The Seed of the Sacred Fig begins with this quote: “Ficus Religiosa is a tree with an unusual life cycle. It seeds, contained in bird droppings, fall on other trees. Aerial roots spring up and grow down to the floor. Then, the branches wrap around the host tree and strangle it. Finally, the sacred fig stands on its own.”

The Seed of the Sacred Fig is set in 2022 Tehran during a time of protests over the death of a young woman. Filming the movie was a revolutionary act in itself, as the director Mohammad Rasoulof and the actors had to flee the country on its release. The film shows actual footage of protests and police violence mixed with the fictional family featured in the story.

Iman (Missagh Zareh), the head of the family, just received a promotion to Investigator for the revolutionary Court. He was given a gun. His new role required him to do many things he didn’t want to do. It bothered him, but he was determined to keep the job. His wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) was completely supportive of him and encouraged their two daughters to behave in ways that would make him look good.

The daughters were Sana (Setareh Maleki), still a teen, and Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) who was 21 and enrolled in college. These two young women were far from embracing the patriarchal right wing religious zealotry of the Court and their father.

One of Rezvan’s college friends was shot in the face with buckshot during a protest. Rezvan brought her home to be cared for. Najmeh nursed her, but sent her away after. There were police and protestors everywhere. The school and college were closed. It wasn’t safe to go outside.

Then Iman’s gun disappeared. Did he leave it somewhere? Did someone in the family hide it? They searched the house and questioned the girls. If the gun wasn’t found, Iman would go to jail.

Iman took his family to be interrogated by a friend of his. The girls were blindfolded and required to sign various papers. He still had no idea where the gun was.

Then Iman’s photo, name, and address were released on social media as well as the information that he was signing dozens if not hundreds of death warrants a day in his job as investigator.

Iman took the family and left Tehran for his birthplace to hide. The house was deserted but still had electricity and water. It was near a labyrinth of abandoned rooms and passages built atop a hill. The third act of the film took place there and was the most tense and dangerous chapter of the story.

I’ve watched several films recently about ordinary people fighting against an oppressive governments. The Handmaid’s Tale about a possible America, I’m Still Here from Brazil, and Rose’s War about Northern Ireland are the most recent. All these stories began and were made before the cult of MAGA took over the American government and quickly installed right wing zealots to enforce police and military actions against Americans. But stories like these have always been around, warnings and historical landmarks we failed to heed.

Revolutionary actions against oppressive leaders always end with a victory for freedom. But to regain and claim that freedom, ordinary people have to fight back. Authoritarians with a thirst for power and money won’t stop on their own. They have to be stopped.

Wikipedia has much more information about the film and the cast, but the article contains spoilers for the ending of the film. I encourage you to read more about the film and the brave filmmakers, but wait until you’ve seen the film to do it.

You can see this powerful film on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.