11LIT STUDY GUIDE
11LIT Homework Due Fri: 16/10
Go to the following website: http://www.filmeducation.org/persepolis/production-process.html
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read/watch/listen to each piece
read each piece of information, watch each clip, listen to and read each interview
answer all the “clip activity” questions
answer all the “production process” questions
Answer questions for Pesepolis Part A and B
Clip activity
Ideas of Iran
Is this what you expected from an Iranian film? Where do you think these ideas come from?
The Iran that we see on screen is navigated through the eyes of Marjane.Think of key
scenes/moments that sum up her character for you. Compare these with your first thoughts on
the film's title or when you were told you’d be watching an Iranian film.
Key Scenes: Persepolis raises many issues and questions about identity, actions and
consequences. Once you've seen the film use the key scenes below as a starting point
for discussion and analysis.
Questions Clip 1 Video clip of Marjane challenging the teacher in class
Marjane challenges her teacher in class, bringing up points that are not being taught or
discussed. We then see her at home.
How do her parents react?
Can you understand the different viewpoints they express?
Do you think that Marjane did the right thing?
Questions Clip 2 Video clip of the Guardians of the Republic taking a man away, and Marjane's part in it.
1. How would you describe Marjane's actions at the beginning of this sequence?
Can you understand her motivations?
2. Could they be justified?
Are her actions perceived as acceptable?
3. How and why does her attitude to her own behaviour change?
Questions Clip 3 Marjane discusses getting a divorce with her friend.
In this clip we see a depressed Marjane. She is very nervous about telling her family about her divorce.
1. Is this something you can understand?
2. What do you think divorce means in this context?
When she tells her Grandmother she is met with some information about her Grandmother
that she did not know.
1. How did you react to this?
2. Does this fit with your ideas of Iranian society?
Production Process
Persepolis is an unusual project in many ways. Adapting a novel for the screen is commonplace but
adapting a graphic novel is less common. Marjane Satrapi, the author of the graphic novel and director
of the film, made a deliberate decision to use traditional animation techniques giving the film
Persepolis a very distinctive visual style.
The following clips look at specific aspects of the process:
Video clip of scenes from Persepolis, with commentary from the animators
Questions Clip 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
Think about other animated features you have seen. What are the differences between these
and Persepolis? What did you think about the style used in Persepolis?
Marjane says that part of her decision to use traditional animation is because more high-tech
techniques would look dated. Do you agree with this? She also says that traditional animation
was chosen because, like people, it has imperfections. What do you think of this statement?
Do you agree with Marjane’s point that animation has a universal quality that live action does
not?
She mentions specific aspects to the film that would be difficult to realise in live action such
as the dream sequences. Can you imagine the differences that this would make to the film if
sci-fi conventions were employed?
Video clip of the animation production process, focusing on character development
Questions Clip 2
1.
2.
In this clip we see the animator developing the characters' movements and emotions. How
important is sound to the construction of the visuals here?
The animator talks about checking his progress, saying that he can only tell if it works by
filming the sequence. What does this tell you about the animation process?
Video clip of Marjane working with the production team
Questions Clip 3
1.
2.
Persepolis is clearly a very personal project for Marjane, however we can see here that the
process of developing scenes is a team effort. Do you think that this would be as much the
case if this were a live action film?
Most animated features are not made in this way. Do you think that the skills required to
produce the film Persepolis are lost through production that relies primarily on computergenerated techniques?
Questions for Persepolis Part A
1.
Who is the author of Persepolis?
2.
Is Persepolis a work of Fiction or Non-fiction?
3.
How old is Marjane when the story begins?
4.
In what country is the Persepolis set?
5.
What major event is in the background at the beginning of the story?
6.
What religious regime takes over the country?
7.
List two ways Marjane’s school changes in the beginning of the story?
8.
What does Marjane want to be when she grows up?
9.
Why is Marjane’s Uncle in trouble with the law?
10. List three things the Fundamentalist regime bans.
11. Who is told to wear golden keys?
12. What country bombs Iran?
13. What do Marjane’s parents smuggle into the country for her?
14. Where does Marjane go in the middle of the story? Why?
Questions for Persepolis Part B
1.) In an Associated Press interview, Satrapi said, “The only thing I hope is that people will
read my book and see that this abstract thing, this Axis of Evil, is made up of individuals with
lives and hopes.” And in her introduction to Persepolis, she explains that she wrote this book
to show that Iran is not only a country of “fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism.” How
does Satrapi go about challenging this myth? How does Persepolis dispel or confirm your
views on Iran? In what ways does reading this book /seeing this film deepen your
understanding and knowledge of Iran, and the current situation in Iraq?
2.) “Every situation has an opportunity for laughs.” (p. 97) Give some examples of how the
ordinary citizens of Iran enjoyed life despite the oppressive regime. What made you laugh?
How does Satrapi add comic relief? How are these scenes relevant to the story as a whole?
3.) What kinds of captivity and freedom does Marjane Satrapi explore in Persepolis? What
stifles or prevents people from being completely free? How do they circumvent and defy the
rules imposed on them and attempt to live ordinary lives despite revolution and war? Give
some examples of their small acts of rebellion.
4.) What is the role of women in the story? Compare and contrast the various women: Marji,
her mother, her grandmother, her school teachers, the maid, the neighbours, the guardians of
the revolution.
5.) What is Satrapi suggesting about the relationship between past and present, and between
national and personal history? What role does her family history, and the stories of her
relatives, play in shaping Marji?
6.) Marji has a complicated, shifting relationship with her parents. What is important to
Marji’s parents? What environment do they create for their daughter despite living under an
oppressive regime and through a brutal, prolonged war? From where do they get their
strength? What are their expectations for her and how - if at all - do these expectations shape
her?
7.) Written as a memoir, is Persepolis more powerful than if Satrapi had fictionalized the
story? Why or why not? Compare this film to other biopics you have seen. What are the
benefits and drawbacks of biopics
8.) How is Persepolis organized and structured? What has Satrapi chosen to emphasize in her
childhood? How is the passage of time presented? Describe Satrapi's drawings. How do the
drawings add to the narrative of the story?
9.) Describe the main characters personality. Is it appealing? Which aspects of Marji's
character do you identify with or like the most, the least? Did your reaction to the little girl
affect your viewing experience?
10.) How did the revolution exert power and influence over so many people, including many
educated and middle class people like Satrapi's parents? Why did so many people leave after
the revolution? Why do you think Marji's parents send her off to Austria while they stay in
Tehran? Why don't they leave/escape as well?
PRODUCTION PROCESS
Interview with Marc Jousset
Why did you decide to produce PERSEPOLIS almost completely in a ‘traditional’ way,
not using computer generated images?
The question of which technique to use, arose very quickly when we discussed the movie. We
started with 2D images on pen tablets, but we were not totally happy with the result. The lines
lacked definition. It also seemed logical that Marjane should be able to work with the
animators using the tools of her trade; paper and ink. It was clear that a traditional animation
technique was perfectly suited to Marjane's and Vincent's idea of the film.
Did the use of black and white make things particularly difficult for an animated movie?
Using only black and white in an animation movie requires a great deal of discipline. From a
technical point of view, you can't make any mistakes. As soon as an eye isn’t in the right
place, or a pupil not perfectly drawn, it shows up straight away on the large screen. It's even
more obvious in this particular film since it’s not a cartoon with codes, conventions and
distortions. We were closer to Japanese animation because of the story’s realism, but we
couldn't apply the techniques used in manga. As a result, we had to develop a specific style,
both realistic and mature. No bluffing, no tricks, nothing overcooked. With animation director
Christian Desmares, twenty animators worked on the movie. Marjane had quite an unusual
way of working. Each sequence (1,200 shots) was given to an animator. Marjane insisted on
being filmed playing out all the scenes. Given that she’s a genuinely talented actress, it was a
great source of information for the animators, giving them an accurate approach to how they
should work. It was also very encouraging for them that she was so committed and
passionate. Usually, in animated movies, directors are rarely so concerned with the day-today
work on the film. After animators, the assistant animators put the finishing touches to the
drawings and check them against the original. Marjane's drawings look very simple and
graphic, but they're very difficult to work on because there are so few identifying marks.
Realistic drawings require outstanding accuracy.
What was the main challenge for you?
To be on schedule, and to stay within budget, whilst maintaining our requirement for high
quality. The budget was 6 million Euros, which is reasonable for a 2D movie made in France.
I've rarely seen a team so focused on a project, not only for the technical challenge, but also
for the story itself. I think the culmination of the fact that it was a true story, that the main
character worked with you, that an animated movie dealt with a current issue and that it was
intended for adults was tremendously exciting for the team.
Interview with Pascal Chevé
You were the one who suggested to work with a team of traditional animators (trace
animators), who hardly exist in France anymore. Why?
It was essential to be true to Marjane's line. An animation studio is a team of over 100 people,
all with their own style. An animator will be more focused on trying to make the character
move in the right way. Assistant animators will then put the final touches to the drawings, to
make sure they're true to the original. Then the ‘trace’ team comes in, and they work on each
drawing with a quill pen, a paintbrush or, (as it was the case here), a felt pen, to ensure that
they are consistent with the line that runs throughout the movie. Our philosophy was to work
on this movie in a traditional way.
http://www.filmeducation.org/persepolis/persepolis-interview.pdf
Timeline of Events
1. Marji's Grandfather is mentioned, 'He had royal blood. He was a Qajar Prince'. What does this mean?
This means that he belonged to the Qajar dynasty which ruled Iran from the late 18th century until the early 20th
century.
2. In the clip we see two rulers who was the first Shah and when did he rule from? The first Shah was the one
who ended the Qajar dynasty. His name was Reza Khan. He was an army officer who staged a coup d'etat against
the Qajars in 1921, and subsequently came to be known as Reza Shah.jar dynasty which ruled Iran from the late
18th century until the early 20th century.
3. During this clip we see the influence of the British on the future Shah, what influence did the British have
in Iran? How long did this last? The British backed Reza Khan in his coup d'etat. They had taken control of
southern Iran for several years prior to the coup in a power struggle with Russia over Iranian territory. This was
driven by interest in Iran's assets, including its strategic geographical position and oil. Britain occupied part of Iran
during World War I, and did not stop official control of the country until it signed the Tehran Declaration in 1943
with Russia and the USA, accepting Iran's independence. But unofficial British influence continued as the AngloIranian Oil Company (which later became British Petroleum) remained in charge of Iran's oil. This control ended
when oil production in Iran was nationalised in 1951.
4. Who was the second Shah and when did he rule from? The second Shah was the son of the first Shah. His
name was Mohammed Reza and he started ruling in 1941 as the British and the Russians had forced his father to
abdicate due to Reza Shah's support of Nazi Germany during World War II.
5. What are the differences between the ways the Shahs ruled Iran? Both Shahs were interested in
modernising Iran. Mohammed Reza carried on some of the incentives started by his father, such as improving
health, literacy and industry infrastructures. But while the first Shah ruled under British and Russian control, the
second Shah ruled an independent Iran that was closely affiliated with the West. The second Shah had more actual
control over Iran than his father, and utilised this to silence his opponents. His opponents included both
communists and the religious right affiliated with the clergy. There were therefore around 3000 political prisoners
by the time his rule came to an end.
6. What was the 'White Revolution'? Its aims, outcomes and successes? The White Revolution was known as
such because it was a bloodless revolution that started in 1963. It was a series of actions taken by the second Shah
to modernise Iran socially and economically. Its aims included eliminating illiteracy; emancipating women; land
reforms that seized land from elites and distributed them among Iranian peasants; and electoral reforms that gave
election rights to non-Muslims. Some of its successes were the gaining of the right to vote by women; the
nationalisation of water resources; and making school education free and compulsory. One of its important
outcomes was a reduction in the powers of the Muslim clergy, who criticised some of its measures like the extra
rights given to women.
7. What was life like for ordinary people at this time? Life for ordinary people at this time was contradictory:
on one hand, they were enjoying living in a country that was being rapidly modernised. The arts were thriving and
people could wear the latest fashions. Some roads in Tehran were being modelled after French ones, with elegant
tree-lined boulevards. On the other hand, people were in fear of the Shah's secret police, the SAVAK, which could
arrest them at any time if they spoke against him. Some religious people also were uncomfortable with the Shah's
stance towards the clergy.
8. When did the Iran/Iraq war start? In 1980 by an attack by Iraq on Iran.
9. What are the major factors that led to this conflict? Iraq thought it was taking advantage of instability in Iran
during the early days of a new state undergoing revolution. The main two reasons for the attack are border disputes
between the two countries, and Iraq's fear that the rise of an Islamic state in Iran would encourage an insurgency
by the Muslim Shiite majority in Iraq who had been suppressed by Saddam Hussein's regime, as he was the
president of Iraq at the time.
10. When did it finish? In 1988.
11. What was life like for ordinary people at this time? Life was difficult for ordinary people. 87 Iranian cities
were bombed, and thousands of people were killed. The economy underwent further decline. Many people lost
their jobs and loved ones, or were forced to leave their homes.