Germany has selected The Seed Of The Sacred Fig by Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof as its submission to the 97th Academy Awards.
The film was selected from a 13-strong shortlist and was chosen by a nine-member jury appointed by promotional organisation German Films.
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig premiered in Competition at Cannes in May, winning the special jury prize and Fipresci award, before going on to win the audience award at Sydney in June.
Although set in Tehran with a predominantly Iranian cast and crew, the film is produced by Rasoulof’s German outfit Run Way Pictures alongside France’s Parallel45 in co-production with Arte France Cinéma. Films Boutique handles international sales.
After shooting the feature in secret – for fear of repercussions from Iranian authorities – Rasoulof fled the country after receiving an eight-year prison sentence for his ongoing criticism of the regime and is now understood to be based in Germany.
The story follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise. The cast is led by Misagh Zare, Soheila Golestani, Mahsa Rostami and Seterah Maleki.
A statement from the German Films jury that selected the film said: “The Seed Of The Sacred Fig is a psychological portrait of Iran’s theocracy which is built on violence and paranoia. Mohammad Rasoulof subtly tells of the cracks within a family that are representative of those within Iranian society itself.
“It is an outstanding work by one of the great directors of world cinema and someone who has found refuge in Germany from state despotism in Iran. We are very happy to know that Rasoulof is safe in our country and we are delighted that he will be representing Germany at the Oscars in 2025.”
In a joint statement, Rasoulof and producers Mani Tilgner, Rozita Hendijanian and Amin Sadraei said they were “deeply honoured” to be the German entry for the awards. “This film, which tells the story of oppression, but also of hope and resistance, is the result of a unique collaboration between people with very different realities of life and migration histories,” they added. “It shows how powerful intercultural exchange can exist in a free and open society.”
German distributor Alamode will theatrically release the film locally on December 26. In North America, Neon will release the film in US cinemas on November 27.
Rasoulof is known for films such as Goodbye, which won the best director award at Cannes in 2011, and There Is No Evil, which scooped the Golden Bear at Berlin in 2020.
Germany has enjoyed a strong track record in the best international feature film category of the Oscars, securing a nomination at the most recent awards in March with llker Catak’s The Teachers’ Lounge and winning in 2023 with Edward Berger’s All Quiet On The Western Front. The country has secured two further nominations in the previous decade: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s Never Look Away and Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to be announced on December 17, with the final five nominees announced on January 17, 2025.
No comments yet