At the onset, the edits demanded by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof’s political thriller, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, may seem superficial—standard disclaimers relating to the use of cigarettes, and the addition of subtitles. However, a particular demand has not gone down well with all social media users. The Board has excised scenes depicting hijab-burning, a move that has sparked debate among cinephiles because the act was widely considered a symbol of resistance in Iran’s ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement.

Mohammad Rasoulof