Laleh Khadivi

"Laguna Beach, California, 2009. Alireza Courdee, a fourteen-year-old straight-A student and chemistry whiz, takes his first hit of pot. In as long as it takes to inhale and exhale, he is transformed from the high-achieving son of Iranian immigrants into a happy-go-lucky stoner. He loses his virginity, takes up surfing, and sneaks away to all-night raves. For the first time, Reza--now Rez--feels like an American teen. Life is smooth; even lying to...

Two brothers from a small Iranian mountain village--Saladin, who has always dreamed of leaving, and Ali, who has never given it a thought--are forced to flee for their lives in the aftermath of a political killing.