Fremont

In Fremont, Donya is living on the edge of two worlds. Anaita Wali Zada plays Donya, with Jeremy Allen White portraying Daniel. A young Afghan refugee and former translator, she drifts through a sparse life in Fremont, California, surviving on routine rather than ambition. She spends her days at a fortune cookie factory, scribbling fortunes as if mapping a future she isn’t sure she wants, and she attends sessions with an eccentric therapist who tries to untangle a stubborn insomnia and the weight of memories. Survivor's guilt for friends and family left behind in Kabul shadows every encounter, every late night text, every accidental connection. The film follows her attempts to find warmth, meaning, and companionship in a city that feels both close and distant, practical and uncertain.

Directed by Babak Jalali from a story by Carolina Cavalli, Fremont was produced with a 3 million dollar budget. The film presents a grounded, character driven look at an immigrant woman's daily life in a California suburb. Its release highlights intimate storytelling over spectacle.

Reviewers highlight the film's restrained, observant approach to displacement and desire. Donya's insomnia and survivor's guilt are not explained away but felt through quiet rituals and small interactions. The movie foregrounds everyday labor, language barriers, and the tenderness of fragile friendships, asking what it means to belong when homeland calls from far away.

Fremont has circulated primarily in festivals and limited theaters, earning sympathy for its intimate performance and precise depiction of immigrant life. It nudges conversations about identity, exile, and resilience, offering a humane counterpoint to louder refugee narratives. While not a blockbuster, its influence lies in inspiring other filmmakers to tell personal stories with restraint.

There are no major awards listed for Fremont at the time of release, though critics have noted its craft and emotional honesty. The absence of nominations does not reflect on its quality, but on its limited exposure.