This wonderful, remarkable animated film was released in 2008, but unfortunately saw only limited release in Australia. Directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi, the film is based on autobiographical graphic novels by Satrapi.

The film depicts the life of Marjane as a young girl growing up in Tehran at a time of great political unrest, then moves to Vienna where she is sent by her parents to continue her education away from the Iran-Iraq warzone. The impact of war, politics and fundamentalist Islam on Marjane and her family are all explored, as is her discovery of western culture, pop music and Nihilism as she finds her way around in the often confusing and confronting Viennese teenage subculture. The contrast of her life in Vienna with Tehran is cleverly drawn out when she comes home on holiday.

The film is shot largely in black and white with occasional flashes of colour, a technique which contributes greatly to the atmosphere of the film.