The Surrounding Game

Born out of the simplest possible rules, Go is counted among the most complex and elegant games ever discovered. For thousands of years masters and students have handed it down as a window onto the human mind. The documentary follows the tournament that would decide America’s first professional Go player, and in doing so tells the story of a small but determined community trying to build a professional system of its own. Will Lockhart and Cole Pruitt directed the ninety seven minute film together, shooting over four years across several countries. Andy Liu, who won the tournament and became the first American professional, along with Ben Lockhart, the young Curtis Tang and Gansheng Shi, all appear in it.