Pars Arts

Interviews with Young Iranians: Maryam Kashani, Filmmaker

Maryam Kashani is an Iranian-Japanese-American filmmaker whose first documentary feature, Best in the West was released in 2006 and has been screening at festivals. The film tells the story of Kashani’s father and his Iranian friends who all ended up in San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s, tying their narrative to the turbulent time (civil rights movement, oil crisis, etc.) in which they lived. Not surprisingly, it’s marked by a palpable warmth for its subjects. But Kashani is a careful storyteller who avoids sentimentalism, making Best in the West a truly exceptional family documentary. We interviewed her via email, and here’s what she had to say:

Tell us about Best in the West. What’s it about and where did the idea for the movie come from?
The film began as an oral history about how my family arrived in the United States, and more specifically in San Francisco. As I began doing interviews, I realized that our family story was really part of a larger story of an entire community. I was fascinated by the choices these men made and the risks they took amidst a great deal of chance and luck, as well. In any case, I wanted to tell an “American” story that is rarely told, in a way that would hopefully elucidate the reasons why it was a story relevant to all Americans. I also thought that it was a rare opporunity for a young woman to document the lives of an older group of men, and to talk about this particular type of masculinity from a feminine/feminist perspective.

How did you come to weave together the history and geopolitics of oil in Iran with the narratives of your father and his group of friends?
One of the biggest surprises for me in doing my interviews was realizing that the guys were in the Bay Area during the Vietnam War and the Free Speech movement, as well as the whole hippie counterculture and ethnic studies and black power movements. Being politically active myself, I was disappointed that they were not more politically engaged, although I understood that their situation was quite different [from mine]. I wanted to incorporate this into the film without necessarily being overtly critical of their choices and actions. While I could have told their story without including the geopolitics of oil, it seemed integral to the story. Although they were the risk takers and choice makers, they were also in a particular place at a particular time. There was a lot of luck and chance involved, or, as my father would say, fate. I also felt that it was necessary to talk about oil because that ties everyone to the story. We all have something invested in American dependency on oil, and it was important for me to bring that into the story. Perhaps it makes Iran more of a real place to tie the people to the geopolitics.

Are there particular films or filmmakers that served as inspiration for Best in the West?
I think my biggest influence was probably Chris Marker’s Sans Soleil. I must have watched it 20 times. My film doesn’t really look like his, but his ability to tie different locations and histories together was a huge inspiration. James Benning was also an influence. He was a teacher of mine at CalArts and he does a lot of portraits of landscapes on film.

The music in this film adds a lot in evoking 1960s and 1970s San Francisco. What was the process for selecting Best in the West’s soundtrack? Did the subjects of the film weigh in there, considering that some of them owned a popular night club during that time?
I am a big music collector and sometime DJ. The soundtracks are always equally as important as the picture for me, and I construct them at the same time. I had asked the men about music that they had listened to and about music that was played at the night club, and their suggestions are definitely present in the film, especially in the use of Latin funk and rock. Music is so emblematic of that time, so it was a really fun part of the filmmaking, and in a way, it was my way of inserting myself into that time.

The men in this film were surprisingly forthcoming about their private lives. Was it difficult to convince them to participate and to speak so openly? Was there anything you wanted them to speak more about that didn’t come through?
Sometimes I was really surprised about how open they were, especially my uncle Nasser. I think in some ways they were really eager to talk about that time because they rarely get to, and it was a really
wonderful, exciting time for them. Most of what they had to say was pretty positive, both about what they went through and about each other. I realize that it was all not so pleasant at the time, nor is it now, but I felt like I had to respect how they wanted to be represented. This wasn’t an exposé, and I didn’t want to jeopardize their relationships.

What were the reactions of the men in the film when they saw it? What about the reaction of the greater Iranian community?
The men all really enjoy the film. It’s a little more difficult for my family since the film does deal with the deaths of my grandmother and one of my uncles. But they are pretty nonchalant about it at the same time. I think they really consider it more of a school project then a real film. In terms of the larger Iranian community, it has done really well. People seem to really enjoy the film. This is the first film that deals with this particular generation of Iranian immigrants, so I think it was really affirming for many people. Many people have come up to me after screenings to tell me how similar their experiences were, in terms of school and jobs and their own group of friends. And I think the film has been really important for the second generation as well. Hopefully people go home and talk about it and share.

In a video interview with Pars Times, you mentioned you’re working on a portrait of Los Angeles and would also like to create a film about religion and immigration. Can you talk more about both those projects? Will they feature Iranians as well?
The Los Angeles film is definitely on hold, especially since I am now living in Texas. I am thinking about two films. One that actually takes place in Iran and another one about Islam in America. They are both still in the idea phase though. I definitely need to make something small soon. Maybe a music video…

(Photo courtesy of Maryam Kashani)

You might also like these Pars Arts posts:

Interview with Amir Motlagh, Filmmaker

7 Questions for Shaghayegh Azimi, Founder of Willow Films and Iran Inside Out

Arusi Persian Wedding – Screening in LA