Zama (2017)

Set in the simmering heart of 17th century South America, 'Zama' paints the riveting portrait of Don Diego de Zama, a stoic officer of the Spanish Crown. Born in the untamed landscapes of the New World, Zama finds himself tethered to the mundane town of Asunción, a place where time appears to stand still and ambitions wither away. Haunted by dreams of Buenos Aires - a city brimming with promise - he yearns for a letter from the King, a royal decree that would grant him a transfer from his humdrum existence. However, Zama's aspiration is as fragile as a house of cards. He must navigate the labyrinth of colonial bureaucracy, ensuring nothing eclipses his potential transfer while also placating the whims and fancies of successive Governors who come and go with the whimsy of the wind. With every task he dutifully accepts and performs, Zama is left further behind in the dust of progression, trapped in a ceaseless cycle of stagnation and submission. Rooted in the evocative prose of Antonio Di Benedetto's 1956 novel, 'Zama' is a compelling exploration of a man's struggle against the shackles of his circumstances, a man caught between the longing for a better future and the reality of his present.

Zama is a drama movie featuring Daniel Giménez Cacho and directed by Lucrecia Martel.

Zama is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy.

It is also possible to buy Zama on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.