Soheila Golestani, Iranian Actress Under Travel Ban, Becomes Judge at Rotterdam Festival

Soheila Golestani, an Iranian actress and director, has been introduced as a member of the jury for the main competition section of the Rotterdam Film Festival. This European festival announced the names of the judges for the 2025 edition on Tuesday, December 20, and Golestani's name appeared alongside filmmakers from the UK, Indonesia, and Hong Kong for judging films in the Tiger competition section. Golestani's participation in this festival is shrouded in uncertainty due to ongoing legal cases against her for her role in the film 'The Fig Seed of Temples' directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. Judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic have filed various legal cases against several members of this film's crew, and some of them, including Golestani, have been banned from leaving the country. Golestani was previously nominated for Best Actress at the Asia-Pacific Screen Awards for her role in 'The Fig Seed of Temples,' where she plays the wife of a Tehran Revolutionary Court investigator amidst the protests of 2022. During the protests of 2022, Golestani, along with theater director Hamid Pourazari, was arrested by security forces after a video was released showing them supporting the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests. In that video, several theater artists, including Golestani, were seen in black clothing and without mandatory hijab in front of the camera. 'The Fig Seed of Temples,' which was made without adhering to the mandatory hijab censorship laws for female actors, premiered at the Cannes Festival in late May this year and won the Jury's Special Prize. This film has been submitted by Germany for the 2025 Oscars and has recently been nominated for the prestigious Golden Globe Award for Best Non-English Language Film. The Rotterdam Film Festival will begin on January 30, 2025.