The acceptance of international cinema has been on the rise in recent years, as movies like RRR, Anatomy of a Fall and Parasite have become popular not just with critics and awards bodies, but with a wider swath of general audiences as well. That trend looks to continue in 2024, with one new movie that may grab people’s attention, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, a thriller from Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof.
Though Rasoulof is Iranian and the movie's plot takes place in Iran, The Seed of the Sacred Fig has actually been selected as Germany's official entrant for the 2025 Oscars Best International Film category. That is allowed because the German film company Moin Films was a co-producer on the movie, and Germany is where Rasoulof has lived since he left Iran because he was facing prison time for the subject matter of his films, including The Seed of the Sacred Fig, as well as criticisms he has made toward the Iranian government.
