FREMONT
Directed by Babak Jalali
2023 | 91 min | United States | UNCL 15+
Awards
2023 Sundance Film Festival
World Premiere, NEXT
2023 SXSW Film Festival
Official Selection
2023 San Francisco International Film Festival
Official Selection
2023 Karlovy Vary Film Festival
Winner: Best Director, Crystal Globe Competition
2023 Seattle International Film Festival
Official Selection
2023 Edinburgh International Film Festival
UK Premiere, Closing Night Film
Blazing a trail at The 2023 Sundance Film Festival and scoring the Best Director prize at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, FREMONT is a tough, gritty, but sweetly tempered tale of displacement and the surprising joys of fitting in. Boasting stunning performances from exciting newcomer Anaita Wali Zada, award-winning man-of-the-moment Jeremy Allen White (THE BEAR, THE IRON CLAW) and actor-writer-comedian Gregg Turkington (ANT-MAN).
The film centres on Donya, a lonely young Afghan woman who relocates to Fremont, California after serving as a translator for the American army. Working at a fortune cookie factory, Donya grapples with guilt from her past and struggles with self-esteem. Amidst it all, she discovers solace and connection through fortune cookies. A deeply affecting work from Iranian-British filmmaker Babak Jalali, Fremont takes hold and refuses to let go. FREMONT is infused with stoic optimism and captivating dry humour, and offers a poignant exploration of solitude experienced by immigrants in a foreign country.
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“The potency of Fremont sneaks up on you. You go in reluctant and even sceptical, and come out wondering how and why you’re moved to tears.” –– Tomris Laffry | VARIETY