Fremont
Fiction, 2023, 91′
15/03 Sat | 19h00 | Room 3
Directed by Babak Jalali
Written by Carolina Cavalli, Babak Jalali
Cinematography by Laura Valladao
Cast Anaita Wali Zada, Jeremy Allen White, Gregg Turkington
John Cassavetes Award (Independent Spirit Awards); Karlovy Vary (best director), Sundance, SXSW, Seattle, Rome (Official Selection) (2023)
Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) works in a Chinese fortune cookie factory in Fremont. An ex-translator for the American military in Afghanistan, she struggles to get her new life together. In a moment of inspiration, Donya decides to send a special message in a cookie, which then seems to trigger a series of unexpected events. Babak Jalali, originally from Iran, whose journey has lead him to work in London, Paris and Roma, and currently in the USA, knows the difficulties a foreigner faces in integrating into the new society that has taken them in. With no previous experience as an actress, Wali Zada is excellent in the role of Donya.