A tabletop wargame becomes terrifyingly real in Alicia Scherson’s “Summer War,” adapting Roberto Bolaño’s novel “The Third Reich” for its world premiere at Tribeca Festival 2026.

The Chilean director returns to Tribeca two decades after winning Best New Narrative Director for her debut “Play.” This time she’s crafted a psychological thriller set in 1989, as Pinochet’s dictatorship crumbles. It’s Scherson’s second Bolaño adaptation, following 2013’s “Il Futuro.”

Dan Beirne stars as Udo Berger, an obsessive wargame champion whose beach vacation spirals when his WWII battle simulations start bleeding into reality. After a tourist vanishes at sea, Udo faces off against a mysterious local in a match where strategy dictates what’s real.

The international cast includes Lux Pascal, David Gaete, Aline Kuppenheim, and Agustín Pardella. Scherson relocates Bolaño’s story to Chile’s fragile political transition, turning it into a meditation on masculinity, paranoia, and how simulated violence echoes real-world consequences.

For indie filmmakers wrestling with literary adaptations, Scherson proves that respecting the source while making bold creative choices pays off. Her dry, dark humor captures Bolaño’s quiet unease without losing the tension.

The film screens June 7 at AMC 19th St. East 6 in New York.