THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG Luminaries

Mohammad Rasoulof’s daring drama about two daughters defying their conservative father courted controversy in his native Iran, not only for its allegorical critique of the regime and depictions of real-life protests but also for its realistic depiction of women without head scarves on at home – which has been censored in Iranian cinema since the beginning of theocratic rule in 1979. With his promotion to Revolutionary Court inspector, government lawyer Iman (Missagh Zareh) is also issued a revolver. While he and his family enjoy a higher standard of living, the new position means Iman must deliver evidence-free summary judgments, including the death penalty, to those the regime seeks to punish. His wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) is a mostly uncritical supporter of him, but their two college-aged daughters Sana and Rezvan (Setareh Malek and Mahsa Rostami) question the regime’s oppressive positions, especially when their classmates become caught up in the latest round of protests. When Iman’s gun inexplicably goes missing, it causes a crisis of trust within the family, leading to alarming escalations of recrimination and reprisals. Rasoulof, facing a lengthy jail sentence and flogging for having made the film, fled Iran ahead of its triumphant world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won a Special Jury Prize. –Todd Hitchcock