The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Persian: دانهی انجیر معابد) is a 2024 political thriller drama film written and directed by Mohammad Rasoulof.
The story is about Iman, an investigating judge in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. As political protests grow stronger, Iman starts to feel mistrust and fear. Things get worse when his gun goes missing.
The film stars Soheila Golestani, Missagh Zareh, Mahsa Rostami, and Setareh Maleki. The movie mixes a made-up story with real footage of protests that were violently stopped by the Iranian government.
Where Was The Seed of the Sacred Fig Filmed?
The Seed of the Sacred Fig was filmed in various locations in Iran, particularly in Tehran and Kharanaq. The opening scenes in which Iman is seen praying was filmed in Baba Khadem shrine, Kharanaq, Yazd.
The filming was done by Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof and took place secretly over 70 days, from December 2023 to March 2024. Even though Rasoulof was told he would go to prison again, he kept working on the film with his cinematographer, Pooyan Aghababaei.
He hoped the appeal for his case would take time. The filming happened during Nowruz (the Persian New Year), which gave him extra time to finish the movie by the end of the holiday.
After his prison sentence was confirmed, Rasoulof had only two hours to choose: stay and get arrested or run away. He chose to escape, left his devices behind, and walked across the border to safety.
Official Trailer
