UW Cinematheque | Chess of the Wind

CHESS OF THE WIND
(SHATRANJ-E BAAD)
Iran | 1976 | DCP | 93 min. | Farsi with English subtitles
Director: Mohammad Reza Aslani
Cast: Fakhri Khorvash, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Shahram Golchin

A major rediscovery, this beautifully restored landmark of pre-revolution Iranian cinema was banned after a single screening and had long been considered lost. In an opulent, candlelit mansion, a wealthy family schemes against one another in pursuit of the remains of their inheritance. A haunting depiction of crumbling aristocracy much more redolent of Visconti than Kiarostami, Chess of the Wind is an essential addition to the canon of Iranian art cinema (MK). Co-presented with the support of UW Madison’s Middle East Studies Program.