The Island Within

The Island Within is a drama about Seymour Tahirbekov, an international chess grandmaster from Azerbaijan. After winning the Candidates Tournament, he earns the opportunity to challenge the current world champion, Skroten Gudmonson. In the weeks leading up to the championship match, Seymour faces intense pressure to succeed at any cost. This environment of abuse and escalating demands causes his emotional and psychological health to decline.

Written and directed by Rufat Hasanov, the film is a co-production between Azerbaijan and France involving Arizona Films, Azerbaijanfilm, and Debut Film Studios. The movie stars Orkhan Ata in the lead role of Seymour Tahirbekov, supported by Vidadi Hasanov as Khanlar Tahirbekov and Rafig Azimov as Anwar. Other cast members include Gurban Ismailov, Elvin Adigozel, and Taleh Yuzbeyov. Released on November 13, 2020, the film has a runtime of 79 minutes. It currently holds a rating of 7/10 on TMDB based on one vote.