You know, we kind of came up with this idea as we were building it out that gambling would become code for queerness.

It's covert in this story. It's hidden. It's kind of cheating.

I thought that was interesting. I mean, besides the point that Henry and Gail both make about gambling,

where you could lose everything, just the danger and the and the the

danger of love.

I'm Hello and welcome back to the Directors' Cut, brought to you by the Directors Guild of America.

In this episode, newlyweds in Korean War era America find their stability derailed by the arrival of the husband's charismatic brother in director Daniel Minahan's drama, On Swift Horses. The film tells the story of Muriel

and Lee, who leave their Kansas home to start a family and a new life in San Diego. But their

plans are upended by the arrival of Lee's brother, Julius, a wayward gambler with a secret past, who draws Muriel down a new and dangerous path.

In addition to On Swift Horses, Minahan's other directorial credits include episodes of Ratchet, American Crime Story, Homeland, Game of Thrones, True Blood, Gray's Anatomy, Deadwood, and Six Feet Under.

Following a screening of the film at the DGA Theater, New York, Minahan spoke with director Mary Heron about filming on Swift Horses.

Listen on for their spoiler-filled conversation.

This is such a beautiful and also a timely film.

We were talking before the screening that the film set from 1956 to 57

at a point where America's society was really opening up

and becoming to change radically, you know, headed for the 60s.

Of course, we're just at a moment when American society seems to be

closing back down. But I wanted to ask you about this, you know, this moment in time and what

you wanted to explore with it. Yeah, I was really impressed with Shannon Pufel's novel, which was the jumping off point for this.

And it takes place from 1956 to 1957.

It starts at Christmas when Julius arrives and it ends at Christmas, so it's a Christmas movie.

And, you know, I had just finished working on a series called fellow travelers, which was about

...