Chess of the Wind

The Brief

A masterful Gothic family tale from Iran – restored after being banned and lost for decades. In 2015, Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Reza Aslani stumbled upon his own debut feature The Chess Game of the Wind (1976) at a flea market. The film had premiered in Tehran, but was quickly withdrawn after a conflict with the festival’s leadership, and later banned following the 1979 revolution. Only a poor-quality VHS circulated, and the film was considered lost—until the negatives were recently rediscovered and restored in Paris by the World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna. Set in a grand house during the Qajar dynasty, the story follows a family torn apart by inheritance disputes, intrigue, paranoia, and betrayal. At the center is the deceased matriarch’s wheelchair-bound daughter and her female companion and lover—a relationship that contributed to the film’s censorship. Aslani blends precise compositions with increasingly restless camerawork, creating a chamber drama reminiscent of Shakespeare, Gothic horror, 1970s European cinema, and Bresson’s fascination with hands. The haunting score by Sheyda Gharachedaghi fuses traditional Persian music with unsettling modern jazz. A long-lost cinematic treasure, finally back on the big screen. Good to know: * Language: Persian * Subtitles: English