FREMONT. Starring: Anaita Wali Zada, Gregg Turkington, Jeremy Allen White. Directed by Babak Jalali. Rated M (Mature themes and coarse language). 91 min.
In Afghanistan, Donya (Zada) worked as a translator for the US army. Arriving in the US as a refugee she finds employment in Fremont, California, and lives in a small bed-sit unit. The walls of her room seem to close around her, and she has many sleepless nights. During the day she works at a cookie factory in nearby San Francisco. The cookies she sells there tell the fortunes of other people, while she struggles to understand her own. She leaves her home phone number in what she writes, just in case.
Donya is a quietly spoken victim of survivor-guilt. She finds it hard to reconcile the relative comforts of her present situation from the plight of fellow Afghans struggling to live and survive in a country she loves, knowing that her country is torn by aggression, turmoil and conflict. She also finds it hard to accept the absence of connection in a strange environment. She feels her separation acutely, and experiences the agonies of a traumatised, displaced person.
The film is dialogue heavy and the plot is linked to the conversations Donya manages to have with the people around her. In her attempts to quietly converse with others, she struggles to establish meaningful human contact. She finds some solace with a woman in her apartment complex, which houses other Afghan refugees, but is made aware the woman’s husband is critical of her for having worked for the US army.
The film is photographed in black and white which starkly depicts Donya as a refugee trying to understand and accept her situation, and the film achieves what is intended under the director’s humanist, and, at times, comic touch. Donya yearns for love and personal fulfilment as much as she does for restful sleep. The film concludes with a ray of hope that enters through the interactions that she establishes with a young mechanic (White), who befriends her. However, the possibility of romance between them distracts from Donya’s personal struggle. The focus of the film is firmly on the plight of struggling refugees, and is directed skillfully by Iranian director Jalali.
This intimate film presents refugee-crises with impact. Zada is outstanding as the lead. The film has a strong scripted and its narrative strength illustrates how difficult it is for refugees to adapt to a new country which is so different from the environment they have left behind. The movie’s black-and-white photography fits well, and the film authentically conveys refugee experience. This is a deeply reflective film.
Mushroom Studios
Released 2 May 2024