Iranian Actor Soheila Golestani Barred from Traveling for Rotterdam Film Festival

Golestani, star of Mohammad Rasoulof's Oscar-nominated 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig,' faces accusations of propaganda and promoting immorality.

Soheila Golestani, an actor in the Oscar-nominated 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig,' has been banned from leaving Iran to serve on the Rotterdam Film Festival jury.
Golestani is accused of propaganda against the Iranian regime and promoting immorality through her role in the film, though no verdict has been issued in her case.
Director Mohammad Rasoulof, who fled Iran last year after facing an eight-year prison sentence, is still scheduled to attend the festival and participate in a panel on authoritarianism in cinema.
'The Seed of the Sacred Fig,' which premiered at Cannes and won the Special Jury Prize, explores themes of repression and resistance in Iran, set during the 2022 protests sparked by Mahsa Amini's death.
The film's critical acclaim and Oscar nomination highlight its significance as a work of resistance, despite the risks faced by its cast and crew.