Persepolis Page #5

I strictly forbid you

to smoke any cigarette.

- Last name?

- Satrapi.

- First name?

- Marjane.

- Where do you live?

- In Iran.

In Iran?

Can I make a phone call?

Hello?

- Daddy?

- Marjane! Is that you?

We were worried to death

for the last 2 months!

Daddy... Can I come back?

- Of course.

- You won't ask me any question?

No, I promise you.

I'm putting you through to your mother.

- Marjane?

- Mom, please, don't cry.

Come back home.

We're waiting for you.

- Mom...

- We won't ask you any question.

It's a promise.

Don't you have anything forbidden?

Pork, alcohol, cards, music,

film, fashion, porno?

No, sir.

Arrange your veil.

Yes, sir.

You can go.

It's Marji!

- My daughter...

- I didn't recognize you.

- You're here.

- You've grown.

You're here.

I saw the Alborz mountains again.

It had been snowing.

My father was wondering if he had

to put the snow chains on his car.

We took the breakfast together,

as before.

My mother had prepared

my favorite omelette.

Nothing had changed,

and yet, I knew that...

nothing would be like before.

We talked about many things.

My parents kept their word

and didn't ask me any question.

I didn't feel very comfortable

but I thought that the nightmare

was behind us.

The future might get brighter

once the war will be over.

The war is over for sure.

but people forgot why

there's been 8 years of war.

Let her breath.

She's coming!

No, no, mom.

It's all right.

The West sold weapons

to both sides.

We had been stupid enough

to enter this cynical game.

A million dead for nothing.

The last days had been horrifying.

A month before the armistice,

Irak bombed Teheran on a daily basis.

As if it had to be wiped

out from the map.

Just before the ceasefire,

the government got scared because

some opponents had fled to Iran.

The government was afraid of

the threat that represented

the thousands of political prisoners.

So the state decided to put

an end to it the hard way.

They proposed to the convicts

to renounce their ideals, to promise

to be loyal to the regime

and to serve their sentence

or to be executed.

Most of them were executed.

That's it.

Now streets are

named after martyrs.

That's all that's left to famillies.

Street names.

When you walk in Teheran,

it's like being in a cemetery.

You've really grown!

You'll soon be able to

catch the balls of the Lord.

Grandma!

Tell me.

How was Vienna?

Well, yeah...

It was different.

Do you remember Mina?

Of course, she's my cousin.

she got married.

She has two kids.

She's still as stupid as before.

And Shila, do you remember her?

- Yes .

- She's ugly.

She has hair on her face.

She looks like a gorilla.

And do you remember Mojdeh?

I remember everybody.

She got a divorce.

He had a small dick.

Well, that's what Shahri said.

She told Mehri who told me.

You'll see them all soon.

Oh no!

Well, yes...

You must be speaking German now.

Yes, a little.

I know how to say

"Ich liebe dich."

Vienna reminds me of

Empress Sissi.

You saw Romy Schneider?

Marjane...

Stars are shining in the sky

and you in my heart.

What a nun face! It's doesn't

look like you lived in Europe.

Really?

Talk a little!

Tell us.

I don't know...

How are the night clubs in Vienna?

Well... I didn't go out much.

- I don't like night clubs too much.

- What?!

Did you have sex?

Well, yes.

Is it good?

It depends.

What?

You had sex with several men?

- Join a nursery school.

- Have your nose fixed.

I can't bear it anymore!

It's 40C!

I can't stand it any longer.

Damn hairdresser!

- You're not worthy of my son!

- Oh! Anahita!

Hello!

Marjane just went out.

All right, I'll tell her.

Good bye.

Stop watching tv!

Didn't you want to try the exam?

You're ruining the

best years of your life.

Go and meet people!

Everybody is pissing me off.

Out of 7 million inhabitants,

isn't there one person who

you don't think is stupid?

There was Kia, my childhood friend,

I wanted to see him.

When I saw him,

I understood my grandma's words.

He was almost dead.

Kia went to war.

He lost an arm and a leg.

I spent a good time with him.

We even laughed.

After that, I relativized my miseries.

Yes. For him, it's his whole

life that's screwed up.

Yet, he laughed about it.

Hmm.

It's the only way to bear

the unbearable.

Whatever I repeat myself,

I can't do it.

It's still unbearable.

What I endured lies too heavy on me,

but who can I talk to about it?

- You see?

- Hmm.

My relatives have suffered so much.

I was a stranger in Austria

and I became one here.

I see.

Your sickness has a name.

It's a nervous breakdown.

There are some effective treatments.

I'll prescribe some medication.

Don't you want to come with us?

Some fresh air will do you some good.

No. I want to be alone.

Don't worry.

So, kiddo, what are you doing here?

Well... I'm dead.

My child,

your time hasn't come yet.

Oh really?

My daughter,

you'll have to put yourself out.

He's right for once!

You've got much to do.

Rise and shine.

Go and do what you have to do.

Don't forget that the fight goes on!

Yeah, yeah.

The fight goes on.

Rising up

Back on the street

Did my time

Took my chances

Went the distance

Now l'm back on my feet

Just a man and his will to survive

lt's the eye of the tiger

lt's the cream of the fight

Rising up to the challenge of our rival

And the last known survivor

Stalks his prey in the night

And he's watching us all in the eye

Of the tiger

I'm so hungry!

- Didn't you eat yet?

- She's on a diet.

- Are you nuts?

- Her cousin asked her

to bring back an issue of Vogue.

She's reading it all the time!

It looks like you've

made a hit with him.

Enough! I'm ashamed.

We'll talk about Botticelli.

Venus Birth in particular.

We could also...

call it The Spring,

like the other great...

..Botticelli's mythology

shown at the Offices.

Hey! You, there!

Why are you laughing?

Do you wanna bet that

I'll take off my veil?

- Yeah right!

- How much do we bet?

Go!

At the begining of the 90s,

the time of great ideals was over.

After the Revolution, the government

had put so many students in prison

that we didn't dare to talk

about politics anymore.

And the war was finally behind us.

We were looking for happiness

so much that we forgot

that we weren't free.

Grandma, are you here?

Yes, I was here to see you.

How nice, you're all

dressed up to the nines!

Are you in love?

Exactly, I had a date with him.

I got a real fright. Guardians

of the Revolution charged.

Do you see how I'm made-up?

I was stuck. Then I remembered

this guy who was eyeballing me.

You know them.

I couldn't pretend to

be a little defenseless girl.

Brother!

Yes?

A man said indecent things to me.

Where is he so we can shut him up?

Over there.

That's him!

Aren't you ashamed?

Don't you have a mother? A sister?

Would you like it

if we insulted them?

Ouch!

I didn't do anything!

I swear it on my mother!

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