Ficus Religiosa is a tree with an unusual life cycle. It seeds, contained in bird droppings, fall on other trees. Aerial roots spring up and grow down to the floor. Then, the branches wrap around the host tree and strangle it. Finally, the sacred fig stands on its own. -Opening lines of the film

[1] This raw and unsettling film features actual footage from the violent 2022 uprising in Iran over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was taken into custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. 

[2] This film works because it takes us inside a family unit that is impacted by these very issues. It appears to use actual protest footage (suitably obscured) mixed in along with the fictional actors. This gives it a more urgent edge.

[3] The film features a fantastic script, wonderful actors and images of an unknown Iran. You can see Iran like we can rarely see it, with its modernity, its rich history and ancient monuments, its poverty as well as its drawbacks.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

You MAY have heard a BIT re: this Iranian film; it was on Pres. Obama’s list of faves rom 2024. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (from filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof) was shot almost entirely in secret; financing came from French and German production companies. The movie had its premiere at Cannes (2024), where it was nominated for the Palme d’Or, winning the Special Jury Prize (considered the 3rd most prestigious prize at the festival). At the recent Oscars (2025), it was the official submission of Germany for Best International Feature Film.

Iman (Missagh Zareh) ia a devout/middle-aged/self-made man who lives w/ his wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), and their 2 daughters: college student Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and older teen Sana (Setareh Maleki). He has just been appointed as an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The position provides him a higher salary w/ option for a (larger) apt for his family (which his wife long wanted). As protests against the government unfold, Iman discovers that he was NOT hired to use his legal expertise to investigate cases. He is expected to approve judgments presented to him by his superiors (w/o assessing any evidence), incl. death sentences! This position requires him to remain anonymous; he is ordered to withhold info from friends/family and given a handgun for protection!

This film is a must-see for those who want to understand the situation in modern Iran. We are taken beyond the headlines to see what is happening-“kitchen table issues” (as US politicians like to say). Though it could’ve been edited down some more, it’s still a tense/engaging domestic drama w/ enaging dialogue and acting. What we see is a situation involving “Chekhov’s Gun”- literally. I came to feel for the two daughters, who are seeking to know the truth of their world; the news is being censored. As with any young people, these young women want some sort of personal freedom (EX: living away for college). This movie shows how political pressures affect each member of the family.