Marjane Satrapi, French-Iranian Director of Oscar-Nominated ‘Persepolis,’ Dies at 56
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- Marjane Satrapi died of sadness at age 56, as announced by AFP on June 3.
- Mattias Ripa, Satrapi’s husband and a producer, actor, and screenwriter, died on April 8, 2025, a little over a year before her death.
- Emmanuel Macron’s office released a statement calling Satrapi “a leading figure in French culture” and “a freedom‑loving artist” whose work carried a universal message.
- Persepolis, the 2007 animated film Satrapi co‑directed with Vincent Paronnaud, won the Cannes jury prize and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature in 2008.
- Chicken With Plums, Satrapi’s second animated feature, premiered in competition at the 2011 Venice Film Festival.
Why it matters: France’s cultural sector loses a leading, internationally acclaimed artist, diminishing its creative pool and affecting future collaborations that built on her acclaimed works in the global film community.
