Global Pop Catalog
Persepolis

When I was living in the US around 2003 to 2005, I often saw Persepolis (the book, released 2000) on display in bookstores. There was a renewed interest in serious comic books, or graphic novels, at the time, and Persepolis was one of its chief champions. The story centers around a girl with a rebellious streak growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran circa 1980. So not only is its story serious, but very relevant in the years following 9/11 in the US, when the national caricature of Muslims had gotten rather out of hand.

Like many other people, I bought a copy of the book, but actually, I didn’t enjoy it very much. Maybe it’s because I was missing the historical knowledge, or because I prefer chapters long not short, I’m not quite sure. Regardless, it did have enough charm that when the movie came out, I went to see it with my Iranian-American friend. To my surprise, I loved the movie.

Persepolis (the movie, released 2007) is based on the book, but has some new flourishes. The additions include a single linear plot (the book had many small chapters), beautiful animations and extra plot framing created by a few scenes of the author in the present. Apparently, other people also enjoyed the film, as it went on to win the Cannes Jury Prize that year, sparking a storm of controversy back in Iran for negative political implications.

My Iranian-American friend loved the film as well. I think he was on the verge of tears at the end of the movie.

Samples

  • American trailer for the movie

Consumption options

Factsheet
Creator
Marjane Satrapi
Release Date
2000, 2007
Place of Origin
Medium
Related Posts
More from this place
Also by Jason Li
Comments (1)
Share This