The Seed of the Sacred Fig / دانه‌ی انجیر معابد

“The film has a powerful impact and authenticity. It is a film that will be remembered as one that made history—and not just Iranian history.” – kino-zeit.de

Iman has just been promoted to investigating judge at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran when, following the death of a young woman, a huge protest movement sweeps across the country. Although the demonstrations are growing and the state is cracking down with increasingly harsh measures, Iman decides to side with the regime, thereby upsetting the balance of his family. While the devout family man struggles with the psychological strain of his new job, his daughters Rezvan and Sana are shocked and electrified by the events. His wife Najmeh, on the other hand, desperately tries to keep everyone together. Then Iman discovers that his service weapon has disappeared and suspects his family...

In Farsi with German subtitles.

Germany, France, Iran, 2024

Running time: 167 min.

Director & Screenplay Mohammad Rasoulof
Cinematography Pooyan Aghababaei
Editing Andrew Bird
Music Karzan Mahmood
Sound Design Philipp Kemptner
Sound Recording Hassan Shabankareh
Production Design Amir Panahifar
Makeup Mahmoud Dehghani
Production Mohammad Rasoulof Amin Sadraei Jean-Christophe Simon Mani Tilgner Rozita Hendijanian

Mohammad Rasoulof is an independent Iranian filmmaker who has made eight feature films and received numerous prestigious awards, including the Un Certain Regard Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for "A Man of Integrity" (2017), the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for "There Is No Evil" (2020), the Best Director Award in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes for "Goodbye" (2011) and the FIPRESCI Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes for "Manuscripts Don’t Burn" (2013).

Although his films have been widely acclaimed internationally, none have been screened in Iran due to censorship. Over the years, under the pressure and repression from Iranian authorities, he has endured various judicial punishments, including imprisonment. His most recent film, "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" (2024), had a successful international run, winning the Special Jury Prize at Cannes and receiving nominations for the Oscars, Golden Globe Awards, BAFTA, César and European Film Awards.

Cast

Misagh Zare

as Iman

MISAGH ZARE was born in 1981 and has been working as a professional actor since 2006, primarily in Iranian films and series, but he has also been involved in German, Russian, and Australian productions. He previously worked with Mohammad Rasoulof on A MAN OF INTEGRITY (2017). His other works include TEHROUN (2009), ASABANI NISTAM! (2014), JAVDANEGI (2016), HOMELESS (2020), and KILLING THE EUNUCH KHAN (2021), as well as series such as “Rah-e Toolani” and “Molkavan.”

Soheila Golestani

as Najmeh

SOHEILA GOLESTANI, born in 1980, is an actress and director who has been working professionally since the mid-2000s. She has appeared in films such as MIHMAN DARIM (2014), SHAB BIRON (2014), EMROOZ (2014), BUFFALO (2015), GORG BAZI (2018) and TWO DOGS (2021). She made her directorial debut in 2015 with the film TWO, based on her own screenplay.

Mahsa Rostami

as Rezvan

MAHSA ROSTAMI makes her debut as a professional actress in THE SEED OF THE HOLY FIG TREE.

Setareh Maleki

as Sana

SETAREH MALEKI had already gained experience as an actress before THE SEED OF THE HOLY FIG TREE, in the film CAFE and before that in the miniseries “Happiness,” in which she appeared in 15 episodes.

A Run Way Pictures (Germany) production in co-production with Parallel45 (France) and Arte France Cinema, with the participation of Arte France, in collaboration with Films Boutique

With the support of MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, L’aide aux cinémas du monde, Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, and the Institut Français.