A remote South American colony at the end of the 18th century. A Spanish official named Zama has been vainly expecting a letter from the king that is to sanction his transfer request to a more interesting locale. Hopefully it will arrive before he begins to show signs of the ill effects of years of isolation and frustration from peculiar bureaucratic willfulness. The fourth feature from the Argentinian icon of (post)modern film, a surreal and bizarre work, sometimes seems to treat viewers with a mischievous willfulness of its own.
A remote South American colony at the end of the 18th century. A Spanish official named Zama has been waiting in vain for a letter from the king that is to sanction his transfer request to a more interesting locale. Hopefully it will arrive before he begins to show signs of the ill effects of years of isolation and frustration born of inexplicable bureaucratic willfulness. The stagnant air all around him feeds his paranoia and makes each year seem longer than the one that came before… After nine years, Argentinian icon of (post)modern film Lucrecia Martel presents her fourth feature, a subtly surreal and bizarre work that often feels like it was made to purposefully confound the viewer – this cinematic labyrinth can only be navigated if we give up any attempt at finding an exit.
Martin Horyna
115 min / Color, DCP
Director Lucrecia Martel
/ Screenplay Lucrecia Martel
/ Dir. of Photography Rui Poças
/ Editor Miguel Schverdfinger, Karen Harley
/ Art Director Renata Pinheiro
/ Producer Benjamin Domenech, Santiago Gallelli, Matías Roveda, Vania Catani
/ Production Rei Cine, Bananeira Filmes
/ Coproduction El Deseo, Patagonik, MPM Film, Canana, Lemming Film, KNM, O Som e a Fúria, Louverture Films, Schortcut Films, Telecine, Bertha Foundation, Perdomo Productions, Picnic Producciones, Punta Colorada de Cinema
/ Cast Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Matheus Nachtergaele, Juan Minujín
/ Sales The Match Factory
Lucrecia Martel (b. 1966, Salta, Argentina). Selected filmography: Besos rojos (1991, short), Dead King (Rey muerto, 1995, short), The Swamp (La ciénaga, 2001), The Holy Girl (La niña santa, 2004), The Headless Woman (La mujer sin cabeza, 2008), Zama (2017)
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Phone: +49 221 539 7090
E-mail: [email protected]
Benjamín Doménech
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