Mohammad Rasoulof’s Oscar-nominated feature “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” held its Dutch premiere on Feb. 3 as part of the Limelight section at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam. The screening, hosted at Theater Rotterdam Schouwburg, played to a sold-out audience.
Ahead of the screening, festival director Vanja Kaludjercic introduced the film and Rasoulof, calling him “an old friend of the Rotterdam Film Festival.” Kaludjercic described the film’s trajectory from its Special Jury Prize win at Cannes to its selection as Germany’s submission to the Academy Awards, where it later earned a nomination.
She also acknowledged the political repression faced by filmmakers and artists in Iran, turning attention to lead actress Soheila Golestani, who was barred from leaving the country. Golestani, originally set to serve as a Tiger Competition jury member in Rotterdam, was prohibited from traveling on charges of “propaganda against the state of Iran and spreading immorality.”
Kaludjercic voiced the festival’s support for Golestani and said she hoped that increased visibility from the international film community might aid in her release, and allow her to attend the festival next year.
Rasoulof, welcomed onstage by extended applause, used his time to dedicate the screening to Golestani. He described her as “an extraordinary artist,” praising her courage and social engagement: “She is fully aware of her social responsibility as an artist and knows how to use this role in the pursuit of artistic freedoms.
He closed by expressing hope that Iran’s ongoing wave of censorship and repression would come to an end. “I hope this chain of restrictions in Iran will soon be broken apart,” he said, “and that the Iranian people will achieve freedom.”