Most Americans don't consider an unmarried 25-year-old woman to be particularly tragic, but director Tanaz Eshaghian isn't your average American citizen. Although they never actually use the phrase, her Iranian-Jewish family considers Eshaghian to be an old maid. Love Iranian-American Style, which begins in 1999, dives headfirst into the issue. Eshaghian's grandmother Muluk, for instance, who married at 14, believes that women “get ugly” after 25, while Tanaz's stepfather Ike believes she's “confused” because she looks at the world through Western eyes (she was six when her family fled Iran's Islamic Revolution). Furthermore, Eshaghian prefers non-Arabic men, but to please her family, she goes on a date with a Persian gentleman, although later interviews the (non-Iranian) men in her past to find out why their relationships didn't last. Skipping ahead a couple of years, Eshaghian decides to give Iranian-American men another chance. As with most first-person documentaries, the personality of the filmmaker will shape the viewer's perception as much as her storytelling skills. Not everyone will take to Eshaghian, a beautiful and wealthy woman with a blasé speaking voice (that recalls actress Zooey Deschanel) who's fairly pessimistic, but also open and inquisitive. Still, fans of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis memoir and film, which also deals frankly with cultural dislocation, are likely to appreciate this. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Love Iranian-American Style
(2006) 63 min. DVD or VHS: $49.95: individuals & high schools; $195: public libraries, colleges & universities. Documentary Educational Resources. PPR. December 22, 2008
Love Iranian-American Style
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: