Caught a clip of this cartoon at the recent Academy Awards. It got beaten out by Ratatouille, which I thought wasn’t fair at all. But then, since when was the Academy Awards fair? How can Transformers not win Best Visual Effects?! And bloody Bourne Ultimatum, an action film, came away with two! Ang Lee did a far better film than Brokeback Mountain, but he’s already earned his quota of two Oscars, so not even a nomination this time.
Well, at least Persepolis didn’t release a year ago or it would’ve been humiliating to be beaten out by Happy Feet.
The black and white clip presented on Oscars night intrigued me enough to seek out the torrent when I got back. It has a simple and elegant style, and a narrative that reminded me of Amelie. Persepolis is the story of an Iranian girl growing up during the revolution, and the Iran-Iraq War. It’s based on the biographical graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi.
The story is both funny and sorrowful. It tells of her childhood, her years in Vienna, her return to Iran, and finally her departure again because her thoughts are detrimental to her survival in Iranian society.
It gave me fresh perspectives of Iran.
Instead of merely being a hotbed of Islamic extremisms with nuclear ambitions… I now also see them as a beautiful people who were triple cursed with petroleum, ignorance, and universal suffrage. The petroleum attracted vultures, and the only thing they bought with that wealth was destruction. Their people may never have wanted their country to be this way. But they elected one wrong leader, and never lived down that mistake. The generations of propaganda and brainwashing then ground away independent thought and cemented the leadership.
Which brings me to think that the universal vote is a romantic and absurdly optimistic notion. It makes the incredible assumption that every member of the voting public is informed, and capable of choosing responsibly. To put it in perspective: you need a driving license to operate a vehicle, but not to determine the fate of you and your children. Also your educated vote will count the same as the Myanmar migrants who just got new houses.
But I’m digressing.
Back to the cartoon… Watch it.