Marjane Satrapi, French‑Iranian creator of Persépolis, dies at 56

Marjane Satrapi, the French‑Iranian author and filmmaker best known for the graphic memoir Persépolis, died in France at the age of 56. Her family said she succumbed to deep sadness after the death of her husband, producer and screenwriter Mattias Ripa, a year earlier. Satrapi’s work, which recounts her childhood under the Iranian Revolution and her subsequent exile, sold more than two million copies worldwide and was adapted into an award‑winning animated film that received two César awards and a Cannes Jury Prize. She was also recognized with the Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities in 2024 and had previously declined the French Legion of Honour in protest of France’s stance toward Iran. Throughout her career she remained a vocal advocate for Iranian women’s rights and civil liberties, frequently speaking out against the regime’s repression.