The French media extensively cover the completion of the official selection list for the Cannes festival, including Télérama, Le Monde, Libération, Le Figaro, and others. The selection committee recently saw Mohammad Rasoulof’s new Iranian film, The Fig Tree. They write that the festival director attempted to make a political choice by selecting the film. The Fig Tree, Mohammad Rasoulof’s film, revolves around a judge’s family’s troubles and conflicts with the government.
The Cannes competition has accepted this renowned Iranian director’s film for the first time. In 2005, he participated in the festival’s Directors’ Fortnight section with Iron Island, and in 2011, he won the Best Director award with Goodbye. He managed to enter Un Certain Regard with Manuscripts Don’t Burn in 2013 and also won the FIPRESCI Prize (International Critics) for it. In 2017, the same section accepted Mohammad Rasoulof’s film A Man of Integrity, which went on to win the Best Film award. Last year, the festival director invited him to jury this section, but he did not get permission to leave the country. Whether he can attend the event is still uncertain. The festival made a completely political decision by selecting this film for Télérama magazine. Undoubtedly, the inclusion of another Iranian director’s film, Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, in the competition section will also garner attention and political significance, given its purported political implications for former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Looking back at the history of the Cannes festival, this marks the third time that two Iranian directors have had their works selected for competition simultaneously. Previously, Jafar Panahi and Asghar Farhadi, as well as Saeed Roustayi and Ali Abbasi, had films competing simultaneously, and this year, Mohammad Rasoulof and Ali Abbasi are competing simultaneously, intensifying the competition.
By: Mamad Haghighat
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