The Chess Player

(El jugador de ajedrez)
Luis Oliveros | Drama

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
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Keywords
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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

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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