Chess of the Wind

Chess of the Wind

Directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani • 1976 • Iran
Starring Mohamad Ali Keshavarz, Fakhri Khorvash, Shohreh Aghdashlou

This rediscovered jewel of Iranian cinema has reemerged as one of the most astonishing works of the country’s prerevolutionary New Wave. A hypnotically stylized murder mystery awash in period atmosphere, CHESS OF THE WIND unfolds inside a candlelit mansion, where a web of greed, violence, and betrayal ensnares potential heirs as they vie for control of their matriarch’s estate. Melding the influences of European modernism, gothic horror, and classical Persian art, Mohammad Reza Aslani crafts an exquisitely restrained mood piece that erupts into a subversive final act in which class conventions, gender roles, and time itself are upended with shocking ferocity.

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Chess of the Wind
  • Chess of the Wind
    1:40:25
    Chess of the Wind

    Chess of the Wind

    Directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani • 1976 • Iran
    Starring Mohamad Ali Keshavarz, Fakhri Khorvash, Shohreh Aghdashlou

    This rediscovered jewel of Iranian cinema has reemerged as one of the most astonishing works of the country’s prerevolutionary New Wave. A hypnotically stylized murder mystery awash...

Extras

  • Martin Scorsese on CHESS OF THE WIND
    02:46
    Martin Scorsese on CHESS OF THE WIND

    Martin Scorsese on CHESS OF THE WIND

    The following short video featuring Martin Scorsese, founder of The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, was produced in 2022.

  • The Majnoun of the Wind
    53:27
    The Majnoun of the Wind

    The Majnoun of the Wind

    This 2022 documentary about Mohammad Reza Aslani's CHESS OF THE WIND was directed and narrated by the director's daughter Gita Aslani Shahrestani. It features Aslani; actors Shohreh Aghdashlou, Fahri Khorvash, and Akbar Zanjanpour; producer Bahman Farmanara; set designer Houri Etesam; composer Sh...

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