House of Sand and Fog

Kathy Nicolo, a recovering drug addict, finds herself living alone in a small house near San Francisco Bay after being abandoned by her husband. Despite multiple eviction notices for unpaid taxes, she remains convinced that there has been a mix-up and continues to ignore the warnings.

Sheriff's Deputy Lester Burdon arrives at Kathy's home to deliver the news of her impending eviction. He reveals that her house is about to be auctioned off, which prompts Kathy to realize the severity of her situation.

Massoud Behrani, a former Iranian Army colonel, purchases Kathy's house for a fraction of its true market value. His intention is to renovate the property as he struggles to maintain his family's reputation in America while working menial jobs.

After being evicted, Kathy finds herself staying in a motel, which soon becomes unaffordable, forcing her to sleep in her car. This dire situation intensifies her desperation to reclaim her home.

Kathy consults with attorney Connie Walsh, who discovers that a county error could allow Kathy to reclaim her home. Connie informs Kathy that she could potentially sue the county to reverse Massoud's purchase of the property.

Kathy approaches Massoud to discuss a buy-back of her home. However, Massoud is unwilling to sell unless he receives the upgraded value of the property, leaving Kathy feeling frustrated and hopeless.

Determined to reclaim her home, Kathy begins to harass Massoud's family in front of potential buyers. This tactic leads to escalating tensions between Kathy and Massoud as both parties attempt to assert their claims over the house.

In a vulnerable moment, Kathy enters a romantic relationship with Lester, who decides to abandon his own family for her. He acts as her protector but begins to resort to intimidation tactics against Massoud to help Kathy.

Lester threatens Massoud with deportation unless he agrees to sell back the house to Kathy. This action prompts Massoud to involve Internal Affairs due to the illegalities of Lester’s behavior.

Overwhelmed by her circumstances, Kathy attempts suicide with Lester's gun but is saved by Massoud. This tragic moment highlights the emotional toll of their battle over the house and underscores the growing entanglement of their lives.

In a chain of despair, Kathy tries to take her life again with pills, but is interrupted by Massoud’s wife, Nadereh. This crisis leads to an increasing desperation from Lester, who tries to mitigate the spiraling situation with more extreme measures.

Under increasing pressure, Massoud agrees to sell the house back to Kathy for a sum of money. However, the agreement leads to chaos outside when Lester's violent outburst escalates the already tense situation.

As chaos erupts outside during the house sell agreement, Esmail, Massoud's son, tries to intervene and is mistakenly shot by police. This incident marks a devastating turning point for both families, leading to profound grief.

Devastated by the loss of his son Esmail, Massoud succumbs to despair and takes the life of his wife Nadereh before ending his own life. This tragic conclusion leaves Kathy to grapple with the emptiness of their shared struggles.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Kathy learns that she has lost her home for good. As paramedics remove the bodies, she faces the stark reality that her fight to reclaim her house has ended in heartbreak and loss.