Iranian auteur Mohammad Rasoulof joins InSession Film’s Awards Editor Shadan Larki, for a wide-ranging interview for his latest film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
Written and directed by Rasoulof, ‘Sacred Fig’ is part insightful familial drama, part sharp political thriller, and in part a human rights documentary featuring real-life footage taken from Iran’s “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in the summer of 2022. Under the helm of a lesser filmmaker, the results could have been perhaps messy or convoluted. But, in Rasoulof’s expert hands, ‘Sacred Fig’ is woven together beautifully, culminating with a final act that is breathless and utterly profound.
Pressure makes diamonds, and the immense political and social pressure Mr. Rasoulof and his crew faced in making The Seed of the Sacred Fig, risking imprisonment, cannot be understated. But, in persevering, Rasoulof has created a gem of a film—a living document that ruthlessly examines that very pressure and what it does to the human condition.
The problem, as you’ll see in our interview, is that Mr. Rasoulof is far too humble a man to place himself amongst the greats of Iranian and, indeed, world cinema. With The Seed of the Sacred Fig, he has proven that’s where he belongs.
Watch our full interview with The Seed of the Sacred Fig writer/director Mohammad Rasoulof below:
