Mohammad Rasoulof (“But there is no such thing as evil”, “A Man of Integrity – Fight for Dignity”) has done it. The Iranian director is on the shortlist of the Oscars for the best international film in 2025 with another 15 candidates. His film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig Tree” is a German-Iranian co-production and addresses the nationwide protests against the authoritarian mullah regime in Iran in 2022. These developed in the wake of the death of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini due to police violence. If “The Seed of the Holy Fig Tree” is nominated, it would be the next for Germany after “The Teacher’s Room” from last year.
Possible trigger for discussion
Rasoulof, who fled Iran for Germany after being sentenced to eight years in prison there, commented on his nomination in a statement. “It is an honor that ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig Tree’ is now the official German entry on the shortlist for the Oscars,” he said. “The film tells the story of the resistance of Iranian women and was shot in Iran under difficult conditions and under pressure from censorship.”
The positive response to the work is “the result of the courage, commitment and collaboration of a group of artists who brought this work to life despite all the limitations.” The Hamburg-based director hopes “that this success will pave the way for a greater dialogue about truth and freedom.”
This is what “The Seeds of the Sacred Fig Tree” is about
The drama is about the investigating judge Iman. He lives in Tehran with his wife Najmeh and their daughters Rezvan and Sana. During the political protests against the authoritarian government, he has to sign several hundred death warrants a day. However, his children show solidarity with the insurgent groups. The relationship between Iman and his family begins to deteriorate.
Another success for German films?
The inclusion on the shortlist is a first interim success for Mohammad Rasoulof. Whether he will end up in the narrower circle of nominees at the award ceremony on March 3, 2025 will probably only become clear in January. Recently, German submissions to the Academy Awards were extremely successful. İlker Çatak’s chamber play “The Teacher’s Room” was nominated in 2024. Edward Berger’s war film “Nothing New in the West” was even able to win the coveted gold statue in 2023.