TIFF 2024: The Seed of the Sacred Fig Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Although Anora and Emilia Pérez are the two films from this year’s Cannes Film Festival that everyone is talking about heading into awards season, The Seed of the Sacred Fig undoubtedly stands as the defining film of Cannes for reasons beyond the film itself. Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison for including footage exposing the world to the cruel treatment of innocent civilians by the Iranian government. Many were not sure whether Rasoulof could even attend the premiere of his film, but he successfully fled Iran and showed up at the last minute to a rapturous response from audiences.

The film is a demonstration of true bravery from everyone involved in its creation. While many filmmakers have made bold political statements in their work, they often are protected from any ramifications. However, Rosaulof’s situation is vastly different, he put everything on the line to illustrate the harsh realities of life in Iran to western audiences as art blends into reality.

Zareh gives an intense performance as Iman, a once-upstanding family patriarch and lawyer whose life is upended when he’s appointed as an investigating judge during a period of civil unrest in Tehran. The promotion comes with a generous salary, but with that comes a dark responsibility. Tasked with reviewing judgements handed down by his superiors, Iman finds himself signing death sentences without ever seeing the evidence, a chilling reflection of a system in which justice is dictated rather than served.

As protests erupt on the streets, he becomes numb to the moral weight of his actions, mirroring the violence engulfing the nation. He convinces himself that his actions are necessary for the greater good. At home, his wife Najmeh, stands by him and attempts to instill patriotic values into their children as their eldest daughter becomes increasingly disillusioned by the government. The growing ideological divide creates a rift in the family. As a result, the film draws a parallel between the crumbling family unit and the nation itself, both unraveling in the wake of conflict and betrayal.

When Iman’s gun is stolen, the symbolic weight of his diminishing control becomes palpable. This loss forces Iman to confront the very system he’s been complicit in sustaining.  It triggers a slow burn, as his family’s ties begin to fray in the same manner as his own fragile grip on moral integrity, slowly building towards one of the most explosive finales of the year. While some may feel that intensity of the last act and the lengths these characters go to is unearned, it keeps in line with the film’s themes. It is masterfully crafted as all four leads are given moments to shine.

In the end, The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a powerful exploration of corruption, told through the microcosm of a family’s stability unraveling. Skillfully interweaving real life footage with a fictional narrative, the film presents a harrowing portrait of a society on the brink. Both a scathing political critique and a gripping thriller, it delves into the ways in which clashing ideologies can fracture even the closest of familial bonds. Through its raw emotion and tense storytelling, it stands as undoubtedly one of the year’s most vital cinematic achievements.

still courtesy of Elevation Pictures

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Tristan French