The Fig Tree of Temples by Mohammad Rasoulof Listed Among Oscar's Initial Nominees

The film 'The Fig Tree of Temples' directed by Mohammad Rasoulof has been included in the initial nominees for the Oscars, as announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The academy released the list of initial nominees for the 97th Academy Awards on Tuesday evening, December 18. The film 'The Fig Tree of Temples' is listed alongside 14 other films as initial nominees in the Best International Feature Film category. This film was made without obtaining permits from the Iranian government and without adhering to the censorship laws of the Islamic Republic, and it represents Germany in the Oscar competition, having previously been nominated for a Golden Globe as well. Rasoulof stated that the presence of his film at the Oscars as Germany's representative is 'bittersweet.' Iranian officials had introduced the film 'In the Embrace of the Tree' by Babak Khajeh Pasha for competition in this category, but this film did not make it to the 15 initial nominees. Some of the other 14 films that made it to the Best International Feature Film category include 'Emilia Perez,' 'I Am Still Here,' 'Nekap,' 'Girl with a Needle,' 'Dahomi,' 'Turkey Song,' 'Armand,' 'Vermigilo,' 'Waves,' and 'Current.' The film 'Turkey Song,' also known as 'Global Song,' directed by Matthew Rankin, is set in a fictional place combining the cities of Tehran and Winnipeg, Canada. In the Best Short Animation category, the film 'In the Shadow of the Cypress' by Shirin Soohani and Hossein Malayemi from Iran has also been announced as one of the 15 initial nominees. The 97th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on March 4. Typically, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first releases a list of initial nominees, which includes ten to twenty nominees in ten separate categories, and in the following weeks, the list of five final nominees in each category will be announced.