Private Project

Speed Queen 51

Alone in a laundromat at night, two strangers realize they'll never see each other again and decide to trade secrets.

  • Sarah Nocquet
    Director
    Flight of the Kiwi, Open
  • Sarah Nocquet
    Writer
    Flight of the Kiwi, Open
  • Shayan Farooq
    Producer
  • Rory Culkin
    Key Cast
    Signs, Scream 4, Columbus, Lords of Chaos
  • Jane Purnell
    Key Cast
    Flight of the Kiwi, Getaway
  • Augustin Pineau
    Executive Producer
  • Idil Eryürekli
    Director of Photography
    Fish Out of Water, Je Me Souviens, On the Line: the Richard Williams Story
  • Joel Figueroa
    Editor
    Marriage Story, No Sudden Move, White Noise
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 5 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 10, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    France
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.66:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Sarah Nocquet

Sarah Nocquet is a French-American screenwriter and director. Born and raised in Paris, she moved to NYC to pursue a degree in film & TV production at NYU, and has since expanded her domain of work to include Paris, NYC, and London. She has written feature biopics for NYC-based Intrinsic Value Films and Paris-based Kaiwo Studio, and has also worked as story writer and script consultant for Intrinsic Value Films. Her horror short film Open won her a Best Directing award at NFFTY, and her sci-fi feature Second Nature made finalist at the Stowe Story Labs. She also directs music videos, works as assistant director and script supervisor, and runs an annual ‘first draft’ screenwriting retreat that is three years strong. Sarah enjoys examining the interior world of female protagonists and toying with absurdism and irony in thrillers. She plans to one day write and direct her own feature films.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Speed Queen 51 was born out of a desire for simplicity—to craft a single tense and engaging scene with two characters in one location. I set the stage at my very own Bushwick laundromat with two actors I knew and loved, and with these key elements in place, I was able to narrow my focus on the dynamics of the scene.

Cory and June are both looking to escape their lives and rid themselves of a persistent feeling of dissatisfaction. They’re also both people who, to an extent, believe themselves better than their surroundings. This dichotomy between a genuine need to connect and desperate self-prioritization is what takes these characters on a journey from approachable strangers to their darkest selves. The film also plays on audience expectations of a man and a woman alone together at night, with hints of romance and threat combined with a slow protagonist switch. Speed Queen 51 aims to create a sense of unease in the audience by presenting two morally ambiguous characters and resolving their situation without drawing a clear ethical winner.