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The Dark Horse (inspired by a true story) is a heart-warming, emotionally intense roller coaster drama about the struggles and failures, the triumphs and successes of the life of New Zealander: Genesis Potini.
When Potini’s (played by award winning Cliff Curtis) love for chess is re-kindled, he seeks out Noble (Kirk Torrance) to fuel his need. His freshly aroused passion for the king of games brings desperately needed stability and sense of purpose into his life, where he is constantly challenged with a mental illness.
Through chess Potini finds a new family to focus his attention on. His emotional comfort here does not last long as he finds himself caught in the middle of his nephew Mana’s (James Rollestone) family battles. Mana being forced into a world of gangsters and thievery, seeks refuge with his uncle.
All the while Genesis tries to keep his promise to lead a bunch of misfit kids to their first tournament.
While some of the events and timeline details in The Dark Horse have been fictionalized for entertainment purposes, director James Napier Robertson has kept the essence of the movie true to the spirit of Genesis Potini and the impact he has had on children through chess. The Dark Horse takes the audience through emotional extremes is in a way a metaphorical glimpse into what a person challenged with bipolar might experience.
The Dark Horse Trailer
The Dark Horse gets the red carpet
Cliff Curtis interview for The Dark Horse
Curtis talks about Genesis
Curtis playing lighting chess against NZ Champion Paul Macdonald – video by Maryam Hasannasab
The Dark Horse gets 8.1/10 from 1700 users in IMDB. It will be released by Amazon on DVD
on August 10 in the UK, but no word yet for the US or other countries.
Doing a review of the movie wasn’t enough, Genesis Potini had a remarkable impact through chess on those around him, and this legacy was so great that it merited making a movie to tell his story. With this in mind, I had to research more about Potini, as a result I got in touch with Noble Keelan, via the Gisborne Eastern Knights President Colin Albert. Keelan it turns out, was Potini’s right hand man.
– Part two with an in-depth portrait of Genesis Potini will follow soon –
