If recent events concerning Roxana Saberi have made you curious about Iran, here’s an unusual way to learn more. In these two graphic novels,  Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and  Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return and in the film based on them, Marjane Satrapi tells her story of growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution, leaving home to study in Europe, and then returning home to a much changed and very repressive Iran.

From the book jacket:

Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of the fascinating country and her own extraordinary family.

There’s also a combined volume of both books called The Complete Persepolis.

Persepolis, the film, was a Cannes Jury Prize winning movie featuring (in the English version) the voice talents of Sean Penn, Gena Rowlands, Iggy Pop, and Cathernine Deneuve, among others. Here’s the trailer:

The DVD is available through Netflix, Amazon, or your local library.

Tags:   Iran · Marjane Satrapi · Persepolis · Roxana Saberi · Tehran