Zama (2017)

Based on the novel by Antonio Di Benedetto written in 1956, on Don Diego de Zama, a Spanish officer of the seventeenth century settled in Asunción, who awaits his transfer to Buenos Aires.

Director:

Lucrecia Martel

Writers:

Antonio Di Benedetto (based on the novel by), Lucrecia Martel

Stars:

Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Matheus Nachtergaele

40 wins & 47 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Giménez Cacho	...	Zama
Lola Dueñas	...	Luciana
Matheus Nachtergaele	...	Vicuña Porto / Soldado Gaspar Toledo
Juan Minujín	...	Ventura Prieto
Nahuel Cano	...	Fernández
Mariana Nunes	...	Malemba
Carlos Defeo	...	El Oriental
Rafael Spregelburd	...	Capitán Parrilla
Carlos Cano	...	Guardia
Jorge Román	...	Reo
Gustavo Böhm	...	Gobernador I
Massamba Seye	...	Mensajero I
Germán de Silva	...	Indalecio
Vicenzo Navarro Rindel	...	Hijo Oriental
Dolores Ocampo	...	Amanda

Storyline

Zama, an officer of the Spanish Crown born in South America, waits for a letter from the King granting him a transfer from the town in which he is stagnating, to a better place. His situation is delicate. He must ensure that nothing overshadows his transfer. He is forced to accept submissively every task entrusted to him by successive Governors who come and go as he stays behind.

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Plot Keywords:

argentina | spanish colonial | magistrate | governor | colonial | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was filmed in 2015 but spent two years in post-production. Long delays were due to Lucrecia Martel's battle with uterine cancer. She announced in 2017 during promotion for the completed film that she was in remission.

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Quotes

Gobernador II: What are you writing?
Fernández: A book, Governor.
Zama: We need to draft a letter to be sealed and...
Gobernador II: A book? A book? Make children, not books. Learn a lesson from our Magistrate, Manuel.
Fernández: I can't know how my children will be. But I do know how this book will be.

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Soundtracks

Siempre en mi corazón
Performed by Ernesto Lecuona

User Reviews

Cold Kafka in Colonial Argentina

Poor Don Diego de Gama. Both parents Spanish, but he's never been to Spain, as he is frequently snobbily reminded by the Spanish-born residents in his 1790s Argentina back country town. He's a bureacrat serving a king 6000 miles away, unable to decide anything by himself, a fish in water (in a ruling metaphor) who can't live in a wet place. He wants to leave but can't, because everything is on hold. Will a military expedition bail him out? Bitterly totally ironic, structured around off camera sounds that are never what hearers think they are. I'm now hunting down the 1956 novel by Antonio_di_Benedetto.

Details

Country:

Argentina Brazil Spain Dominican Republic France Netherlands Mexico Switzerland USA Portugal Lebanon

Language:

Guarani Spanish Portuguese

Release Date:

28 September 2017 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

Zama

Filming Locations:

Formosa, Argentina

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,123, 15 April 2018

Gross USA:

$200,600

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$489,692

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bananeira Filmes, Canana Films, Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1