4K Restoration of Long-Lost Iranian Film ‘Chess of the Wind’ Trailer

by Alex Billington
October eight, 2021
Source: YouTube

“My lady, you should have confronted him earlier.” Janus Films + Criterion Collection have launched a brand new trailer for a 4K restoration of a protracted-misplaced, banned-from-the-world Iranian movie titled Chess of the Wind, initially Shatranj-e baad. It first premiered in 1976 at the Tehran Film Festival, and has been up to date and restored from the authentic copy for a 4K re-launch this yr. What’s it about? The first woman of a noble home has died and now there’s battle between the remainders for taking up her inheritance. Starring Fakhri Khorvash, Mohamad Ali Keshavarz, Akbar Zanjanpour, and Academy Award-nominated Shohreh Aghdashloo. Chess of the Wind screened publicly simply 3 times earlier than it was then banned by Iran’s new authorities after which misplaced for many years – till the authentic damaging was found by the director’s youngsters in a junk store and restored underneath the auspices of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project. The restoration had its world premiere at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, then was featured at the New York Film Festival and London Film Festival. Opening in cinemas in the US beginning later this fall. This seems higher than ever.

Here’s the 4K restoration trailer (+ poster) for Mohammad Reza Aslani’s Chess of the Wind on YouTube:

Chess of the Wind Poster

In an ornate, candlelit mansion in 1920s Tehran, the heirs to a household fortune collect and vie for management of their matriarch’s property — erupting in a ferocious closing act. “The opulent, claustrophobic interiors are reminiscent of Persian miniatures… The influence of European cinematic masters like Pasolini, Visconti and Bresson is also apparent. The sound design also stands out: wolves howl and dogs bay as they circle the house, ratcheting up the sense of menace; crows caw, jangling the nerves; heavy breathing makes the characters’ isolation in this haunted house increasingly oppressive. The soundtrack — an early work by trailblazing female composer Sheyda Gharachedaghi — takes inspiration from traditional Iranian music, and sounds like demented jazz.” Chess of the Wind, initially referred to as Shatranj-e baad, is each written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Reza Aslani, his characteristic directorial debut at the time. The movie initially premiered at the Tehran Film Festival in 1976, however was by no means launched after being banned quickly after. Janus Films will debut the 4K restoration of Chess of the Wind in choose US theaters beginning on October 29th, 2021 this yr – starting at Film Forum in NYC. For extra information, go to their official web site.

Find extra posts: Foreign Film, To Watch, Trailer