Screening of Persepolis

Alone at Orly Airport in Paris, Marjane "Marji" Satrapi prepares to board a plane to Tehran, but changes her mind at the last moment. She spends the whole day at the airport, reflecting on her life before her departure to France.

Marji grows up in an upper-middle class family against the backdrop of the 1979 Iranian Revolution against the Shah of Iran. After the deposition of the Shah, Marji’s life as a pre-teen is heavily influenced by the rule of Islamic fundamentalism in Iran. Headstrong, curious and rebellious as many pre-teens can be, Marjane finds ways to express herself. She buys heavy metal cassettes on the street, wears band tees and headbangs in the safety of her bedroom. Fearing for her safety in Iran as the Iran-Iraq war breaks out, Marji’s parents send her off to Europe where she experiences young adulthood, heartbreak, mental health struggles and questioning her identity while being away from home. 

Persepolis highlights the importance of integrity, the support of family and the building of one’s identity against the backdrop of political shifts, war, and cultural differences. Satrapi's film, based on her eponymous graphic novel, grapples with the ways in which Iranian people’s lives have been impacted by repression and the realities of political dissidence, resistance, and community in the face of trauma. Satrapi’s animated masterpiece is considered a classic in francophone cinema. 

Watch the trailer here.

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Host or Publisher CU Maison Française