Shorts: ‘Over the Board’ is a King-Sized Brotherly Match-Up

I love the opening shot of Emiliano Bolado’s Live Action Short Film contender, Over the Board. Two faceless prison inmates take turns on a chess board as the sound of the jail around them fills our ears. I couldn’t help but think about the cold metal against their forearms as they contemplate their next move–the trash talk coming from either side of a shared wall. When two brothers have a chance to reconnect, Bolado’s film kicks into high gear as they battle not just on the board but about position, education, and upbringing.

Eric is surprised when he receives a letter in his cell–the guard delivering the mail even comments that it doesn’t happen very often. Even more surprising is the content of the letter where Eric learns that he has a twin brother, Ian, from whom he was separated at birth. Ian is eager to share the information about their family’s history, and he arrives shortly afterwards. When Eric arrives to meet him, Ian has already spilled chess pieces onto their table.

They play casually at first, their chatter easy, if awkward given the circumstances, but it becomes increasingly clear that this will be the first in a series of battles. Eric spits out insults, and Ian holds his own initially as he tries to focus on the pieces. ‘I don’t need your pity,’ Eric tells him, his eyes stern and strong. Ian keeps coming back since he is desperate to reconnect and find meaning in having a brother, but he is taken aback that it won’t be as easy as he thought.

Bolado introduces this game as the great equalizer, but he and his characters respect the board. You have to be quick on your feet, slick, and smarter than the person sitting across from you. You have the same pieces and the same amount of board–what can you do with it? Can you take down a king when another king is sitting across from you?

Elijah Shane Bell and Isaac Bell give each of these brothers a hunger to beat the other on the board but you don’t even question whether they will leave each other’s lives again. Finding one another was too precious, too miraculous, that their squabbles and debates can only heal each other with every passing meeting. Bolado keeps the setup simple, because the emotions run so high. Shot predominantly in black-and-white, the colors reflect the mastery of the chessboard itself. I loved how we could see images reflected in Ian’s eyeglasses, a detail that pulls a stool up to the table to watch them play.

Much like the game itself, Over the Board suggests that this brotherly bond will stand the test of time. They will push and pull one another and challenge their relationship just like the pieces on those sixty-four squares.