‘Persepolis’ author and filmmaker Marjane Satrapi dead at 56
French-Iranian author, artist, and filmmaker Marjane Satrapi has passed away at the age of 56.
Satrapi, who became a global star thanks to her graphic novel and film, Persepolis, passed away on June 3rd, 2026.
In a statement shared with AFP, people close to the artist revealed that “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 Swedish producer, actor and screenwriter, passed away on April 8th, 2025. The pair were married in 1996.
The office of French President Emmanuel Macron announced Satrapi’s death on June 4th in a statement that began, “Her passing marks the loss of a leading figure in French culture and a freedom-loving artist whose work carried a universal message and earned her immense international acclaim.”
Throughout her life, Satrapi was an outspoken critic of Iran’s theocratic government. She gained French nationality in 2006 after arriving in the country in 1994.
Her graphic novel, Persepolis, recounts the story of her early life and experience in Tehran, where she struggled under the restrictions imposed by Iran’s Islamic leadership after 1979. Satrapi was eventually sent to Europe by her parents to begin a life in exile.
The 2007 adult animated drama was nominated for ‘Best Animated Feature’ at the 80th Academy Awards, making Satrapi the first woman to be nominated in that category
A staunch feminist, the author shared with Variety in 2007, “I come from a country where a woman is worth half a man. I never thought I had one leg less just because I was a woman.”
Last year, she refused the French Légion d’Honneur award with an eye on the country’s “hypocrisy” in its dealings with Iran. Specifically, Satrapi was against French visa policies that prevented dissidents in Iran from seeking refuge in France.
Though most famous for her personal work, Satrapi also directed Radioactive, a 2019 biopic about pioneering radioactivity researcher and Nobel-prize winner Marie Curie, starring Rosamund Pike.
Her last directorial endeavour was a French black comedy film, Dear Paris, starring Monica Bellucci and Ben Aldridge.
Tributes have poured in from across the world of film, literature and activism. The Narges Mohammadi foundation, established by the Iranian human rights activist Nagres Mohammadi, said of Satrapi’s passing, “Marjane Satrapi was a fearless voice for feminism, human rights, and freedom. Through her work and public engagement, she consistently advocated for women’s rights, standing in solidarity with the people of Iran and amplifying the message of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement on the global stage.”
Meanwhile, Studio Canal shared, “Remembering the brilliant Marjane Satrapi, the extraordinary artist and filmmaker behind Persepolis. Through this deeply personal and powerful film, she gave audiences a story of identity, freedom, exile and resistance that continues to resonate across the world.”
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