“What a pity, Nasser-Ali, you only had this life”
This little, wonderful masterpiece nearly broke my heart. Marjane Satrapi’s last movie is just as incredible as the graphic novel: the narrative construction is perfectly handled (with flashbacks and flashfowards and many different cinematographic styles); the heartbreaking love-story which becomes symbolic of the Iran that has been, and that cannot come back, through the character of Irâne; all surrounded by the magic and fairy atmosphere, a superb soundtrack and Marjane’s unequalled sense of humor. Outstanding!
Poilet aux prunes.
Seems very faithful to the graphic novel, I can’t wait to watch it!
Marjane Satrapi:
«In Iran il 65% degli studenti sono donne. Più istruite dei loro padri e dei loro mariti, saranno loro a fare la rivoluzione. Diffido di quelle rivolte. Dubito si possano cambiare davvero le cose quando in piazza scendono solo gli uomini. La società patriarcale è il vero ostacolo alla democrazia. Se in casa è il padre ad avere l’ ultima parola, anche il dittatore l’ avrà in piazza». L’ invito a rialzare la testa vale anche per noi. «Sono esterrefatta da come Berlusconi abbia ridotto le donne italiane, così forti e intelligenti, a degli oggetti sessuali. Svilirle così vuol dire tagliar fuori metà delle risorse di un Paese».
~ Poulet Aux Prunes - 68th Venice Film Festival.
Marjane Satrapi: if you are looking for a little note of hope, you can’t find it in this movie, because there is no note of hope in life, you know? We are all going to die! I always remember the movies when the end is not nice. When the end is happy and they got married, and they had 2 children and 3 dogs and a big house… is not exciting. Romeo and Juliet exist because they could not marry and the story exist because they died: if they didn’t die nobody would care about them.
Golshifteh Farahani: for me it was an absolutely marvelous dream to be able to work with Marjane; we are both iranian, we are both on exile and it was a very great match for me to play Irâne, and to be Irâne. Yes, we lost Iran, but we still have Iran in our hearts.
No other woman makes me laugh as much as Marjane does, and this nihilist, cynical and yet hilarious way to talk about life, reminds me a lot of Woody Allen. And I know, Golshifteh, it was a big dream of mine as well, to see you two working together.
I can’t believe that both Marjane Satrapi and Golshifteh Farahani are at the Venice Film Festival, I love them to death. Golshifteh looks amazing as always, and now I can’t wait to see “Poulet aux Prunes”; I’m sure that Marjane and Vincent Peronnaud made a great job. The art is lame but I’m so happy to see them together that I don’t even care!
“In occidente sono vent’anni che a colazione vedono il medio oriente, a pranzo vedono il medio oriente, durante il thè del pomeriggio vedono il medio oriente, e a loro il medio oriente appare così: tutti sono tristi, stanno morendo, girano con un coltello tra i denti con l’intento di uccidere gli occidentali. Era un modo (scrivere il libro) per mostrare come stanno veramente le cose e l’umorismo mi ha aiutato molto. L’ironia è sintomo di intelligenza; le persone che non sanno ridere sono stupide, secondo me almeno. […] Dico sempre che il film (Persepolis) è universale, tutti posso capirlo, relazionarcisi e comprendere che gli iraniani sono delle persone esattamente come loro. Io sono iraniana e ho passato molto tempo a difendere le mie origini. […]Perché si ha davvero quest’idea che un iraniano giri con il coltello tra i denti, attendendo con ansia il momento per uccidere un paio di occidentali, ma non è assolutamente vero. […] Il problema è che queste cose, che sono così ovvie e scontate per noi, non lo sono in occidente a causa dell’ignoranza; qualcuno è convinto che l’ignoranza sia una virtù… credono sia un’ottima qualità! Invece a questo serve la cultura, l’arte: sono necessarie a formare l’uomo, a migliorarlo.”
Con i commenti che leggo in giro sulla “Milano di Pisapia”, mi sembrava attuale e interessante ricordare le parole di Marjane Satrapi. Consiglio ai miei connazionali (non solo milanesi), che si sono sentiti chiamati in causa, di leggere Persepolis, o di guardare il film. Se è vero che i pregiudizi sono frutto dell’ignoranza, chissà, potrebbero cambiare idea.
Basically I have an intellectual crush on many iranian women. Is it because they’re all talented and smart? Reading Azar Nafisi’s books or Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel and movie, made me want to walk throughTeheran’s snowy streets. Too bad the all three of them had to leave their own country and kind of have to wish for the same thing. By the way, this gorgeous woman is Golshifteh Farahani: she is a 27 years old iranian actress, who plays piano since she was 5 and that currently lives in Paris. Take the time to watch one of her movie and I’m sure you won’t regret it.
The thing for me is always the question of identification. If you make a hero, I mean… this is not a normal human being. Nobody can be always a hero. You always have your bad side. The way I describe myself in the movie, you know, there’s nothing heroic about it: once in a while I’m really mean, once in a while I make messy stuff, like everybody else does. Plus the superhero, the most famous of them is superman and he is such a boring person! There’s Batman, you know, he is gay, he comes out in the night, he has his batmobile, he is all dressed in black, he is mean. He has something. But this Superman with this small curl here… he is so boring! - Marjane Satrapi
It has to be done. I love this woman! lol
“Listen. I don’t like to preach, but here’s some advice. You’ll meet a lot of jerks in life. If they hurt you, remember it’s because they’re stupid. Don’t react to their cruelty. There’s nothing worse than bitterness and revenge. Keep your dignity and be true to yourself.”
I learned more about love, life and freedom by reading a comic than in all the years of my short life. It’s not easy to tell the story of the revolution of a Nation and of a war in such a great and delicate way, through the eyes of a special young kid; and I got angry, I cryed, I laughed with Marjane, and it helped me to figure out so many political, religious and personal Iran’s issues. The movie was great as well, but not as good and as deep as the comic book.
"Attracted by diversity to the same degree that others are repelled by it."
