Throughout the 1960s and 70s thousands of young men and women left Iran to seek education and opportunity abroad. A group of particularly adventurous and charismatic friends met up in San Francisco. Best in the West locates their experiences, as young men establishing their lives in a new country, within the context of the Vietnam War, changes in Iran, and the social, political, and musical atmosphere of San Francisco in the 60s and 70s. The parallel history of the Iranian oil industry and its relationship to American oil companies and the growth in American consumption provides a surprising and ironic counterpoint.
Best in the West (2006) was originally shot on 16mm film, Super 8, and miniDV. Archival footage, photographs, and a soundtrack of Iranian and American R&B and funk music complete the intricate tapestry that creates the sense of this particular time and place, as well as alludes to the passage of time in these geographic and emotional landscapes.