The French-Iranian author of PersepolisA major figure in comics and film, she died at the age of 56. Her family announced her passing this Thursday, a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and creative partner.
His disappearance was announced by his family.
Marjane Satrapi has died at the age of 56. In a statement released this Thursday, her family indicated that she had died "of sadness", a little over a year after the disappearance of Mattias Ripa, presented as her husband and "The love of his life."
Mattias Ripa died on April 8, 2025. A producer, actor, and screenwriter, he had worked alongside Marjane Satrapi for decades and participated in many of the artist's projects. An economist by training, he became a central collaborator in her work, notably as a financier, producer, actor, and co-screenwriter.
Persepolisthe story that marked a generation
Born in 1969 in Rasht, Iran, Marjane Satrapi moved to France in 1994 after studying art in Tehran and then Strasbourg. In Paris, she frequented the Atelier des Vosges, where several artists were working to revitalize French comics. Between 2000 and 2003, she published the four volumes of Persepolis. In this autobiographical graphic novel in black and white, she recounts her childhood in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, her adolescence in Europe, and her experience of exile. The book became an international success and has established itself as a classic of contemporary comics.
From drawing to the big screen
In 2007, Marjane Satrapi adapted Persepolis for the screen with Vincent Paronnaud. The animated film received the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival before being nominated the following year for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. She then continued her work in comics with Embroideries and Chicken with Plums, which won an award at Angoulême, before developing a career as a director. She is notably the director of The Bande des Jotas, The Voices, Radioactive et Paradise Paris.
A committed voice for Iran and for women
Marjane Satrapi's work has remained deeply intertwined with the history of Iran, exile, individual freedom, and the condition of women. In 2023, she published *Woman, Life, Freedom*, a collection of essays devoted to the Iranian uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. In 2024, she was elected to the film and audiovisual section of the French Academy of Fine Arts, succeeding Jacques Perrin. That same year, she received the Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, recognizing her influence in fostering dialogue between cultures and generations.
A final project in the name of his couple
A few months before her death, Marjane Satrapi created the Mattias and Marjane Ripa-Satrapi Foundation for Cinema. This organization, housed within the Academy of Fine Arts, supports two international students each year who wish to study film in Paris. The foundation extended the couple's shared commitment to youth, culture, and artistic creation.
