Chess of the Wind
Directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani
March 25th, 2022 7:00 pm
Synopsis
Screened publicly just once before it was banned and then lost for decades, this rediscovered jewel of Iranian cinema reemerges to take its place as one of the most singular and astonishing works of the country’s pre-revolution New Wave. A hypnotically stylized murder mystery awash in shivery period atmosphere, Chess of the Wind unfolds in an ornate, candlelit mansion where a web of greed, violence, and betrayal ensnares the heirs to a family fortune as they vie for control of their recently-deceased matriarch’s estate. Melding the influences of European modernism, gothic horror, and classical Persian art, director Mohammad Reza Aslani crafts an exquisitely controlled mood piece that erupts in a stunningly subversive final act in which class conventions, gender roles, and even time itself are upended with shocking ferocity.
Restored by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna at L’Image Retrouvée laboratory (Paris) in collaboration with Mohammad Reza Aslani and Gita Aslani Shahrestani. Restoration funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.
Trailer
Film Details
Director: Mohammad Reza Aslani
Studio: Janus Films
Running Time: 93 minutes
Country: Iran
Release Year: 1976 / 2021
Rated: Not rated
Reviews
“Aslani pulls story threads together with an elegant moving camera that doesn’t immediately give up all the secrets a scene may contain.” – Glenn Kenny, The New York Times
