Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis" Soon an All Star Cast Animated film Co-Produced by Spielberg's Associate Kathleen Kennedy
10/24/06
Paris Report by Darius KADIVAR

Top Left to Right: Catherine Deneuve poses for Yves Saint Laurent's 1967
collection.
Marjan Satrapi the talented author of Persepolis' adventures.
Bottom Left to Right:
Daughter of Italian Star Marcello Mastroiani and
Catherine Deneuve: Chiara
Mastroiani.
Danielle Darrieux icon of French Cinema. Persepolis by Marjan
Satrapi was an international Hit.
Marjan Satrapi's International
best-selling comic book series Persepolis: The story of a childhood Satrapi's
autobiography is the story of a young girl's life under the Islamic Revolution.
Descended from the Royal Qajar family, Satrapi is nine when fundamentalist
rebels overthrow the Last Shah of Iran. While Satrapi's radical minded parents
and their community initially welcome the ouster, they soon learn a new brand of
totalitarianism is taking over. Satrapi's art is minimal and stark yet often
charming and humorous as it depicts the madness around her. She idolizes those
who were imprisoned by the Shah, fascinated by their tales of torture, and bonds
with her Uncle Anoosh, only to see the new regime imprison and eventually kill
him. Thanks to the Iran-Iraq war, neighbors' homes are bombed, playmates are
killed and parties are forbidden.

At The Carlton Beach
in Cannes last Annual, actress Chiara Mastroianni
(left)
with "Persepolis" co-writer/directors Marjane Satrapi
and Vincent Paronnaud.
Sony Pictures Classics announced a deal for the new
animated feature adaptation
of Satrapi's book of the same name. Photo by
Eugene Hernandez/indieWIRE
Satrapi's parents, who
once lived in luxury despite their politics, struggle to educate their daughter.
Her father briefly considers fleeing to America, only to realize the price
would be too great. "I can become a taxi driver and you a cleaning lady?" he
asks his wife. Iron Maiden, Nikes and Michael Jackson become precious symbols of
freedom, and eventually Satrapi's rebellious streak puts her in danger, as even
educated women are threatened with beatings for improper attire. Despite the
grimness, Satrapi never lapses into sensationalism or sentimentality. Skillfully
presenting a child's view of war and her own shifting ideals, she also shows
quotidian life in Tehran and her family's pride and love for
their country despite the tumultuous times. Powerfully understated, this work
joins other memoirs-Spiegelman's Maus and Sacco's Safe Area Goradze-that use
comics to make the unthinkable familiar.
An
illustration from "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi,
courtesy of
Sony Pictures Classics.
The animated version
of this fascinating story is to be released in 2007. A French co-production by
Bibo Films and Pumpkin 3D it will be co directed by Marjan Satrapi and comic
book artist Winshluss (Monsieur Ferraille, Smart Monkey ...). The work which will
require nearly a titanic total of 2 Million drawings for the animation will be
joined by a prestigious cast of French Stars who will do the voice overs :
Catherine Deneuve, daughter Chiara Mastroiani and veteran French film star
Danielle Darrieux ( Alexander, Cicero Affaire). Deneuve a great fan of
Satrapi commented to a French Magazine
Citizen K : " Marjane Satrapi is probably my favorite writer of
fiction, I love her work and this mixture of black and white which is so
graphically stunning. I like her wit and this mixture of despair, humor and
solitude. I love all her books. She is startling in real life too. I have
met her and I find she has a great sense of humor."
Satrapi expressed her
feelings on her book's success , "I observe with some sadness that five years
after publishing my book "Persepolis," my country is still, indeed more
than ever, in the spotlight. "Persepolis" has become not just about me
telling my story. It is universal, immediate and necessary."
In
a deal with Celluloid Dreams, Sony Pictures Classics announced during the last
Cannes film
festival. It will release
"Persepolis" in North
America. With Executive producer Kathleen Kennedy (of the
Kennedy/Marshall Company) at the helm. Kennedy is the loyal associate producer
of most of Steven Spielberg's successful films. It was described in an
announcement as a "poignant coming-of-age story of a precocious and outspoken
young Iranian girl that begins during the Islamic revolution." Hengameh Panahi
from Celluloid Dreams is handling the film's international
sales.

Satrapi was to illustrate the poster for the 2004
Cannes Film Festival's
Un Certain Regard Competition
Certainly a milestone
for the young artistic community of the Iranian Diaspora, and spokeswomen for an
entire generation of Iranian expats, Satrapi's animated version of Persepolis is
certain to be one of the major film events of 2007 in its category and certainly
highly expected by its aficionados. One would have also wished a movie
adaptation of Satrapi's fascinating adventures but the talented author has
excluded this possibility.
Dommage
...

Persepolis US distribution Rights have been acquired by
Steven
Spielberg and loyal Associate Kathleen Kennedy
Arthor's notes :
-TINTIN,
the famous Hergé hero is also reported to be on the production Agenda by
Kathleen Kennedy and Spielberg :

Producer Kathleen Kennedy and
director Steven Spielberg are working on a movie adaptation of the comic-strip
"Tintin" for 'Universal' and 'DreamWorks', reports 'Variety'
magazine.
The studios are currently
negotiating the film rights with Nick Rodwell of 'Moulinsart' (the company that
holds the properties created by deceased cartoonist Georges Remi - under his
pseudonym Herge).
"Tintin" follows the
intrepid adventures of the titular young reporter, together with his trusty dog
Snowy. Tintin's friends and allies include the grumpy Captain Haddock, inept
detectives Thomson and Thompson and Professor Cuthbert Calculus.
The comic was first
published in 1929 in Belgian newspaper 'Le Petit Vingtieme' and has been
translated into more than 50 languages. It has already been adapted into a
successful animated series.
Recommended Reading :
Hergé's Fantasy Kingdom: The Land of the Black
Pelikan
http://www.payvand.com/news/03/may/1087.html

About the Author: Darius KADIVAR is a Freelance
Journalist, Film Historian and Columnist of the OCPC Magazine USA. He operates
as Paris based
Head of PR & Press for WAALM® 2nd annual
Awards 2006.