“Fremont,” the latest project from Iranian-British filmmaker Babak Jalali, is an intricate examination of the life of an Afghan refugee in the U.S. 

The character Donya, wonderfully portrayed by actress Anaita Wali Zada, is a former translator whose entire family still lives in Afghanistan. Suffering from insomnia, survivor’s guilt and loneliness, Donya seeks to find love in her new world.

In the current climate of high-budget, visually mesmerizing movies, projects like “Fremont” are a breath of fresh air. They dial down the excitement and tell realistic stories. For this reason, Babak Jalali’s directorial masterclass of a film will probably never receive the attention it deserves. 

The film was shot entirely in black and white, which is rare in modern cinema. Donya’s isolation is portrayed by the color palette. Though some may argue that a lack of radiant color makes a film visually unstimulating, I wholeheartedly disagree, as “Fremont” wouldn’t have been as impactful had it been shot in color.

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Dialogue pacing played a key role in the film as well, as most of the speech was heavily monotone. Conversations between Donya and her boss trudged along slowly, while conversations between her and her love interest Daniel, played by Jeremy Allen White, moved quickly. Jalali’s use of pacing in these interactions highlighted the emotions within them. It’s a subtle, yet effective, inclusion.

Perhaps the most compelling element of “Fremont” was the way shots were framed. Jalali made good use of the actors’ faces throughout the film with closeups, particularly in scenes between Donya and her therapist, played by Gregg Turkington. To me, these interactions felt like those of a Wes Anderson movie, all thanks to the framing. 

For the average moviegoer, “Fremont” is unique. Monotone voices and mundane colors are, on the surface, unattractive; however, these elements were crucial in telling this truly beautiful story. Take a chance on what seems “boring,” and I promise you’ll be surprised.