Exploring identity and independence through film

By Miss Stuart (MFL Teacher)

This half term we were very honoured to have Mathematics teacher, Mrs Barari, attend our discussion on the film, Persepolis. The 2007 animation based on the graphic novels of the same name was co-directed by Marjane Satrapi, the novels’ author. Both the novels and the film recount Marjane’s childhood in Iran, with the 1979 revolution and the subsequent fundamentalist regime as a backdrop, then afterwards in Vienna, where her parents send her to study in a lycée français, fearing for the safety of their spirited and rebellious child in Iran.

On its release, the film earnt universal praise and received the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival where it premiered. It was selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, making Satrapi the first woman to be nominated in the latter category.

It was fascinating to see the parallels between Marjane’s story and that of Mrs Barari. What we saw in the film became even more real. We then went on to discuss the students’ reactions to the film, its themes and Satrapi’s choice of black and white for both the novels and the film. Our average score for the film was 3.9 out of 5. 

If any students are inspired to watch the film, you can find it on PlaneteStream here.