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How an Iranian Filmmaker Made a Movie Criticizing the Regime Right in the Middle of Tehran
The Hollywood ReporterStory by Steven Zeitchik
scrn logline
An Iranian filmmaker risks it all to make a powerful movie criticizing the regime - and escapes the country to bring his cinematic cry for help to the world.
beat sheet
- Director Mohammad Rasoulof shot the film 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' in secret in Tehran, using guerrilla filmmaking tactics to avoid detection by the authorities, who had previously imprisoned him for criticizing the government.
- Rasoulof and his cast and crew faced constant danger during the shoot, with the production having to sometimes scatter or relocate on short notice to evade suspicion, and the director ultimately fleeing Iran to finish the film and premiere it at Cannes.
call sheet
Mohammad Rasoulof, Missagh Zareh, Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki, Soheila Golestani, Jamshid Sharmahd, Kianoosh Sanjari, Alfonso Cuar ón, Neon, Berlinale, Woman, Life, Freedom, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, This Is Not a Film, There Is No Evil, Gravity