was facing 鈥� and likely more considering the uncompromising nature of his latest film, 鈥淭he Seed of the Sacred Fig鈥� 鈥� when he decided to flee Iran.
His films and statements criticizing had already earned him a long string of prison sentences, filmmaking bans, travel restrictions and the confiscation of his passport in 2017. Leaving his native country meant embarking on a life of exile, not to mention a risky escape on foot across the mountainous borderland.
Two weeks after the harrowing escape, Rasoulof arrived at with a completed film. At a Cannes where several filmmakers like and have been praised for investing their own money into their films, Rasoulof has put far more on the line: To debut 鈥淭he Seed of the Sacred Fig," Rasoulof has risked his life.
鈥淚 have many more stories to tell, many more narratives to create and films to make,鈥� said Rasoulof, speaking Thursday through an interpreter at Cannes鈥� Palais des Festivals. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what persuaded me to leave Iran. I had to go on with this mission. I feel that my mission is to connect the audiences of the world to these stories, to this Iranian narrative. This is my plan for the coming years.鈥�
Rasoulof鈥檚 dramatic arrival and the explosiveness of his film will bring the Cannes Film Festival to a riveting close. On Saturday, the day after the premiere of 鈥淭he Seed of the Sacred Fig鈥� in competition, the festival will award Rasoulof's film is seen as a favorite.
鈥淭he Seed of the Sacred Fig鈥� is set during and includes real cellphone footage 鈥� some it violent and ghastly, censored 鈥� from the demonstrations. The film follows a fictional family of four 鈥� a father, mother and two daughters 鈥� who acutely internalize the political turmoil. The father, who works in the justice system, is forced to rubber-stamp sentences of protesters. He grows increasingly suspicious of his wife and daughters, as the film turns into a darkly penetrating examination of contemporary Iran.
Investing an expansive social drama within the intimacy of a family, Rasoulof says, was a way of reflecting the contrast between the public face and private lives of the Islamic Republic.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a very strong contradiction between what they say and the ideas they think they embrace and the reality of their lives,鈥� says Rasoulof. 鈥淚鈥檒l give you a very absurd example.鈥�
Rasoulof recalls an encounter two years ago. He had fallen ill and was taken to a hospital where revolving soldiers stood guard beside his bed. His captors, though, were eager to watch Rasoulof鈥� about capital punishment in Iran. It's banned in Iran.
鈥淚 had to watch 鈥楾here Is No Evil鈥� every evening,鈥� he says, laughing. 鈥淭hey were so excited to be there with a filmmaker. And they knew that I had made a film about prison guards, so they wanted to watch it. They had found a flash drive and every night, I had no choice in the film I wanted to watch.鈥�
鈥淲hat鈥檚 going on now in Iran and the change that鈥檚 about to happen will come from these families, from the inside,鈥� adds Rasoulof. Already wrestling with social unrest and international sanctions, Iran is currently mourning the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, after being
Although Iranian authorities have not publicly acknowledged Rasoulof's sentence, he was recently sentenced to prison and flogging for films and public statements called 鈥渆xamples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the country鈥檚 security.鈥�
鈥淭he Seed of the Sacred Fig鈥� was shot clandestinely in Iran, with a small cast and crew. Before the movie was edited, some actors also fled Iran. But others who helped make the film have been interrogated and their families summoned for questioning, the director said earlier. The cinematographer鈥檚 office was raided.
One of Rasoulof鈥檚 greatest frustrations in fleeing Iran was that he had to leave his unfinished film with his collaborators abroad.
鈥淚 called them and told them that they would have to take care of the film," the filmmaker says, 鈥渨hatever happened.鈥�
About two weeks ago, Rasoulof arrived in Germany and rushed to finish work on the final print before sending it to the festival.
鈥淔ilmmaking and artistic creature are vital to me鈥� Rasoulof explains. 鈥淭his is my way of staying alive and carrying on with my life. There is no other way I can imagine living.鈥�
For him, there鈥檚 been no change in his interests. He鈥檚 driven to tell stories about freedom and human rights, 鈥渙r the lack of them in my surrounding, in the society I live in," he says.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 maybe different in this last film is maybe I鈥檝e gotten closer to my subject, in a way. More explicit,鈥� says Rasoulof. 鈥淟ately, my interest is not that much the system or the government. It鈥檚 not the structure that I鈥檓 observing anymore, it鈥檚 more the people that maintain this system and allow it to function 鈥� the mindset of these people, their motivations.鈥�
Ahead of the premiere of the film, 鈥淭he Seed of the Sacred Fig鈥� was acquired for North American distribution by that鈥檚 backed four straight Palme d鈥橭r winners, including last year鈥檚 鈥淎natomy of a Fall鈥� and 鈥淧arasite.鈥�
The Directors Guild of America has also voiced support for Rasoulof 鈥渋n his flight from unjust sentencing.鈥� Lesli Linka Glatter, its president, said in a statement: 鈥淲e stand in solidarity with him as he seeks safe harbor.鈥�
Asked where he goes from here, Rasoulof says he鈥檚 already begun work on his next project, an animated work about a modern Iranian writer.
鈥淢y stories have to do with Iran but not Iran in a geographic sense,鈥� says Rasoulof. 鈥淪o I can do it anywhere. I don鈥檛 have to go back to Iran to tell Iranian stories.鈥�
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
