Skip to main content
The Seed of the Sacred Fig film image; woman stands with two women behind her

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Special Presentations

This event has passed

Misagh Zare is Iman, a newly promoted “investigator” for the Iranian government in the early days of the Women, Life, Freedom rebellion. Iman’s handgun goes missing, and it could only have been taken by one of his family members. His wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) proclaims innocence, as do his daughters Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki). As the strife in the streets ratchets up, so do Iman’s anger and paranoia. With every passing moment, the women in his life grow more afraid—and yet none of them will confess…

The latest from Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil; A Man of Integrity) is a gripping metaphorical drama that triumphs on multiple levels: as a mystery, it’s tense and absorbing; as a portrait of family division, it’s moving; and as an act of political protest, it’s urgent and powerful. A subversive to his core, Rasoulof has paid a price for his art: sentenced to eight years in prison plus flogging, he now lives as an exile in Europe.

 

Special Prize, Cannes 2024; FIPRESCI Prize, Cannes 2024

Director
Cast

Misagh Zare, Soheila Golestani, Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki, Niousha Akhshi, Reza Akhlaghi

Credits
Country of Origin

Iran/France/Germany

Year

2024

Language

In Farsi with English subtitles

Film Contact
18+
167 min
Award Winners Drama Human Rights & Social Justice Legendary Filmmakers
Run Way Pictures

Book Tickets

This event has passed.

Credits & Director

Producer

Mohammad Rasoulof, Amin Sadraei, Jean-Christophe Simon, Mani Tilgner, Rozita Hendijanian

Screenwriter

Mohammad Rasoulof

Cinematography

Pooyan Aghababaei

Editor

Andrew Bird

Production Design

Amir Panahifar

Original Music

Karzan Mahmood

Mohammad Rasoulof headshot; The Seed of the Sacred Fig director

Mohammad Rasoulof

Mohammad Rasoulof is an Iranian filmmaker known for his politically charged and socially poignant films. His notable works include Goodbye (2011), which won the directing prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, and There Is No Evil (2020), which received the Golden Bear at the Berlinale.

Filmography: The Twilight (2002); Manuscripts Don’t Burn (2013); A Man of Integrity (2017); There Is No Evil (2020)

Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre

No Other Land

Dir. Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor
96 min

Deemed by many critics one of the essential films of 2024, a multiple festival award winner and a nominee for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, No Other Land is a reminder that mass expulsion is by no means a new reality for Palestinians.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Sugarcane

Dir. Julian Brave Noisecat & Emily Kassie
107 min

"Deeply impactful", Sugarcane is an important contribution to the ongoing process of Truth & Reconciliation in this country, a compassionate, sensitive account of the investigation into residential school abuse at Williams Lake, BC.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Parthenope

Dir. Paolo Sorrentino
137 min

Great beautician Paolo Sorrentino (The Young Pope) returns to the city of his birth with this languorous, love-struck chronicle of the life of a modern day siren, Parthenope (newcomer Celeste Della Porta). Stylish, philosophical, deeply Italiano.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Oscar® Shorts 2025: Animation

90 min

Magic candies, first kisses, and three brothers seeking hair transplants... the animated shorts package is a treasure trove of delights.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story

Dir. Alison Duke
98 min

Dancehall queen Sister Nancy effortlessly carries this bright and buoyant music doc. Her irresistible signature tune, "Bam Bam" enjoys the status of the most sampled reggae song of them all.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Quincy Mayes Brazilian Soul Experience

Dir. Fernando Meirelles & Kátia Lund
190 min

The Quincy Mayes Brazilian Soul Experience is thrilled to present a special performance showcasing the diverse, Afro-centric roots of samba, soul, and funk alongside a screening of the essential Brazilian film City of God.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema