The rat-turns-chef movie beat out "Persepolis, " based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, and "Surf's Up, " a computer-animated film about penguins.

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And in a few weeks, the animated film Persepolis brings us Iran's Islamic revolution as seen through the eyes of a spunky cutie named Marjane.

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With the success of last year's animated film "Persepolis" in mind, "Bashir" is already being bought by distributors and bought into by critics.

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Demonstrations which turned violent last week after a TV station showed the film Persepolis, depicting a young Iranian girl's struggle with her faith and identity, reflect that tension.

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