In Tehran, the exemplary family of an investigating judge are tested by the dramatic events following a young woman’s death in police custody. Civil servant Iman has just been appointed to the Revolutionary Court, where he’s expected to extract confessions, serve death penalties to dissidents, and withhold information from loved ones. When Iman’s work-issued gun disappears, he suspects the involvement of his wife and daughters, and his paranoia leads him to enforce increasingly stringent constraints on his family. As the repression levels rise, the women fight back, leading to an explosive clash.

The film powerfully portrays the devastation of a once tight-knit family caught in political turmoil and oppression. Featuring real-life footage from the “Women, Life, Freedom” protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a bold and urgent tribute to those who resist tyranny and fight for freedom.

While shooting The Seed of the Sacred Fig in secret, director Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil) was sentenced to eight years in prison and a flogging for making movies that criticize Iran’s hardline government. He fled Iran to attend its competition premiere at Cannes, where it won the Jury Special Award. His journey underscores the extraordinary bravery behind his films. Read more about Mohammad’s story here.