Although Massoud Amir Behrani (Sir Ben Kingsley), one of the
main characters in “House of Sand and Fog,” and
director/screenwriter Vadim Perelman have different backgrounds,
they both pursue the same thing.
“It deals with intolerance within ourselves,” said
Jennifer Connelly, one of the film’s stars. “Who is
entitled to live the American Dream?”
The film, based on a novel by Andre Dubus III, centers around
Behrani, a former Iranian colonel, and Kathy Nicolo (Connelly), a
desperate housekeeper, as they both seek ownership of
Nicolo’s house. Through a bureaucratic error, Nicolo is
evicted and the house is auctioned to Behrani and his family, who
hope to resell it at a higher price.
To Behrani, the home is a symbol of success in America.
Likewise, to Perelman, the film has become a symbol of his own
success as a filmmaker.
Born in the former Soviet Union, he and his mother fled to Italy
and later settled in Canada. He took a film appreciation class in
college (where he was studying physics), and knew what he wanted to
do. After building a career in Los Angeles as a commercial
director, “House of Sand and Fog” marks his first
appearance in the world of feature filmmaking.
“Sometimes you see first-time directors who have a
befuddled look, but it was clear quickly that (Perelman) had a
story to tell. Very few people have a story they must tell,”
said Ron Eldard, who plays Nicolo’s love interest in the
film. “I like that kind of aggressive, bull quality in
him.”
However, the story isn’t Perelman’s, and he
doesn’t try to pretend that it is. Although he co-wrote the
screenplay, he acknowledges that he’s afraid of writing.
“If there’s one person to thank for this movie,
it’s (Dubus),” he said.
According to Perelman, he only wants the film to make people
feel the way he did when he read the novel years ago while on a
trans-Atlantic flight. He attributes much of his confidence during
the writing and making the film to his constant understanding of
that goal and how it fit into a story that unfolds a lot like a
Greek tragedy.
“It’s that Russian fascination with classic
literature,” Kingsley said. “There are always parallels
when you start to deal with drama.”
As a first-time director, Perelman could have easily gotten
swept up in the tragic grandeur of “House of Sand and
Fog,” but throughout the filmmaking process, he was able to
remain composed.
“He was very calm,” Connelly said. “He seemed
like he was really in control.”
Behrani’s character is the same way. He brings the same
leadership drive from his military position to America where he
directs his family towards what he thinks is right for them even if
they disagree.
“If I look at characters as pieces of art, (Behrani) is
made of stone,” Kingsley said.
That’s where Perelman and Behrani differ, for while
Behrani’s insistence on his own pride eventually causes him
trouble, Perelman’s has not. Instead, he incorporated his
knowledge of personal hardship into a film brimming with it,
presenting how life can go wrong without direction or notice.
“It’s a difficult movie, an emotional movie,”
Connelly said. “When I came out from watching it, it made me
want to go hug my son.”