Release Date – 7th February 2025, Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 47 minutes, Director – Mohammad Rasoulof
Iman (Missagh Zareh) is promoted to investigative judge, however with the benefits of the job comes a growing threat if the public discovers what he does, leading to him taking a harsher stance with his liberal daughters (Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki).
Very shortly after finishing a secretive shooting of his latest feature writer-director Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran. His films have created conflict with the Iranian government, who have handed him prison sentences for creating anti-regime propaganda or simply filming without a permit, for well over a decade. Having been edited in Germany, with the footage having been smuggled out of Iran to Rasoulof, this is one of the most unflinching and switched on pieces of Iranian cinema I’ve seen in years.
Promoted to the role of investigative judge, Iman’s (Missagh Zareh) job quickly loses its investigative side as he’s asked by multiple colleagues to sign death sentences for people who haven’t been looked into. For this reason Iman is told to keep his job quiet to everyone, including his family. If anyone were to find out there could be a threat to his life, and those of his family; hence why he’s given a gun which he casually tucks into his trousers for if any threat directly confronts him. As unrest and anti-government protests grow with a growing anger at the regime’s control violent videos appear on social media, witnessed by Iman’s teenage daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki).
“What if the law of the country is wrong?” one of them asks their father early on, “God’s will cannot be wrong!” he responds. Familial conflicts grow as sirens can be heard outside the family apartment rushing to step in to the growing protests each night. You can feel the tension and unease in the relationships as Rasoulof creates a strong depiction, and call, about the young’s response to the world of horror around them. Iman finds himself in both a familial and political clash as his words and actions begin to make things worse and could reveal the home address where he lives with his wife (Soheila Golestani) and daughters, none of whom wear hijabs when there, despite it being required by the Iranian regime (including at all times in films).
The first half of the film very much focuses on the two daughters, particularly Rezvan, as social media highlights that what they’re being told at home in regards to the deaths of young activists – their father claims they died of a stroke when it’s widely believed they were killed – might not be true. The film delivers a punch with Rasoulof’s decision to incorporate real footage, and finds some inspiration, from recent protests surrounding the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. As things develop the focus shifts more on to the family as a whole, especially when more drastic measures are jumped into in the wake of panic from Iman, becoming so sucked into his job that his mistrust of his own family grows into fear and anger, leading to darker and more chaotic decisions.
Leading to a third act which, while slightly pushing the run-time, details the furious mania that Iman descends into as he becomes desperate to protect himself for the sake of his job. The fear factor certainly comes through thanks to Zareh’s performance, confirming the tensions that were building up earlier in the film. While certain turns might start to make the narrative feel somewhat drawn out, especially in the wake of travelling to different locations and the more sinister tone coming alongside it. While as a whole the film fills its almost 3-hour run-time rather well the closing stages do begin to border on feeling like Iran’s answer to The Shining, although here not entirely a bad thing.
It’s not quite the same rallying call as makes up the first two hours, but, as mentioned, the final portion of the film is concerned with the family as a whole than just the way the younger members interact with and view the world around them. Rasoulof’s direction remains specifically aimed and makes sure that the constantly darkening overhanging threat that can’t be seen is always in perspective and view for the viewer as it becomes clearer for the family in different ways. With the references and images from real-world protests adding to the unflinching nature of the film and its narrative, this is a film made with a strong, fiery, determined attitude which adds to its punch and the passionate depictions of its younger characters.
Bordering on feeling overlong in the third act, there’s a passionate call in The Seed Of The Sacred Fig’s unflinching attitude, capturing a consistent tension and overhanging threat, particularly as the young characters piece together the truths of the world they’ve had covered from them for so long.
Just A Little Bit Random 