'The Seed of the Sacred Fig', Iranian dissident director Mohammad Rasoulof's latest film, for which he received an eight-year prison sentence back home, got a rapturous 12-minute standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival premiere on Friday, says 'Variety'. Rasoulof risked his life by appearing at the film's premiere as he fled Iran for Europe on May 13 to avoid going to prison.

The only prominent member of the film's star cast who was with Rasoulof on the red carpet was Golshifteh Farahani, who was seen with Irrfan Khan in the Swiss-French-Singaporean Rajasthani film, 'The Song of Scorpions', premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in 2017. There was undeniable applause as the credits of Rasoulof's film began to roll (it is 'Variety' policy, though, to begin timing standing ovations once the house lights come up). Rasoulof got teary and waved enthusiastically to the balcony.