2010.007 - Persepolis

I feel asleep during Persepolis (2007), which is very unfortunate as it is not indicative of the film's quality... more likely my irregular sleeping as of late. Watching a film in multiple sittings breaks the movie experience, and I always recommend against it, especially for films of higher calibre. I can see why it won several awards, including the Jury Prize at the Cannes Festival, and nominated for several more.

The film is based on the younger life of Marjane Satrapi while she grew up in Iran and Europe. It shows her struggles of becoming an adult that we all face, as well as the revolutions and wars and the resulting regimes that came after them. It helps "unveil" (if only a little bit) to us in the west the people that live under the government's rule, that they (or at least some of them) are not so different than us, that we want to be free. No doubt this is why the Iranian government protested a number of screenings at early film festivals.

Originally, the story was told in the form of a graphic novel - an extended comic book of sorts. The novel's artwork was very simple and in black and white; black was used heavily, bringing increased attention to the faces expressions but also indicating the depression that sometimes haunted her as well as the repressive goverment. The film mimics the same artwork brilliantly while adding intriguing fades and zooms that enhance the experience. Yet it all remains simple to allow the dramatic story to unfold and relate to us that despite our differences, we are very much alike.

Dramatic animated films are a rarity; filmmakers that attempt them should be respected and based on the outcome they are to be applauded. Another notch in the excellent films category.