International Film Series: Chess Story

May 1 Chess Story (Germany/Austria 2021)
Based on the novel by Stefan Zweig, Chess Story takes place in occupied Vienna in 1938. Dr. Josef Bartok is preparing to flee to America with his wife Anna when he is arrested by the Gestapo. As a former notary to the Austrian aristocracy, he is told to help the local Gestapo leader gain access to their private bank accounts in order to fund the Nazi regime. Refusing to cooperate, Bartok is locked in solitary confinement. Just as he is beginning to crack, Bartok happens upon a book of famous chess games. To withstand the torture of isolation, Bartok disappears into the world of chess, maintaining his sanity only by memorizing every move.