This film slowly and often silently raises questions with subtle comedy about the challenges facing a young woman who fled Afghanistan living on her own in America. Presented in black and white, this film deals with immigration and the issues of being a refugee, which are certainly not black and white. Beautiful young actress, Anaita Wali Zada is the lead in her first feature film playing Donya, a young woman who was working as a translator for American troops before she fled to America. She now works packaging Chinese fortune cookies in a historic factory in San Francisco.
British/Iranian director, Babak Jalali focuses on Zada’s face in closeup who seems easily able to show emotions in a very serene manner. Cinematographer Laura Valladao (Premature) captures Zada often holding a steady gaze. You can almost sense her thoughts without a word of dialogue.
Written by Jalali and Carolina Cavalli, there are many scenes showing Donya’s quiet, lonely existence. She simply works in the factory and lives in an enclave in Fremont, California with other Afghan refugees. She has developed a good friendship with expressive co-worker Joanna (Hilda Schmelling) where they package the fortune cookies while an old Chinese woman sits at a computer writing the fortunes. When the woman literally dies on the job, the factory owner promotes Zara to the job. He coaches her on the company philosophy urging messages to be “lucky but not too lucky, or unoriginal, too hopeless, short or long.” He also suggests it’s best if you know about love and love yourself.
When a neighbor, who also has insomnia, questions Donya’s sleepless nights, sedentary life and seeming loneliness, he suggests she see his psychologist, Dr. Anthony, (comedian Gregg Tarkington). She is reluctant, only wanting him to prescribe sleeping pills so she could finally get some rest. She doesn’t want to dig up her past. She finally talks her way into becoming his patient. Tarkington is quite effective with his low key, wry and dry therapy. He is patient with this buttoned up woman who is definitely depressed and suffering with PTSD, even though she barely understands it. She relates her new job and, as Dr. Anthony warms up, he tries his hand at writing fortunes himself. Sharing and discussing his list with Donya turns into a charming scene getting her to open up.
There is one musical interlude where her co-worker Joanna does karaoke and the song elicits the first emotional reaction from Donya with tears. Joanna urges her friend to get out more and date which gives her the crazy idea of putting her phone number in a fortune cookie. This leads to a road trip for a date that turns into something completely different in the last 10 minutes of the film. Enter Daniel (Jeremy Allen White, The Bear), a mechanic at a gas station she meets on the way to her date. Both are calm and quiet, but a connection is made. Their scenes together are halting but soft and tender. Has Donya met her match?
Director Jalali creates dramatic emotional insight to the plight of those who come to American for a better life and the day to day emotional problems they must adjust to and cope with. We were somewhat reticent with the slow pace and melancholy of this film, but with Jalali’s direction, Anaita Wali Zada pulled us in with her thought-filled gaze.
Music Box Films. 1 hour and 28 minutes. Not Rated.
In select theaters
