Queen to Play (original title Joueuse, the feminine form of “player”) is a 2009 French-German film directed by Caroline Bottaro. It is based on the novel La Joueuse d’échecs by Bertina Henrichs.
Synopsis The film stars Sandrine Bonnaire as a French chambermaid on the island of Corsica. She develops an interest in chess. She has been cleaning the house of an American doctor (played by Kevin Kline in his first French-speaking role), and he begins helping her practice and improve. She must deal with her growing fascination with the game and with her husband and teenaged daughter.
Cast Sandrine Bonnaire as Hélène Kevin Kline as Kröger Valérie Lagrange as Maria Francis Renaud as Ange Alexandra Gentil as Lisa Alice Pol as Natalia Didier Ferrari as Jacky Laurence Colussi as Pina Élisabeth Vitali as Marie-Jeanne Daniel Martin as The President of the Chess Club Dominic Gould as L'Américain Jennifer Beals as L'Américaine
Awards 2010: Special Mention for John Schlesinger Award for Outstanding First Feature Palm Springs International Film Festival 2009: Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival
Release The film had its world premiere on April 25, 2009 in both New York City and Los Angeles, at the Tribeca Film FestivalQueen to Play at Tribeca Film Guide Archive and the ColCoa Film Festival respectively. The national release in France was on August 5, 2009 and in Germany on January 7, 2010. The film is distributed in the U.S. by Zeitgeist Films and was released there on April 1, 2011.
References
External links Queen To Play at Zeitgeist Films
Queen To Play at Video Detective Joueuse at StudioCanal Variety.com review Interview with Caroline Bottaro on indieWIRE Queen To Play Goes to Zeitgeist Films for U.S. Distribution on indieWiRE