A Wider Angle (CHESS STORY)

Join us for this special joint event presented by our Long Live the King! chess club and A Wider Angle film series, our longstanding monthly film series highlighting independent global cinema!

We will screen Chess Story, a 2021 film directed by Philipp Stölzl based on the 1942 novella The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig. Zweig was an immensely popular Austrian author of the early 20th century who was one of the most widely translated writers in the world during the height of his career. The final credits of the Wes Anderson movie The Grand Budapest Hotel says that the film was inspired by the writing of Stefan Zweig.

In the movie, Josef Bartok, a Vienna notary in recently Nazi-annexed Austria, is placed into solitary confinement by the Gestapo, who hope to force him to reveal the whereabouts of his aristocratic clients' wealth. In his effort to overcome the psychological torture, Bartok secretly escapes into the world of chess, a game he initially dismisses, with the help of a book pilfered from his tormentors. His skills are then put to the test in a dramatic match with a mysterious chess world champion.

Popcorn, snacks and beverages will be available at no charge!

In German with English subtitles. (Running time 112 minutes)

(PLEASE NOTE - while the movie is not rated, it is intended for mature audiences. Children ages 17 and under must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.)

For a review of the film, click here.

A Wider Angle film series is made possible through funding provided by the Friends of the Library.