Movie Review: The Seed of the Sacred Fig

4.5 stars out of 5

Despite being made in Iran by Iranians, this is not Iran’s submission as Best International Feature for this year’s Academy Awards. That’s because writer/director Mohammad Rasoulof made the film — which is highly critical of Iran’s theocratic government — in secret, and then fled to Germany. Three of his lead actresses have followed suit, while another is — chillingly — not being allowed to leave the country. That the authoritarian rule on display seems increasingly feasible here as well, under the second Trump regime, only adds greater urgency to the film.

We meet career bureaucrat Iman, finally promoted to investigative judge. He quickly learns that his own understanding of due process is irrelevant in his new position; Iman is also issued a gun as the job will likely earn him enemies. Meanwhile, we meet his wife Najmeh and two daughters: college student Rezvan and high-schooler Sana. Even in this strict society, they are modern girls, interested in fashion, music, and social media. Najmeh explains to them that with Dad’s new post, they’ll have to be much more demure in public, to not draw any attention to the family and Iman.

But the daughters can’t help but be fascinated by the female-led protests in the streets sparked by the suspicious (real-life) death of young Mahsa Amini, arrested for not wearing her hijab. The girls hear shouts of “down with the theocracy!”, and see on their phones the violent crackdown by the police, while none of this is being covered honestly by the state-run media. The growing protests creates great conflict at home, the girls realizing that their dad is now part of the problem (signing off on arrested protesters), with Mom caught in the middle.

Sohella Golestani is brilliant as the mother. She shifts seamlessly from nurturing wife, caring for her husband who is riddled with anxiety from the new job, to scolding mom who is dreaming of the better life now possible for her family. Then ultimately we see her overarching need to be a protective mom at all costs. This transition is moving and heartbreaking.

We see Iman (actor Missagh Zareh) go in the other direction; it’s frightening as we see humanity drained from him. And the girls — actresses Mahsa Rostami and Setareh Maleki — each know when to take a stand despite knowing the price they’ll pay at home. (Interestingly, one of the only bits of English we see in the movie is a decorative sign in the girls’ room reading Never Ever Give Up.)

Director Rasoulof cleverly ratchets up the family tension to match the rising tension in the streets. In a harrowing touch, he frequently inserts real cell-phone footage of the brave protests and the over-the-top police response. And when things reach the boiling point, Rasoulof goes full Hitchcock the rest of the way out; the message being that the government has created an untenable situation where no one can be trusted.

Mohammad Rasoulof, his cast, and crew risked so much to get this important story out there. That they accomplished it with finessed filmmaking, honest writing that blends the political with the personal, and extremely heartfelt performances deserves our attention, our praise, and hopefully motivates us to be vilgilent for our own rights.