Zama (2017)

Argentinian director Lucrecia Martel returns with a fine adaptation of Antonio Di Benedetto’s existential novel.

In her first feature since 2008’s The Headless Woman, Lucrecia Martel creates a memorable exploration of personal malaise. Adapting Antonio Di Benedetto’s existential novel, it follows Don Diego de Zama (Daniel Giménez Cacho), a minor officer in an unnamed colony of the 18th-century Spanish crown, desperate to return to his family. As his request is repeatedly delayed by red tape, Martel charts his progressive decline with opulent visuals and a multi-layered soundscape.

2017 Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France, Mexico, Netherlands, Monaco, Portugal, USA, Lebanon, United Kingdom, Dominican Republic
Directed by
Lucrecia Martel
Produced by
Benjamin Domenech, Santiago Gallelli, Matías Roveda, Vania Catani
Written by
Lucrecia Martel
Featuring
Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Mateus Nachtergaele
Running time
115 minutes

Ranked in The Greatest Films of All Time poll

Sight and Sound

Who voted for Zama

Critics

Peter Bradshaw
UK
Gonzalo De Pedro
Spain
Cristóbal Escobar
Chile
Carlos Escolano
Spain
Paula Felix-Didier
Argentina
Devika Girish
USA/India
Natalia Keogan
USA
Giovanni Marchini Camia
Italy/Switzerland/Germany
Lucrecia Matarozzo
Argentina
Hind Mezaina
United Arab Emirates
Cristina Nord
Germany
Jennifer Sabine
Australia
Rasha Salti
Canada/Lebanon/Germany
Libby Saxton
UK
Dennis Vetter
Germany

Directors

Libertad Gills
Ecuador
Radu Muntean
Romania
Athina Rachel Tsangari
Greece

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