New Argentine Cinema director Lucrecia Martel (La Ciénega, The Holy Girl, The Headless Woman) adapts Antonio di Benedetto’s 1956 novel about Don Diego de Zama, an unimportant official of the Spanish colonial empire who is posted somewhere in Paraguay waiting for a promotion to a post in Buenos Aires.
The more Zama tries to finish his work, the more he gets stuck in the middle of nowhere. Meanwhile his finances and mental state are deteriorating as he succumbs to lust and paranoia.
The novel was only translated into English in 2016 which brought it to critical attention.
Zama is distributed in the United States by Strand Releasing.
Zama at the Toronto Film Festival
Zama gets its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada on Friday, September 8, 2017.
Zama at the New York Film Festival
Zama gets its U.S. Premiere at the New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center on Saturday, September 30 at 6pm, and on Monday, October 2 at 6pm.
A final screening has been added at the Howard Gilman Theater on Sunday, October 15 at 1:30 pm!
Zama is going big
Zama performed strongly at the Toronto and New York film festivals.
It is Argentina’s official entry for “Best Foreign Language Film” at the 90th Academy Awards in March 2018.
[For our Argentine friends: As you can see in the cover picture, Zama is waiting for Argentina to win the World Cup! Vamos Argentina!]
Zama in New York City
Good things come to those who wait.
Zama opens in theatrical release at Film Society of Lincoln Center and IFC Center in Greenwich Village on Friday, April 13, 2018.
There are sneak previews with director Lucrecia Martel present for Q&A:
- Film Society
Wednesday, April 11 at 6:15 pm
Friday, April 13 at 7 pm - IFC Center
Thursday, April 12, 2018 at 9:30 pm
Saturday, April 14, 2018 after the 4:50 pm show and before the 7:25 pm show.
Now Playing
In the weekend of June 22 – 24, 2018, Zama is playing at Syndicated Bar Theater Kitchen in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn.