This special screening will be followed by an in-person Q&A with director Babak Jalali.

Beautiful and troubled 20-something Donya, an Afghan translator who used to work with the U.S. government, has trouble sleeping. She lives by herself in Fremont, California, in a building with other Afghan immigrants and spends her time dining alone at a local restaurant watching soap operas.

Her routine changes when she’s promoted to writing the fortunes at her job at a fortune cookie factory in the city. As her fortunes are read by strangers throughout the Bay, Donya’s smouldering longing drives her to send a message out to the world, unsure where it will lead.

Shot in beautiful black and white, and with warmth and a wry sense of humour, this film is a slice-of-life that recalls the work of Jim Jarmusch. Featuring a cast of unforgettable, unique characters, and anchored by a beguiling debut performance from real-life Afghan refugee Anaita Wali Zada and rising star Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), Fremont is an ode to the curious beauty of trying to build a new life in a strange land.

F-Rating: Co-written by Carolina Cavalli (known recently for her directorial debut, Amanda) and starring Anaita Wali Zada

Bool tickets here.