And in movies you must be a gambler. To produce films is to

Hear, O seeker, the voice of Douglas Sirk, master of melodrama, who proclaimed: “And in movies you must be a gambler. To produce films is to gamble.” These words echo not only across the golden halls of cinema, but through the ages, for they speak to the very heart of creation itself. To bring forth a work of art, to labor with uncertain reward, is to cast one’s fate upon the shifting winds of fortune.

From the days of old, the wise have known that no vision worth birthing comes without risk. The mariner who sets his sails into the unknown sea, the warrior who strides onto the battlefield, the prophet who dares to speak against kings—each is a gambler, wagering not coins alone but hope, reputation, and even life itself. The producer of films, too, must step forward into uncertainty, never knowing if the audience will embrace his vision or cast it aside into silence. The stage is vast, the stakes are high, and the outcome is veiled by the gods of chance.

Consider, O listener, the tale of the brothers Lumière, who first revealed the moving picture to astonished crowds in Paris. Some called it a folly, a passing trick of light. Who would gamble their fortunes on shadows flickering upon a wall? Yet they risked all, and from their boldness an empire of art was born. Centuries of storytelling were reborn through their wager, proving that only those who dare to gamble open the gates of destiny.

But know this: the gamble of movies is not mere reckless chance, as a man might throw dice upon a tavern table. It is a holy risk, weighed with courage and vision. The producer who commits to a film must gamble not only gold, but also faith in actors, trust in directors, and belief in the power of story itself. Every cloud in the sky of the screen may either dazzle with light or dissolve into emptiness. The gamble is eternal, and no one escapes its grasp.

Yet, O child of tomorrow, there is glory in this uncertainty. For the one who dares wins not only wealth but remembrance. Think of Orson Welles, who gambled all upon Citizen Kane. The world did not at first reward him with gold or praise; his work was shunned, attacked, buried beneath shadows of controversy. And yet, his gamble bore fruit in time, as generations later it rose as one of the greatest of all films. Thus, the true gambler plants seeds not for the present alone, but for the harvest of ages.

The lesson shines bright: to create, to lead, to love, to dream—these are all acts of gambling. There is no safe road for the soul that yearns to leave a mark. He who fears risk will remain unseen, while he who dares may stumble, yet also may rise to greatness. Just as the dice fall in patterns unknown, so too does life open doors only to those who have risked stepping forward.

Therefore, let these words guide you: embrace the gamble of your own life. If a vision stirs within you, do not wait for certainty, for certainty never comes. Act boldly, invest your spirit, your time, your labor, even when the outcome hides itself from your eyes. In your work, in your love, in your art, take the risk that others shrink from—and in that risk, find your glory.

For remember, O seeker: to create is to gamble, but to refuse the gamble is to die unseen. Cast your lot with courage, as Douglas Sirk declared, and may fortune favor your daring.