Fremont

Set primarily in Fremont, California, the story follows Donya's day-to-day life in a suburb of the Bay Area. It also features scenes in nearby San Francisco and a trip to Bakersfield as part of a pivotal meeting. Fremont serves as a quiet, immigrant-rich backdrop that contrasts with the turmoil in Donya's past.

🧠 Mental Health

The film centers on Donya's struggle with insomnia and survivor's guilt after leaving Kabul. It presents therapy as a pathway to confronting trauma, while sleep deprivation and emotional fatigue reveal the fragility of recovery. The narrative uses intimate conversations and moments of vulnerability to explore what healing requires beyond medication, highlighting resilience and the complexity of seeking help in a new country.

🕊️ Refugee Experience

Donya's story is rooted in displacement and the challenge of building a new life after escaping danger in Kabul. The film shows the loneliness of starting over, the weight of threats back home, and the slow process of finding belonging through small acts of kindness. Communities of neighbors, coworkers, and friends become her lifelines as she navigates a system that often withholds support. The theme underscores dignity, memory, and the search for safety.

💞 Connection

Loneliness drives Donya to seek connection, from tentative workplace friendships to a budding romance with a kind mechanic. The film traces how opening up to others can bring comfort, even when fear and guilt linger. Small acts—like sharing a coffee, writing a number on a fortune, or accepting a deer statue—become bridges toward belonging and healing.