An Appropriate Interview with Desiree Akhavan

"Appropriate Behavior" opens with a shot of Shirin, played by writer/director Desiree Akhavan, on the NYC subway, looking forlorn, alienated and uncomfortable. She's out of place in her own city. Of course, the fact that she's a bisexual Persian might have something to do with it (that and she just broke up with her girlfriend). It's the perfect introduction to a character that Akhavan, who happens to be both Iranian-American and bisexual, has obviously nurtured. In the film she's created a "heightened fictional version" of herself.

Shirin is considered an outcast by her own culture (for being bi, albeit closeted) as well as the gay and het communities since bisexuality is still not taken seriously by either ("make a choice," "get off the fence," "pick a side!")

In the film, Akhavan challenges what is considered "appropriate behavior," what is acceptable and embraced in our politically correct climate where everyone purports to celebrate diversity, as long as it fits a certain definition of sexuality.

Using the non-linear style of Woody Allen's seminal "Annie Hall," the filmmaker charts the breakup of a relationship and how one young Brooklynite tries to cope and move on. In addition, we meet Shirin's family and watch them squabble and annoy each other. Throughout, Shirin isn't always the most likeable character, she's downright infuriating at times, but that's what makes her so captivating a character, she's human-with foibles and idiosyncracies, someone we can all relate to.

"Appropriate Behavior," without revealing too much, ends on a note that does the character and her journey justice, mirroring the opening shot with a revelatory twist. Akhavan is a filmmaker to watch, balancing all three tasks with a remarkable delicacy.

Akhaven, by the way, may be familiar to television audiences from her appearance as a snarky graduate student at odds with Lena Dunham on "Girls."

Recently, I had the pleasure of asking Akhavan some questions and she was refreshingly candid in her responses.

Wearing 3 hats?

EDGE: Writing, directing and starring in your own film? Did you ever consider not wearing all 3 hats or was it always what you intended?

Desiree Akhavan: I always knew I was going to play all three roles and it was actually a pretty seamless transition between them. With acting and directing at the same time, I found that one job enabled the other. As an actor, I had the luxury of taking chances and becoming incredibly vulnerable, all the while taking comfort in the fact that I was in a position of power and would have the ability shape the performance as I saw fit in post. As a director, I could communicate with my actors on a much deeper level than I had before because I was knee deep in the scene with them. On the flip side, I was working two very contradictory roles, and giving notes to fellow actors is incredibly taboo, so sometimes balancing the bedside manner of both scene-partner and director was a challenge and I had to constantly be checking in with people and making sure everyone felt heard.

EDGE: I really appreciated that Shirin sees herself as bisexual and that didn't change with some deep revelation later in the film. Why do you suppose bisexuality is such a dirty word that seems to often be shunned by gay as well as straight folks?

Desiree Akhavan: I recently saw an article refer to me as a bisexual in quotes. As in, 'Akhavan identifies as a 'bisexual.' There's something disingenuous about bisexuality. Mainstream media has helped the public wrap their brains around what it means to be gay. There's a very clear straightforward idea with Ellen and Portia, or Mitch and Cam from 'Modern Family.' They're adorable, a bit desexualized and exclusively attracted to the same sex and it's easier to make sense of that because it's more relatable to the experience of being exclusively attracted to the opposite sex.

Woody Allen's influence

EDGE: Your style is very Woody Allen-especially 'Annie Hall'-- by way of Brooklyn. How influential was that film?

Desiree Akhavan: What I love about 'Annie Hall' was the fact that you are witnessing the unraveling of a love story that you know is doomed from the beginning and you're still along for the ride. Structurally we borrowed from the film as a way to intertwine the two narratives of the relationship with Maxine as well as her life post Maxine, her family etc.-- elements that we wanted to include in order to broaden the scope of the story and show what this character was up against.

EDGE: What made you want to be a filmmaker?

Desiree Akhavan: I started writing plays as a child and didn't consider film a possibility until I was in college. I have always known I was incapable of anything but telling stories. I'm shit at everything else I do.

EDGE: What is the writing process like for you?

Desiree Akhavan: My process is that I start off by writing a lot and not censoring myself. I throw out most of what I write, but I like to follow a stream of conscious and act scenes out as I go. I worry about structure later.

Experience thus far

Watch the trailer to "Appropriate Behavior":