The King's Sacrifice

In a world where we increasingly consume films on our smartphones in vertical format, quality often suffers. That’s exactly what I wanted to change together with Carlo Morand! His idea of developing a short film specifically for the vertical format immediately fascinated me. I love social media, but I often miss the cinematic quality, the visual depth that truly brings a story to life.

Our film revolves around an intense conversation, embedded in a chess game. The game adds tension and visual dynamics without distracting from the essential elements. But the real challenge was to perfectly synchronize the dialogues with the chess moves. Every movement had to reflect the emotions of the characters. After countless adjustments, we managed to create an authentic, profound story.

With the characters Falkner and Havoc, we have created two fascinating opponents. While the experienced detective Falkner tries to hide his insecurity, Havoc plays for time to execute his sinister plan. Bringing these subtle power shifts to life with two outstanding actors was an incredible experience for me as a director.

I am especially proud of how our team achieved something remarkable despite the limited time. The actors not only mastered the demanding dialogues but also the challenging chess game. Through intense rehearsals and an amazing crew, we were able to create a film that proves: Vertical cinema can be just as high-quality and artistically ambitious as any other format.

I hope our film demonstrates that quality knows no orientation—it is born from dedication, creativity, and Passion.