Set by the shore of an Oslo fjord a tactical game of chess is played between a man and his anxiety. To combat his fears he must play the match to win, understanding his existential worries and uncovering a path to ultimate freedom from fear.

Director Statement

The film is a sanctuary where I express myself more easily than with words. As a “life reflective” filmmaker I tend to pinpoint personal issues and resolve them through the lens of film. My art-making practice has so far included no dialogue; instead, I lead the characters to reveal emotion, focusing on the mood created by strong visuals and music. Memories from my childhood and adolescence influence my perspective as well as my time working in fashion, which inspires my visual sensibility.

Marek Stave

Marek Stave is an independent filmmaker based between Oslo and Los Angeles. His experimental films are characterized by spiritual and cultural themes, poetic imagery and unconventional structure. His work ventures into the oneiric and incorporates philosophic and metaphysical inquiry.

Born by the Baltic Sea in Latvia, Jurmala to a Russian mother and Latvian father, Marek immigrated to a small island on the west coast of Norway when he was 14 and spent his teenage years surrounded by fjords, a landscape which would later enter and form part of the symbolism present in his films. Marek spent his 20s in London working in the creative industries starting in fashion and later film production. He produced his first short film in 2012 in collaboration with Penny Slinger. In 2014, Marek founded the production company The Group with the support of Innovation Norway.

Since moving to Los Angeles in 2017, Marek has practiced filmmaking at University of California, Los Angeles and Echo Park Film Centre. His first super 16mm short film, Malibu og Dem (2018), was shortlisted at Fashion Film Festival Milano in 2018; and his second 16mm, under the mentorship of Juan Carlos Alom, Preacher (2018), exhibited at El Apartamento gallery in Havana, Cuba. His current projects include: IKONA and A Secret (2020).

In August 2020, Marek will begin a stay at the prestigious art film residency, Ecole de Leth, at Arken Modern Museum in Copenhagen. Led by Jørgen Leth with guest lectures by Lars von Trier among others, he will continue to explore his art and filmmaking practice.