Marjane Satrapi, the French-Iranian author and illustrator best known for the book and film Persepolis, has died at the age of 56. The French presidency announced her death on Thursday.
Those close to Satrapi said she died of sadness a little over a year after the death of her husband and the love of her life, Mattias Ripa.
Satrapi became known worldwide for her critically acclaimed autobiographical graphic novel series, published in English in 2003. The award-winning coming-of-age tale offered a deeply personal account of an Iranian girl living through the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, a work that helped millions relate to Iranians.
She later directed Persepolis as an animated feature. The film premiered at Cannes in 2007 and was nominated for an Oscar.