Tracker Pixel for Entry

Jalali Welcomes Viewers to ‘Fremont’

Cinema | August 27th, 2023

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

In Sundance standout “Fremont,” the outwardly mundane and inwardly tumultuous experiences of a young woman from Afghanistan are spun by filmmaker Babak Jalali into gold.

Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) has left her home country for the California community of the title after spending time as a military translator. Hiding, repressing, or simply refusing to deal with complex emotions and likely PTSD (though she would deny it), Donya takes up residence in an apartment complex populated with other refugees and finds work in a small mom-and-pop fortune cookie company.

Beautifully captured by director of photography Laura Valladao in the squarish 1.33:1 Academy aspect ratio, the movie’s offbeat style is accentuated by the sharp black and white of its careful compositions.

As a storyteller, Jalali’s droll humor, wordless pauses and frequent application of static master shots match perfectly with the watchful awareness of the laconic and taciturn Donya. Comparisons of Jalali to Jim Jarmusch are apt, particularly in the way the director – who co-wrote the screenplay with Carolina Cavalli – wrings out all kinds of absurdity alongside key moments of transcendent sentiment.

Because Donya chooses to withhold the expression of emotion around others, the viewer is called upon to imagine just what exactly is going on inside her head.

Master meta/anti-comedian Gregg Turkington plays Dr. Anthony, the therapist Donya is required to see in her attempt to acquire prescription medicine to, as the protagonist insists, help her sleep. This casting is especially on-point, as Turkington has developed a career dependent on commitment to characters existing in a liminal state between earnestness and irony. Many additional side and supporting personalities cross paths with Donya during the course of the story, but Turkington’s presence is a series of small gifts. His use of Jack London’s “White Fang” as a therapeutic tool is among my favorite scenes of the year.

Turkington is not the only actor who leaves a big impression in a small number of onscreen minutes. Jeremy Allen White helps Jalali stick the movie’s excellent landing as a magical mechanic. Hilda Schmelling absolutely destroys a transcendent rendition of Vashti Bunyan’s haunting folk gem “Diamond Day,” bringing tears to Donya’s eyes and the eyes of viewers. Eddie Tang respects the fortune cookie business even as his partner Jennifer McKay plots and schemes. Fazil Seddiqui keeps a close eye on his favorite Turkish soap opera while conversing with Donya at the quiet restaurant she frequents.

It’s the errand of a fool to reductively pigeonhole “Fremont” as a character study focused on universals like loneliness and isolation (as well as the painful curse of survivor’s guilt). While these themes cannot be ignored, Jalali builds a special world around his main character, whose very specific challenges are made acutely familiar by Wali Zada.

Donya’s confident bursts of assertiveness contrast with her more typical circumspect introversion. Her decision to take a risk and send a personal message into the world is an S.O.S. contained in a cookie instead of a bottle, serving as an example to all that fortune can favor the timid as well as the bold. 

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comDairy Queen restaurants across the country will raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals during Miracle Treat Day on Thursday, July 31. At least one dollar from every Blizzard…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comFM Pride Week returns to the Fargo-Moorhead metro August 3-10. A snapshot of events are listed below. Discover event descriptions and locations as well as volunteer opportunities online at…

Monday, August 11Fargo Theatre, 314 N. Broadway, Fargo “Saw The Musical” premiered Off-Broadway in the Fall of 2023, parodying the events of the first “Saw” film. It has been described as “a love story with fluidity (and…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…

By Ed Raymondfargogadly@gmail.comNotes about terror, tyranny, torture, freedom, laws, lies, and truthWhen Vice President Mike Pence needed an answer to a question about the 2020 presidential election that might end American…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Cinephiles and fans of classic midcentury Hollywood biography will find much to appreciate in Mariska Hargitay’s insightful documentary “My Mom Jayne.” As protagonist Olivia Benson on…

Press ReleaseTouchmark at Harwood Groves will host a special artist reception featuring renowned glass artist Jon Offutt on Tuesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. in the community’s auditorium. The event celebrates Offutt’s temporary…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Yvonne Denault There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comCaregivers for school-aged children and teenagers are encouraged to bring them to back-to-school immunization clinics scheduled for every Tuesday in August. Fargo Cass Public Health (FCPH)…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…