MUNICH. In its bid for the Oscar for best international film, Germany has entered a completely Iranian production into the race. “The Seed of the Sacred Fig Tree” is set to win the coveted film award next year.
However, the film has nothing to do with Germany: it was shot by Iranians in Iran. The language is Farsi throughout. The main actors, the director and the screenwriter are also Iranian. The decision was made by the responsible selection committee of German Films. One of the shareholders of the company, which is supposed to promote German films, is the federally owned Film Funding Agency.
After filming, director Mohammad Rasoulof fled to Germany. In Iran, he was sentenced to eight years in prison and torture. His film, critical of the regime, is about a strict Islamic lawyer who works as an investigating judge at the Iranian Revolutionary Court. The film focuses primarily on the brutal interrogations of opposition members, which he uses against his own family while searching for a missing pistol.
Biggest Oscar chances with Iranian film
In order to win the Oscar with the film, Germany claimed that one of the seven producers had German citizenship. In addition, Hollywood rules do not stipulate that a country’s entry in the competition must be in its language.
The renowned film journalist Hanns-Georg Rodek speculates in the Weltthat the selection committee around actor Ulrich Matthes chose the Iranian production “because they thought ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig Tree’ had the best chance of winning the Oscar.” He writes: “Staring at the (presumed) taste and the (putative) voting behavior of the Oscar voters always makes the difference in the German nominations.” (fh)
