“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”, an interview with director, screenwriter, and producer Mohammad Rasoulof

December 8, 2024

Ahead of his masterclass in Marrakech, Iranian director in exile Mohammad Rasoulof tells us about the 77th Cannes IFF-premiered film "The Seed of the Sacred Fig"

"The Seed of the Sacred Fig", an interview with director, screenwriter, and producer Mohammad Rasoulof Bénédicte Prot

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Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof is one of the prestigious guests of the “Conversations” section of the 21st Marrakech International Film Festival, where his latest film, the Cannes-premiered and -awarded “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Special Jury Prize), was also at the centre of a Gala Screening.

Ahead of his masterclass at the Moroccan event, asked about his switch, in “The Seed of the Sacred Fig“ , from more allegorical stories to a more direct representation of the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement – which is the crucial backdrop of the story – and about his choice to investigate, this time, a figure that directly represents the Iranian regime, the filmmaker in exile explains that it comes from his own experience of repression and persecution, and gives more details about the situation in his native country, in general and specifically for all artists, underlining that change is a slow process.

The Golden Bear-winning director (for “There Is No Evil” in 2020) tells us more about the twofold structure of the “The Seed of the Sacred Fig“ and the way it evolved because of the shooting conditions. He also evokes the gap between the generations, explains some symbols in the film as well as the thriller element of the last part, and the motivations of the figure of the father. As for having a film in the race for the Oscars (as the German candidate), Rasoulof admits that it is all new to him.

On focusing directly on a father figure embodying the regime “This has all been informed and influenced by my personal situation. For fifteen years now, I’ve been confronted with censorship, I have been handed to the security services, etc. So when you go through all this process of being interrogated, of being arrested, of being put under pressure, when you are blindfolded and there is this interrogator behind your back, you wonder what makes the difference between him and you – Do we have different brains? Is it a biological difference? What makes him be where he is, and makes me be where I am, as an artist? –, and little by little, this interest and curiosity I’ve had for these people has allowed me to tell the story of this character, using a different entry point.“

Plot

Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify—and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana are involved, Iman imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise. Step by step, social norms and the rules of family life are suspended.

Written by: Bénédicte Prot

Guest

Mohammad Rasoulof