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May 15, 2024
Mohammad Rasoulof Flees Iran
Mohammad Rasoulof has fled Iran less than a week after his home country sentenced him to eight years in prison and flogging. By: K Dass.
Iran - Dissident filmmaker Mohammad
Rasoulof has fled Iran after receiving a hefty prison sentence and called for
support from the international film community. His latest feature film, The
Seed Of The Sacred Fig, is set to premiere in competition at the Cannes
Film Festival.
Rasoulof’s sentence of eight years in prison,
flogging, a fine, and confiscation of his property was imposed by Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Court for his public statements, films, and
documentaries, which the court considers “examples of collusion with the
intention of committing a crime against the country’s security.”
The filmmaker confirmed that he chose exile “secretly”
since the Islamic Republic had held his passport since 2017. The pressure on
Rasoulof to withdraw his film from the festival led to interrogations of the
film crew, threats to their families, and other forms of intimidation. His
film, The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, centers on an investigating judge in
the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, grappling with mistrust and paranoia amid
nationwide political protests. Rasoulof has called for effective support from
the world’s cinema community for filmmakers like him.
Speaking from an undisclosed location in Europe,
Rasoulof said he had made “a long and complicated journey” out of his home
country after needing to “choose between prison and leaving Iran”. “With a
heavy heart, I chose exile,” he said.
