French-Iranian Oscar-nominated director Marjane Satrapi, best known for her 2007 biographical animated feature Persepolis and Rosamund Pike-starrer Radioactive, has died.
Satrapi “died of sadness a little” more than a year after the passing of her husband.
She was an advocate for Iranian women and freedom.
Marjane Satrapi, the renowned French-Iranian artist, animator, filmmaker, and author of the internationally celebrated graphic novel Persepolis, passed away at the age of 56.
Marjane Satrapi dies
According to CNN, a statement from the Élysée Palace announcing Marjane Satrapi's death praised her work, saying it “captivated a global audience.”
“Her passing marks the loss of a leading figure in French culture and an artist deeply committed to freedom, whose work carried a universal message and earned her immense international acclaim,” the Élysée said.
Marjane Satrapi death reason
“Marjane Satrapi died of sadness a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and the love of her life,” read a statement from her close friends and family, per AFP newswire.
Marjane's husband Mattias Ripa passed away on April 8, 2025. He was a producer, actor, and screenwriter.
Who was Marjane Satrapi?
Marjane Satrapi was known for her fearless voice for feminism. She fought for human rights and freedom and advocated for women’s rights, standing with the people of Iran and spreading the message of humanity on a global stage. She supported the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement that was launched in Iran in 2022 after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, who died in police custody.
Born on November 22, 1969, in Rasht, Iran, Satrapi earned international acclaim for her 2000 graphic novel memoir, Persepolis, which is about her childhood and early adult years growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution.
It was adapted into a film in 2007, directed by Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. It received a positive response and was nominated for an Academy Award. The film bagged the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007.
She also directed the Rosamund Pike-starrer 2020 film Radioactive.
Satrapi had spent the rest of her life in France since the early 1990s, after her parents sent her to Europe to study to get away from the Islamic Republic regime.
She has left an enduring legacy of culture, art and humanity.
