[in Engels]Tiger Juror Soheila Golestani (The Seed of the Sacred Fig) Faces Travel Ban

Iranian actress Soheila Golestani was due to join Yuki Aditya, Peter Strickland, Winnie Lau, Andrea Luka Zimmerman on the Tiger Competition Jury for the 2025 edition of the festival, where her latest project, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, directed by exiled filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, has made its Dutch premiere. Golestani had planned to travel to Rotterdam for the festival but was banned from leaving Iran, preventing her from participating in the Jury.

This comes after Golestani was reportedly accused of promoting immoral behaviour and propaganda against the Iranian regime for her involvement in Rasoulof’s film. The court case has taken place, but no verdict has been issued yet. 

Rasoulof, who himself fled Iran to avoid an eight-year prison sentence for making the film, spoke about the pending verdict at the ‘Cinema and the Rise of Authoritarianism’ panel co-organised by the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk earlier this week, saying: “Filmmakers [in Iran] are always in danger, not only because they tell stories that power doesn’t want to hear, but because their courage is very contagious. They become inspirational for others to also take routes going beyond those paved by the government. We are dealing with a cinematic community thirsty for new experiences.” 

The project has resulted in far-reaching consequences for its participants – most recently felt in Soheila’s travel ban to IFFR. 

Vanja Kaludjercic, Festival Director said: “We are saddened but not surprised that Soheila has been unable to leave Iran and join us in Rotterdam for the Tiger Jury – having seen Mohammad’s journey with this vital project is to have witnessed time and again the real consequences of speaking truth to power. Soheila’s experience underscores how real and urgent these issues are. We stand with her in solidarity and hope that she is supported by the global film community at this time – as she is the victim of oppression and a backlash for speaking out that many artists know all too well.”

The Seed of the Sacred Fig which, inspired by the Women Life Freedom uprising, tells the story of a family who find themselves in the public eye when the father is promoted to investigating judge at the Revolutionary Court in Iran, just as his daughters have become involved in the protests. 

Speaking about the film and his crew Rasoulof said: “The ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ uprising gave my colleagues and me the courage to embark on this project. […] Had it not been for the incredible team I worked with, this film would never have come to fruition. Their courage and determination not only challenged government censorship but also demonstrated a commitment to freedom, which is essential for creativity in art.”