Donya works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory. Formerly a translator for the U.S. military, she struggles to put her life back in order. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send out a special message in a cookie.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- 7 wins & 13 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast
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Anaita Wali Zada | ... |
Donya
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| Gregg Turkington | ... |
Dr. Anthony
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| Jeremy Allen White | ... |
Daniel
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| Hilda Schmelling | ... |
Joanna
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Avis See-tho | ... |
Fan
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Siddique Ahmed | ... |
Salim
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Taban Ibraz | ... |
Mina
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Timur Nusratty | ... |
Suleyman
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Eddie Tang | ... |
Ricky
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Jennifer McKay | ... |
Lin
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Divya Jakatdar | ... |
Amaya
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Fazil Seddiqui | ... |
Aziz
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Molly Noble | ... |
Molly
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Enoch Ku | ... |
Jason
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Boots Riley | ... |
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
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Corey Seaver | ... |
Deliveryman (uncredited)
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| Nisha Steiger | ... |
Restaurant Patron #2 (uncredited)
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| Joseph Tai | ... |
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Babak Jalali | ||
Written by
| Carolina Cavalli | ... | () |
| Babak Jalali | ... | () |
Produced by
| Valerie Bush | ... | associate producer / line producer |
| Darrick Chan | ... | associate producer |
| Rachael Fung | ... | producer (p.g.a.) |
| Nickhil Jakatdar | ... | executive producer |
| Lata Krishnan | ... | executive producer |
| Chris Martin | ... | producer |
| Peter McClellan | ... | associate producer |
| Marjaneh Moghimi | ... | producer (p.g.a.) |
| Akash Nigam | ... | executive producer |
| Neda Nobari | ... | executive producer |
| George Rush | ... | producer |
| Sudnya Shroff | ... | producer (p.g.a.) |
| Laura Wagner | ... | producer |
Music by
| Mahmood Schricker | ||
Cinematography by
| Laura Valladao | ||
Editing by
| Babak Jalali | ||
Editorial Department
| Evan Bauer | ... | Senior Color Producer |
| Jeff Cornell | ... | digital intermediate editor |
| Michael Kosciesza | ... | assistant editor |
| Chase McAulay | ... | Engineering |
| Ryan McGlade | ... | assistant editor |
| Matt Medeiros | ... | digital intermediate producer |
| Pete Olshansky | ... | VP: Sales |
| Stephanie Park | ... | Senior Color Assistant |
| Mikey Rossiter | ... | colorist |
| Sydney Schnurrenberger | ... | assistant editor |
| Patriciana Tenicela | ... | finishing producer |
Casting By
| Eyde Belasco | ||
Production Design by
| Rob Riutta | ||
Set Decoration by
| James Kreuzer | ||
| Cem Salur | ||
Costume Design by
| Caroline Sebastian | ||
Makeup Department
| Gabriela Aceves | ... | hmu assist |
| Alexa Kern | ... | HMU assist |
| Holly Ruth | ... | hair department head / makeup department head |
Production Management
| Peter McClellan | ... | unit production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Semmi Cole | ... | second second assistant director |
| Elaine Marie Gibson | ... | first assistant director |
| Hillary Pierce | ... | second assistant director |
Art Department
| Ethan Ashley | ... | construction |
| Kemi Ayoko | ... | property master |
| Jesse Cortez | ... | buyer |
| Skyler Delvy | ... | assistant property master |
| Pamela Hinojosa | ... | property master |
| Quinn Kelley | ... | set dresser |
| Ross Parsons | ... | graphics |
| Troy Salur | ... | set dresser |
| Sudnya Shroff | ... | Custom artwork |
| Boris Garcia Vargas | ... | set dresser |
Sound Department
| Maurizio Armato | ... | re-recording mixer: foreign language |
| David Caicedo | ... | 2nd Unit Sound Mixer |
| Marzia Cordò | ... | dialogue editor |
| Gabriel de la Cruz Corporan | ... | boom operator |
| Stefano Grosso | ... | sound designer |
| Vladan Nedeljkov | ... | Foley recordist |
| Jonah Perry | ... | Additional boom operator |
| Giancarlo Rutigliano | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Nixon Sanchez | ... | production sound mixer |
| Aleksandra Stojanovic | ... | foley artist |
| Jonathan Bridge Wilson | ... | Additional sound mixer |
Visual Effects by
| Sean Perry | ... | vfx artist |
Stunts
| Tony Vella | ... | camera car driver |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Jonah Benamotz | ... | Set Lighting Technician |
| Michael Boomer | ... | Assistant Chief Lighting Technician |
| Dexx Broughton | ... | Additional Company Grip |
| William Dauel | ... | first assistant camera (as Will Dauel) |
| Tehan Davis | ... | Company grip |
| Peter Dendrinos | ... | best grip |
| Alison Terry Evans | ... | still photographer |
| Tyriek Gibson | ... | 2nd Unit 1st Assistant Camera |
| Maija Lahdesmaki | ... | still photographer |
| Luke Lasley | ... | Additional 2nd Assistant Camera |
| Jessica Le | ... | camera utility |
| Marc Lenahan | ... | Lighting Console Programmer |
| Sage Lillaheart | ... | Set Lighting Technician |
| Jordan Livingston | ... | digital imaging technician: dailies |
| Inder Mann | ... | Additional Chief Lighting Technician |
| Kat McLain | ... | Set Lighting Technician |
| Max Miles | ... | 2nd Unit Cinematographer |
| Ryan Matthew Hagerty Moore | ... | key grip |
| Bryce Myrah | ... | Set Lighting Technician |
| DeVron Randle | ... | Additional 2nd Assistant Camera (as Devron Randle) / Additional 2nd Assistant Camera |
| Jarrett Rogers | ... | Additional Chief Lighting Technician / Additional Lighting Technician |
| Calum Ruxton | ... | Company grip |
| Erik Scanlon | ... | Additional Company Grip |
| Jessica Schlegel | ... | Additional Chief Lighting Technician |
| Sasha Shvachko | ... | second assistant camera |
| Matthew P. Stouppe | ... | chief lighting technician |
| Tony Vella | ... | Precision Driver |
| Greg Willing | ... | Set Lighting Technician |
Casting Department
| Michael Ching | ... | Local casting |
| Lara Noel Pflicke | ... | Background casting (as Lara Pflicke) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Neftali Martinez | ... | set costumer |
| Sarah McGovern | ... | costume assistant |
Location Management
| Andy Cerio | ... | assistant location manager |
| Saisie M. Jang | ... | location consultant (as Saisie Jang) |
| Bobby Ysip | ... | location manager |
Music Department
| Leon Doyle Bromell | ... | music supervisor |
| Mindy Dinh | ... | music coordinator |
| Leandro Joaquim | ... | musician: Baritone horn |
| Reza Moghaddas | ... | score mixer |
| Scott Peterson | ... | musician: Upright Bass |
| Mahmood Schricker | ... | musician: Electronic setar / score produced by |
Script and Continuity Department
| Michael Lopez | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| Francisco Alvarez | ... | set medic |
| Nicholas Bustamante | ... | craft services/production assistant |
| JayVee Corley | ... | production assistant |
| Cynthia Cottrill | ... | accountant |
| Stephen Cottrill | ... | Accounting Assistant |
| Roshan Das | ... | production assistant |
| Mathieu Delaunay | ... | international sales |
| Marisa Garay | ... | production assistant / stand-in |
| Vee Godinez | ... | key set production assistant |
| Michael Interiano | ... | production assistant |
| Noel Kabe | ... | craft services/production assistant |
| Asad Khan | ... | production assistant |
| Debbi L. Klopman | ... | Immigration counsel |
| Bret Mayfield | ... | set medic |
| David McNulty | ... | production assistant |
| Logan Murray | ... | production coordinator |
| Jalen O'Neil | ... | production assistant |
| Greg Paroff | ... | production assistant |
| Nathan Salvatti | ... | craft services/production assistant |
| Hilda Schmelling | ... | on set dresser |
| David Snook | ... | accountant |
| Tom Stevens | ... | Accounting Assistant |
| Gustavo Yubi | ... | production manager: 2nd unit |
| Giacomo Zangrilli | ... | production assistant |
Thanks
| Monica Aguillon | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Mounia Akl | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Maria Altamirano | ... | thanks |
| J.D. Amato | ... | the producers wish to thank (as JD Amato) |
| Mahsa Amini | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Carl Anderson | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Zaid Ayoub | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Keely Badger | ... | special thanks |
| Vaijayanti Bal | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Sam Benwell | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Hannah Boulton | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Jerri Bowen | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Ryan Martin Brown | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Tina Brown | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Lia Buman | ... | thanks |
| Winifred Cabiness | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Antonio Campos | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Rohini Chakravarthy | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Leah Chang | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Duccio Chiarini | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Jean Chu | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Cassius Colley | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Michael Colley | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| James Corless | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Noah Cowan | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Rob Cristiano | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Matthieu Darras | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Bettina Devin | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Birkan Cemal Dogan | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Tamara Downs | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Ginevra Elkann | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Sarina Esmailzadeh | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Manijeh Fata | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Milo Fleming | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Michael Fung | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Stephanie Gamarra | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Hannah Garfield | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Amy Gee | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| John Glatz | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Kaden Golda | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Paula González-Nasser | ... | the producers wish to thank (as Paula Andrea Gonzalez) |
| SB Grey | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Roopak Gupta | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Karim Hamati | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Ucef Hanjani | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Andrew Hauser | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Laura Heberton | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Cidney Hue | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Alex Issvoran | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Ali Jaberansari | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Akhil Jakatdar | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Divya Jakatdar | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Kapil Jakatdar | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Bahar Jalali | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Behrang Jalali | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Taghi Jalali | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Megan Jorgenson | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Caroline Kaplan | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Renee Kaplan | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Akash Kapoor | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Josh Kelly | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Debbi Klopman | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Matthew Kohn | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Berfin Korkut | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Collin Kriner | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Francis J. Kuzler | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Frank Kuzler | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Jess Kwan | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Edward Lachman | ... | the producers wish to thank (as Ed Lachman) |
| Logan Lamson | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Steven Lee | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Nico Leunen | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Ash Lilani | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Alex Loeb | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Michelle Long | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Anthony Lopez | ... | thanks |
| Maida Lynn | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Jim Macilvaine | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Heather MacLean | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Daniel Magariel | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Zahra Mahloudji | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| John Maringouin | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Nion McEvoy | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Sara McFarlane | ... | thanks / the producers wish to thank |
| Sanjay Mehra | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Atessa Moghimi | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Hatef Moghimi | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Mehdi Moghimi | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Parivash Moghimi | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Salmeh Moghimi | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Babak Mortazavi | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Prithvi Mruthyunjaya | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Rashmi Munot | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Gabrielle Nadig | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Shivani Nariyawala | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Cristina Vere Nicoll | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Chris Ohlson | ... | thanks |
| Anele Page | ... | thanks |
| Ardalan Payvar | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| David Raboy | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Patricia Ramos | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Christopher Rand | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Boots Riley | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Shira Rockowitz | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Franz Rodenkirchen | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Rachel Rosen | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Colette Rush | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Gigi Rush | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Jaime Rush | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Oski Rush | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Sudahbeh Sabet | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Sohrab Shahid Sales | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Roxanna Samii | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Shana Sarin | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Jatinder Kaur Sarkaria | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Sapna Sawhney | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Bryce Schramm | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Ali Shahin | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Fereshteh Shahrivari | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Nika Shakarami | ... | the producers wish to thank (as Nika Shahkarami) |
| Snehal Shinde | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Swapnil Shinde | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Sadhana Shroff | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Saar Singhal | ... | special thanks |
| Marleen Slot | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Maya Sommer | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Mohammad Talani | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Riaz Taplin | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Matthew Thurm | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Mayuran Tiruchelvam | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Nicholas Tong | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Aristotle Torres | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Fien Troch | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Michael Tully | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Serkan Mert Ural | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Vivek Vaidya | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Kevin Vale | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Pierce Varous | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Rodolphe Von Hofmannsthal | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Caroline von Kuhn | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Francoise Von Roy | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Rita Walsh | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Yama Waziri | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Diane Weipert | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Harry Windsor | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Jing Wu | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Cynthia Yee | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Shadi Yousefian | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Ryan Zacarias | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Su Zeki | ... | the producers wish to thank |
| Qijing Zhang | ... | the producers wish to thank |
Production Companies
- Butimar Productions
- Extra A Productions
- Blue Morning Pictures (in association with)
Distributors
- Madfer Films (2024) (Spain)
- JHR Films (2023) (France) (theatrical)
- Modern Films (2023) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- One from the heart (2024) (Greece) (theatrical)
- Exponenta (2024) (Russia) (video)
- Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2023) (United Arab Emirates) (Middle East, North Africa and Iran)
- Mushroom Studios (2024) (Australia)
- Music Box Films (2023) (United States)
- trigon-film (2023) (Germany)
- trigon-film (2023) (Switzerland)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Digiloid (post-production facilities) (dailies)
- Digiloid (production storage provided by)
- Endcrawl.com (end titles made with)
- Film Emporium Insurance Services (insurance)
- Oakland Fortune Factory (the producers wish to thank)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Beautiful and troubled 20-something Donya, an Afghan translator who used to work with the U.S. government, has trouble sleeping. She lives by herself in Fremont, California, in a building with other Afghan immigrants and often dines alone at a local restaurant watching soap operas. Her routine changes when she's promoted to writing the fortunes at her job at a fortune cookie factory in the city. As her fortunes are read by strangers throughout the Bay, Donya's smoldering longing drives her to send a message out to the world, unsure where it will lead. Written by themoviedb |
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| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Around 17,000 US visas have been issued to Afghan translators plus around 10,000 for relatives with as many still dangerously left behind after troops pulled out. At the peak, the Taliban were killing a translator every day. See more » |
| Soundtracks | Diamond Day See more » |
| Quotes |
Joanna:
The next time you answer like a fortune cookie, I'll eat you. See more » |