Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French 'Persepolis' director, dies at 56

Iranian-French filmmaker, graphic novelist and activist Marjane Satrapi, best known for the acclaimed animated film Persepolis and the biographical drama Radioactive, has died at the age of 56.

Satrapi's death was announced by close friends and family on June 3. A statement sent to AFP said, “Marjane Satrapi died of sadness a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and the love of her life.” Ripa, a producer, actor and screenwriter who frequently collaborated with Satrapi, died on April  8, 2025.

Born in Rasht, Iran, on November 22, 1969, Satrapi grew up in Tehran in a politically active family. As a teenager, she moved to Europe to continue her education and later settled permanently in France after her parents encouraged her to escape the restrictions imposed under Iran’s Islamic Republic.

Satrapi achieved international recognition through her graphic novel Persepolis, which chronicled her childhood during and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

She later adapted the memoir into the 2007 animated feature Persepolis, co-directing the film with Vincent Paronnaud. The film won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.

Her career expanded beyond animation with projects including Chicken with Plums, The Voices, starring Ryan Reynolds and Gemma Arterton, and the 2019 Marie Curie biopic Radioactive, featuring Rosamund Pike. Her most recent film was the ensemble dark comedy Dear Paris.

Alongside her filmmaking career, Satrapi remained a prominent critic of Iran’s ruling regime and an advocate for women's rights. 

Her work as an artist, filmmaker and activist earned international recognition and left a lasting impact on audiences around the world.