The Seed of the Sacred Fig

I deeply appreciated this film and quite liked it. As a political thriller, absolutely, but in some ways also as a document.

A powerful movie with a great moral dilemma at the center.

Mohammad Rasoulof’s sorrowful new film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, a powerful tale of conscience and conflict made while he was evading Iran’s oppressive theocracy, is shot through with potent metaphors.

It plays out like that rare piece of art capable of capturing the individual agency inherent in both resistance and compliance. An entire history of oppression isn’t needed here -- that is beyond the scope of any one film and a waste of this one.

If the powerhouse Iranian drama “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” dramatizes the cruel ironies of existence in a theocratic state, the film’s writer-director, Mohammad Rasoulof, is living them.

"The Seed of the Sacred Fig" twists and knots itself into a scary portrayal of humanity, authority, rule and choice, and other elements that corrode from the inside.

...a social drama that turns into a great thriller. [Full review in Spanish]

The family’s roots might not be as strong as they thought, but the film’s are never less than sturdy.

By the time the end credits roll The Seed of the Sacred Fig proves itself to be a searing depiction of abuse of power.

A political and costumbrist thriller against fundamentalism. [Full review in Spanish]