Persepolis

The French animation is graphic autobiography of Marjane Satrapi who retold her childhood in Iran through the revolution to her adolescent years.

The wide eye little nine year old Marjane is an outspoken, active and non-conformist at a young tender age. She witnesses the change of her hometown after the Shah is overturned as well as in increasing sacrilegious belief that a woman must be cover up in order not to tempt a man. (It just proves to show that man has no sense of self-control, isn't it? Just blame the woman, its such an easy excuse.)

One day, her parents decided to send her to Vienna to study as they worry that her rebellious nature might get her into trouble. Yet Marjane is lost in the newly found freedom and European culture. As she grows, you witness how she slowly rediscovers herself and finds her true identity, slowly moving out of the shadow of domination she has experienced from her hometown.

It is an amazing graphic animation. I'm quite surprised while at the same time touched by her childhood experiences. It is rather hard for me not to be judgemental of the religious belief of what the women has been put through in Iran. While providing me with greater understanding of what happened in Iran from the 70s to 90s, I learnt to sympathise with the Iranian women. I could only wish that more of them are like Marjane, learning to be themselves instead of being a shadowy existence to their man.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 fairy clouds. Its a must-watch movie. Extremely well done both in the storyboarding as well as the artistic animation. You can feel the real life hardship but with less intensity and harshness . Persepolis is a beautifully crafted by Marjane herself as she shared her story.