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Dec.12 - Dec.19, 2004 |
Unveiling the essence of a novel
Czech expatriate Vadim Perelman reflects on House of Sand and Fog released on Christmas Day
By Angela Baldassarre
Originally Published: 2003-12-28
Although very few people have ever heard of Vadim Perelman, he managed to land the film rights to one of the most coveted books of the decade and cast two Oscar winners in the lead roles.
The 40-year-old Ukrainian native, whose experience was limited to directing commercials, adapted such as engrossing version of Andre Dubus III's House of the Sand and Fog, that he convinced DreamWorks to make it, and got Sir Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly to star.
The story centres on Kathy Nicolo (Connelly), a troubled Bay Area housecleaner who learns that she has been evicted from the ramshackle beach-block home she inherited from her father. A recovering druggie, Kathy discovers that the city has already put the house on the block, and has quickly been snapped up by Massoud Amir Behrani (Kingsley), an Iranian émigré and former colonel in the Shah's air force. Behrani, who is trying to better the lives of his wife (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and son (Jonathan Ahdout), has no sympathy for Kathy but their feud soon turns horribly tragic.
Tandem talked to Vadim Perelman when he was in Toronto.
My understanding is that you read this book by chance, and sort of identified with it.
"Perhaps not by chance. Yes, it moved me to such an extent... it touched me from my personal experience, obviously. I was an immigrant and refugee and I really identified with that aspect of it. Also, when I did come to America, I became like Kathy - a refugee in my own country - and after having assimilated, it was sort of the same sense of alienation. Those two things moved me, and just in general, I was moved. It can't fail but move you. If it can't move me, it can't move anyone."
So how did you manage to get the rights to make the movie?
"I called Andre who at that point had many offers from the film industry. I said 'Look, this is my life, this is how I got here. Your book could be my salvation. Your book would be what I've worked for in my life. And I feel it just as deeply as you do. I will protect it, I will fight it, I will kill for it. I won't let anyone change it and you can trust me on that.' And he, being very intuitive, said, 'Alright, let's do it.' And he accepted this unknown filmmaker. There was no studio involved, no one was cast, and I took it and made a film out of it."
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