Mohammad Rasoulof’s “Seed of the Sacred Fig” goes beyond the headlines and lets audiences experience, up close, a revolutionary movement in Iran. It’s an acclaimed account of what protest against a theocratic republic looks like as women took to the streets to protest and were beaten and killed.
Rasoulof creates a fictional family torn apart by the 2022 uprising that saw women in revolt against a government that decrees women must wear the hijab headscarf or be arrested and/or imprisoned.
Most impressive is his extensive use of actual cellphone video footage which both horrifies and mesmerizes.
Shot entirely in secret on the streets of Tehran, “Sacred Fig” has been a festival favorite. Because Rasoulof now lives there, “Fig” is Germany’s pick for the Oscar nomination for Best International Feature.
“It’s very difficult for me to speak about the cast and the crew, especially the ones who are left behind in Iran, because almost all of them have tribunal cases against them,” Rasoulof said via a translator at a post-screening discussion in New York.
“I am also here with mixed feelings, because every time I face the audience and I get the applause, I feel like the crew should be here. They have a big role in this, and I like to be happy, but I can’t be entirely happy.
“Of course, they were all very aware that with what they’re doing, they’re presenting themselves as artists who are not going to bend in front of censorship. I’m very happy that I too was a part of this project, and we were able to unbelievably finish this film.
“Because we always had a thought that we’re not going to finish this film. I also want to thank my friends and colleagues in Germany, especially Andrew Bird, my editor, who was doing the post production in Germany as we were continuing to shoot in Tehran.”
It’s hard to imagine how he could organize such a huge project and keep it secret.
“When we talk about making the film in Iran, it doesn’t mean we’re talking about a film that remains invisible to people who would like to censor it and repress us.
“I won’t get into details, but I could mention: First, I was always away from the shooting scene. Sometimes, very far away. Sometimes I was closer. But depending on where I was, I wasn’t there.
“Finally, they called me ‘Canada.’
He had two assistants. “One worked with the technical crew, and the other with the actors and designers.
“We were also lucky having a story about a family that were was wearing the veil. The urban parts of the story allowed us to be on the streets without attracting too much attention.”
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is in theaters