Persepolis (dir. Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. Catherine Deneuve)
Could this film be a harder sell? A black and white graphic novel adaptation of young girl’s experience growing up under the fundamentalist revolution in Iran; sounds like fun for the whole family, right? But “Persepolis” needs its own “you must see” campaign to combat any pre-conceived ideas you may have about it as it’s wonderful. Charming, funny, and heartbreaking, this unique coming of age story won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival for good reason. Voiced by Catherine Deneueve and her daughter Chiara Mastroianni (fathered by Italian screen idol Marcello Mastroianni), the film explores themes of tyranny, oppression, alienation, xenophobia abroad, and universal ideas about growing up female in a male-centric world (not to mention loving punk rock under the regime of the Shah). The film premiered in North American at the recent NY Film Festival, but doesn’t hit theaters until Christmas. Don’t miss this terrific gem.[A]
PS the American version of this film (i.e. no subtitles and dubbing instead) will feature Iggy Pop and Sean Penn as the voices of the two male leads.
NYFF Review: ‘Persepolis’ Is Another Magical Treat
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