Director Statement
This film originated from a short story I wrote in 2019 during my first year of film school, when we had to create a three-minute film. I have always wanted to make a western, inspired by the dollar series, Lucky Luke, and The Macahans. I hoped the short film would stand alone, but it had a surprising impact on me. Eloise Abernathy, initially a tough and cold gambler in “Winning Pair,” became more developed thanks to Izadora Burenstrand’s enthusiastic portrayal. This led me to write a sequel, “Losing Pair,” in 2020, which was about 15 minutes long and introduced new characters, yet the story struggled with its time setting. After that, I moved on from the “pair stories” to projects like “ODJURET,” but a new story about Eloise emerged, focusing on her past. After discussing it with Izadora, I decided to return to these stories, and Eloise was revived in the summer of 2021, right after I finished filming “ODJURET.” Despite its limitations, I’m proud of the final product and consider it my favorite work so far. After extensive editing, I’m excited to announce that “The Queen of Hearts” is ready to debut on the big screen, and I hope you enjoy the story!
