Fremont is a 2023 American drama film directed by Babak Jalali and co-written by Carolina Cavalli. It tells the story of Donya, a lonely Afghan refugee and former translator, who lives in Fremont, California and works at a fortune cookie factory. She suffers from insomnia and survivor’s guilt, and struggles to find love and happiness in her new life. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023 and received critical acclaim for its understated and poignant portrayal of the immigrant experience12
Here is a brief summary of the film’s plot:
- Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) is a 20-something Afghan woman who used to work as a translator for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. She now lives in a building with other Afghan immigrants in Fremont, California, where she writes fortunes for a Chinese family-owned cookie factory.
- Donya has trouble sleeping and often spends her nights staring at the ceiling or watching soap operas with an elderly restaurant worker named Fan (Avis See-tho). She also visits an eccentric therapist named Dr. Anthony (Gregg Turkington), who tries to help her overcome her trauma and guilt over leaving her country and family behind.
- Donya feels isolated and disconnected from the people around her, including her co-worker Joanna (Hilda Schmelling), who tries to befriend her, and Salim (Siddique Ahmed), a fellow Afghan who has a crush on her. She also faces hostility from Mina (Taban Ibraz), another Afghan woman in her building, whose husband Suleyman (Timur Nusratty) considers Donya a traitor for working with the Americans.
- Donya’s life changes when she meets Daniel (Jeremy Allen White), a young musician who works at a record store. They have an instant attraction and start dating, but their relationship is complicated by their cultural differences and Donya’s reluctance to open up about her past. Daniel introduces Donya to his friends and invites her to his band’s concert, where she meets Boots Riley (himself), a famous rapper and activist who inspires her with his music and message.
- Donya decides to take a risk and send out a special message in one of the fortune cookies, hoping that it will reach someone who needs it. She writes: “Don’t be afraid to live your dreams.” The cookie ends up in the hands of Ricky (Eddie Tang), a young Chinese-American boy who dreams of becoming an astronaut. He takes the fortune as a sign and decides to pursue his passion.
- The film ends with Donya finally falling asleep in Daniel’s arms, smiling peacefully as she dreams of flying in space with Ricky.
I hope this summary helps you understand the film better. If you want to watch it, you can find it on [Music Box Films], the official distributor of the film.
