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.

History Fascism + Repression Criminal Justice Family Biography Human Rights Iberian Studies Literature
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
Keywords
El jugador de ajedrez,The Chess Player,Luis Oliveros,Marc Clotet,Melina Matthews,Alejo Sauras,Stefan Weinert,Andrés Gertrúdix,Mike Hoffmann,Lionel Auguste,Pau Durá,Maarten Dannenberg,Christian Stamm,Spain,France,Madrid,Paris,chess,survival,Second World War,World War II,treason,friendship,love,family,SS,Nazis,Franco's dictatorship,based on a book,Julio Castedo novel,history,imprisoned,jail,torture,history,context,narrative,past,chronicle,lore,annals,historic,personal history,archive,record,saga,biography,memoir,study,authority,authoritarianism,dictatorship,military regime,military government,fascism,repression,oppression,political oppression,political repression,far right,far right wing,modern fascism,criminal justice,crime,judiciary,police reform,corrections,criminal law,judicial system,justice department,prosecution,judgement,criminal law,courts and corrections,corrections institutes,family,kin,fellowship,household,immediate family,extended family,multigenerational family,multigenerational household,kinfolk,family tree,genealogy,nuclear family,modern family,family tree,biography,autobiography,biopic,memoir,life history,bio,biographer,biographical,personal account,personal history,diary,personal narrative,sketch,profile,personal letters,letters,journal,personal record,human rights,public rights,equal rights,freedom of expression,basic human rights,united nations,activism,human rights activism,human rights council,human rights commission,universal human rights,universal rights,iberian studies,iberian peninsula,mediterranean,andorra,spain,portugal,andorra studies,spanish studies,portuguese studies,literature,poetry,writing,fiction,books,adaptations,writing,writers,authors,authorship,novels,novellas,short fiction,memoir,biography,autobiography,literati,books,written word,book adaptations,poetry adaptations,english literature,spanish literature,books in translation,books adapted to film,cinematic adaptation,cinema rights,film rights,literary adaptation,literary imagery,literary motif; "The Chess Player"; Pragda Films
Clips
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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, 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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