<em>Zama</em> Is a Surreal Satire of Colonialism
Lucrecia Martel’s first narrative film in nine years follows an 18th-century Spanish official in charge of a remote South American colony.
Don Diego de Zama (Daniel Giménez Cacho) stands on the beach in the opening shot of with a preening air of authority. Wearing a tri-corner hat and clutching a ceremonial sword, he casts a look down at the lapping waves as if pondering whether he could even order them to turn back. But there’s a frayed quality to the scene. Zama’s regalia looks faded and droopy, his brow is sweaty, and
