Arts & Entertainment

 

 

Persepolis haunts and enlightens

By Siavash Rokni

PERSEPOLIS

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P ersepolis, an animated film based
on the graphic novel series by the same
name, is an honest account of the life
of Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian girl who

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grew up during the Islamic revolution of
1979. Satrapi, who wrote and directed the
film alongside Vincent Paronnaud, tries
to give an honest, comic, and dramatic
tale of her life during the revolution, the

eight-year war between Iran and Iraq,
and her post-emigration experiences of
Western world.

First of all, many of the things
mentioned in the movie highlight the
fact that many Westerners do not notice
the amount of freedom and liberty that
their societies offer them. A simple
example is when Marjane walks in
the streets of Tehran searching for
“Megadeath” music cassettes by asking
the music dealers on the street. This is
one of many examples that Westerners
would not possibly understand because
they have never lived it. Having grown
up in Iran, | remember times when | had
to go through the streets to buy so-called
illegal (read: Western) music in Tehran.

Another aspect of the movie
that was very educational was the portrait
that Marjane Satrapi gave of Iranian
culture, and of the resident’s lifestyles.
In the movie, she clearly shows that we
Iranians do like to party, drink alcohol,
have intellectual conversations, and
generally live modern lives. She also
mentions the difficulties and dangers that
people face in simply trying to live out
such a lifestyle. However, one must also
remember that because of recent societal
and cultural developments in Iran, the
current situation is very different from
Marjane’s description in the movie.

While I wasn’t alive during
the revolution, I certainly remember the
war. So does Marjane. I remember the
horrifying sirens that alerted us to hide
under shelters. So does. Marjane. I was
raised in a world of constant fear. So was
Marjane. War is stupid. Whether between
Iraq or Iran, Palestine or Israel, America
and Iraq, or any other country, its
outcome is always the same: destruction,
devastation, and death. Hence, one can
never justify a war as a good war. The
eight years of war cost Iran one million

lives. Sadly, most of them were young,
often poor, students. Persepolis talks
about this devastation with the deep
insight only available to those who lived
it.

One of the film’s central
characters is Satrapi’s uncle, a graduate
of a Russian communist school. Like
many other political activists who helped
to overthrow the Shah of Iran, he fought
for the freedom of his own country. After
the revolution, the state executed him
because he was a communist. Marjane
talks about the effects of that incident on
her young life in Iran as well as her adult
years in France. In 1988, the leader of
Iran executed all the political prisoners
that were arrested during the eight years
of war. Almost 100,000 were executed in
a single day. Again, many of them were
university students.

Forced to flee the country and
relocate to Austria, Satrapi’s experience
of the Western world is one I can
relate to. She sees the West as a sort of
ignorant society absorbed in material
consumption. In many cases, while
fascinated by the East, the West has a
completely different idea of what it is
like to live there, and in most cases, they
have it absolutely wrong. Satrapi shows
this juxtaposition from the perspective
of a young teenager who passed through
both a revolution and a devastating war
only to end up on the fashionable streets
of Vienna.

Overall, Persepolis is a must
see movie that will open a westerner’s
eyes about a country that went through
an evolution inside of a revolution.
Persepolis will make you look at Iran
differently. More importantly it will
make you laugh, learn, relate, and maybe
even cry.

 

 

S

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March 4
Literature Alive presents Todd
Babiak, Douglas College

March 5

Crystal Castles w/Health, Richard’s
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British Sea Power, The Plaza

Atlas Sound, Pat’s Pub

March 6

Aceyalone w/Moka Only, Richard’s
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100 Theatre Productions at Douglas,
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March 7

Mohawk Lodge w/Bend Sinister &
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Secret Mommy w/No Gold &
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Lysistrata, Douglas Studio Theatrea
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March 8
The Raveonettes w/Be Your Own

 

Pet, the Plaza Club
Cancer Bats w/Bison, the Ukranian
Hall (all ages)

March 11
Yoav, the Media Club

March 15

Steve Earle, the Centre for
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Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood, the
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Dracula, Douglas Performing Arts
Theatre (until March 22)

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March 17
Saul Williams, the Plaza Club

March 22
Jason Collett, the Plaza Club

March 24
Minus the Bear, Richard’s on
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March 25
Justice w/Diplo, the Commodore
Ballroom (SOLD OUT)