Behind the Scenes Persepolis

In this contemporary re-imagining of Jonathan Swift’s classic tale, Jack Black stars as Lemuel Gulliver, a struggling writer who works as a mail delivery person at a major newspaper. To impress the travel editor, Gulliver finally ventures into uncharted waters–on a boat bound for the Bermuda Triangle. But the storm-tossed voyage lands him on a very different kind of island, one populated by a tiny civilization known as Lilliputians. After a rocky beginning, the gargantuan Gulliver becomes an inspiration to his new 6-inch-tall friends and they begin to learn from one another. Leading the Lilliputians to a victory over their neighboring island nemesis, Gulliver must still combat a mechanical giant–and come to terms with his own shortcomings–to finally emerge from his own little world.

It’s been a long time coming but ‘Persepolis’ finally gets its Irish release this Friday April 25th.

 

Based on the graphic novel, ‘Persepolis’ is the animated memoirs of Marjane Satrapi and her unique coming-of-age tale in Tehran amidst the Islamic revolution.

 

The gist: Well, Marjane is an outspoken young Iranian girl who was nine years old during the Islamic Revolution when the fundamentalists first take power–forcing the veil on women and imprisoning thousands. She cleverly outsmarts the “social guardians” and discovers punk, ABBA and Iron Maiden, while living with the terror of government persecution and the Iran/Iraq war. From here we are guided through Marjane’s life and the social difficulties she faces fitting in.

Already the film has won the Jury prize at Cannes last year, as well as an Oscar nomination for ‘Best Animated Feature’. The highly stylised black and white ‘Persepolis’ is one not to be missed!

 

In the below clip the duo behind the film, Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, talk us through their collaboration which as Satrapi says is based on shared intellect, none of this ‘cultural clash bullshit’. Ok Miss Satrapi, if you say so!

 


 

Persepolis comes to Irish cinemas Friday, April 25th.