Shot entirely in secret, Mohammad Rasoulof’s award-winning thriller, The Seed of a Sacred Fig, centers on a family thrust into the public eye when Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes that his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him increasingly paranoid and distrustful, even of his own wife Najmeh and daughters Sana and Rezvan.
The fictional narrative is combined with real images of the 2022–2023 protests in Iran that were violently suppressed by Iranian authorities.
The Seed of a Sacred Fig premiered in the main competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or and won the Special Jury Prize. Prior to its debut, Iranian authorities sentenced director Rasoulof to eight years in prison. After escaping to Germany, Rasoulof and key cast members attended the film's red-carpet premiere at Cannes.
The film received a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language at the 82nd Golden Globe® Awards. Additionally, it was selected as Germany's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards® and advanced to the December shortlist.
