Mohammad Rasoulof is one of the most prominent independent Iranian filmmakers in contemporary cinema. His films, marked by a distinctive cinematic language and a bold engagement with social and political issues, explore the relationship between the individual and power, as well as the moral complexities of life under political pressure and systematic repression.His works have been widely recognized at major international festivals and have received numerous awards, including the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020 for There Is No Evil, the Un Certain Regard Award for Best Film at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 for A Man of Integrity, and the Un Certain Regard Award for Best Director at Cannes in 2011 for Goodbye.His film The Seed of the Sacred Fig premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Prize. The film was also selected as Germany’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards and was nominated for the Oscar.Despite these international successes, none of his feature films have ever been permitted public screening in Iran. After years of confronting censorship and enduring political pressure, Rasoulof was again sentenced in 2024 to eight years in prison and was forced to leave Iran.