The Art of Identity

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Kathreen Khavari is an actor and writer from Oakland, California. After graduating from the University of Berkeley and completing a Master’s in Science from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, she pursued her lifelong ambition to become an actor. Her credits include the lead role in You Are Dead, You are Here (NYC Theatre) and the web comedy series Famous Farrah. She wrote and starred in Brain of Terror, released in January 2014, a short film about a young woman who falls asleep after watching back-to-back episodes of the television program Homeland – and has a surprising and disturbing dream.

IranWire spoke to Kathreen about the project.

Brain of Terror is a response to the TV program Homeland. Can you say a little about this inspiration or dramatic response and how the Brain of Terror project developed?

I'm always resistant to watching any program that perpetuates the stereotype of the violent or extremist Middle Easterner. I gave into watching Homeland and found that the show was more complex than I had originally given it credit for, especially in the episodes where the perspective and motivation of Abu Nazir – one of the show's main antagonists – was highlighted. Following a dream I had where I sympathized with that character, I woke up realizing that I couldn't share this dream with too many people. Had I not been of Middle Eastern decent, this wouldn't have been an issue, but as an Iranian, I knew I'd be scrutinized for the most inane subconscious thoughts. The inequity of the situation seemed beyond unfair and the idea for Brain of Terror was seeded by this experience.  

You recently wrote that one of the things Brain of Terror looked at was media propaganda. Can you say a bit about the propaganda you encounter and how it impacts on your work? What are recent examples of stories that have made you cringe and then react?

We've been inundated with images of fanatical and brutal Middle Easterners, and those who are unfamiliar with the region assume that that is the cultural norm, not realizing that it's blindly ignorant to judge a whole geographic region based on media propaganda that serves to justify wars for profit, We see this archetype repeat itself in media, film, and television – and not just by the West, unfortunately. I was recently approached by an Iranian filmmaker who wanted me to consider being in his film about honor killings and the abuse of women at the hands of Iranian men. I respected his decision to want to tell this story – which I'm sure has occurred and continues to take place in real life. However, this was not a story that I wanted to tell. I have a very close relationship with my father. He barely raises his voice, let alone his hand. My reality – and that of many Iranians – is a family with a strong, assertive mother, and an emotionally sensitive father who cries watching commercials. But the world has been brainwashed into believing that he's an exception to the rule.

Brain of Terror features 11 characters (or versions of the protagonist's self) based on various stereotypes. What can you tell us about the characters? How are you critiquing US representations of Iranians? 

I wanted to have fun with stereotypes while also allowing myself to enjoy the process of taking on various characters. Each character is based on either a commonly portrayed archetype, or on someone I've met or know. My point in making the short – aside from taking great joy in the whole process – was that identity is much more complex than your country of origin or your ethnic background. I could very well have been any one of those people in real life. In fact, I incorporated a lot of myself into each character. And that's the whole point. People aren't two-dimensional. We are multifaceted and constantly evolving as individuals; oversimplifying anyone is banal.  

You mentioned in an interview that it wasn't until you were in middle school that you were happy with your identity as an Iranian-American. Are there particular stories or memories you have about this process that you can share? What was it like to grow up with this identity and how do you think it's changed since your mid-school days? 

Growing up in Oakland, I was fortunate enough to be raised in a very multi-cultural environment and didn't encounter much overt racism. I think for me, the convenience of coming from a more Americanized family is what elicited my desire to have non-immigrant parents. I didn't like that they had accents and had different cultural norms than my classmates' parents, but I didn't necessarily feel judged for it. The Bay Area is a happy bubble where diversity is embraced and encouraged, so I was lucky in that sense. While I am Iranian, I'm also an American from California...from Oakland.  All of those factors, down to the street on which I grew up and the people I choose to call my friends, have helped shaped who I am. I've taken this identity with me everywhere I go, and with each new experience my identity continues to change shape. 

How has Brain of Terror been received? Have you had interesting feedback?

I've had great feedback from people of all races, ethnic backgrounds, sexes, genders, etc. The response has been amazing. I think anyone who has ever been inaccurately judged based on superficial indicators (which is probably most people) can identify with Brain of Terror, and I'm happy it's resonated with so many different people.   

How does your Iranian identity feed into your other acting work? 

To be honest, I think the whole point here is that it doesn't need to feed into my acting necessarily. Yes, I am Iranian, but I was born and raised in the US. My friends and I don't sit around talking about our ethnic origin every day, and it's not constantly at the forefront of our minds, unless something occurs that forces us to see our own differences. As an actor, I seek opportunities where I can play anyone other than myself. To me, that's more interesting than bringing my ethnicity into everything I create. This is how I choose to create.

Do you follow the work of other Iranian-American artists, writers or actors? If so, how often do you think they’re representing this identity on some level? What has had the most impact on you (if any)?

I do follow some other Iranian artists and I think the amount of ethnic identity they bring into their own work depends on their individual motivations for creating. Some bring more of their ethnicity into their work than others, and as artists, that is their prerogative. Art is a very personal form of expression and, in my opinion, shouldn't be judged by anyone else. I'm impacted by anyone who chooses their own path and does what they love despite societal or familiar pressures placed on them to do otherwise, and I'd say that is most artists, Iranian or not.

What’s your experience when you go to Iran?

I have a lot of family in Iran and feel very fortunate to be able to go back regularly.  Being able to spend time with my family is very important to me, and immersing myself in the country in which both my parents were raised is something I value greatly. I'm married to a man who is half Jewish and half Korean-American, and his whole family came to Iran for our wedding a few years ago. The Iranian people are very warm and welcoming, and my in-laws were surprised by how gracious even random strangers were. I have a lot of American friends who want to go to Iran and visit all of the historical sites, so I hope to organize a trip with them in the next couple of years. 

One of the topics Brain of Terror tackles is the revelations that Western governments (and the US in particular) spy on their citizens. How do you think American artists, actors, musicians – whether they're Iranian-Americans or not – are responding to these revelations? What's been the cultural response? 

I think everyone has resigned to the fact that we are all constantly being watched. Big Brother doesn't sleep. I'm not sure how much this is influencing other artists, but I don't see this necessarily hindering me from my own creative expression. That will change if Jon Stewart ever gets sent to Guantanamo. 

What do you think of Iranian propaganda about the West and the United States in particular? There is such a huge Iranian population in the US, it would be interesting to hear your perspective and how you absorb what you hear about or read.

It's important for the common citizens of every nation to recognize that the actions or propaganda of any country's government is not a reflection of that country's citizens. This will allow us to focus our attention on changing all governments to better serve the needs of their people rather than place blanketed blame on the powerless citizens of every nation. 

Did you see Argo? What did you think about it?

I did and thought there were entertaining aspects to it. In reality that was a difficult time for the hostages, for the Iranian people, and for the Iranians living in the West who were victims of hate crimes. It would have been nice to see more than one perspective of that story.