Biography
Mohammad Rasoulof was born on November 16, 1972, in Shiraz, Iran, where he studied sociology. His interest in film led him to attend a film editing workshop at Sooreh University in Tehran, although he never pursued formal film studies. Between 1991 and 1999, he created several short films. His feature-length debut, "Gagooman" ("The Twilight," IR 2002), was awarded Best First Film at the International Fajr Film Festival.
Rasoulof’s second feature, "Jazire-ye Ahani" ("Iron Island," IR 2005), tells the story of a group of Sunni Iranians who live on a shipwrecked oil tanker before eventually fleeing to the desert. It won the Hamburg Film Critics Award at the 2005 Hamburg Film Festival and the Special Jury Prize at the Gijón International Film Festival. In the documentary "Baad-e-daboor" ("Head Wind," IR 2008), Rasoulof explored the challenging media landscape in Iran.
A close friendship connects Rasoulof with filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who edited Rasoulof’s film "Keshtzarha ye sepid" ("The White Meadows," IR 2009), a reflection on the role of traditions in contemporary Iran. Shortly after its release, Rasoulof was imprisoned for the first time.
In March 2010, during the filming of a project by Panahi about the protests following Iran’s 2009 presidential election, both directors were arrested. In December 2010, a court sentenced them to six years in prison for "anti-regime propaganda" and filming without authorization.
While awaiting the appeal, Rasoulof was unexpectedly allowed to travel to the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where his film "Be omid-e didar" ("Goodbye") was screened in the Un Certain Regard section. This drama about a young Iranian woman’s futile attempts to emigrate earned him the Best Director Award in the category.
His next film, "Dast-Neveshtehaa Nemisoozand" ("Manuscripts Don’t Burn," IR 2013), was shot without official permission and addressed the "chain murders" of Iranian writers, intellectuals, and dissidents by the intelligence services in the 1990s. The film was smuggled out of Iran and premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2013, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize. For "Lerd" ("A Man of Integrity," IR 2017), Rasoulof won the main prize in the same Cannes section in 2017. That year, he was also invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), known for its annual Academy Awards, "The Oscars".
At the 2020 Berlinale, Rasoulof’s feature film "Sheytan vojud nadarad" ("There Is No Evil")—a critique of the death penalty in Iran—won the Golden Bear. Unable to attend due to a travel ban imposed since 2017, Rasoulof’s daughter Baran accepted the award on his behalf. Shortly after the ceremony, Rasoulof was sentenced in Iran to one year in prison and a two-year filmmaking ban for "anti-regime propaganda."
In 2021, Rasoulof was invited to serve on the Berlinale competition jury. Although unable to leave Iran, he participated in film screenings and jury discussions virtually. In July 2022, he was arrested again after signing an open letter with other Iranian filmmakers protesting police violence.
In 2024, Rasoulof’s film "Die Saat des heiligen Feigenbaums" ("The Seed of the Sacred Fig")—a German co-production—was selected for the Cannes competition. Despite pressure from Iranian authorities to prevent its screening, the premiere went ahead. Shortly before the premiere, Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison and corporal punishment for his outspoken criticism of the regime.
Facing such a severe sentence, Rasoulof fled Iran and sought exile in Germany. In August 2024, "Die Saat des heiligen Feigenbaums" was submitted as Germany’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars, marking the first time Germany selected an entirely non-German-language film for the Best International Feature category.