The Seed of the Sacred Fig (c) NEON
Film: The Seed of the Sacred Fig
In Cinemas
Premise: Iman (Misagh Zare) has just been promoted to inspector in the Iranian government’s prosecutor’s office and, along with a raise and housing, he receives a gun for protection. So, this job is a double-edged sword, but Iman has been working 20 years for this opportunity and his wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) is proud, but a little worried. The couple now has to tell their daughters, college student Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and teenager Sana (Setareh Maleki), what he does for a living. They lead with the new housing (the two girls currently share a bedroom) before imploring them to stay on the straight and narrow in order to not embarrass their father and the government. But this is 2022 and protests by women and college students erupted after the real-life death of Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody for not wearing a hijab. The unrest and police pushback comes literally through their front door when Rezvan’s friend and classmate Sadaf (Niousha Akhshi) seeks refuge after being severely injured at the college. Najmeh tries to keep her daughters in line, but they witness the police brutality in real time via social media, including videos of Jina Mahsa Amini that contradict the police account that she had a stroke in custody. The daughters start to question their parents’ belief that government and religion are inseparable. Iman soon realizes his job is less of an investigator of crimes than almost a patsy for a government that just wants him to sign off on executions they deem legal. He starts to make waves of his own just to do his job, which puts a target on his back. Then, Iman discovers his gun is missing. And the main suspects are his wife and his daughters.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (c) NEON
My Take: Before I get into the quality of the movie itself, one has to mention that director Mohammad Rasoulof secretly filmed it with his actors in mostly interiors or remote locations, supplementing it with footage of actual cellphone video of the protests, which sort of gives these moments an uneasy feeling since those are not actors being beaten by police but real people. So, when The Seed of the Sacred Fig was announced for 2024’s Cannes Film Festival, the Iranian regime cracked down on everyone involved, including lead actress Golestani who was arrested and could not make the Cannes World premiere, and Rasoulof, who was exiled from his home country. The Cannes jury gave the film its Prix Spécial Prize. Like fellow countryman Jafar Panâhi, Rasoulof makes films critical of the Iranian government, and in the US, with a conservative party gearing to take over in 2025, the anger in The Seed of the Sacred Fig may seem less foreign these days. That Rasoulof decided against a documentary gives him the freedom to use this family as a microcosm of modern Iran, with the parents believing and trusting the sacred fig of theocracy, while their children are the seeds that rebel against these notions, with modern technology on their side. The family’s story in the first third of the story is very compelling and well-acted, especially Golestani as the dutiful wife who starts to have doubts, especially after the attack on her daughter’s friend. The middle third involving the investigation of the stolen gun is intense but somewhat repetitive. The last third is successful in its tension after sides are taken, even though there is a farcical trope that is supposed to ramp up the suspense but feels needless. Despite the hefty almost three-hour running time, Sacred Fig is a fascinating look at modern Iran, and thanks to Rasoulof’s courage, the whole world is taking notice.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (c) NEON
VIP: Director Mohammad Rasoulof, of course. While we in the west heard about the protests during the Jina Revolution, to actually get to see first-hand accounts and videos, and how it escalated is a valuable resource. Since The Seed of the Sacred Fig is not eligible for the Foreign Language Oscars (Iran, surprisingly, did not submit the film for consideration), it hopefully will get recognition in other categories with Best Director and Original Screenplay, both for Rasoulof, its best bets.
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