The Seed Of The Sacred Fig

Iranian director Mahamed Rasoulof (There Is No Evil) delivers a powerful drama that speaks to the dividing lines in Iranian society.

Iman (Missagh Zareh) is a judge who sees the benefits for his family in his career’s rapid advancement, although his student daughters (Setareh Malek and Mahsa Rostami) are suspicious of his increasing collaboration with the regime. He’s warned not to confide in his wife (played by actor and anti-hijab protester Soheila Golestani) as he’s simultaneously encouraged to wave through death sentences without considering the evidence. Iman’s divided loyalties are soon exposed when his government-issued handgun goes missing, and suspicion falls on the women in his home.

Combining an electrifying generational battle with real-life footage of Iran’s protest movement gives the film a lightning-in-a-bottle relevance. A mesmerising drama about the reasons why people accept toxic regimes and the courage it takes to resist them.