Desiree Akhavan's 'Appropriate Behavior'

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See the best queer-girl movie

If you haven’t seen what we consider one of the best lesbian/queer girl films of the year, you can watch Appropriate Behavior and gain exclusive access to interviews with cast and crew, making-of documentaries, deleted scenes, stills, the script and much more.

Appropriate Behavior tells the story of Shirin (Desiree Akhavan), who is struggling to become an ideal Persian daughter, a politically correct bisexual, and hip young Brooklynite—but she is failing miserably at all these identities.

This edgy, adventurous romantic comedy (in the style of Girls, except with a really queer spin) takes a fresh look at the reality of coming out.

“Telling stories is how I process life,” says writer-director-actor Akhavan. “I’ve always felt that the best way to reach any kind of shaming was to re-appropriate it. Appropriate Behavior is inspired by my experience facing life after my first serious relationship with a woman.

I decided I wanted to make a film that touched on the themes that were ruling my life: the most uncomfortable phase of the coming out process after you’ve made the big announcement.

“I chose to star in the film because it would have been disingenuous to have hired a better looking version of myself to do an impression. While the film isn’t autobiographical, it’s all extremely personal and Shirin (the protagonist) is a heightened/absurd version of my best and worst qualities,” she says.