2008 Athens International Film Festival
'Persepolis' portrays life progression in war-torn Iran
By Michelle Davey, Staff Writer
April 27, 2008 | noon
Since the 1978 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the country-- and life for its people-- has never been the same. Academy Award-nominated film "Persepolis" is the autobiographic, coming-of-age tale from writer-director Marjane Satrapi, who was 9 years old when revolution rocked her homeland.
One of this year‘s features at the Athens International Film Festival,"Persepolis" is beautifully animated in stark black and white, which is reminiscent of the story‘s original incarnation as a graphic novel. In a time overrun by hyper-realistic Pixar creations, the hand-drawn images in “Persepolis” create a world that is refreshing and poetic.
The story follows Marjane as she grows up in the war-torn Iran. Her family, a pack of idealists and democrats, feels oppression under the ruling Shah. When the Shah falls, her family is convinced the people will take their country back and Iran will be a true democracy. Instead, the theocratic police state under Ayatollah Khomeini is much worse. Although the new government calls itself a “republic,” fundamental democratic rights are taken from the people without warning or much protest.
But “Persepolis” is not an Iranian history lesson. The tumultuous times are a backdrop to the story of a girl becoming a woman. Marjane (voiced by Chiara Mastroianni) is a precocious and inquisitive girl who is learning the ideals of freedom and independence from her family. When her uncle, a political prisoner, is released from jail, she cannot stop herself from asking him question after question about his life and the revolution.
The perspective of the film matures with Marjane. When she is young, she sees the world in simple terms of black and white, good and evil. As she matures, the story becomes more complex. Marjane learns, as most children eventually do, that the world is not clearly separated into the good and the evil.
Equal parts whimsical and heartbreaking, “Persepolis” draws laughter one moment and teary eyes the next. Scenes portraying the violence of war and oppression are startling, and the inequality suffered by Iranian women is painful to watch. But we can laugh with Marjane as she idolizes Bruce Lee, discovers her first love and sings an off-key rendition of “Eye of the Tiger.” Life is not easy for these characters, but they learn that life needs to be lived despite the hard times.
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“Persepolis”
Speakeasy Rating: A
Running Time: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
In French/Persian/German/English with English subtitles
Showings:
Sunday, April 27 at Athena Grand: 1:15 p.m, 4:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 9:15 p.m.
Tuesday, April 29 at Athena Grand: 4:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 9:15 p.m.
Thursday, May 1 at Athena Grand: 4:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 9:15 p.m.
Check out the official Web site of the Athens Film Festival for more information about the 31 feature films and 215 competition films playing at this year's festival, running April 25 through May 1.