![Hilda Schmelling](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDJlMTU5MjYtYTk5MC00MGQyLWIyYzgtZWVhZmQxNmU4YTZhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjY5NjAzNjA@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR13,0,140,207_.jpg)
![Hilda Schmelling](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDJlMTU5MjYtYTk5MC00MGQyLWIyYzgtZWVhZmQxNmU4YTZhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjY5NjAzNjA@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR13,0,140,207_.jpg)
Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) lives in Fremont in San Francisco’s Bay area, although she’s originally from Afghanistan, where she worked as a translator for the US Army before the Taliban returned to power. Now she works in a fortune cookie-makers alongside her co-worker Joanna (Hilda Schmelling), eating alone in a restaurant where the owner is hooked on soap operas and returning back to her flat where she fails to sleep at night. She’s not alone as it turns out and a neighbour gives her his psychiatry appointments, where she has conversations with Dr Anthony (Gregg Turkington) that often take a quiet turn for the absurd.
The film is redolent of Jim Jarmusch, not just the handsome black and white lensing from Laura Valladao but its deadpan, vignette nature, both of which recall, in particular, Coffee And Cigarettes. That’s not to say that there isn’t a narrative here,...
The film is redolent of Jim Jarmusch, not just the handsome black and white lensing from Laura Valladao but its deadpan, vignette nature, both of which recall, in particular, Coffee And Cigarettes. That’s not to say that there isn’t a narrative here,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWY1YjcxOTYtNWI2Ny00MThmLWE3OTgtMWI1MzBjY2Y5MDI2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,26,500,281_.jpg)
To characters in Babak Jalali’s Fremont, memories both serve an artistic purpose and function as nuisance to be dealt with. Unresolved experiences while serving as a translator to the U.S. Army in Afghanistan prevent refugee Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) from sleeping soundly in her new home of Fremont, California. She seeks sleeping pills from oddball psychiatrist Dr. Anthony (Gregg Turkington) who spends their sessions largely promoting the virtues of his favorite immigrant story: Jack London’s White Fang.
Later when fortune cookie factory owner Ricky (Eddie Tang) offers Donya a promotion from packaging the cookies to writing the messages that go inside, he leans on his instinct that her past pain will lend her a rich worldview from which to draw from as a writer. These plot machinations are rarely front and center in Fremont, and Donya’s seemingly-troubled past isn’t something she freely discusses with those around her.
Later when fortune cookie factory owner Ricky (Eddie Tang) offers Donya a promotion from packaging the cookies to writing the messages that go inside, he leans on his instinct that her past pain will lend her a rich worldview from which to draw from as a writer. These plot machinations are rarely front and center in Fremont, and Donya’s seemingly-troubled past isn’t something she freely discusses with those around her.
- 8/31/2023
- by Caleb Hammond
- The Film Stage
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDE1NTVkMTctN2E0Ny00ODQwLWJiZDEtYzEwMTAzMzBkZWVjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
“Fremont” made quiet waves at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival this year, a Jim Jarmusch-esque, laconic black-and-white dramedy about an Afghan woman making her way in the San Francisco Bay Area after working as a translator for the U.S. military. Directed by Babak Jalali, “Fremont” stars real-life Afghan refugee Anaita Wali Zada in a breakout, first-time role, along with the likes of comedian Gregg Turkington and “The Bear” Emmy nominee Jeremy Allen White in a small but smoldering role. IndieWire shares the exclusive trailer for the Music Box Films release below.
Wali Zada plays Donya, who works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco while living in the East Bay city of Fremont. Formerly a translator for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, the 20something struggles to put her life back in order while living in an apartment complex with other Afghan immigrants. In a moment of...
Wali Zada plays Donya, who works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco while living in the East Bay city of Fremont. Formerly a translator for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, the 20something struggles to put her life back in order while living in an apartment complex with other Afghan immigrants. In a moment of...
- 8/2/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmU4MzI3YjctMzUyNi00ZjI3LTlmZGYtOTNiZjg3ZWNmM2U2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,26,500,281_.jpg)
After successful US screenings at Sundance and SXSW, Fremont has its international premiere at Karlovy Vary.
After world premiering at this year’s Sundance in the Next section, and also screening at SXSW, Babak Jalali’s fourth film Fremont has its international premiere at Karlovy Vary, where it it is vying for a Crystal Globe.
Born in Iran and raised in London, Jalali first came to prominence when his 2005 short film Heydar, An Afghan In Tehran garnered a Bafta nomination. His debut feature Frontier Blues premiered in Locarno’s official competition in 2009 while his sophomore effort Radio Dreams won the...
After world premiering at this year’s Sundance in the Next section, and also screening at SXSW, Babak Jalali’s fourth film Fremont has its international premiere at Karlovy Vary, where it it is vying for a Crystal Globe.
Born in Iran and raised in London, Jalali first came to prominence when his 2005 short film Heydar, An Afghan In Tehran garnered a Bafta nomination. His debut feature Frontier Blues premiered in Locarno’s official competition in 2009 while his sophomore effort Radio Dreams won the...
- 7/5/2023
- by Laurence Boyce
- ScreenDaily
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNWJmN2I5ZTctMjk3YS00MmIxLTlkZWUtZDQ4NjE4MDgxNGIzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Although set in a noirish Northern California, “Fremont” – which premiered at Sundance and plays in competition at Karlovy Vary this week – is a refugee story that’s firmly rooted in reality. Director Babak Jalali’s casting of real-life Afghan refugee Anaita Wali Zada, a first-time actor, in the lead role gives some indication of his commitment to authenticity.
The hardboiled script, co-written with Carolina Cavalli, turns on a young woman, Donya, working in a Chinese fortune cookie factory while starved for sleep and wracked with Ptsd from her past life working with the U.S. military in Afghanistan. The tight dialogue lends another level of stylized sheen to the film, as does the appearance of two veteran actors in wry performances – Gregg Turkington as a Jack London-obsessed therapist, and Jeremy Allen White, best known for his role as master chef in TV series “The Bear,” as a lovelorn mechanic.
The hardboiled script, co-written with Carolina Cavalli, turns on a young woman, Donya, working in a Chinese fortune cookie factory while starved for sleep and wracked with Ptsd from her past life working with the U.S. military in Afghanistan. The tight dialogue lends another level of stylized sheen to the film, as does the appearance of two veteran actors in wry performances – Gregg Turkington as a Jack London-obsessed therapist, and Jeremy Allen White, best known for his role as master chef in TV series “The Bear,” as a lovelorn mechanic.
- 7/4/2023
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTk3NTlhNTItZDQ2MS00NzRkLWJiYTUtNDM4NzVkYmE2MmU4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UY281_CR80,0,500,281_.jpg)
In Fremont, writer-director Babak Jalali’s latest film, Afghan refugee and former U.S. Army translator Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) finds herself working at a fortune cookie factory in the Bay Area. She’s been having trouble sleeping, and her restlessness prompts her to send a message to the world through a uniquely sweet vessel. Dp Laura Valladao tells Filmmaker about shooting the sumptuous black and white film. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired […]
The post “This Film Is Really a Poem in a Lot of Ways”: Dp Laura Valladao on Fremont first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “This Film Is Really a Poem in a Lot of Ways”: Dp Laura Valladao on Fremont first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/29/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTk3NTlhNTItZDQ2MS00NzRkLWJiYTUtNDM4NzVkYmE2MmU4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UY281_CR80,0,500,281_.jpg)
In Fremont, writer-director Babak Jalali’s latest film, Afghan refugee and former U.S. Army translator Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) finds herself working at a fortune cookie factory in the Bay Area. She’s been having trouble sleeping, and her restlessness prompts her to send a message to the world through a uniquely sweet vessel. Dp Laura Valladao tells Filmmaker about shooting the sumptuous black and white film. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired […]
The post “This Film Is Really a Poem in a Lot of Ways”: Dp Laura Valladao on Fremont first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “This Film Is Really a Poem in a Lot of Ways”: Dp Laura Valladao on Fremont first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/29/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODBkNTNkMWEtODNkZC00YjRhLWE2ZGUtNjM1OTk0NDBhZTMyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
IndieWire has published its extensive survey regarding the cameras and lenses that shot 40 narrative films at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. We took the data and organize it in order to find a segmentation and tendency, by also comparing it to the previous years. The Arri Alexa Mini remains the king. However, diversity is significantly reduced. No Red, no Blackmagic, and no mirrorless. That’s unfortunate.
Sundance 2023: Camera manufacturers’ chart Sundance Film Festival 2023
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,660 attending in 2016 (yeah – that’s insane). It takes place each January in Park City, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; and at the Sundance Resort, and acts as a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films,...
Sundance 2023: Camera manufacturers’ chart Sundance Film Festival 2023
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,660 attending in 2016 (yeah – that’s insane). It takes place each January in Park City, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; and at the Sundance Resort, and acts as a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
![Gregg Turkington at an event for Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjMxNjQ2NDgxN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNTU0Njk3NTM@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
![Gregg Turkington at an event for Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjMxNjQ2NDgxN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNTU0Njk3NTM@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
In Fremont, Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) is often alone. She lives in a small apartment in Fremont, California, commuting each day to her job in a fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. She has a single friend that works there with her. Donya splits time between her apartment, the factory, and a therapist’s office, in hopes of receiving sleeping pills.
Donya is an Afghan refugee, once a translator for the U.S. Army and now living among a community of other Afghans in the Bay Area. She’s reserved, and Zada plays this isolation with a shy smile easily formed on her face. The government discarded Donya, left without much money, insurance, or the necessary means to make any sort of meaningful change to a somewhat limited, isolated existence.
Director Babak Jalali’s fourth feature is sly, droll, finding humor in the darkness surrounding Donya. When she meets with her therapist,...
Donya is an Afghan refugee, once a translator for the U.S. Army and now living among a community of other Afghans in the Bay Area. She’s reserved, and Zada plays this isolation with a shy smile easily formed on her face. The government discarded Donya, left without much money, insurance, or the necessary means to make any sort of meaningful change to a somewhat limited, isolated existence.
Director Babak Jalali’s fourth feature is sly, droll, finding humor in the darkness surrounding Donya. When she meets with her therapist,...
- 1/22/2023
- by Michael Frank
- The Film Stage
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDE1NTVkMTctN2E0Ny00ODQwLWJiZDEtYzEwMTAzMzBkZWVjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Music Box Films releases the film in select theaters on Friday, August 25.
A former translator for American troops in Kabul — a role that eventually allowed her to leave her birth country but left her with unresolved feelings of guilt and shame — 20something Donya now lives by herself in a Fremont, California, apartment complex full of other Afghan immigrants. Whatever sense of community Donya gets from the other people in the building doesn’t seem to alleviate her quiet isolation, even if neighbors like Suleyman (Timur Nusratty) and Salim (Siddique Ahmed) are readily available for wistful conversation at all hours of the night.
When the sun comes up, Donya commutes to her job at a Chinese-owned fortune cookie factory, where she’s responsible for printing out the cryptic sayings that other people will eventually translate for themselves. That...
A former translator for American troops in Kabul — a role that eventually allowed her to leave her birth country but left her with unresolved feelings of guilt and shame — 20something Donya now lives by herself in a Fremont, California, apartment complex full of other Afghan immigrants. Whatever sense of community Donya gets from the other people in the building doesn’t seem to alleviate her quiet isolation, even if neighbors like Suleyman (Timur Nusratty) and Salim (Siddique Ahmed) are readily available for wistful conversation at all hours of the night.
When the sun comes up, Donya commutes to her job at a Chinese-owned fortune cookie factory, where she’s responsible for printing out the cryptic sayings that other people will eventually translate for themselves. That...
- 1/20/2023
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzExMGM5ZjItYWZjYS00MzNmLWI3OWQtYTY2YTczMzExYTZjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,22,500,281_.jpg)
Exclusive: Colman Domingo is executive producing Scott Aharoni and Dennis Latos’ short Leylak.
The short, shot during the pandemic, follows an immigrant gravedigger, a frontline worker, who buries his pain in order to shelter his daughter from an unspeakable loss but learns that the only way forward is together.
Also joining The Candyman and Fear the Walking Dead actor as EP is is Oscar nominated filmmaker Doug Roland, whose film Feeling Through was nominated for Best Live Action Short at the 93rd Academy Awards.
Leylak made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize, going on to garner top awards at such international film festivals as Galway Film Fleadh in Ireland, Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, Port Townsend Film Festival, Leiden International Film Festival, Tacoma Film Festival, New York Shorts International Film Festival, and many more.
Domingo said,...
The short, shot during the pandemic, follows an immigrant gravedigger, a frontline worker, who buries his pain in order to shelter his daughter from an unspeakable loss but learns that the only way forward is together.
Also joining The Candyman and Fear the Walking Dead actor as EP is is Oscar nominated filmmaker Doug Roland, whose film Feeling Through was nominated for Best Live Action Short at the 93rd Academy Awards.
Leylak made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize, going on to garner top awards at such international film festivals as Galway Film Fleadh in Ireland, Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, Port Townsend Film Festival, Leiden International Film Festival, Tacoma Film Festival, New York Shorts International Film Festival, and many more.
Domingo said,...
- 11/29/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
![Zora Howard and Joshua Boone in Premature (2019)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWU1YjcwMjEtNjg4NC00ZjEyLWFmMGQtMWM0YzM4ODRmNzAzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODY3Nzc0OTk@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![Zora Howard and Joshua Boone in Premature (2019)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWU1YjcwMjEtNjg4NC00ZjEyLWFmMGQtMWM0YzM4ODRmNzAzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODY3Nzc0OTk@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
“Premature” is the provocative sophomore feature from Rashaad Ernesto Green (“Gun Hill Road”), headlined by a breakthrough performance by Zora Howard, who co-wrote the screenplay with Green. Adapted from their award-winning 2008 short of the same name, the coming-of-age drama serves as both an ode to a vanishing piece of New York City and a universal story of love among black youth.
“We asked ourselves what we felt was missing in present-day black cinema, and we felt there was an overabundance of black films with narratives driven by themes of black victimization, black fear, and black pain,” Green said. “Although we understood the impulse to explore these narratives, we decided instead to explore black life and black love. In the current cinematic climate, we viewed simply telling a young black love story as a radical act.”
They trusted their instincts and culled from their own life experiences as black Harlemites who...
“We asked ourselves what we felt was missing in present-day black cinema, and we felt there was an overabundance of black films with narratives driven by themes of black victimization, black fear, and black pain,” Green said. “Although we understood the impulse to explore these narratives, we decided instead to explore black life and black love. In the current cinematic climate, we viewed simply telling a young black love story as a radical act.”
They trusted their instincts and culled from their own life experiences as black Harlemites who...
- 2/21/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
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