Persepolis

Marjane is a proud little girl, trying to understand what’s going on in the 1970’s Iran. Screaming “Down with the Shah!”, she stamps trough the room trying to make a statement. But as a teenager she finds out the Islamic fundamentalists, which have taken over her country, aren’t doing any better. Ridiculing all their new laws, she ultimately has to move to Austria for her own safety. However, this open country doesn’t bring her the peace and love she expected either.

The Cast


The Trailer



Worth the Popcorn?

I had the feeling this coming-of-age story might go a little too deep for my taste. But thank God for Marjane! This charming little girl even makes the lessons in history entertaining. The creators of this movie, Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi, found the perfect balance between the autobiography of a young girl and a country.

I'm not sure why the authors chose to make this movie in black-and-white, but it somehow causes the movies look to be more authentic. The drawing itself is very minimalistic and stylized, but keeps every important expression alive in every way. All this, with the story itself, really makes you feel like you are watching an adult animation. It's like they wanted us to forget the cartoons these movies are usually associated with.

In the end, this movie is probably one of the most impressive Western animated movies I've seen. It tells these sometimes difficult subjects with such charm, it's really hard to forget.