Chess

WITH OLIVER MASUCCI, ALBRECHT SCHUCH, BIRGIT MINICHMAYR & ROLF LASSGÅRD.

BASED ON THE CLASSIC NOVEL BY STEFAN ZWEIG

When the Nazis march into Vienna, lawyer Josef Bartok tries to flee the country with his wife Anna. The escape fails and Bartok is arrested by the Gestapo. He is then kept isolated in a room at the Metropol Hotel in the city. For days, weeks and months, the only thing he hears from another human being is the screams of less fortunate prisoners being tortured in adjacent parts of the property. After one of many interrogations, Bartok manages to steal a book on chess. Carefully staging the classic games described in the book becomes the only way for him not to break down completely. The world of chess becomes his escape route.

Director Philipp Stölzl ( North Face , Winnetou & Old Shatterhand ) takes on the classic short story “Chess” by Stefan Zweig. The author was born and worked in Austria but was driven into exile after the Nazis seized power in 1933. Zweig is also known for his portrayal of how Europe changed in the aftermath of World War I in the book The World of Yesterday: Memories of a European . It was one of the sources of inspiration when Wes Anderson made The Grand Budapest Hotel .

In the lead role of Josef Bartok we have the acclaimed Oliver Masucci. In another of the larger roles we see Sweden's own Rolf Lassgård. Among the other actors are Birgit Minichmayr and Albrecht Schuch.

WINNER – BEST FILM – GILDE FILM AWARD
WINNER – BEST ACTOR, BEST PRODUCER – BAVARIAN FILM AWARDS
WINNER – BEST COSTUME – GERMAN FILM AWARDS

* * * * “ Creeps under the skin ” – The Culture Blog

“ Masucci makes the film worth seeing ” – The Express
“ A dream of order when everything falls apart ” – DN
" Lassgård makes a lot of a small role " – Aftonbladet
“ Oliver Masucci is brilliant in the lead role ” – TT
“ Visually elaborate ” – DN

* * * * “ Brilliant ” – Cinemacritics
“ Gripping ” – Indiekino Magazin
“ Masucci is extraordinary in the lead role ” – The JerusalemPost
" Sublime acting " - Hot Movie News
" Strong story and acting, fine direction and nice camera work " - Invisible Cinema