Chess of the Wind
April 21, 2026
Presented by Grand Illusion Cinema. Screened publicly just once before it was banned and then lost for decades, this rediscovered jewel of Iranian cinema reemerged to take its place as one of the most singular and astonishing works of the country’s pre-revolution New Wave. 4K restoration!
SIFF year-round passes and vouchers are not valid for this screening.
A hypnotically stylized murder mystery awash in shivery period atmosphere, Chess of the Wind unfolds in an ornate, candlelit mansion where a web of greed, violence, and betrayal ensnares the heirs to a family fortune as they vie for control of their recently-deceased matriarch’s estate.
“Happenstance alone saved this movie from oblivion, and how lucky we are for it—a moody tale of ugly family and class dynamics, reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe, complete with an utterly unexpected, numbing final shot.” — David Mermelstein, Wall Street Journal
“…a stylistic tour de force… Visually, the film is a sumptuous feast from first frame till last.” —Godfrey Cheshire, RogerEbert.com
- Director: Mohammad Reza Aslani
- Principal Cast: Fakhri Khorvash, Mohammadali Keshavarz, Akbar Zanjanpour, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Shahram Golchin
- Country: Iran
- Year: 1976
- Running Time: 98 min.
- Language: Farsi w/ English Subtitles
- Has Subtitles: Yes