The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Mohammad Rasoulof’s arresting tale of violence and paranoia in Iran.

...a bold, timely state-of-the-nation address that manages to eschew the polemical for the truly gripping.

...sprouts paranoia and isolation at home.

...refreshingly balanced and open in its inclusion of differing perspectives.

...an anguished cry from the heart of Mohammad Rasoulof, the Iranian filmmaker who just fled his home country for Europe after an eight-year prison sentence from the Islamic Republic.

Rasoulof gets terrific performances from all of his cast, but particularly noteworthy is Sohelia Golestani’s work as Najmeh, which captures the woman’s subtle, gradual transition from defender of her husband to an ally of her daughters.