Cheltenham International Film Festival
Fremont - part of the Cheltenham International Film Festival
This screening forms part of Cheltenham International Film Festival, which marks its 5th anniversary in 2023. The festival will screen new films from around the world, plus film classics and is adding television, and new live events to its programme, along with guest celebrities.
Donya writes slogans for fortune cookies, but as an Afghan refugee living in America, what does the future hold for her?
Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) now lives in Fremont California after being evacuated from Afghanistan because of her work as a translator for the American military. Currently, she makes slogans for a Chinese fortune cookie company. Life is dull for Donya, who misses her family and struggles to connect with an oddball assortment of work colleagues, fellow Afghans and an offbeat therapist who seems to think the solution to all her problems can be found in the novel White Fang.
Like the fortune cookies she makes, the poignant script is rich in clever aphorisms and wry one liners. If you love early Jim Jarmusch and Aki Kaurismäki, then this life affirming feature is not to be missed. First time actor Anaita Wali Zada, an Afghan refugee whose experience mirrors her characters, gives a sensational performance and if you are a fan of TV sensation The Bear, watch out for Jeremy Allen White’s appearance.
Babak Jalali’s assured black-and-white indie drama strikes a beautiful tone with a deadpan sense of humor, aided by Anaita Wali Zada’s quietly poignant performance Variety