FREMONT

USA | 2023 | B&W | DCP | 91’ | ENGLISH, DARI, CANTONESE

Donya is a young woman, of Afghan origin, who lives in the lethargic Fremont, California and makes her living by writing fortune cookies. Her attempts to put her life in order prove fruitless; she is tormented by sleepless nights and guilt towards her family. Up until she decides to author her own, unorthodox, fortune cookie, in search of the ideal romantic recipient. Imbued in melancholic b/w cinematography, with its Jarmusch-like existentialism, its enjoyable multicultural references and the moments of eccentric humor, Jalali’s movie brings back good old authentic memories of American independent cinema and it justly won him Best Director award at the Karlovy-Vary film festival. Th.P.

DIRECTOR: Babak Jalali
SCREENWRITERS: Babak Jalali, Carolina Cavalli
DoP: Laura Valladao
MUSIC: Mahmood Schricker
EDITOR: Babak Jalali
PRINCIPAL CAST: Anaita Wali Zada, Gregg Turkington, Jeremy Allen White

BABAK JALALI
Born in Northern Iran. His graduation short film received a BAFTA nomination. His debut feature film was developed at the Cannes film festival Cinefondation (Residence). Since then, he has written and directed four feature films. His latest film, ‘Fremont’, premiered in Sundance in 2023. He lives mainly in London.

FILMOGRAPHY
2023 Fremont
2018 Land
2016 Radio Dreams
2009 Frontier Blues