Iranian director's escape to Oscar spotlight: Rasoulof’s journey
- There's always time to go back and go to prison - said director Mohammad Rasoulof in one of his interviews. He escaped from Iran to Germany. Now, his film has a chance to compete for an Oscar on behalf of Germany.
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof found refuge in Germany after a dramatic escape from Iran. He is under a draconian penalty - flogging and imprisonment, imposed on him by the Iranian regime. His latest work, "The Seed of the Sacred Fig," has been selected by Germany as their submission for the Oscars in the "Best International Feature Film" category.
Film inspired by protests in Iran
"The Seed of the Sacred Fig" is a political thriller inspired by the pro-democracy protests "Woman, Life, Freedom," which shook Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022. The main character, Iman, played by Misagh Zareh, is a devout man appointed as an investigative judge in a politicized court in Tehran. The film depicts the dilemmas and consequences Iman faces as the state imposes increasingly harsh measures against protesters, and his family also gets caught up in the whirlwind of events.
The film premised at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the Special Jury Prize and other prestigious awards. Since then, it has won at other festivals and—as we now learn—will have a chance to compete for the Oscars.
The Iranian production could still make headlines. Rasoulof described his escape from Iran in an interview with the "Guardian": - It was a several-hour long, exhausting, and extremely dangerous walk that I had to do with a guide. I had to stay there quite long before they could transfer me to a town, and from there to a place where I could be in touch with German authorities.
– I wrote many projects when I was in prison, and I’ve always felt that if I go to prison for years, I won’t have the strength or the ability to make these films. So first I have to make them, and then after, it’s always time to go back and to go to prison – he explained his motivations.
Let's also recall that the problems of Iranian directors with the authorities have been talked about for years. In 2019, he received a ban from the regime to leave the country, making him a prisoner in his own homeland.
