FREMONT

By Babak JALALI

MEMENTO INTERNATIONAL - as SALES All rights, World

Drama - Completed 2023

Donya works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. Formerly a translator for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, she struggles to put her life back in order. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send out a special message in a cookie.

Festivals
& Awards

Sundance Film Festival 2023
Next
Karlovy Vary IFF 2023
Crystal Globe Competition
Zurich FF 2023
Special Screenings
    • Year of production
    • 2023
    • Genres
    • Drama, Romance
    • Countries
    • USA
    • Languages
    • ENGLISH, DARI, CANTONESE
    • Duration
    • 88 mn
    • Director(s)
    • Babak JALALI
    • Writer(s)
    • Babak JALALI, Carolina CAVALLI
    • Producer(s)
    • Marjaneh MOGHIMI, Sudnya SHROFF, Rachael FUNG, Laura WAGNER, Chris MARTIN, George RUSH
    • Synopsis
    • Beautiful and troubled 20-something Donya, an Afghan translator who used to work with the U.S. government, has trouble sleeping. She lives by herself in Fremont, California, in a building with other Afghan immigrants and often dines alone at a local restaurant watching soap operas. Her routine changes when she’s promoted to writing the fortunes at her job at a fortune cookie factory in the city. As her fortunes are read by strangers throughout the Bay, Donya’s smoldering longing drives her to send a message out to the world, unsure where it will lead.

      Shot in black and white, and with warmth and a wry sense of humor, director Babak Jalali has crafted a loving portrait of a young woman haunted by the past but still filled with desire for companionship and connection. Featuring a cast of unforgettable, unique characters, and anchored by a beguiling debut performance from real-life Afghan refugee Anaita Wali Zada, Fremont is an ode to the curious beauty of trying to build a new life in a strange land.