We often take for granted our freedoms in the U.S. In other countries, such as Iran, those freedoms just don’t exist, such as the freedom to make a feature film. And if there’s one person who has proven his commitment to the art, it’s filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof. Despite intense legal issues, including imprisonment, he continues to make films, such as “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
As seen in the trailer, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” tells the story of Iman, a man in Tehran who lands a new job as a judge. However, when unrest takes over his streets, his job makes him no longer safe, which thrusts Iman into madness.
As mentioned, the film is written and directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. ‘Sacred Fig’ was shot entirely in secret, hoping to avoid being accused of breaking laws in Iran. However, when the country found out about his film, they wanted to imprison Rasoulof. Luckily, he was able to flee the country and is now in Europe.
We were fortunate enough to see “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” during its run at Cannes, and in our review, we said, “Despite his recent prosecution, ‘Fig’ demonstrates that Rasoulof still has hope. He still believes (even if his often brilliant narrative may take a wee bit too long to get there). It may not happen tomorrow, but the youth of today may just be creative enough to outsmart the regime in the long run. If the youth have their say, justice will prevail.”
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” debuts in theaters on November 27. You can watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis:
Shot entirely in secret, Mohammad Rasoulof’s award-winning thriller, THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, centers on a family thrust into the public eye when Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes that his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him increasingly paranoid and distrustful, even of his own wife, Najmeh, and daughters, Sana and Rezvan.