Persepolis (2007) - Expat Cinema Rotterdam

Miss seeing international films because you can't yet keep up with the Dutch subtitles? Want to meet fellow expats and new Dutch folks? Love cinema? Then this is the event for you! Join Expat Cinema Rotterdam for the best international art house cinema with English subtitles.

Persepolis, the animated film based on Marjane Satrapi's award-winning graphic novel, remains a powerful and timeless story about identity, resilience, and freedom. Originally released in 2007, the film now returns to the big screen in a dazzling new 4K restoration.

This autobiographical coming-of-age tale follows Satrapi's youth during the Iranian Revolution—a narrative that is both deeply personal and profoundly universal. Amid political upheaval, cultural clashes, and personal struggles, a young girl searches for her place in a rapidly changing world. The stark black-and-white animation poignantly captures the tension between hope and despair, freedom and repression.

Today, Persepolis resonates more strongly than ever, as movements like Woman, Life, Freedom amplify the voices of those fighting for equality and human rights in Iran and beyond.

More than a reflection on the past, Persepolis is a tribute to courage, self-determination, and the importance of speaking out—even when silence might seem safer. It reminds us of the power stories hold to inspire change.