Für den ersten Beitrag habe ich ein bisschen in meiner virtuellen Schublade gekramt. “A Night In Lisbon” ist das Drehbuch für einen Kurzfilm, das ich 2005/06 für einen Wettbewerb an der ESTC geschrieben habe. Joaquim Sapinho und Joao Milagre waren die Betreuer.
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FADE IN
1. INT. EMMA’s OLD HOME IN LISBON – TWILIGHT
EMMA, 17, a pale blond girl, walks through an old spacious apartment with huge furniture. Wide-eyed she tilts her head a little to the side as to listen to something far away. Then she moves slowly and softly over to a large desk and peaks under it. She reappears and sneaks into the corridor, tilting her head, looking from side to side. As she approaches another doorway, she bites her lips and breathes heavier. The dim room is dominated by a wardrobe. She takes a step toward it and reaches for the doorknob when suddenly the walls close in on her.
2. INT. APARTMENT IN SWEDEN – NIGHT
EMMA bolts upright from her dream. The lamp on her bedside table is still on and an open book lies on the bed. She shudders, and swings her legs over the rim. The clock on the nightstand shows 23:44. She grabs the phone from the table and calls her brother OLE.
OLE (O.S.) Hello? EMMA I can’t sleep. OLE (O.S.) Emma. It’s late. EMMA Tomorrow is the reading of our father’s will.SPLIT-SCREEN. OLE, 26, also sits on the rim of his bed. Behind him his wife is sleeping. He blinks in the light of his bedside lamp.
OLE You still want to go there? EMMA You are definitely not coming? OLE I told you. EMMA SHE will be there. OLE Why do you care? EMMA Do you remember how we used to go fishing? OLE No Emma, I don’t. EMMA Grandma made the bait out of old bread. OLE Emma, Claire and I were already asleep. EMMA Oh, I’m sorry. What do you think how old she is? OLE Who? EMMA SHE! OLE I don’t know. 7, 8? EMMA We could take her out to the lake. OLE Really, I need to sleep, Emma. You want some good advice: forget about the whole thing. You are afraid of flying, for God’s sake. And now, please, … good night.OLE turns out his light.
EMMA Night…EMMA wraps her arms around her knees and stares into nothing. On the wall is an old family picture that shows her parents, her brother and her on the Torre de Belém in Lisbon.
3. EXT. LISBON, TORRE DE BELÉM – DAY
A plane is coming in from the sea-side, flying low over Lisbon.
4. EXT. LISBON AIRPORT – DAY
Dishevelled and extremely pale EMMA steps out into the sun. She breathes in deep and takes a look around. Finally she determinately strides towards a taxi.
5. INT. LISBON, TAXI – DAY
EMMA looks out of the window chewing on her lip. Images of the city slide past her. She watches a boy and his little sister with schoolbags on their backs, waiting hand in hand to cross the road as the taxi drives bye.
TAXI DRIVER This is your first time in the city? EMMA Oh. … No. No, I have been here before.EMMA resumes looking out of the window, but her eyes are dreamily blank.
6. INT. EMMA’s OLD HOME IN LISBON – DAY
The LAYWER, 56, a stout little Portuguese man in old-fashioned suit and tie opens EMMA the door.
LAWYER Boa tarde? You must be Miss Lillhardar! (inviting her in with a smile) Come in. EMMA … My brother is very sorry, he couldn’t make it. … Is she there yet? LAWYER Pardon me? … Oh, yes. We have been waiting for you.EMMA takes a deep breath. As they go through the corridor she lets her fingers glide over the wall. The LAWYER guides her to the living-room. EMMA tucks her hair behind her ears. With another deep breath she follows the LAWYER into the room. In a big armchair sits CAROLINA VIEIRA, 18, LARS LILLHADARS illegitimate daughter. EMMA freezes in surprise. CAROLINA looks up. Embarrassed EMMA stumbles a few steps into the room scanning it for another person. But no one else is there.
EMMA (to CAROLINA) Who are YOU?CAROLINA gets up to greet her.
LAWYER Miss Lillhardar, please meet Miss Vieira.CAROLINA approaches EMMA to greet her and kiss her – as it is custom – on the cheeks, but EMMA draws back.
EMMA (to the LAWYER) Who is she? LAWYER Well, I thought I had already informed you about Miss da Vieira being your father’s daughter and, consequently, your half-sister. (Pause) And now if you both please sit down, we can start.Reluctant, they all take a seat, sitting in a triangle around the low table. SILENCE. The LAWYER orders his papers. EMMA stares at CAROLINA, her expression sagged. CAROLINA evades her eyes. Finally EMMA’s gaze wanders off, through her to the old furniture and pictures that have not changed since her childhood and her eyes become glassy, but her face tightens.
LAWYER (looks up, clears his throat) Well, thank you for coming. This is the will of my late client Lars Lillhardar… (reads) … regarding his children Ole, Emma and Carolina. (clears his throat) All my assets are to be shared equally between my three children, under the condition that… (he looks up at them) … that they comply with my wish and spend some time together to get to know each other. This way I hope to make up for my own shortcomings.SILENCE.
LAWYER (CONT.) Miss Lillhardar, Miss da Vieira, I suppose you have understood the conditions of your father’s will? EMMA (jumps up) I don’t believe this. LAWYER I know this is rather vague. Are there any questions? (CAROLINA shakes her head)Lost and unsure EMMA wanders through the room. She looks at a pile of pictures on the shelf. The top one is of her and her father a few years ago. She holds it.
EMMA I don’t believe this. (She puts the picture down slowly.) LAWYER (eyes EMMA uncomfortably) So then, do you accept the will? CAROLINA (cuts EMMA off) Yes, we do. EMMA My plane leaves tomorrow morning. LAWYER (uncomfortable) I believe the time will serve to fulfil your father’s obligations.He gets up, apt to escape this situation.
LAWYER (CONT.) Very well then, I will meet you here again tomorrow morning.(exits)
7. INT. LISBON APARTMENT – EVENING
EMMA and CAROLINA are left in the apartment. EMMA stands at the shelf, looking out the window. CAROLINA watches her. She approaches her.
CAROLINA Hi. I’m Carolina.EMMA pretends to be interested in the room, walking around, staring at this and that. Her face is tight.
EMMA (mumbling) I’m … Emma. CAROLINA (joins EMMA in her inspection of the room) This is a weird situation for me, too, you know.EMMA concentrates on the room. They both explore the room in silence. CAROLINA leaves through a door into an adjacent room. EMMA does not notice. In her POV the furniture and shadows grow threatening, they crowd her. EMMA’s breath is short as she tries to fight back a minor claustrophobic attack. In the other room CAROLINA stops at a picture in a silver frame on the writing desk. It shows her, when she was about 4 years old, and another little girl.
CAROLINA (calling out) Hey, look at this!CAROLINA puts the frame back and then bends under the desk to pick up a pen. Down there she is suddenly back in the point of view of a five-year-old, concealing herself in a game of hide-and-seek. She sees a child version of EMMA coming in to look for her. All of a sudden CAROLINA is pulled out of her flashback by the real EMMA standing in front of her, pale and breathing heavily.
EMMA I’m leaving.EMMA notices the picture of her and another girl on the desk. Her face tightens even more. She exits. CAROLINA eyes the room suspiciously and a little uncomfortable. Then she hurries out after EMMA.
8. EXT. LISBON STREET – EVENING
Out on the street EMMA stretches and inhales the night air.
CAROLINA Are you ok? EMMA There’s just so many damn things in there. CAROLINA … I know. … Just down the road is a nice restaurant.EMMA remains silent. CAROLINA watches her expectantly, but she does not respond.
CAROLINA (CONT.) It belongs to the parents of a friend of mine. … You must be hungry!? EMMA (reluctant) …hum.9. INT. RESTAURANT – EVENING
EMMA and CAROLINA sit across from each other at a small table. The light is softened, a candle burns on the table. SILENCE.
CAROLINA (forced) Did you have a good flight? EMMA (crumbles her napkin) I hate to fly. It’s so cramped. CAROLINA I know what you mean, once I flew to Italy.SILENCE. EMMA looks out of the window and moves uneasily on her chair. The space is very narrow.
CAROLINA (with forced enthusiasm) This is a special table. And Gabriela will make her wonderful pudding for us. I told them we were sisters.EMMA turns to look at her. CAROLINA tries to smile reassuringly.
EMMA (briskly turns away to look back out the window) No.CAROLINA looks away, hurt. They continue in SILENCE each staring out the window.
10. EXT. LISBON STREETS/BAIRRO ALTO – NIGHT
They step out of the restaurant. CAROLINA collects herself and faces EMMA.
CAROLINA I think I go now.EMMA is puzzled.
CAROLINA (CONT.) I… (sighs, then nondescript) It was nice to meet you.CAROLINA turns to leave.
EMMA Wait! I thought we have to stay together until tomorrow morning. CAROLINA I don’t care for that money. I never wanted it. EMMA I don’t want that damn money either! CAROLINA Then what are you here for? EMMA (pauses) to… CAROLINA To what? EMMA (starting to cry) to… CAROLINA What? EMMA Shut up! CAROLINA (with pain) You know, we are both really fucked up.CAROLINA turns and leaves a still crying EMMA behind.
11. EXT. LISBON/BAIRRO ALTO – NIGHT
Without orientation EMMA stumbles through the labyrinth of roads, still crying. She gets out her phone and calls her brother OLE.
EMMA Ole? OLE (O.S.) Emma, it’s in the middle of the night! EMMA Our father… OLE (O.S.) I don’t care, Emma. You are waking up the baby. EMMA (sobbing) We’re not gonna go fishing. OLE (O.S.) (pauses) Look, I’m sorry and all, but I really have my own problems.EMMA sinks down against a wall sobbing. CAROLINA appears at the corner and recognizes EMMA. She softly pats her shoulder and squats next to her.
CAROLINA I’m sorry. I … I was very nervous to meet you and your brother. And he didn’t even come. EMMA He doesn’t care. CAROLINA (pauses) I will get us something to drink, ok. (EMMA nods) Just over there. I’ll be right back. EMMA Ok.12. EXT./INT. BAR IN BAIRRO ALTO – NIGHT
As CAROLINA goes into a bar EMMA gets up and wipes her eyes. The bar is packed mostly with drunken football-fans and EMMA can only catch glimpses of CAROLINA making her way to the counter. She sees how a guy – CAROLINA’s ex-boyfriend – stops her. They argue and then she can’t see them anymore in the confusion. When she spots them again CAROLINA looks scared. People block her vision and EMMA moves nearer to have a better view. With a next glimpse she sees CAROLINA struggle. EMMA waivers. The people stand tightly packed between her and CAROLINA. She is fighting with herself, with another claustrophobic attack at the thought of stepping into all that tumult. Finally EMMA dives frantically into the crowd looking for her sister. People are closing in on her from all sides and she moves panicky like someone drowning. She spots CAROLINA; her EX-BOYFRIEND is grabbing her shoulder hard.
EMMA Hey! Leave her alone!He just shoots her a look and then ignores her. EMMA pulls at his arm and when he turns to face her she hits him as hard as she can in the face. He falls into a group of others and within moments there is a brawl in the narrow crowded bar.
CAROLINA EMMA!EMMA is pushed over. She stumbles against a table and tries to steady herself by grabbing at what is there: a bottle of wine. CAROLINA seizes her hand and pulls her out of the chaos. They run for their lives.
13. EXT. LISBON MIRADOURO – NIGHT
Out of breath EMMA and CAROLINA sit down on a bench. They are scared and laughing and full of adrenaline. EMMA still caries a bottle of wine she grabbed. She has a cut on her brow. They grow silent.
CAROLINA You’re bleeding! EMMA (feebly drawing back) It’s nothing. CAROLINA (rigorously) Let me see. EMMA Ouch. CAROLINA Sorry.Both laugh. EMMA massages her hurting hand; she smiles, breathes in deep and looks down on the lights of Lisbon.
EMMA It’s beautiful! CAROLINA (smiles) Yes. Yes, it is. (EMMA still massages her knuckles, CAROLINA chuckles) You do have a nice swing. EMMA Thanks… (holds out the bottle) CAROLINA (laughing) Where did you get this? EMMA (shrugs) I thought I could use it as a weapon… you know, like in the movies. … Can you open it?CAROLINA takes the bottle and presses the cork in, then offers the bottle to EMMA, who takes a sip; they keep passing it.
CAROLINA You used to live in that apartment, didn’t you? EMMA Yes. CAROLINA I felt very weird there. EMMA That was you on the picture – and me. When we were small. (Pause.) When I was little I locked myself in a wardrobe once. I couldn’t get out. CAROLINA (remembers vaguely) You were thrashing at the door. And I was crying. (pauses) We are really fucked up, you and I. EMMA … I liked the pudding today. The woman’s name was Gabriela, right? CAROLINA Yes. She makes the best rice pudding. I used to spent a lot of time at their house. EMMA My grandmother used to make chocolate pudding for Ole and me… Until one day we were being silly and Ole had to laugh so hard all the pudding came out through his nose. CAROLINA (squeaks) Ouw… EMMA (laughing, too) We never got pudding again.The sound trails off. They keep talking and drinking, leaning onto each other on the bench.
14. EXT LISBON MIRADOURO/APARTMENT – DAWN
When they arrive at the house the LAWYER already awaits them.
LAWYER Oh, good morning. I was already worried. (unable to overlook EMMA’S bruise) Well, it seems we can continue… (slightly flustered) … I will contact you regarding the means of the money transfer. Again, my condolences. Can I bring you to the airport Miss Lillhardar? EMMA Oh, … I … (she looks inquiringly at CAROLINA) … I think I will stay for a few more days.Courtly, yet slightly confused the LAWYER nods goodbye and turns to his car. SILENCE.
EMMA (CONT.) Have you ever been fishing? CAROLINA (thinking) No, I never did that. … But I need some breakfast before.They walk down the street together.
FADE OUT
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