Persepolis 2007
I remember hearing about Persepolis when it was nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar (it lost to Ratatouille). I never saw it, but it popped up as a choice in a Screen Pass someone I was given and of course got great reviews, so I thought I would try it out. It is based on a series of autobiographical graphic novels about a girl growing up in Iran, starting with the overthrow of the Shah when she was about 10 years old and continuing up until she is about 22. Part of a politically aware upper middle class family, she is raised to be strong, opinionated, and independent, and is clearly a little spoiled, but this puts her and her family at odds with the new Iran ruled by the Ayatollah. Despite being fairly well off financially, life is hard in Iran and members of her extended family are released from the Shah’s jails only to be reimprisoned and executed by the Islamic revolutionaries. It is a fascinating personal story, with parts set in the West when she is sent to Austria for schooling and to keep this strong willed girl out of trouble in Iran. There is a lot of voiceover (I had to watch in the original French and then figure out how to change the color of my white subtitles which disappeared on the mostly 2-tone black and white animation) and the animation is very simple, but it is an effective way to show some of the terrible parts of her life without being 100% realistic. Parts of her life are mundane as she makes the poor and selfish choices of a kid, but there are serious dangers and oppression around her as well. The combination of ordinary and extraordinary make this compelling and also give valuable insight into Iran other than what you see on the news.
Written: 06 Jul 2021