Marjane Satrapi's autobio comic, Persepolis, is her coming of age story during the Iranian revolution. It's taught in college classes, listed in magazines like Time, and received praise from professors at institutes such as Oxford.
It can be tempting to cast a live action version of these kind of stories; we are, after all, a country that is only slowly learning that animation isn't automatically children's faire. That they decided to animate Persepolis, though, gives it an almost otherworldly feel that sets it right in line with Satrapi's art. It was the right decision, and Persepolis is one of the most beautifully animated movies I have ever seen.
Satrapi chronicles her life, from her childhood until she becomes an expat at 24. There's not really a lot more to say that wouldn't be a play-by-play of the film, and I feel like I'd be robbing you of the experience of enjoying the film if I did that.
In short, Satrapi grew up in Tehran and wanted to be both a prophet and Bruce Lee. She spent time in Vienna, as a teenager, because her parents feared that she would only end up getting arrested under the war-torn Iranian regime of the '80s.
Satrapi's life is one of politics and punk rock, homelessness and brushes with death. It's beautiful, painful, hopeful, and one of my favorite comics-turned-movies.
It was nominated for Best Animated Feature, losing to Ratatouille (which, really, feels like a crime), but it deservedly won the jury Prize at Cannes. And it deserves your attention.
by David Fairbanks