Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran to debut his film in Cannes. ‘I have many more stories to tell,’ he says

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

Mohammad Rasoulof was facing eight years in prison and likely more considering the uncompromising nature of his latest film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” when he decided to flee Iran. Two weeks after a harrowing escape, Rasoulof arrived in Cannes with a completed film. At a Cannes where several filmmakers have been celebrated for investing their own money into their films, Rasoulof has put far more on the line. To debut “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Rasoulof has risked his life. Rasoulof’s dramatic arrival and the explosiveness of his film will bring the Cannes Film Festival to a riveting close on Friday before the closing ceremony Saturday.