Film Review - The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Images courtesy of Sharmill Films.
The looming threats of war, politics and conflict have become inescapable. Everywhere you look, there is a reminder of the terrible state that the world is in right now. This film is no exception. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024) is set under the contemporary Iranian regime, known for their human rights violations and totalitarian control over the population.
Award-winning director and activist Mohammad Rasoulof incorporates real footage from Iran with a fictionalised story in order to emphasise the growing sense of political instability and social unrest in the state. Having lived under the Iranian Regime, Rasoulof bases the concept of the film on his own experiences.
The title, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, is symbolic of the fig tree, known for its ability to branch out and strangle other trees - an analogy for the Iranian regime’s tight grip, so overbearing that it is suffocating its own people.
The film tells the story of Iman (Missagh Zareh), a lawyer who is torn apart from his wife and two daughters Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki), due to the social uprising and protests in the streets of Iran. Iman’s position is instrumental in upholding the regime, and working as an investigator, but he is morally caught between upholding “God’s law”, and witnessing the jailing of hundreds of protesters. As chaos descends upon the streets of Tehran, the generational difference between Iman and his daughters is clear: he is conservative and religious whilst his two daughters witness the horrors of the protests on social media, and become more disillusioned by the regime’s grip. This film particularly demonstrates how the media can be used as a mechanism to advance social and political issues.
Rasoulof and Director of Photography Pooyan Aghababaei collaborate exceptionally - creating moments where the audience was made to feel as if they were there in person witnessing the chaos. The lighting is often dark, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty, and reflecting the constant reminder of the regime's power looming over the people. Rasoulof was able to perfectly portray the growing turmoil and tensions between the Iman and his two daughters- through the different cinematic shots: the use of close up shots and lighting during intimate moments between the family captures the internal and emotional conflict amongst themselves.
Rasoulof brings the audience directly into Tehran - this film will most likely be the closest thing we’ll ever have to see into the lives of those who have been oppressed in Iran.
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The Seed of the Sacred Fig is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.