Persepolis (comics)

Persepolis is a French graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian -born in 1969, now living in Paris, author and illustrator of comic novels and children's books. In the four -part work, which was published in Germany in two volumes, she describes her childhood in Iran, her later time abroad and return to their home country. In 2004 it was at the Frankfurt Book Fair as a comic book of the year and on the Comic Salon Erlangen in the category "Best German -language comic publication Import" awarded the Max and Moritz Prize. Worldwide Persepolis has been translated into 25 languages ​​and sold over a million copies. Named the work is after the ancient Persian city of Persepolis residence.

Content and style

In Persepolis is Satrapi shows of Art Spiegelman 's Maus inspired. Your car fiction tells the story of Marjane Marji also mentioned, which witnessed the Islamic Revolution in Iran in their childhood. The main character has to go through the pro- Islamic indoctrination in school, learns of the closure of the universities under the new government, cooked up with their desire for jeans and western music as well as their aversion to the headscarf; she hears about the torture under the regime of the Shah, arrests and humiliations experienced in the family by Islamists and must take leave of her uncle, who sits as a spy for the Soviet Union in the execution chamber. From the horrors of the Iraqi -Iranian war you write a cousin home. Send the civic, intellectual parents finally with 14 years abroad.

Volume Two tells of her exile in Vienna, returning to Iran and the recent emigration in the 90s when she settles in Paris.

Also Satrapi's drawing style in Persepolis is based on Spiegelman. It is restricted to black and white images with a simple, clear line.

Reviews

From the arts pages in German-speaking Persepolis was well received. Special mention was the individual style of the author, of producing a strong contrast between " childlike and naive -looking [n ] Images [n ] " and " Marjis history with all its gruesome and absurd episodes". Was also appreciated the rebellion against stereotypes about the life and the people of Iran and the work as a whole as one of the most important contemporary comic publications. Chance, a " stronger - so to speak, parent ' - historical context of what is shown " missing and this is seen as a small weak point of the work.

The international response was similarly positive; the insightful look at a personal level in a country of the " axis of evil" was also praised as the exciting story.

Filming

An animated film version of Persepolis, directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud and Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux and Simon Abkarian as voice actors of the main roles was shown at the 60th Film Festival in Cannes in 2007 where it won the Jury Prize. The Farabi Cinema Foundation, one of the Iranian government related organization, protested the selection of the film for the competition at Cannes because he was "a false picture of the output and the achievements of the Islamic Revolution show". Nevertheless, the film for an Oscar and Golden Globe nominated for Best Animated Film. Other nominations in the Best Film, the film won the European Film Awards and the major French film award, the César.

Awards

• 2004: Max and Moritz Award for "Best German -language comic publication import " Comic Salon Erlangen.
• 2004: Comic of the year at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
• 2002: Prix du scénario ( prize for the best scenario ) of the Festival d' Angoulême for the second volume of Persepolis.
• 2001: Coup de Coeur (now Révélation, prize for the best first ) of the Festival d' Angoulême for the first volume of Persepolis.