Persepolis (2007, Marjane Satrapi)
Co-directed with Vincent Paronnaud. Tied with “Silent Light” for the jury prize at Cannes.
Beautifully illustrated and well-animated story, alternately light and heavy, following author/director Marjane’s life from the mid-late 70’s to the mid 90’s. I have to grudgingly admit that the people who say the second half of the film isn’t as good are kinda right, but overall it’s such a wonderful movie, the kind that I wish I could make everybody watch: an artistic movie promoting peace, cross-cultural understanding and individual integrity. I love that the phrase “the price of freedom” is invoked not to justify the loss of lives in a “freedom fighting” war, but as a personal cost, that Marjane’s final flight from Iran to France for the sake of her personal freedom will mean never seeing her grandmother again.
Since I don’t know anything about Iranian history or politics, here’s a timeline combining this movie’s events with stuff from wikipedia and IMDB:
1921 - Qajar Dynasty ends, the “good” Shah is in poweru
1941 - Shah’s son takes control
1950s- new Shah becomes “increasingly autocratic”
1963 - “The House Is Black”
1969 - “The Cow”
1969 - Marjane Satrapi born
1970 - Kiarostami’s first short film
1974 - “The Traveler”
1977 - “The Report”
1979 - Shah leaves the country, Iran becomes an Islamic Republic under supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini
1980 - Iraq invades Iran
1984 - Marjane goes to Vienna
1987 - “Where Is The Friend’s Home?”
1987 - “The Cyclist”
1988 - Iraq/Iran war ends
1989 - Khomeini issues fatwa against Salman Rushdie
1989 - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei becomes supreme leader
1989 - Marjane gets married in Tehran
1990 - “Close-Up”
1994 - Marjane gets divorced
1995 - “The White Balloon”
1997 - “Taste of Cherry”
1998 - “The Apple”
1999 - “The Wind Will Carry Us”
2000 - “The Circle”
2000 - “Persepolis” book published
2001 - “Kandahar”
2002 - “Ten”
2005 - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is president (still under Khamenei)
2006 - “Offside”