The Academy Award–nominated film Persepolis is back, this time in English!

Well, it's not actually back yet, but it will be in a few weeks. On April 11, an English-language version of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis will hit the big screen. So, if you missed it the first time because you don't like subtitles, you have no excuse not to see it this time around. (Of course, if you missed it the first time around because you were just too lazy or busy and you would rather have seen it in French with subtitles, you're out of luck. But you still get to see it, so, really, you're still better off.)

I'm not a big fan of dubbed movies, but this seems like it will work. First, given that it's animated, the voices won't be out of sync with the actors lips — which is really the worst thing about dubbing.

Second, some of the original cast recorded the English version as well as the French. Catherine Deneuve is the mother in both versions, and her real-life daughter, Chiara Mastroianni, is the adolescent and adult version of Marjane in both versions. So you still get to hear the loveliness that is Catherine Deneuve, even if you missed the original. … continue reading

I think I want Capone over at Ain't It Cool News to be my new BFF, because he keeps interviewing the coolest women! A few weeks ago it was Loretta Devine. This week, it's Persepolis creator Marjane Satrapi.

Scribegrrrl blogged about Persepolis in December but, if you missed it, you should go back and read about this fascinating movie, which I'm chagrined to admit I still have not seen. (But I just decided I'm going to remedy that this week!) Also, if you have not seen it, you should definitely take a moment to watch the Persepolis trailer.

Frankly, I don't know how I've waited this long to see the movie. It looks so incredibly good!

But enough about me. What's actually interesting is to read what Marjane Satrapi has to say about the original graphic novel, the movie and her life. Here are some highlights. (And keep in mind, as Capone noted, “if her English isn't grammatically correct, remember that she is fairly fluent in probably a half-dozen languages.”) … continue reading

The nominations for the 35th annual Annie Awards were announced this morning. Never heard of the Annie Awards? They recognize the year's best animation in several categories, from film and TV to video games and commercials.

This year's Best Animated Feature nominees include fairly obvious choices ilke Bee Movie, Ratatouille and The Simpsons Movie. But I'm more interested in a little gem called Persepolis.

Persepolis is based on the graphic novels (essentially a memoir in two parts) by Marjane Satrapi, who grew up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Satrapi now lives and works in France, and Persepolis features the voices of two French national treasures, Catherine Deneuve and her daughter Chiara Mastroianni. If you're not already fascinated, take a look at this stunning trailer: … continue reading