Il seme del fico sacro

Tonight, I watched the film "The Fig Tree of Temples" and I have to say, it was one of the most beautiful and impactful cinematic experiences I've ever had. What made this film resonate with me so deeply wasn't just its strong and artistic storytelling, but the fact that every scene felt so realistic and connected to my personal experiences. It was as if every moment of the film reminded me of the tough and tense period we all went through.

The film beautifully and profoundly touches on the Mahsa Amini revolution and the social and political crises of that time, a period in which I personally participated and witnessed days filled with hardship and uncertainty. The story of the two girls in this context felt like a symbol for millions of Iranians who lived through those moments. I saw myself in those two characters, and this deep empathy gave me an opportunity to understand the emotions and struggles of that era.

The film was emotionally overwhelming, and each scene reminded me of how we all lived through those days, filled with both pain and hope. For me, this film is not just a remarkable piece of art, but also a reminder of a painful and crucial chapter in modern Iranian history.

If you're looking for a film that, in its beauty, also brings to light the harsh and painful truths of our society, "The Fig Tree of Temples" is an exceptional choice.

The seed of the sacred fig is the first relevant, powerful film about the Iranian rebelion that took place in 2022. The Woman, Life, Freedom's movement was born right after the arrest and death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a student that did nothing but remove her veil. The director takes us down to a family of an Iranian judge (working for the State and the Mollah 's regime) who is about to receive a promotion that is supposed to change his life right at the moment the 2022 revolution starts. We spectators somehow live this key period of Iran through the eyes of this middle class family which is about to upgrade its living conditions. We are emerged in their every day life until the gun of the father (the judge) disapears or gets stolen inside their home.

The film features a fantastic script, wonderful actors and images of an unknown Iran. You can see Iran like we can rarely see it, with its modernity, its rich history and ancient monuments, its poverty as well as its drawbacks. Like in many Iranian films, the spectator is plunged into complex situations with ethical questions which oblige to choose between moral, personal values and loyalty to the regime: Shall I wear this veil or another (less provokative one) ? Should I go the university despite of the strikes ? Shoulld I ask a favor to my neighbor and take the risk of revealing my family's problems? The ethical questions are everywehre, and they are direct consequences of the heavy oppressive regime that has ruled Iran for now decades. All these questions are faced with dignity and sense of duty by the characters , with sometimes even loyalty towards a regime who could not care less about its people. Through these situations are revealed the lack of freedom, the oprression over women, the complicity of those who take profit of this regime and of course the brutality of a regime condemned to sacrifice its own people in order to survive.

The latter will be perfectly depicted through the fate of the father willing to do his job respectfully but obliged to corrupt himself and sacrifice his people in order to survive to this revolution no matter how painful it is.

I particularly enjoyed the insight into the Iranian middle class. Being able to see and imagine what is an every day life for women in Iran is difficult to figure from the Western World. The more the film lenghts the better it gets as you can clearly see the impasse into which the country has plunged, and with it its inhabitants (and in this case this family) condemned to find a guilty among them.

Little by little, we can spot the seeds of discord germinating in this family, into the society, among students, and throughout the world thanks to social networks. That's the other revelation of this film. Social network is the key; that's the tool through which the song Baraye resonates, as well as images of police violence are spread, proofs of the oppression are accumulated, they are the hopes of Iran. The regime can no longer hide behind outrageous lies, the seeds of rebellion are now spread everywhere and the complice of the regime can no longer hide.

A promising outcry and a promising motto for the future Iranian society: Woman, Life, Freedom that we hope, will eventually change Iran for good.

The movie "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" is a political thriller centered on Iman, who is searching for a promotion in Tehran's judicial system. As he ascends in his career, he is torn between personal and professional conflicts, facing moral dilemmas within his family amid the upheaval of the 2022-2023 Iran protests.

The movie is captivating for its portrayal of the clash between an archaic, sexist, and oppressive government driven by religious ideals and the freedom of expression, culture, and modern values embraced by the younger generation. This duality extends into the family dynamic, where personal beliefs collide with political pressures, creating a powerful internal conflict.

Director and writer Mohammad Rasoulof delivers an emotional movie by blending real footage of student protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.

Another standout achievement is the title The Seed of the Sacred Fig, which perfectly captures and summarizes the essence of the movie. It's a perfect and beautiful choice that sums up the story beautifully.

Where do I even begin ?.. Words like freedom and dignity are not just mere words but they carry in them the deepest pain and suffering of all of humanity, Pain and suffering that were unawaredly endured for thousands of years through social and all kinds of oppression at the hands of a few oppressors and many a times by the very social norms that the humanity had laid out for itself through the truncated understanding of its own social condition in the larger scheme of collective human existence, how do you even go about freeing yourself from the clutches laid out by the collective oppression that has become your identity and the very means to your existence, how do you even go about waking up the society to the cultural cruelty that it's inflicting on its own cultural freedom and social well-being, The seed of the scared fig is not just a movie about Iran and it's women and their struggle over theocratical oppression to expand the social space for their personal freedom to reach the realms of human dignity and it's social acknowledgement, it's a much deeper study on the conflict that arises between the all empowered state through whatever social dictum and the individual freedom which forms the basis of the creation of the sub-unit called family, the very basis on which societies as such come into existence and seek to thrive in various forms and colours...This movie carries a seed in it that humanity needs to cherish for its own better future ...

To better understand the concept behind the film, this might help, learn where the name of the film comes from: There are plants known as "strangler figs" that exhibit strange behavior. Strangler figs (genus *Ficus*) begin their life as seeds deposited on the branches of a host tree, typically by birds or other animals. The seeds germinate and send down roots that eventually reach the ground. As the roots grow and thicken, they encircle the host tree, creating a lattice-like structure.

Over time, the strangler fig's roots and branches grow larger and more robust, competing with the host tree for sunlight and nutrients. Eventually, the fig's growth can become so extensive that it constricts the host tree's trunk, restricting its ability to transport water and nutrients. This process can lead to the host tree's death, effectively allowing the strangler fig to take over the space and resources previously used by the host.

The strangler fig does not immediately kill the host tree but rather slowly overcomes it through a combination of physical encasement and competition for resources. This fascinating but destructive relationship highlights a unique strategy in the plant kingdom for survival and growth.