The Seed of the Sacred Fig

2024 [FRENCH]

Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller

34
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 94% · 160 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 94% · 50 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.5/10 10 18776 18.8K

police brutality husband wife relationship court judge politics based on true story

Plot summary

Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.

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1.5 GB
1280*536
French 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   ru   fr  
24 fps
2 hr 46 min
Seeds 32
1.5 GB
1280*536
French 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   ru   fr  
24 fps
2 hr 46 min
Seeds 18
3.07 GB
1920*804
French 5.1
NR
Subtitles us   ru   fr  
24 fps
2 hr 46 min
Seeds 29
2.78 GB
1920*804
French 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   ru   fr  
24 fps
2 hr 46 min
Seeds 35
2.49 GB
1920*804
French 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   ru   fr  
24 fps
2 hr 46 min
Seeds 60

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by TheVictoriousV 8 / 10

"I won't sit"

There are still places on this Earth where women risk death for committing the irremissible crime of bareheadedness; of not wearing enough fabric to God's supposed liking. Such was the case of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian woman who died in the hospital (from "unrelated causes", as the sorts of people we see in this film would try to tell us -- and themselves) after being arrested for not wearing her hijab in public, escalating the ongoing Girls of Enghelab protests to the point of major unrest that lasted from September of 2022 and all the way into the spring of 2023.In The Seed of the Sacred Fig, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof (the Iranian filmmaker who has often found himself at odds with his government and currently resides in exile in Germany), the events are seen from the perspective of the family of an investigating judge in Tehran. Throughout the film, real TikTok and Instagram videos of the bedlam are interwoven with the narrative. The unrest is reflected in this family; the daughters question the authorities and traditions that their parents protect for little reason other than tradition itself -- and yes, a point of violence is reached.This is a tense, atmospheric, moving film. I don't wish to reveal too much about it, but I will say this: if this film becomes as big and impactful as it ought to be, its recurring phrase "I won't sit" may get co-opted by many equal rights/freedom movements to come.Many Oscar opinion-havers this season have quipped, "I don't care who wins; I just need Emilia Pérez to lose". This concerns all categories that it's (somehow) nominated within, including Best International Feature Film. I guess I don't care who wins either. But it should be The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
Reviewed by matlabaraque 7 / 10

A plea for freedom

The seed of the sacred fig is the first relevant, powerful film about the Iranian rebelion that took place in 2022. The Woman, Life, Freedom's movement was born right after the arrest and death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a student that did nothing but remove her veil. The director takes us down to a family of an Iranian judge (working for the State and the Mollah 's regime) who is about to receive a promotion that is supposed to change his life right at the moment the 2022 revolution starts. We spectators somehow live this key period of Iran through the eyes of this middle class family which is about to upgrade its living conditions. We are emerged in their every day life until the gun of the father (the judge) disapears or gets stolen inside their home.The film features a fantastic script, wonderful actors and images of an unknown Iran. You can see Iran like we can rarely see it, with its modernity, its rich history and ancient monuments, its poverty as well as its drawbacks. Like in many Iranian films, the spectator is plunged into complex situations with ethical questions which oblige to choose between moral, personal values and loyalty to the regime: Shall I wear this veil or another (less provokative one) ? Should I go the university despite of the strikes ? Shoulld I ask a favor to my neighbor and take the risk of revealing my family's problems? The ethical questions are everywehre, and they are direct consequences of the heavy oppressive regime that has ruled Iran for now decades. All these questions are faced with dignity and sense of duty by the characters , with sometimes even loyalty towards a regime who could not care less about its people. Through these situations are revealed the lack of freedom, the oprression over women, the complicity of those who take profit of this regime and of course the brutality of a regime condemned to sacrifice its own people in order to survive.The latter will be perfectly depicted through the fate of the father willing to do his job respectfully but obliged to corrupt himself and sacrifice his people in order to survive to this revolution no matter how painful it is.I particularly enjoyed the insight into the Iranian middle class. Being able to see and imagine what is an every day life for women in Iran is difficult to figure from the Western World. The more the film lenghts the better it gets as you can clearly see the impasse into which the country has plunged, and with it its inhabitants (and in this case this family) condemned to find a guilty among them.Little by little, we can spot the seeds of discord germinating in this family, into the society, among students, and throughout the world thanks to social networks. That's the other revelation of this film. Social network is the key; that's the tool through which the song Baraye resonates, as well as images of police violence are spread, proofs of the oppression are accumulated, they are the hopes of Iran. The regime can no longer hide behind outrageous lies, the seeds of rebellion are now spread everywhere and the complice of the regime can no longer hide.A promising outcry and a promising motto for the future Iranian society: Woman, Life, Freedom that we hope, will eventually change Iran for good.
Reviewed by dzeilstra 7 / 10

A peek inside a backward culture

A country that does not treat it's citizens as free and responsible people, especially infringing on women's right for me represents a backward culture. In spite of what insiders may see about the credibility, for me it did seem an honest report of how a regime and religion that is present in every vein of society can drive people to irrational actions. It is also interesting to see how also in Iran the young people stand up for themselves and demand more freedom - which they don't get. It is sad to see how wide the gap is with the parents regarding obeying the government and devotion to God. It is true that in the end there may be a touch too much fantasy and drama, but overall I found the film interesting to watch, in spite of it's considerable length.
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