House of Sand and Fog

A California bungalow becomes the centre of a bitter dispute between two people who each believe it belongs to them. Kathy, a recovering drug addict, loses the house after a bureaucratic error over unpaid taxes, and it is sold at auction for far less than it is worth. It is bought by Massoud Amir Behrani, an Iranian immigrant and former air force colonel who has spent his remaining savings on a home meant to restore his family's standing. Unwilling to accept the loss, Kathy pursues legal redress, while Behrani treats the property as the foundation of a new life. Neither has broken the law, and a police officer's growing involvement with Kathy pushes the confrontation toward tragedy.

Vadim Perelman made his directorial debut with this film, which he also co-wrote with Shawn Lawrence Otto and co-produced with Michael London. Jennifer Connelly plays Kathy and Ben Kingsley plays Behrani, with Ron Eldard, Frances Fisher, Kim Dickens and Shohreh Aghdashloo in supporting roles. The film is based on Andre Dubus III's novel.

Released in December 2003, the drama runs 126 minutes and was produced by DreamWorks Pictures, Cobalt Media Group and Michael London Productions. On a budget of about 17 million dollars, it took in roughly the same amount worldwide, so it drew a modest theatrical audience. Viewers rate it 7.5 out of 10 on IMDb from around 76,000 votes and 7.1 out of 10 on TMDB from a much smaller sample, while critics gave it 7.3 out of 10 across 180 reviews. Perelman went on to direct Persian Lessons (2020) and The Passenger (2026).