‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ and other films in competition for the Palme d’Or at Cannes
By LesNews
Mohammad Rasoulof’s film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is attracting enormous attention in the potential race for the Palme d’Or: rave reviews, a poignant political denunciation of Iranian oppression, and Rasoulof’s very status in as an exile who has just fled his country, finally allowing him to attend the Cannes Film Festival. (Read our interview with the director here).
At Friday’s premiere, on the steps of the Palace, Rasoulof held up photos of two actors — Misagh Zare and Soheila Golestani — banned from leaving Iran to attend the festival. He has already revealed how the Islamic Republic is putting pressure on his team to convince Cannes to withdraw the film, which tells of the disintegration of a family after the disappearance of the weapon of a judge of the Revolutionary Tribunal, from its selection. This is Rasoulof’s first time participating in the competition. He previously won awards in the Un Certain Regard section for “Manuscripts Don’t Burn” (2013) and “Goodbye” (2011), and “Seed of the Sacred Fig” is another film he had to shoot in secret after his “There Is No Evil”, winner of the Golden Bear at the 2020 Berlinale.
All the elements are therefore there – the political relevance and the undeniable emotional force of the film itself – for a deserved winner of the Palme or the Grand Prix. There is also the fact that Neon acquired the film in the middle of the festival, surely with the hope of winning another Palme d’Or after having distributed the last four: “Parasite”, “Titane”, “Triangle of Sadness” and “Anatomy of a Fall.”
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” wouldn’t be the first Iranian film to win the Palme d’Or — Abbas Kiarostami won in 1997 for “Taste of Cherry” — but an elevation by the Cannes jury would still send a message powerful. And to the entire world of cinema while Iran would never submit this film for international competition at the Oscars.
But Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light,” which also received rave reviews Thursday and acquired by Sideshow and Janus Films for U.S. release later this year, might also get its chance. The understated drama about the friendship between two women in Mumbai is the first Indian film in competition at Cannes in 30 years since Shaji N. Karun’s “My Own” in 1994. It is also the first Indian film in competition to be made by a woman, and in a 2024 selection with only four female directors. These factors could also inspire the jury to reward “All We Imagine” with a historic Palme.
First reactions and provisional rankings
While Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” a trans musical fantasy, previously topped our predictions, now that Netflix has acquired the film, the jury might want to celebrate another film requiring a platform that a global streamer can’t offer. Netflix has a strong team in place and “Emilia” is their first Official Selection acquisition. Despite this, expect to see this beloved work pick up an award elsewhere at Saturday’s ceremony, with Spanish trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón potentially making a splash in the acting categories.
Ranking of films in competition by probability of winning the Palme d’Or:
- “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
- “All We Imagine as Light”
- “Anora”
- “Bird”
- “The Substance”
- “Emilia Pérez”
- “Caught by the Tides”
- “Kinds of Kindness”
- “Megalopolis”
- “Grand Tour”
- “The Girl with the Needle”
- “Parthenope”
- “The Shrouds”
- “Motel Destino”
- “Oh, Canada.”
- “Limonov: The Ballad”
- “Three Kilometers to the End of the World”
- “Marcello Mio”
- “The Apprentice”
- “Wild Diamond”
- “Beating Hearts”
We will keep our readers informed of developments as the competition progresses.
Sean Baker and other notable films
In his second entry for the Palme d’Or after “Red Rocket” three years ago, Sean Baker presented “Anora” (Neon), with Mikey Madison (“Better Things”) in a breakout leading role as as sex worker Ani. Living paycheck to paycheck in Queens while working as an exotic dancer in Manhattan, she meets a rich Russian, Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn, another revelation in his first American role). Critics have been generally adoring for this latest film from the director of “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project,” with buzz for Madison as best actress at Cannes.
Ali Abbasi and David Cronenberg in Cannes
Without buzz or love, however, Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” an origin story of the evil Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) under the tutelage of corrupt New York prosecutor Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), was poorly received. The film lacks insightful imitation and seems more aimed at a European audience of festival-goers who love to laugh at Trump.
David Cronenberg offered “The Shrouds,” a sophisticated meditation on grief, memory and technology. Vincent Cassel plays a businessman with Cronenberg’s hairstyle and walk. This is Cronenberg’s seventh film to compete for the Palme d’Or.
Other highlights
Demi Moore shined in “The Substance,” a return to form for the actress. The film has received positive reactions, and could potentially see her nominated for Best Actress at Cannes.
The film “Limonov: The Ballad” by Kirill Serebrennikov, starring Ben Whishaw in the lead role, was also well received and is in line for a potential Best Actor award.
Stay tuned with LesNews for all the live updates from the Cannes Film Festival.
