Filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof to speak at De Balie in Amsterdam

Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof is scheduled to appear at De Balie in Amsterdam on September 4 as part of the annual ‘The State of the World’ interview series. This event marks the director's first speaking engagement in the Netherlands since fleeing Iran in 2024 following a prison sentence related to his work and criticism of the Iranian regime.

Rasoulof is an internationally acclaimed director, known for winning the Golden Bear for ‘There Is No Evil’ (2020) and the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ (2024). His films frequently explore the internal workings of the Iranian regime and the impact of political oppression and corruption on daily life. During the session, he will use fragments from his filmography to discuss how political repression influences an artist's subject matter, imagination, and artistic choices.

‘The State of the World’ is a collaborative interview series between the Netherlands Theater Festival (NTF) and De Balie, focusing on the role of art in the contemporary world.