Assignment task:
Marjane Satrapi's 2007 animated film is an adapted version of her autobiographical graphic novels of the same name. She (mostly) uses a simple black and white expressionistic style, with an interesting use of patterns and designs, to tell the story of how she came to be an Iranian exile in France. Persepolis not only tells the story of a precocious girl growing up--although it does that--but Satrapi's goal here is also to introduce the Western reader to modern Iranian history, and to counter the negative images of Iran and Iranians so prevalent in the West. The film opens at some point in the 1990's, and flashes back to 1978 or 79. During this time the Iranian people topple the brutal and corrupt Shah, perceived by many as a US puppet, only to find that the new government, the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran, similarly represses its opponents, enforcing a very strict version of Sharia law, and imposing a number of new restrictions of female employment, behavior, participation in sports, and dress. Satrapi's parents opposed both the Shah's monarchy and the new Islamic regime, and Marji struggles to be a child in a Tehran rocked by revolutionary turmoil and soon, war with neighboring Iraq. Sent to Austria as a young teenager for her safety, Marji experiences the difficulties of adolescence away from her supportive family and her homeland. Ultimately she must choose between living her life in Iran or in Europe.
- Describe Marji's relationship with her mother, or her grandmother. How is this bond portrayed in the film? What exactly does she learn from this strong female presence?