Mohammad Rasoulof at the Busan Festival: I Will Make Films Anywhere and Under Any Circumstances

Mohammad Rasoulof, the renowned Iranian filmmaker, during a press conference at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, explained the selection of "The Fig Tree of Temples" as Germany's representative for the Oscar competition. He made this film underground in Iran and was forced to leave the country secretly last summer; he is currently residing in Germany. Rasoulof, who chairs the jury of the "New Currents" section at the Busan Festival, elaborated on the circumstances that compelled him to illegally exit Iran during the press conference held on Friday, October 5. He told attendees that he decided to flee Iran after receiving a sentence of flogging and imprisonment from the Islamic Republic. Rasoulof expressed gratitude from Germany for the selection of "The Fig Tree of Temples" as the representative film of this country for the Oscars and for the understanding of his cinematic perspective. He added that this selection is "meaningful" for him because, according to him, Germans have open arms for other cultures and understand the values and human concepts of these cultures. In another part of his speech, he mentioned that he has a positive outlook on the future and will make films under any circumstances and anywhere in the world. He further stated that his new works are about the cultures of Iran and Europe and that he has many stories he wants to address and create new films about. The jury of the "New Currents" section at the Busan Festival announced on Thursday, August 23, that the German Oscar committee sent this film to the Academy for participation in the international or non-English language category. Hamid Soleiman-Zadeh, a writer and film critic residing in Germany, told Voice of America that the selection of "The Fig Tree of Temples" directed by Mohammad Rasoulof as Germany's official representative for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Oscars is very significant. He added, "This is the first time Germany has introduced an Iranian and Persian-language film to the Academy Awards, making it an unprecedented action." According to this film critic, the selection of The Fig Tree of Temples by Germany is very important for several reasons. First, it is a co-production film from Iran, France, and Germany, so there are no technical issues for its selection by Germany, and it qualifies for the Oscars. Second, Mohammad Rasoulof is currently residing in Germany and has taken refuge in this country; thus, Germany sends a loud message of support for human rights, freedom of expression, and protesting artists with this selection to the most important cinematic ceremony in the world. Third, this selection shows that cinema is a powerful art for expressing protest and resistance against censorship and repression. Fourth, this selection sends a message to Iranian cinematic and non-cinematic authorities, especially in the last two years, who, through wrong decisions and unjust judicial rulings, have caused the forced migration of many artists, especially in cinema. Hamid Soleiman-Zadeh concluded by saying, "Although this selection brings joy to all of us, there remains a sense of regret that why an Iranian film with a high chance of winning an Oscar must represent another country at such an important ceremony." After secretly leaving Iran, Mohammad Rasoulof officially screened "The Fig Tree of Temples" at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Jury's Special Prize. This film tells the story of an investigative judge of the Tehran Revolutionary Court named "Iman," who suffers from distrust and paranoia. As political protests in Iran escalate, the judge's weapon mysteriously disappears. Judge Iman becomes suspicious of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Thna, leading him to take severe actions at home that create tension. At the Cannes Festival, Rasoulof stated that this film is about the family of one of the officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Court during the recent nationwide protests in Iran, drawn from his personal experiences with the country's judicial system. This article was compiled using reports from Variety and Voice of America.