Fahim

Pierre-François Martin-Laval

The true, heart-warming story of chess prodigy Fahim Mohammad. Forced to flee from Bangladesh to France with his father, Fahim is discovered by eccentric chess coach Sylvain (Gérard Depardieu). As Fahim prepares for the French national championships, his father’s future in France hangs in the balance.

Fahim is an 8-year-old chess prodigy from Bangladesh, playing for money on the streets of Dhaka. But then his father has to flee the country, and Fahim goes with him. They hope to get asylum in France. While they wait in uncertainty about their future, Fahim meets chess coach Sylvain, who recognises his talent and takes him under his wings.

‘Chess is not a game,’ Sylvain quotes chess grandmaster Kasparov. ‘No sport is more violent.’ Sylvain prepares Fahim – in very unconventional ways – for the national French chess championships, while the asylum application of Fahim’s father is hanging in the balance. Can the national championships save their future in France? A tale about kindness, the love between a father and his son, and the beauty of chess.

Credits

Director
Pierre-François Martin-Laval
Year
2020
Country of production
France
Type
Fiction
Duration
108 minutes
Spoken language
French
Subtitles
NL
Dutch distributor
Paradiso Filmed Entertainment