Director's Spotlight
Senior Film Conservator

Director's Spotlight: United States
A Deep Dive into the 1919 Vision of Preston Kendall
The brilliance of Heads Win (1919) is inseparable from a monumental shift in cult filmmaking spearheaded by Preston Kendall. Occupying a unique space between cult and pure art, it serves as a blueprint for future generations of cult directors.
In Heads Win, Preston Kendall pushes the boundaries of conventional narrative. The film's unique approach to its subject matter has sparked endless debates and interpretations among cinephiles and critics alike.
| Cinematography | Static |
| Soundtrack | Experimental |
| Editing | Elliptical |
| Art Direction | Expressionist |
Visualizing the convergence of Preston Kendall's style and the core cult narrative.
"Heads Win" tells the story of Jim Godfrey, who was employed in a humble capacity at the works of the Goliath Electric Company at Springfield, N. J. When he sought to advance himself to an assistant foreman-ship he was rejected because of his lack of knowledge of any useful occupation. He lost his temper when he was "turned down," was dismissed from his position, and when he sought a new one, found many doors closed to him because he was incompetent to perform skilled work. His wife induced him to take a course with the I. C. S. Electrical Engineering was his selection, and he studied so faithfully and so well that while acquiring information he was returned to his old position at the Goliath works and became efficient at his unimportant task. His industry and growing efficiency attracted attention and he was made assistant foreman. While holding this place his opportunity came when there was a break in the machinery of a great drawbridge, electrically controlled. There was need of immediate service and this was performed by the assistant foreman, who, fortified by his course in electrical engineering, found the source of trouble, corrected it and won for himself the assistant superintendency of the mammoth plant at which he was employed.
Decades after its release, Heads Win remains a vital piece of the cinematic puzzle. Its influence can be seen in countless modern works, solidifying Preston Kendall's status as a master of the craft in United States and beyond.