Awards

"Early on, this film introduces us to many different facets of its main character's life that barely seem to relate. Gradually and powerfully, the script teases out the connections, all of which culminate in a haunting finale. This structure requires patience and discipline from its writer-director Mohammad Rasoulof. In a festival full of modern spins on film noir, he gives us one of the best, set in an unlikely place."

"A portrait of a family disintegrating, 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' is both compelling, enraging, and an act of great courage by director Mohammad Rasoulof. Combining deeply felt performances with real footage of contemporary protests in Iran, the winner of the Krzysztof Kieslowski award is a stunning look at resilience in the face of overwhelming political and personal turmoil."

"Iran in the 1990s. We follow two secret service agents who are out to spy on, torture and murder their fellow men. A quiet, dark and fully concentrated journey into the absolute despair of living under a totalitarian regime. The universal political message is the existence of the film itself. The fact that it exists shows that it is possible to live a self-determined life even under the most horrendous of circumstances and to create an epic work." Tied with Fire in the Blood (2013).

"We award the FIPRESCI prize to "A Man of Integrity" for its striking formal control, narrative rhythm, ambitious use of offscreen space and complex sound design. We admired the film's complex portrayal of gender relations and hierarchies of power in contemporary Iranian society; and we would like especially to commend the outstanding debut performance by Soudabeh Beizaee, in the role of Hadis."

2nd place