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  46. ^ Kay, Jeremy (20 September 2024). "'All We Imagine As Light', 'The End', 'Harvest' among Chicago International Film Festival line-up (exclusive)". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  47. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (25 October 2024). "Chicago International Film Festival Awards Top Prizes to 'Vermiglio,' 'All We Imagine as Light'". IndieWire. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  48. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (5 November 2024). "'Emilia Pérez,' 'Seed of the Sacred Fig,' 'Room Next Door' Lead European Film Award Nominations". IndieWire. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  49. ^ "Nominations 2024". European Film Academy. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  50. ^ Willman, Chris (6 November 2024). "Hollywood Music in Media Awards Noms Led by 'Emilia Pérez' and 'Blitz,' With Elton John, Hans Zimmer and Scores More Among the Nominees". Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  51. ^ Grein, Paul (6 November 2024). "'Emilia Pérez' Leads 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominations: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  52. ^ Davis, Clayton (22 October 2024). "'Conclave' and 'September 5' Share Win for Audience Award at Middleburg Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  53. ^ Lodge, Guy (28 September 2024). "San Sebastián Film Festival Award Winners (Updating Live)". Variety.
  54. ^ "'The Moogai', 'Skategoat' take home SFF Audience Awards". IF Magazine. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
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