‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ Review: Profoundly Brave Film Captures the Struggle of Iran’s People

Separating a work of art from the circumstances of its production would be a fool’s errand when writing about “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” — director Mohammad Rasoulof simply wouldn’t allow it.

How could he, when the Iranian director shot this film in secret, fresh out of his second stint in prison? How could he, when the regime that charged him with sedition also tried to block this Cannes Film Festival premiere? How could he, when he had to flee his country and a new eight-year prison sentence, with lashings this time, in order to walk the red carpet holding photos of all his actors who did not have such luck?

For all those reasons and more, Rasoulof’s screening marked the standout event of this festival, leaving no heart untouched.