The Seed of The Sacred Fig | VIFF 2024 | Review by: Stefano Bove

 Written and directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. This anti-patriarchal thriller follows a family of four living in Iran. Iman is the head of the household and holds an extremely important job in government. He is married and has two daughters; Sana and Rezvan. The daughters want freedom; freedom to walk freely without needing to cover their face and not live by the rules of men. Unfortunately, their fathers job is to uphold their laws and this is the cause of the tension within the family. 

What happens when the belief within your own household is questioned? This is the struggle that so many woman in Iran are dealing with every single day as they fight for their freedom to do the most basic things in life. They are fighting from the patriarchy in their country and in this case, even their own father. 

Reading about director Mohammad Rasoulof 's work experience is incredibly shocking and brave. The man has made many films in the form of protest against his own country that has been met with jail time on several occasions. Rasoulof's resolve to speak his mind and protect the women in his country. 

The film centres around protests happening all around the country and even includes social media clips within the film. Many of these scenes are hard to watch but necessary for all to see. There is alot of symbolism coated within the movie in an effort to hide some of the messages. Even the title itself is symbolic of the Iranian Regime's hold on the population. 

Seed of the Sacred Fig is a revolutionary film that uses art as a form to further fuel the necessary protests for rights and freedom. 

5/5

Review by: Stefano Bove