The Oscar-winning film from Germany will stem from the sacred fig tree's seed.
Initial hurdle surmounted. Germany is contesting for the Foreign Language Oscar with "The Seed of the Holy Fig Tree". The movie delves into the internal strife within a family, mirroring the societal fissures in Iran, as indicated in the rationale.
Just a few months ago, he made his escape to Germany - now, he's Germany's potential Oscar contender: The Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof is racing for the Oscar for Best International Film with his movie "The Seed of the Holy Fig Tree", as German Films declared in Munich. He managed to outshine a dozen other contenders.
"The Seed of the Holy Fig Tree" narrates the fallout of political protests in Iran on a family. The film is described as a "psychological illustration of the theocratic Iran, built on violence and paranoia", according to the jury's rationale. Rasoulof portrays "subtly the cracks within a family that reflect the cracks within Iranian society. An excellently staged and emotive film that features scenes that leave an indelible impression."
The film was primarily produced in Germany and therefore qualifies for the country. "The Seed of the Holy Fig Tree" is not only politically pertinent, but also a gripping and evocative film with multidimensional characters.
Golden Bear 2020 in Berlin
The clandestinely filmed work revolves around the protests in Iran following the demise of the young Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini in September 2022. The nation's situation is depicted through the strains within a family. On one side is the fervent believer father named Iman (Missagh Sareh), who has been working as an investigator at the Islamic Revolutionary Court recently, and his wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani). On the other side are their two teenage daughters who support the protests.
Rasoulof, who was honored with the Golden Bear at the Berlinale in 2020 for his movie "There is No Evil", is renowned as a bold and outspoken filmmaker in Iran and has previously been imprisoned. He was recently sentenced to several years in prison in his homeland and then fled the country secretly in May.
After a few days, he then arrived in Hamburg, where his daughter was studying medicine and where he had been residing mainly since 2012, according to producer Mani Tilgner. From there, he commuted regularly to Tehran until he was prevented from leaving the country on one of these trips and found himself detained in Iran for several years.
Applause in Cannes
At the Cannes Film Festival, Rasoulof received the Special Jury Prize. During his premiere there in May, the director received the longest applause of this year's film festival - over twelve minutes the jubilant audience cheered after the film's end. Some audience members had tears in their eyes. Already at his arrival in the cinema hall - a few days after he had fled - the director and the rest of the film team were greeted with minutes of standing ovations.
Rasoulof and the producers of the film expressed their excitement at being chosen as the Oscar entry: "This film, which tells the story of oppression, but also of hope and resistance, is the result of a unique collaboration of people from diverse life backgrounds and migration histories. It demonstrates the power of intercultural exchange in a free and open society", they said.
The selection of the German submission is one of several preliminary rounds. The shortlist of 15 titles for the International Feature Film category will be announced on December 17, 2024. From this shortlist, the five nominated films will be chosen and revealed on January 17, 2025. The Academy Awards ceremony will then take place on March 2, 2025.
At this year's Oscars, the German submission "The Teacher's Room" by Ilker Çatak, nominated for Best International Feature Film, came up empty-handed. The British production "The Zone of Interest" by Jonathan Glazer won the Oscar in this category. Last year, however, the German film adaptation of "All Quiet on the Western Front" by director Edward Berger not only won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film but also three others for Cinematography, Production Design, and Original Score.
Only four German productions have won the Best International Feature Film award. Besides "All Quiet on the Western Front", this feat was achieved in 2007 by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck with the Stasi drama "The Lives of Others". In 1980, the film adaptation of "The Tin Drum" by Volker Schlöndorff received this prize, and in 2003, "Nowhere in Africa" by Caroline Link did the same.
The movie "The Seed of the Holy Fig Tree" features a central plot revolving around figs, as one of the teenage daughters is seen secretly eating figs while opposing her father's views, symbolizing her defiance and desire for freedom. Furthermore, the title itself, "The Seed of the Holy Fig Tree," carries a metaphorical significance, suggesting the potential for change and growth, especially in the context of the societal and family struggles portrayed in the film.
