Mohammad Rasoulof On His “Anguishing” 28-Day Journey To Escape Iran After Covertly Shooting ‘The Seed Of The Sacred Fig’ & How He Landed In Germany – Cannes
On Friday Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof will debut his latest feature The Seed of the Sacred Fig in Cannes after fleeing his home country through what he described to Deadline as a “complicated” and “anguishing” journey across Europe to a safe house in Germany.
Rasoulof spoke to us this morning on the ground in Cannes, where he covertly arrived earlier this week. Back in Iran, the filmmaker is wanted by authorities who have sentenced him to eight years in prison alongside a series of physical punishments including flogging for “signing statements and making films and documentaries.”
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“I was in the middle of shooting The Seed of the Sacred Fig when I found out that my prison sentence was confirmed. I knew I would be arrested and, of course, it’s very hard to go on working when you have this idea in your mind,” Rasoulof told us.
Rasoulof appealed his sentence and during the lengthy legal process put together a plan to flee Iran, which he told us all together took 28 days on the road.
Best known for his forceful, politically driven features like Manuscripts Don’t Burn (2013) and A Man Of Integrity (2017), Rasoulof has been in the crosshairs of Iran’s hardline Islamic Republic government throughout his career for challenging its authoritarian rule. He was arrested in July 2022 for signing a petition titled “Lay Down Your Arms” calling on security forces to exercise restraint in relation to popular protests. He was released on a temporary basis in February 2023 from Tehran’s Evin jail due to ill health and has been under house arrest ever since. Last year, he was invited to serve on the Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury but was unable to accept the invitation after being barred from leaving Iran.
Below, the filmmaker details his journey out of Iran, why he decided to leave the country now, and how he managed to complete The Seed of the Sacred Fig — which was picked this week by Neon — without being stopped by authorities. The filmmaker also shares his plans following the film’s debut in Cannes.
DEADLINE: First, how are you?
MOHAMMAD RASOULOF: I’m fine. I’ve been through very difficult times. An exhausting, long, complicated, and anguishing journey, but I am here. I feel very grateful for the people who helped me make my film, the people who helped me get out of Iran, and those who helped me get here. All I feel is gratitude.
DEADLINE: What did your journey out of Iran entail?
RASOULOF: I was in the middle of shooting The Seed of the Sacred Fig when I found out that my prison sentence was confirmed. I knew I would be arrested and, of course, it’s very hard to go on working when you have this idea in your mind. But the only choice I had was to try to get on with my work and rely on the appeals process. Thankfully the appeals process takes some time, and because of the Iranian New Year, the appeals court was delayed, which allowed me to finish my work. But after the New Year, the appeal was heard and my sentence was confirmed. At the time, I was in the process of editing my film. I knew everything was going to happen extremely quickly. I also made another film the authorities were not aware of, which I knew would make my case even worse. So I had a couple of hours to make the decision: Shall I stay and go to jail or leave and flee? I knew that crossing the border was dangerous. Thankfully the editing of my film was taking place outside of Iran, so I just contacted my crew and told them I’d be out of reach for a few days, but they could go on working if they don’t hear back from me. It took me two hours to make my decision to go. I left all my electronic devices at home and with the help of a friend, I took shelter in a safe place.
DEADLINE: How were you able to find people to help you cross the border?
RASOULOF: The good thing about going to prison in Iran is that you meet all kinds of youthful people who can help you in such conditions. So I contacted them because they had previously offered to help me. It’s thanks to their help that I was able to do this. I was taken to a village at the border on the Iranian side. I had to wait there for the appropriate moment to cross the border. Then I was kept in another village on the other side for a while until they finally took me to a town with a German consulate because I had no documents to prove my ID. I had to contact the German authorities as I had previously lived in Germany. So there with my fingerprints, they were able to identify me and finally allow me to get a temporary document. And that’s how I could be transferred to Germany. The whole process took me about 28 days.
DEADLINE: The statement you shared in press materials said you shot The Seed of the Sacred Fig without professional equipment using a very small crew to avoid detection from authorities. How exactly did you manage to avoid the authorities and finish the film?
RASOULOF: Generally, restrictions make you more creative. You have to find solutions. You have to develop your imagination. We worked with a very small camera and had almost no technical materials. I owe this film to my crew specifically my DP, who is an extremely powerful creative artist. And, to be honest, you should always avoid having professional equipment in Iran because if the security forces come and raid your office, they take everything with them. So the lighter, the better. We did everything with a student-like budget.
DEADLINE: Have you been able to speak with any of your crew or cast?
RASOULOF: I’m in touch with them through their lawyer because the government has filed a case against them for this film. There was a raid at my DP’s office. They took his materials. The sound engineer has also been put under pressure, and so have the actors. Those who stayed are really under pressure, but this is completely illegal. They have done nothing but take part in the film. Some of the cast and crew were able to flee before the project was revealed. But others who are still there are really in danger.
DEADLINE: What are your plans after Cannes? Do you have an idea what your life will look like next?
RASOULOF: The only thing that convinced me to get out of Iran was that I felt I carried something of Iran within me. And I believe that feeling will allow me to continue telling the stories of my people and culture. Before being forced into exile, I was already banned from working. I couldn’t shoot films, so I decided to work on an animation project. I actually developed that project and then I was put in jail, so I started working on a stop motion project. So I always find ways of creating. Now that I’m out of Iran I still believe I have the potential and ability to go on creating. If I feel that my mission is completed and all the stories have been told, I will maybe take a rest.
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