Hull Independent Cinema: The Seed of the Sacred Fig

THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
Dir Mohammad Rasoulof | France, Germany | 2024 | 167 mins | Rated 15 | Persian
Shot entirely in secret and deemed illegal by the Iranian regime, this film tells the story of a family thrust into the public eye. When civil servant Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realises 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. When Rezvan’s friend Sadaf is shot at a political rally, the tensions within Iman’s family erupt with devastating consequences.
Starring Soheila Golestani, Missagh Zareh, Setareh Maleki
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Academy Awards: Nominee, Best International Feature Film
Chicago Int’l FF: Winner, Best Screenplay; Nominee, Best Film
US National Board of Review: Winner, Best Int’l Film
Bafta Awards: Nominee, Best Film Not in the English Language
Golden Globes: Nominee, Best Motion Picture, Non-English Language
Cannes Film Festival: Winner, 5 awards including Jury Special Prize; Nominee, Palme d’Or
REVIEWS
“There are hints of Hitchcock and Kubrick as this story inexorably unravels beyond the control of its players…” ★★★★★ Nick Howells, London Evening Standard
“Given the stakes, The Seed of the Sacred Fig would be admirable even if it weren’t such a very fine film. But it is.” ★★★★ Danny Leigh, Financial Times
“… without doubt Rasoulof’s most important film to date.” ★★★★ Wendy Ide, The Observer
“Understated performances and unflashy filmmaking coalesce into an absorbing mixture of the personal and the political…” ★★★★ Ian Freer, Empire Magazine”