PERSEPOLIS

France, 2007, 95 minutes, Black and white/Colour.
Voices - French version: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian;
Voices – English version: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Sean Penn, Gena Rowlands.
Directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrappi.

Persepolis is animation with a difference. As with a number of French animated films, this one is for adults rather than children. It is based on a series of comics or graphic novels by Marjane Satrapi and they translate vividly to the screen, most of them in strong, even heavy, black and white with some excursions into colour.

Marjane Satrapi was born in Iran and her early years were spent in the era of the Shah. In those days, living was rather easy and comfortable in Tehran, although several of her relatives were imprisoned for their left-wing views. Then came the Islamic Revolution and the tightening of controls and strictness is behaviour, dress codes, education, especially for women. Her parents send Marjane to Europe and she spends some time, working, poor, on the street, caught up with the rebel culture and falling in love but betrayed. She returns to Iran and lives through the restrictions of more recent years with her parents and her wise grandmother. But Marjane needs more space and freedom and she leaves.

Catherine Deneuve and Chiara Mastroianni (Catherine Deneuve’s daughter) voice mother and daughter in both the French version and the American-dubbed version. (Sean Penn and Gena Rowlands also feature in the American version.)

The film won many awards including the Jury award in Cannes 2007 eliciting protests from the Iranian authorities.

1.The origins of the film in the comic strip by Marjane Satrappi? The strength of their being brought to life? The strong style, black and white and colour?

2.The style of drawing, characters, heavy, the backgrounds, Iran, Europe, the changes of moods, the musical score?

3.The quality of the voices for characters?

4.The 2007 reaction, hostility from Iran, a prize at the Cannes film festival?

5.The attitude towards Iran: before the downfall of the shah, the shah’s era and various liberties, the American influence? The change? Suspicion of communists, arrests and tortures? Families affected? The 1978-79 revolution, change, the stricter application of laws, customs? The effect? The sense of oppression? People’s lives, unrest?

6.The film as autobiography, the character of Marjane? Her perspective on life? Insights? Her having lived through the changes, seeing her as a young girl, her relationship with her parents, the wisdom of her grandmother, the wider associates, the uncle, prison and the questions? Playing as a little girl, the history of the family? The role of the shah? The effect of the revolution, growing up in that changed atmosphere? Seeing the change in her parents, family and friends?

7.Marjane as a girl, her girlish ways, what she was allowed to do, what was forbidden? The strict norms for women? At school, in society? Dress, silence? Freedoms?

8.Her going away to Europe, the effect of the time away, her find it hard in Austria, on the streets and poor, the various types she met, the groups? The drug era? Sexual freedom? Her relationships, falling in love, discovering her lover with the other woman, the sense of betrayal? Disillusionment? Study, work? The contacts with home?

9.The further experience in Paris, the building up of experience?

10.The decision to return, her situation as a woman, studying, the role of the police, stopping people, interrogations? The effect?

11.The importance of her grandmother, her grandmother’s talk, advice, memories – and the pathos of her death?

12.The characters of her parents, their staying in Iran, helping their daughter, the quality of life, the memories, the graves, their heritage?

13.A new life for Marjane, going away – but a longing for Iran?