How filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran, reached Germany
Faced with a prison sentence, acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof decided to escape from Iran, embarking on a "complicated" and "anguishing" 28-day journey across Europe. He finally found refuge in a safe house in Germany. Recently, he opened up about this journey. This dramatic turn of events unfolded as Rasoulof was preparing to debut his latest feature, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
Rasoulof's persecution for challenging Iran's authoritarian rule
Rasoulof has been a target of Iran's Islamic Republic government due to his politically charged films. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and physical punishments, including flogging, for "signing statements and making films and documentaries." Speaking to Deadline from Cannes, where he landed earlier this week, the filmmaker revealed he was in the middle of shooting The Seed of the Sacred Fig when he learned his prison sentence had been confirmed.
'Shall I stay, go to jail or leave and flee?'
Rasoulof appealed his sentence and utilized the lengthy legal process to complete shooting. Once the sentence was confirmed, Rasoulof "had a couple of hours" to decide: "Shall I stay and go to jail or leave and flee?" "Thankfully the editing of my film was taking place outside of Iran, so I just contacted my crew and told them I'd be out of reach for a few days, but they could go on working if they don't hear back from me."
Rasoulof could enter Germany as he had lived there before
Initially, he took shelter in a safe place, after which he meticulously crossed the Iranian border. As he had left behind all electronics and documents, entering Germany was a problem but he had previously lived in Germany, so the authorities were able to identify him with his fingerprints. "The whole process took me about 28 days." The Seed of the Sacred Fig centers on an investigating judge in Tehran battling paranoia as political protests escalate and his gun mysteriously disappears.
