Movie of the day: Persepolis
The title of the film references the Iranian historical city of Persepolis. It is a 2007 animated biographical drama film based upon Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. The story follows a young girl as she comes of age against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. When the 1979 Iranian revolution against the Shah of Iran begins, her middle-class family is thrilled and participates in the rallies. The Shah is deposed and elections for a new leading power commence. Marji's family's situation does not improve and they are profoundly upset when Islamic fundamentalists win the elections and start repressing Iranian society, imposing strict Islamic law
. The government forces women to dress modestly and wear headscarves. Marji tries to adapt to life under the new regime with her family. The Iranian government begins implementing laws that create blatant injustices and cut down even more on social freedoms. The film was an international co-production made by companies in France and Iran. It was written and directed by Satrapi in collaboration with Vincent Paronnaud. It premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.