Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of Sacred Fig is a profoundly feminist film that chronicles one of the most significant women-led movements in history —the Jina Mahsa Revolution. This revolution redefines the very concept of revolution, pulling it free from the grip of male-dominated narratives. Traditional definitions often center on regime change, where power merely shifts from one group of men to another, overlooking the deeper transformations within the fabric of society. Media stories about the Jina Mahsa movement cling to this narrow lens, portraying it as a failure because the regime still stands. However, such a view overlooks the profound cultural and social transformations currently unfolding in Iran.
The Jina Mahsa Revolution has created deep fractures in the dictatorial and patriarchal structures of governance and family dynamics, with women becoming increasingly aware of their long-suppressed rights—particularly their autonomy over their own bodies and choices. Beyond this awakening, it has fostered a culture of active resistance, courage, and the refusal to act as performers or enforcers of these oppressive structures—not only among some women but also among some men who have begun rejecting their roles as enablers of the system. This refusal strikes at the heart of what sustains authoritarian regimes and their values, disrupting their persistence at the deepest level. Rasoulof’s film lays bare the burden of complicity and the essence of active resistance,a resistance that defiantly says “no” and dares to challenge what patriarchy has long upheld as an unquestionable reality. It depicts a monumental shift led by women and the youngest generation, a shift rooted in the rejection of submission and the unwavering resolve to break free from the constraints of dictatorial and patriarchal systems. The film portrays a society in the midst of transformation, where the act of doubting and resisting becomes the seed of irreversible change. This cultural awakening and societal rupture, far beyond a mere regime change, is the revolution itself.
Walking through the streets of Iran, the revolution breathes in every defiant step, alive, evolving, and reinventing itself with each passing moment. A profound transformation unfolds as some fathers, brothers, boyfriends, and husbands walk alongside women who not only go bareheaded but also freely choose what to wear, despite the considerable risks they still face. This is a scene that was rarely seen before, where men, historically the enforcers of patriarchal and dictatorial rule within families, are now beginning to stand in solidarity. Similarly, mothers—once the primary keepers of these oppressive rules—are now shedding the weight of complicity and patriarchal traditions, walking hand in hand with their daughters and no longer forcing them into obedience, regardless of their socioeconomic class or religious beliefs.
One of the most striking elements of The Seed of Sacred Fig is its unflinching portrayal of women’s roles in upholding patriarchal and dictatorial systems. The film exposes how these systems, deeply intertwined with societal expectations, mold women into both enforcers and guardians of the very structures that oppress them. As feminist writer Nawal El Saadawi poignantly reflected on her experience of genital mutilation at age six [1], it was her mother she found by her side—amid the pain and blood—complicit in the act, both upholding and enforcing the very structures of oppression she had been conditioned to accept. Similarly, in Rasoulof’sfilm, the character of Najmeh encapsulates this complex dynamic. She is resourceful and resilient, capable of removing the buckshot from Sadaf’s face with precision, yet moments later, she forces her back to the dorm and dutifully prepares Iman for work, enabling him to carry out his role in signing death sentences.
Najmeh consistently upholds the patriarchal order, suppressing her daughters’ rebellion against their father’s authority and silencing their defiance to protect her husband’s power and maintain the status quo—all while clinging to the hope of attaining the welfare that was absent in her own childhood. She performs according to her husband’s desires, placing unquestioning faith in his authority, never allowing doubt to surface. She controls Rezvan and Sana’s lives in ways that align with Iman’s power, both as a father and as an agent of the regime, making him the embodiment of the Islamic Republic’s oppressive patriarchal ideology. Even when Najmeh herself becomes a victim of her husband’s violence, she refuses to liberate herself. In the film’s climactic moment, despite the high personal cost, she insists on returning the gun, a symbol of power —now in Sana’s hands—to him. Her act is a strong portrayal of both her deep entanglement in the very system she continues to sustain and her unwillingness to resist it.
In stark contrast, Sana emerges as a figure not only of resistance but of active defiance. She recognizes that her mother’s controlling role is itself a form of violence and, in a moment of playful yet pointed revelation, exposes it to Sadaf.She knows how to outmaneuver the patriarchal rules of the family with the “white heart” and having a boyfriend. She is the one who manages to outwit the interrogator, who believes he can break anyone into confession. She refuses to be trapped in the confines of the fatherland, where the father’s house becomes a prison, just as it was for Najmeh, Rezvan, and countless other women. She questions her father, begins to doubt his authority, and ultimately finds the strength to dismantle him. Sana’s defiance symbolizes a generational shift – a move from passive submission to active rejection of the oppressive structures of religion, tradition, and patriarchy that have long defined the family’s dynamics. Her actions not only lead to the literal downfall of the dictator and patriarch but also symbolize how women’s active resistance and courage can drive the Islamic Republic’s dictatorship and patriarchy to inevitably collapse under the weight of their own authoritarianism.
The Seed of Sacred Fig is a powerful narrative about the horror of complicity and the transformative power of active resistance. It does not celebrate passive endurance but rather active defiance – the courage to say “no” to a system that thrives on compliance and complicity. Yet, the brutal murders of Kani Abdollahi, Romina Ashrafi and other girls at the hands of their fathers for daring to reject patriarchal oppression remain a haunting testament to the exhausting and perilous path to emancipation. Through its portrayal of Najmeh’s complicity and Sana’s rebellion, the film emphasizes the significance of breaking cycles of oppression and reimagining a future where more women, especially mothers, refuse to sustain the very structures that subjugate them. Rasoulof exposes the deep fractures the Jina Mahsa Revolution has inflicted upon the foundations of oppression, patriarchy, and dictatorship, fractures that will never be sealed again.
[1] The Hidden Face of Eve: Women in the Arab World, Nawal El Saadawi 1977