A Conversation with Shohreh Aghdashloo

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Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Shohreh Aghdashloo portrays Ben Kingsley's wife, Nadi Behrani, in the film "House of Sand and Fog." She will be new to most American audiences but she has been a major stage and screen star for more than 25 years, beginning in her native Iran, where she started acting at the age of 20. Her recent Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actress in a drama will raise her profile in the USA, which is now her home. </div> <bR> <div> Shohreh left Iran for England during the 1978 Islamic Revolution, where she earned a BA degree in International Relations. In pursuing her acting career, she now resides in Los Angeles. Her interest in politics and social injustice make her role in this film a perfect fit, as it touches on what it feels like to be an American immigrant who has fled their homeland because of an oppressive regime. Unlike many immigrant families (such as in the film "In America") although Massoud and Nadi Behrani (Kingsley and Aghdashloo) are not rich, they are not the dirt poor.</div> <bR> <div> <B>George</B>:  What does this film say about being a first generation immigrant?</div> <div> <B>SA</B>: You've got to realize how difficult it is for an immigrant coming from a totally different world, especially the Middle East. You cross cultures for good. The man in the traditional Iranian family takes care of things outside the house and women are brought up to be good wives, obey their husbands and devote their lives to their children. </div> <bR> <div> <B>George</B>: What was it about your audition that brought people to tears?</div> <div> <B>SA</B>: I read the book two years before the audition. My husband and I were on a theater tour and I was reading the book and I told him that if one day they turn this into a movie and I don't get the part it would be really unfair. I knew nobody could play that role but me. They (the filmmakers) gave me four scenes to play with. Because they (husband and wife) can't talk about certain things, they learn how to read each other through their eyes. In thinking about my son, in my monologue I started crying. I couldn't dare to look at their eyes and then I heard them begin to clap.</div> <bR> <div> Shohreh adds that in part because her character's daughter is now married and that Nadi has no friends, she calls no one and no one calls her; therefore, Nadi is drawn to help Kathy (Jennifer Connelly) when she injures her foot and later when she overdoses on pills.</div> <bR> <div> <B>George</B>: Not to take anything away from Ben Kingsley, what do you think about not having an Iranian man in a lead role when there are so many excellent Iranian actors?</div> <div> <B>SA</B>: I believe the studio needed a well-known name to push the movie to higher places. One unknown Iranian (`me,' said with a smile), was all they could handle.</div> <bR> <div> <B>George</B>: What's next for you?</div> <div> <B>SA</B>: I'm hoping for some other meaningful roles to arrive.</div> <bR> <div> She then adds that the home in "House of Sand and Fog" is a metaphor that addresses the universal question for man's quest, his right to a piece of land. People should realize how important this story is. The story does not try to solve anything. Rather it brings out question after question. </div> <bR> <div> One of the most important messages of this movie has to do with the assumptions that we make about one another. We assume rather than ask simple questions. If we did that to begin with, the resolution would be more positive. That leads to another key point in the movie, which is that we need to get to know and understand each other. That does not mean we have to love each other. At some point we are going to be living side by side so we do need to know about each other.</div> <bR> <div> "House of Sand and Fog" puts the American Dream of owning a home in a startling new light. It's old, yet it's new. It's like the wake up call you get when a close friend or relative dies unexpectedly, or has a health challenge that is overcome. You are never the same again, and you are a better person. That's a lot to put on a film, and this one can carry the load.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="621" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> George O. Singleton  © 2003</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> <A HREF="mailto:george@reelmoviecritic.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:george@reelmoviecritic.com"><U><U>george@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>