This article contains spoilers for the film. sacred fig seed–
When this movie sacred fig seed For starters, an Iranian lawyer named Iman (Missagh Zareh) has just been promoted to the position of “private attorney.” This position earned him a higher salary. Promised to build him a luxurious three-bedroom house. and held a gun for him Iman’s new role requires him to produce and corroborate evidence for prosecutors to use. That makes him a target for those convicted or trying to influence Iran’s secretive Islamic Revolutionary Court.
Iman intends to do his duty well. At a dinner party with his wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) and their daughters Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki), he informs two teenagers of the danger he faces. Rezvan and Xana looked worried. But they agreed to help keep him safe by not discussing his work outside the home. Iman is not only their father and the family’s breadwinner. but also their hero.
Until he doesn’t At the end of writer-director Mohammad Rasoulov’s film, in theaters now. Iman has transformed from a sympathetic patriarch into a vengeful and terrifying villain. Hidden paranoia and ever-increasing inability. to separate his work life from his home life This makes him the dictator of the family. sacred fig seed The body itself has changed shape from quiet study. The story of a close quartet turns out to be a high-octane thriller. As such, the film is Rasulov’s intimate look at the systematic oppression within his home country. Now he is in exile. The government’s rejection of citizen efforts for change is personal to him. Even though it’s a bad and painful thing It is like a father turning his back on his own flesh and blood.
Rasoulov, one of Iran’s most prolific directors, has say that he intends to continue working in the country despite repeated roadblocks and bans on his films; But his career tells the story of those who participated in state-sponsored violence. Including the questioner executioner and torturer, and exposing the regime’s brutality has made him a criminal figure for Iranian officials. In 2010, he was arrested for attempting to make a film about the protests following the 2009 presidential election; In 2022, he received a prison sentence for signing a petition denouncing government activities. Rasulov fired. sacred image Peek at the scene from a distance to avoid calling attention to himself or his work. When he was convicted Eight years in prison Shortly after filming finished He decided to flee to Iran. He arrived in Germany after a month-long journey. Just in time to wrap up the film before it premieres at the Cannes Film Festival. This film received a Special Jury Award.
The Iranian government’s crackdown on dissent has affected Rasoulov’s every move. sacred imageBut it is also the source of the film’s raw power. It comes as the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests began after a woman died while in police custody for allegedly not wearing a hijab. which erupted throughout Tehran Unable to show the simulation in the open, Rasoulof alternates between footage of the real-life demonstration throughout the film. Iman dismisses his daughter’s concerns that the media is censoring the footage. And the inclusion of actual records emphasizes that he is denying reality. both his and the audience His refusal to take his daughters seriously—a result of his unwavering commitment to his own beliefs—makes them distrust him in turn. It creates a vicious and seemingly unbreakable cycle.
The film takes a heart-wrenching turn when Iman can no longer find the gun he was given. And he began to wonder if his children His stole it away. Rasulov carefully paints him as a devoted family man: He prays with Najmeh every morning. When he drove his daughter home The two fell asleep in the backseat. Rezvan and Sana watched home videos of him for comfort. His wife and daughters therefore found it unthinkable that Iman would be so devoted to his work—work they viewed as immoral—that he would choose to trust the regime above them. Viewers may struggle to accept this as well. Especially in movies that are longer than an hour. The scene where Iman takes them for questioning. He ordered them to confess to stealing his gun on camera. And locking them in separate rooms can be especially uncomfortable to watch.
Once Iman started chasing his wife and daughter around. A deserted village with guns brandishing His behavior was no longer surprising, however, and the film’s shift in tone caught me off guard. The chase sequence seems unusual at first. It’s like a Hollywood western about a bounty hunter stalking his prize. It’s not the intimate family drama that played out only a few scenes earlier. But change can help. sacred image Make Iman the personal demon of the family. who is beyond salvation A dramatic performance in which characters dive into hiding spots and jump across rooftops. It shows how terrible Iman has become. And how terrified women are of people they think they know. Rasulov then ends the film with additional footage of the 2022 protests. These clips stand in stark contrast to the pivotal moments unfolding beforehand. It captures the surreal nature of the chaos in the country. The emotional reality of living in Iran holding anti-state views. It is something that triggers anxiety. It is almost unfathomable to those who have never faced such limitations.
Iman is a good person. But even good people can be hopelessly corrupt. He believed that his country had its best interests at heart. And his actions are truly about protecting those around him. His family’s opposition made him more determined to make them obey him. Even if love is lost but by denying one’s humanity and the opportunity to develop one’s beliefs. This makes him an embodiment of the insecurities and fears that strengthen the regime he serves. “In my own house I feel insecure,” Iman complained after he misplaced his gun. He’s not the only one.
