‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ trailer: Mohammad Rasoulof’s familial descent into paranoia

Trailer released for Mohammad Rasoulof's thriller The Seed of the Sacred Fig, depicting a family's struggle against Iranian oppression.

The trailer for Mohammad Rasoulof’s thriller The Seed of the Sacred Fig has been released, offering a tense glimpse into a family’s struggle against Iranian oppression. Shot entirely in secret, the film follows Iman, played by Misagh Zare, a judge in Tehran who finds himself and his family caught in a web of political unrest. As protests erupt in the streets, Iman’s role becomes increasingly dangerous, causing him to question even those closest to him—his devout wife, Najmeh, and their teenage daughters, Sana and Rezvan.

The trailer portrays a family descending into paranoia, with scenes of car chases, frantic knocking at their door, and a gun ready for protection from potential threats. Iman’s whisper of “What curse has fallen upon me?” underscores the mounting tension as he navigates a corrupt judicial system and the dangers that surround him.

The political climate in the film mirrors the real-life unrest following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, when protests erupted across Iran against oppressive government practices. Rasoulof faced his own persecution and fled an eight-year prison sentence in Iran just before The Seed of the Sacred Fig premiered at Cannes, where it won the Special Jury Prize.

Now a resident of Germany, Rasoulof’s film has been selected to represent the country at the 2025 Oscars in the Best International Feature category. North American rights for The Seed of the Sacred Fig were acquired by Neon, with a limited theatrical release planned for November 2024. The film stars Soheila Golestani, Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki, and Reza Akhlaghi, among others.