Zama

Zama

Synopsis

“Set on the outer frontiers of the Spanish Empire during the last decade of the 18th century, Zama pushes traditional notions of a colonial adventure tale to its parodic limits. The film follows the plight of Don Diego de Zama, a creole magistrate – a Spaniard born in the Americas and considered a second-class citizen – in the service of the Spanish crown. Resentful of his demotion to the provinces, he yearns for his transfer to the city of Lerma, where his wife and family live, and where he hopes to escape the deadening routine of his assignment. Propelled by highly elliptic storytelling and featuring a striking colour scheme as well as an extraordinary soundscape, Zama is a mixture of existential drama and Kafkaesque nightmare, constantly undercut by an ever-so-slight ironic tone.” – Harvard Film Archive

Technical Specs

Director: Lucretia Martel
Year: 2017
Duration: 115 min