10 Animated Films You May Not Have Seen (But Should)

Many Westerners, American especially, don't know a lot about life inside the country of Iran. Ever since the fall of the Shaw in 1979, Americans haven't had the best relationship with the nation, which has led to a lot of misinformation and political propaganda.

Fortunately, there are books and movies like Persepolis, which tell the story of Iran from the perspective of someone who grew up there. The movie is a joint Iranian-French film, which is based on the graphic novel written by Marjane Satrapi, and it is her autobiographical tale. The animation style is unique, and suggestive in how it's presented with the past being represented in black and white while the present is told in color.

Marjane's story delves into the life of a woman in the country prior to and following the Iranian Revolution in '79. The nation went from being relatively liberal to become an incredibly conservative and fundamentalist version of Islamic government. As such, women's rights are almost nonexistent and governed by deeply misogynistic laws.

Marjane managed to escape Iran to attend school in Vienna, but she eventually returns to her native country. Following some trouble by the police, she was forced to flee. Despite her troubles in her home country, the film establishes Marjane as a proud Iranian woman who is saddened by what has happened to her homeland. It's a sad tale, but an important one told via a beautiful medium.