TRUST TO CHANCE AND WINDFALLS
Super8 | 14 min | Color | 2010
Trust to Chance and Windfalls is the name of an opening move in Xiangqi (Chinese Chess), a move that announces a faith in and fidelity to the winds of chance and to those of good fortune. The film locates its trust and fortunes in the richness of the ‘mundane’ practices acted out in the gatherings of a small chess club. It follows their routines and their being-with-one-another every Sunday during the course of a year and during a trip to Hong Kong and Mainland China, where the filmmaker was able to trace the personal histories and memories of the players back to their origins.
SCREENINGS:
Cambridge Super 8 Festival; Cambridge, UK 2011
Jury Mention
“A documentary whose style and warmth is the direct outcome of the filmmakers’ dedication and willingness to observe, learn and explore. The direct cinema style of the images contrasts nicely with the verbal interview soundtrack, as the filmmaker follows the chess group from New York to China.”
10th International Super 8mm Festival; Szeged, Hungary 2011