The AFI (American Film Institute) had a screening of Persepolis in Hollywood yesterday and coincidentally, I went an equally glamorous special screening of it in Leeds - we had less photo-worthy celebrities but it was in the amazingly ornate main room of the city’s Town Hall.

Persepolis, screened as part of the ongoing Leeds Film Festival and winner of this year’s Cannes Jury Prize, is a great coming-of-age animated film, set in Iran during the last days of the Shah’s rule in the late 1970s and the following Islamic Revolution, then during the Iran-Iraq war.

The script combines thoughtful discussion of the political situation and touching scenes with moments of laugh out loud comedy. The artwork is amazing too, stylised in black-and-white for the most part, which really conveys the sense of what it is: a big-screen adaptation of a graphic novel/memoir. As a big fan of true-to-life graphic novel and comic strips, I mean this very much as a compliment.

I don’t think it’s just one for graphic novel/comic fans though - I’d recommend it to anyone interested in hearing about real life experiences from often unheard voices.

Trailer