AFP reported on the 4th (local time) that Marjane Satrapi, 57, author of the autobiographical graphic novel Persepolis, has died.
Satrapi's close associates said in a statement sent to AFP that "Satrapi ended her life in sorrow a little over a year after the death of her husband and lifelong partner, Mathias Ripa." Ripa, a producer, actor, and screenwriter, died in April last year.
Satrapi was born in 1969 to an upper-class family in Iran. While attending a French high school and an art school in Tehran, Satrapi spent her adolescence in Vienna, Austria, at her parents' suggestion when she was 14, and later moved to France. Satrapi acquired French nationality in 2006.
Through several works, including her signature Persepolis and Embroideries, she depicted Iranian society and women's lives with her characteristic humor and insight. In particular, Persepolis was adapted into an animated film and won the Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, earning global acclaim.
Satrapi was also a dissident intellectual who actively raised awareness of women's rights issues and the pro-democracy movement in Iran during her lifetime. In July 2024, she was selected by the French government to receive the Knight of the Legion of Honor in recognition of her artistic achievements and contributions to promoting understanding of Iranian culture, but Satrapi publicly declined the honor, drawing attention.
At the time, Satrapi said in a letter sent to the Minister of the French Culture Ministry, "I am well aware of the symbolic meaning of this award, but after careful consideration I decided to decline it." She said, "This decision stems from principles I hold dear and from my affection for the country of my birth, Iran," adding, "I cannot turn a blind eye to France's hypocritical attitude toward Iran." In a separate video message, she criticized, "While young Iranians who love freedom, artists, and dissidents are denied visas, the children of Iran's elites freely come and go in Paris and Saint-Tropez."
She also delivered sharp criticism of the international community's response after the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested in 2022 for allegedly violating hijab rules. She said, "Supporting the Iranian women's revolution cannot be reduced to taking pictures with celebrities at memorial events," and added, "What Iranians need is not symbols but concrete action." However, she emphasized, "Declining the decoration is not because I am against France," adding, "I love France deeply; I only hope France will be truer to itself."
As news of Satrapi's death spread, France's political circles expressed condolences in unison. The Élysée Palace, the presidential office of France, said in a statement, "Her death means the loss of a giant in French culture and an artist who loved freedom," adding, "We honor a great artist who sublimated childhood experiences in Iran into a universal fable." Emmanuel Grégoire, Paris' deputy mayor, mourned, saying, "Today we lost a brilliant and free artist," and added, "The Iranian people's yearning for freedom was the driving force that sustained her artistic world throughout her life." Marine Tondelier, head of the Greens, also said, "For several generations of women, she was an icon," adding, "Her free and cheerful spirit and works will be remembered for a long time to come."