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Seeing Persepolis in Tehran

While the film Persepolis is celebrated in Europe, in Iran we experience it as one-sided.




(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)

[tehran] In May, Iranian-French illustrator Marjane Satrapi won the jury award at the Cannes Film Festival for the animated film Persepolis (Norway's premiere 21 September, ed. note).

In short, the film is an autobiography of the time during the show, the Islamic revolution in 1979, and the war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980 century. In Iran, Persepolis has not gained as negative a reputation as the Hollywood movie 300, but many Iranians perceive Persepolis as an anti-Iranian film.

The movie is based on Satrapi's cartoon of the same name. The book is in three volumes; the first concerns Marjan's childhood and schooling in Iran; the second is about the Islamic revolution, social change, the experience of war, and political, social and economic problems; The third is about her life outside Iran and her experiences as an immigrant.

The image Marjane draws of Iran is phobic, one-sided and critical. The animation is in black and white, and this binary contradiction has a negative effect on the audience. The only thing she seems honest about is the description of the Shah's assault, and the joy the Iranians felt as he fled the country. She also retains her critical sense when talking about life outside her home country.

But Marjane is reductionist. The only result she sees of the Islamic revolution is the injunction of hijab and its ongoing enforcement. For many Iranians who left Iran after the revolution, hijab was and is something they cannot tolerate.

French society's approach to women's use of hijab has influenced Marjane, and this is reflected in her narrative. Satrapi's view of hijab is very superficial and is damaging to women's rights. Hijab is an expression of Islamic lifestyle and does not stand in opposition to women's freedom or progress. Why does no one regard the Indian sari or the Japanese kimono as obstacles to women's rights?

Persepolis can be categorized together with the movie 300. They are both based on non-scientific books, are both superficial and without real content. They both build up under Iranophobia. Anyone who wants fame in today's world can achieve this by coming up with an unrealistic picture of Iran.

This type of film is not popular due to technology or professionalism. They are popular because they speak with the voice of opposition without having a logical basis for it. I think that is why international organizations praise such productions. Like the film Not Without My Daughter (1991), Persepolis is not only a description, but also based on political affiliation. It is an expression of resistance within the framework of a story.

Although Marjane denies this, she has exaggerated the details of the political situation around the beginning of the Islamic Revolution. Her judgment is neither reliable nor up-to-date: She left Iran more than ten years ago, and she has not experienced the social, political, and cultural changes that have affected Iran's life since then. Many of the trends Marjane describes in the film and in the comics have less power today.

But none of these critical comments can do anything about the effect Persepolis will have on foreigners' perceptions of Iran. There are two reasons for this: First, Marjane is Iranian, and many may believe her as someone who speaks from the inside. Second, the world today is full of stereotypical approaches. Negative propaganda about Iran, and any production that strengthens it, is appreciated by opponents.

If you are looking for a fairer picture of Iran and daily life here, I recommend the books from Yassovoli Publications. Since 1951, this publisher has published over a hundred documentaries and photo books about Iran. See the website yassavoli.com.

Najmeh Mohammadkhani is studying Masters & Art in North American Studies at the University of Tehran. She writes exclusively for Ny Tid.

Translated by Kristian Bjørkdahl

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