Iran director in exile says ‘bittersweet’ to rep Germany at Oscars

LOS ANGELES, United States: Forced to flee Iran, dissident director Mohammad Rasoulof says it is bittersweet that his latest movie will contend at the Oscars -- under the banner of another country.

“The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” a paranoid thriller that was shot in secret and depicts a family torn apart by Iran´s brutally repressive politics, has earned rave reviews and won many festival prizes, including at Cannes.

But each country can submit just one movie for the best international film Oscar, and in authoritarian countries like Iran, that choice of film is made by state-controlled organisations.

“Of course, it is unimaginable that the Islamic Republic could have submitted a film like this for the Academy Awards,” Rasoulof told AFP.

“In fact, if it were possible for the regime to submit it, the film would not have been made in the first place.”

Instead, the film -- out Wednesday in US theaters -- has been selected as Germany´s entry at the Academy Awards.

Germany has become an adopted homeland for Rasoulof. The movie was produced by German and French companies.

“Sacred Fig” now has a strong chance of being nominated at the glitzy Hollywood ceremony, and gaining huge global exposure.