Illegal Move

Analysis Paralysis

September 2016 •English

A man’s head is bursting with thoughts and decisions. A gardener is about to explode – somebody has trampled on her flowerbeds. The man is looking for somebody who is better at playing chess than his dachshund. The gardener is looking for a mysterious vandal who is missing a yellow boot. In the end, they might just be looking for the same thing.

E4

November 2023 •English

A boy plays a game of chess by himself but after looking away for a moment he realizes the pieces on the board have begun to move by themselves.

The Seventh Seal

February 1957 •Swedish

When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

December 1998 •English

A modern adaptation of the classic children's story 'Alice through the Looking Glass', which continued on from the popular 'Alice in Wonderland' story. This time Alice is played by the mother, who falls asleep while reading the the bedtime story to her daughter. Walking through the Looking Glass, Alice finds herself in Chessland, a magical and fun world. There she meets the Red and White Queens, as well as many other amusing friends on her journey across the chessboard countryside onto become a crowned queen.

Geri's Game

November 1997 •English

An aging codger named Geri plays a daylong game of chess in the park against himself. Somehow, he begins losing to his livelier opponent. But just when the game's nearly over, Geri manages to turn the tables.

All the Pretty Horses

December 2000 •English

The year is 1949. A young Texan named John Grady finds himself without a home after his mother sells the ranch where he has spent his entire life. Lured south of the border by the romance of cowboy life and the promise of a fresh start, Cole and his pal embark on an adventure that will test their resilience, define their maturity, and change their lives forever.

Falsettos

July 2017 •English

The 2016 Broadway Revival of William Finn's Tony-winning musical. It tells the story of Marvin, a Jewish family man who leaves his wife and son for a male lover during the height of the AIDS crisis in 1980s New York City.

The Hussites

November 2013 •Czech

What if the events in a key era in our history were actually completely different than what our history textbooks try to tell us? What if Master Jan Hus didn't even get warm in Constance, let alone burn up? What if Jan Zizka had more than one healthy eye? This animated comedy from director Pavel Koutský playfully breaks the myths about the Hussite era as the pedestal of history is occupied not by preachers and military leaders but by two unbelievable scatterbrains, who become the heroes of their time against their will.

Old Man's hell chess

August 2023 •

The Luzhin Defence

August 2000 •English

Based upon the novel by Vladimir Nabokov, a chess grandmaster travels to Italy in the 1920s to play in a tournament and falls in love.

Spectacle

October 2013 •English

A couple's break up gets out of hand as the man tries to woo his woman back in a strange house. Hijinks ensue.

Checkmate!

July 1967 •Polish

Short TV film upon the story of Ludwik Niemojski of the same title, which was a part of his "Incredible Stories". It tells about Bartolomeo, brilliant chess player, who had ruined his private life because of his passion for chess.

En Prise

September 2022 •Spanish

An epic battle between a knight and a pawn is about to start!... Except it doesn't, they're actually chess pieces

Chess-Nuts

April 1932 •English

An initially realistic chess game becomes a chaotic, animated quest for the favors of Betty Boop (the black queen) by Bimbo (white king) and others, with elements of bowling and football. Koko appears.

The Chess Player

May 1927 •French

In 1776, an inventor conceals a Polish nobleman in his chess-playing automaton, a machine whose fame leads it to the court of the Russian empress.

The Dilemmas of a Burning Train, by the Baker

July 2023 •Portuguese

A Baker and a Train Driver meet during a festival to play a game of chess. While playing the game, both exchange ideas about Life and Death and their future destinies.

The Woman with Red Boots

December 1974 •French

An elderly millionaire manipulates an avant-garde writer and a happily married man.

WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko

December 2023 •English

Set in an alternate WWI reality where a senseless war rages on, two soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict play a joyful game of chess. A heroic carrier pigeon delivers the soldiers' chess moves over the battlefield as the fighting escalates. Neither soldier knows his opponent as the game and the war builds to its climatic final move. Whoever wins the game, one thing is for certain: there are no winners in war.

Checkmate

January 2016 •English

Edgar finds himself in the middle of a cafe robbery, but little by little he discovers that there is more to it than meets the eye.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

November 1966 •English

Alice returns to Wonderland through the looking glass in this TV musical.