The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop
Simon Ennis / Canada & United States / 2024 / International Premiere / 92 min
If you like to throw a dice and shuffle the cards, this is the winning film! Board games are more than just games n this affectionate, character-driven portrait of a surprisingly diverse culture.
What can happen when you roll two dice? Everything, apparently. Because dice, checkers and board can be portals to something much bigger than just a game. It’s about community, emotion and participation – but it’s also about winning! ‘The Hobby’ takes us from the World Board Game Championships in Las Vegas to dating and all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia, because board games and the desire to play have deep roots. Through personal narratives, players around the world share fascinating stories of competition, passion, creativity and imagination, and about how a single game can bridge people and cultures. A character-driven, affectionate portrait of board game culture, this is a film that inventively and charmingly ponders the importance of ‘meaningless’ activities in life. A film for the trained, the casual gamer and beginners alike.