The Chess Player
(El jugador de ajedrez)
Luis Oliveros | Drama, Fiction
2017 | 98 minutes | Spain
A story of love and survival set during the Nazi invasion of France during World War II.
Synopsis
With an impressive 42 Goya Award nominations and adapted from Julio Castedo’s novel, The Chess Player follows chess champion Diego Padilla as he falls in love with French journalist Marianne Latour in 1934 Spain. Two years later, the couple decides to relocate to France with their young daughter, to avoid the Spanish Civil War. Once there, Padilla is falsely accused of espionage by the Nazis and imprisoned in a SS prison.
Behind bars, Diego grapples with the challenges of a hostile environment, finding solace in the shared passion for chess with Colonel Maier, the enigmatic and unpredictable commanding officer. Maier, a figure of hieratic authority, introduces an element of hedonism to the prison setting, creating a backdrop of tension and intrigue as Diego strives to navigate the perilous circumstances surrounding him.
Reviews
“A beautiful touching story that comes to the eyes directly from the heart.” – Eduardo Torre-Dulce, EXPANSION
“A film that tells us about life.” – Andrés Arconada, LIBERTAD DIGITAL
“Highlights its narrative narrativeness and its excellent atmosphere.” Luís Roca, La Provincia
“Well told, with rhythm and appropriate actors” - La Razón
“Luxurious national production.” - Diario Sur
“Offers an incredible stage with period decorations, costumes, props, and performance.” - Cine y Tele
Citation
Main credits
Oliveros, Luis (film director)
Castedo, Julio (screenwriter)
Castedo, Julio (film producer)
Herrero, Gerardo (film producer)
Casado, Juan Antonio (film producer)
Clotet, Marc (actor)
Matthews, Melina (actor)
Sauras, Alejo (actor)
Other credits
Cinematography, Juan Carlos Gómez; editing, Teresa Font; music, Alejandro Vivas.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Biography
Criminal Justice
Family
Fascism + Repression
History
Human Rights
Iberian Studies
Literature
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Wordlfest Houston - Platinum Remi Award Best Historical Film, Best Lead Actor, Best Soundtrack; Vues du Monde Montreal Film Festival - Best Soundtrack; Chicago Latino Film Festival; Tokyo International Film Festival, Málaga Film Festival
DIRECTOR: Luis Oliveros
NATIONALITY: Spain
YEAR: 2017
GENRE: Drama, Fiction
LANGUAGE: Spanish; German; French
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School, College, Adult
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
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