Persepolis

Review by Matteo Piovacari

The Short:

Autobiographic animated feature film narrating the early life of girl living the days of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and its consequences …with a rather tragicomic tune. 

The Long:

Based off of the book of the same name, Marjane is only eight years old when the Iranian Shah is deposed by a revolution establishing an Islamic regime in the country. Raised by combative parents and a wise grandmother, Marjane encounters difficulties in growing up in a progressively conservative society dominated by the “pasdaran”, the guardians of the Islamic Revolution controlling costumes and habits of the citizens. As the Iraq-Iran war starts scourging the nation, Marjane flees to Vienna, where she goes through her second “revolution”. In Europe, she lives a life of contrasts between experiencing new values such as freedom and love, but also loneliness and diversity. She finally comes back to Teheran to rediscover her identity and roots, deciding to make her journey in Europe a future conscious choice rather than a getaway. 

To watch or not to watch:

Absolutely to watch! Persepolis is a brilliant piece of filmography, managing to plunge the viewer into the only apparently distant life of Marjane in Iran of the 80s. Through the emotions, experiences and thoughts of her adolescent life, the audience is pushed to relieve common situations of everyday life, such as the end of a love relationship, which bond together people through eras regardless of their birthplace and cultural belonging.