In three Iranian films released in recent years, scenes portraying everyday life are not just ordinary snippets but signify a new era of filmmaking in Iran’s storied cinema. These films have gained international recognition, with one, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, nominated for best international feature film at the Academy Awards. Despite government censorship rules, which ban depictions of women without a hijab, alcohol consumption, and men and women touching or dancing, as well as the prohibition of taboo subjects like sex, Iranian filmmakers have decided to make art that imitates real life in their country, inspired by the 2022 women-led uprising and ongoing defiance of restrictive social laws. Mr. Rasoulof, in a telephone interview from Berlin, where he now lives in exile, said that the Women-Life-Freedom movement was a pivotal point in Iranian cinema, and that the protests in 2022 resulted in a desire to break the chains of censorship and practice artistic freedom. The judge’s family drama in his thriller drama “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” serves as a metaphor for the larger struggle still continuing in Iran. These daring Iranian films, made underground, have faced charges related to national security and spreading indecency in Revolutionary Court and have led some cast and crew members to exile.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/world/middleeast/iran-oscars-new-era.html