Set in a seaside South American colony, Lucrecia Martel’s historical feature centers on a bitter 18th century Spanish officer Don Diego de Zama, as he stands on the beach of the South American colony and impatiently waits for his transfer to Buenos Aires. Zama is unamused by his current status and believes he is due to move up the ranks. Back home a wife and family wait for him, but they are merely an afterthought in relation to the life he has pursued while abroad. Having impregnated a local woman and taken to chiding the colony’s slaves, Zama finds himself at an impasse.
A cast of faces (governors, merchants, noble women) do their best to spur a reaction from Zama, but it soon becomes apparent that he is looking for a grander narrative for himself but faces only disappointment. Martel pulls back the curtains on the romantic notion of colonialism and exposes it for its corrupt, chauvinistic and ultimately deplorable core.
Director Biography
Lucrecia Martel was born in Argentina in 1966. She has been making films since 1988, including short films Besos Rojos (’91) and Rey Muerto (’95). Martel has been named as a member of New Argentine Cinema by film critic Joel Poblete.
Press
"After nine long years away, Argentinian auteur Lucrecia Martel takes no prisoners in this testing, formally thrilling colonial nightmare." - Variety
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