Odysseus’ Gambit (Short)
Mostly, I’ve been asked to review narrative films. So, when I found out that “Odysseus’ Gambit” was a documentary short, I got kind of excited. It would seem as though a documentary might be the easiest thing for low-budget filmmakers to do, but I can understand why it’s not: it’s all about the subject you have to document. In the case of this film, the subject is a riveting one– a Cambodian immigrant, taken during a mission in Southeast Asia in the ’60s and ’70s, who spends his days playing chess in New York. Using chess moves and positions as a structure, director Alex Lora finds a way into his subject that is fascinating, fitting, and results in an emotionally enriching experience. I don’t know how anyone can tell a story like this one in a mere 12 minutes– there seems like so much more we should be discovering –but Lora does so, and the result is the what the documentary form does best: it gives us a look at life that might not be our own, but becomes something we can identity with.
