“The film itself is a mesmerisingly gripping and controlled parable-thriller in which the paranoia, misogyny and rage of the Iranian state are mapped seamlessly onto an ordinary family unit.” - Robbie Collin, The Telegraph
“The transition of tones is subtle - you don't realize you're watching a horror movie until it's too late.”- Graeme Guttmann, Screen Rant
Sunday, June 7, 11:30 a.m. | Shot entirely in secret, Mohammad Rasoulof’s award-winning thriller, THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, centers on a family thrust into the public eye when father Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes that his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him increasingly paranoid and distrustful, even of his own wife, Najmeh, and daughters, Sana and Rezvan. When a handgun issued to Iman by the government goes missing he descends into severe paranoia, imposing draconian, authoritarian restrictions within his own household—mirroring the tyranny of the regime he works for. Rasoulof methodically ratchets up the stakes, weaving real images of the Women, Life, Freedom uprisings into the narrative of this commanding mystery.
Awards & Nominations
Nominee -- Best International Feature, 2025 Academy Awards
Winner - Jury Special Prize - 2024 Cannes Film Festival
Festival of Films from Iran | June 5–11, 2026
This yearly showcase spotlights the innovation, resilience, and humanism of contemporary Iranian filmmakers and acclaimed Iranian auteurs. For the 37th year of the Festival of Films from Iran, we’re honoring influential Iranian filmmaker Bahram Beyzaie with a limited retrospective and presenting a slate of compelling contemporary films by Iranian and Iranian-diaspora filmmakers.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu