History and Revolution, from "Persepolis" (2007), directed by Vincent Paronnau and Marjane Satrapi
Based on Satrapi's brilliant graphic novels, Persepolis follows the author's trajectory through life in a comfortable upper-class environment in pre-revolutionary Iran, through the trauma of revolution, war, and personal exile. It's one of the most indelible animated films ever made, one of the great "women's movies," and always a hit with students in my International Politics on Film course. There are many memorable scenes and sequences, but I'm partial to the history lesson that Marji's father, voiced by Simon Abkarian, delivers to his stroppy daughter, surrounded by the growing upheaval of the 1979 revolution. It serves the dual task of weaning Marji from her child's love of the shah, and filling in the viewer about the contours of modern Persian/Iranian history. Visually and verbally, it's also very funny. We also get some of the richly Expressionist imagery that Satrapi used to convey showdowns between the people and state authority -- whether under the Peacock Throne or the ayatollahs. The complete movie is available online in a very good, English-subtitled rip -- I'll post the link below. There's an English-dubbed version, including of all people Iggy Pop among the voices; but the original French with subtitles is much better. I cropped this clip to my specifications and posted it to Wave.video.
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