(France/2007) Directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

Marjane Satrapi’s spectacularly engaging graphic novels about her family life as a rebellious young woman in and out of Iran, both before and after the Ayatollah Khomeni’s rule, have caused a worldwide sensation. Now Satrapi and co-writer/director Vincent Parronaud have adapted these beloved books into a magical, daringly honest cinematic experience, which also happens to be the most innovative animated film of the year. The enchanting visual style perfectly matches the irrepressible spirit of the young Marjane, who as a teenager rebels at the restrictions of Khomeni’s theocracy while also wrestling with adolescence, American pop culture, sexual awakening and first love, ultimately embarking on a search for her true place in the world. Chiara Mastroianni and her real-life mother, Catherine Deneuve, provide the eloquent voices of Marjane and her mother. Bittersweet, surprisingly funny and altogether enthralling, Persepolis is France’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards®. In French with English subtitles. (95 min.) Fri. at 7:00 and 9:30; Sat. at 4:00, 7:00 and 9:30; Sun. at 2:00, 4:00 and 7:00

“I was thrilled by Persepolis, a brilliant animated version of Marjane Satrapi’s spirited autobiographical novels about growing up irrepressible.”          -Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly