Iranian filmmaker's drama on 2022 protests earns BAFTA nomination

The Seed of the Sacred Fig, the latest film made by Iranian dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, has been nominated in BAFTA's hotly contested Film Not In The English Language category.

The film has been nominated in the category alongside All We Imagine As Light, Emilia Pérez, I’m Still Here, and Kneecap.

In 2024, the movie won the Cannes Film Festival's Jury Special Prize, the FIPRESCI Award, the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, and the François Chalais Award for Best Film, solidifying its reputation as a cinematic masterpiece.

It was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture in a Non-English Language and won the Audience Award for Best International Feature at the Sydney Film Festival.

Rasoulof’s film delves into the protest movement in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.

"Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble," reads the film's summary on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB).

The film led to an eight-year prison sentence for its director Mohammad Rasoulof, forcing him to flee Iran last May. Rasoulof made his daring escape on foot, traversing rugged mountainous borders to avoid imprisonment.

“Knowing that the news of my new film would be revealed very soon, I knew that without a doubt, a new sentence would be added to these eight years. I didn’t have much time to make a decision. I had to choose between prison and leaving Iran. With a heavy heart, I chose exile. The Islamic Republic confiscated my passport in September 2017. Therefore, I had to leave Iran secretly," Rasoulof said at the time.

Rasoulof’s lawyer, Babak Paknia, disclosed on April 29 that several crew members associated with the film had been summoned by authorities, with some facing interrogation and others barred from international travel.

Germany, the country where Rasoulof has taken refuge, has selected The Seed of the Sacred Fig as its official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.

“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," German Films said in their statement.