THE WORLD

short movie script by Arslan Hadi

Sarajevo, 1st April 2010.1EXT. SPACE DARKFrom darkness slowly comes Earth, which overlaps on bigger picture of Earth turning around in slow motion.

2INT. THEATRE STAGE DAYWhile her hearth beats and quite but deep and annoying sounds are heard, bellow one stage light stands REA (18). She looks at the palms of her hands with her head bowed, around her is dark. She watches hands and then into darkness. Hearth beats faster, sound gets louder. She watches into darkness, then shortly into hands, feeling that someone else is present arises, she is afraidshe looks into dark again. When she starts to recite, hearth beats slows down, noise is fading out to silence.

REASong for my daughter.

I see her how,innocent and young,runs over mud,gets up, falls down,happy.

While the world,cruel and dark,full, overfull and crackling,like a mature pomegranate braking,out of evil and despair,out of curse and smell.

We hear sounds of Louis Armstrong song: ''What a wonderful world''.

War, blood, war

I'm not sure any more Should I give her a birth?Rea finishes recitation and throws a look on a side.

3INT. - REAS ROOM DAYSounds of Armstrong's song are fading out. There's a poster for Carpenters movie ''They're coming'' by the bookshelf where are following books: Brothers Karamazov, Nothing new on a west side, Pigeon, Catcher in the rye, Seagull Jonathan Livingston. The phone is lying on following books: Stranger by Camus, Three sisters and Seagull and it's moving with vibrations. At the very edge of it, a hand catches him. Sleepy Rea answers with her messed up hair.

REAHello?

AZURI dont believe. Are you still sleeping?

REAWho is it?

AZURIt's Azur, girl.

Rea makes wrinkles on her forehead trying to understand.

AZURHello, exams!

REAExams!

Rea jumps out of bed she has a male pyjama with vertical lines she throws a phone on a bed, moves quickly forward and then back to the phone.

REAHello, Azur?

AZUR (laughing)Yes?

REAThank you.

AZUREeee!

REASay it.

AZURA piece of wall has fallen on a stage and examswill be held on a third floor. (laughs) Don'tworry, nobody died!

Rea laughs.

REAOk.

Rea throws a phone and jumps quickly to the bathroom. With sound of water from pipe, we see a city bathing on a sun.

4EXT. CATHEDRAL DAYOn a cathedral clock hand moves to 12, hour-hand moves to 10 and bells starts to ring.

5EXT. OLD TOWN DAYWe hear the sounds of bells a bit quieter.

6EXT. SARAJEVO DAYSounds are quieter then before.

7EXT. ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS DAYBells are still ringing. Two painter artists wearing a white dresses covered with all colours are caring a wooden leathers on shoulders in the building. YOUNG MAN (23) with amputated leg sits on a stairs. Hair covers his knee emphasizing his disability and blue plastic box stands in front of it. He holds a piece of paper in a left hand. He opens a right palm when he sees Rea coming (white t-shirt, black trousers, white snickers, blue bag on a shoulder). Rea passes him in hurry without a glance. She stops on a door because of leathers. Rea takes something from a pocket and gets back to beggar. Hand is putting a coin in a blue box. Beggar is thanking her, but Rea is already gone behind closing doors, with last sound of ringing bells. 8INT. THIRD FLOOR DAYThere is a line on a wall and GIRL (18) stares at it. She is practising her monologue while we hear sounds of other candidates talking.

GIRL...and nothing, nothing, no satisfaction, and timepasses by and you think that you're leaving allbeauty behind, leaving real life behind, goingfar away from it more and more, and you gointo abyss. I'm desperate...

At the end of a smoked hall, young man sits behind her, watches the same wall and practicing his monologue. GUY (22) opens a door and enters the hall. He looks back inside and leaves a door opened. He sits on a bench and lights a cigarette with a lighter that he both kept in hand. On a bench and on a floor in the middle of hall is biggest group of candidates. They repeat their monologues, telling jokes, talking, laughing or walk around back and forth between bags and jackets thrown around. GIRL2 (20) enters the hall and closes a door behind her. She goes through hall in toilet. Rea enters the main door and stops with a sigh.

AZUR (23)Hold your horses. Where's the fire?

Azur sits on a table, with his legs on a table and arms leaning on knees, and smiles. He wears red t-shirt and blue trousers. Rea approaches a table and opens a bag on it.

REAUh, man, I'm wasted.

She takes a piece of paper with monologues but she continues searching a bag.

AZURRelax, it hasn't started yet.

Azur looks at her while she is searching a bag.

AZURIs your last name Celik (eng. steel)?

Rea stops searching a bag and looks at him frightened.REAYes, why?

Azur looks at her seriously. REA Oh, man!!!

Azur starts laughing aloud, and one of the candidates looks at him. Rea laughs with him and continues searching her bag.REAMy hearth is in my feet, and you're havingjokes on me. Rea founds a phone and closes her bag. He continues laughing.

REAI'm going to strangle you!

Rea sits on the other side of table and puts her blue bag between them. REANever mind. I forgive you because you wokeme up. Where's Maa?

Azur nod a head in a direction of a main door. Rea looks at her paper.

AZURShe's there on a middle floor. She's nervous...shesays that her other monologue is bad, so she needsa silence, I don't know? And you fell a sleep. On aday like this. Does it even matter to you, Rea?

Rea looks at him with wide opened eyes and they both laugh.

REAShoot the fuck up, I've started to dream exam.

AZURHaving nightmares, ah? What about yourparents, why didn't they woke you up?

REAMother...

Rea wrinkles eyebrows. Azur notices that and looks away.

REA...is not here, and father - man is fed up with hisown problems, there is no point to add him onemore. Actually, I usually don't have troubles withwaking up. I put this little monster on a table onthe other side of room, so when he is ringing Ihave to get out of bed and walk to him to turnhim off. That's how I wake up. But I don't knowwhat happened this morning. When you phonedme it was on a shelf by the bed and I don't evenremember

AZURYou don't even remember that it was ringing,and not to mention you walking to him and backto bed. It happened to me millions of times.

REAThis is a first time for me.

AZUROh, are you afraid? Are you running away fromdecision?

REA (laughs)Could be, could be.

Azur and Rea notice a silence in a hall. PROFESSOR stands in front of the opened door and looks at candidates.

9INT. MIDDLE FLOOR DAYSound of ''What a wonderful world'' by Armstrong fades in and slowly turns up. Maa (20) walks back and forth repeating her monologue and murmur of other candidates cover her voice. Azur and Rea sit among them talking. Azur must have been told her something which made her laugh again, but song cover her and others voices.

JUMP CUT

Rea and Maa talks and laughs, just like the other candidates. There are less of them and Azur is gone. All candidates look at the door and one of them stands up and leaves the stairs. Sound of song fades out slowly.

10INT. MIDDLE FLOOR DAYThe doors of the third floor are closed. Sounds of song are mixing with sound of other six candidates. Door opens, murmur fades out, and Rea come out with head down and gently closes a door.

MAAWhat is it, Rea? What happened?

When she turns toward candidates, Rea lets her hair fall down and screams happily.

REAUUUUUUU!!!

Maa hugs her and screams with her.

REA (quietly)I feel it! Mao, I feel it!

Rea kisses Maa, goes away and grabs a bag from stairs. She comes back to Maa and takes her hand. Maa is puzzled.

REAGood luck, Maa. Good bye everyone and good luck!

EVERYONEThank you.

MAAWhat about results, Rea? REASee you later.

Rea goes downstairs and confused Maa goes back to her seat. One girl, which is leaned on a fence with forehead, stares at Rea going away and others get back to their conversations. On a sound of opening door girl moves and looks at the door and others get quiet.

PROFESSORCeri?!

Girl CERI (22) runs to doors.

EVERYONE (whispering)Good luck!

CERI (whisper)Thank you.

She closes the door.

11EXT. ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS DAYCars start to run when traffic light turns green. Rea walks happily on a sidewalk with bag on shoulders and blue plastic box is next to her on a floor. Rea stops to let a blue car moving toward street and walks marry along the edge of a sidewalk. She looses balance, but she gets back on the edge. On the other side of the river there is a ruined house covered with bushes. Two young people walk on the other side of the street. YOUNG MAN1 (26, shaved head, black shirt without sleeves, gold chain around neck, training trousers) walks near road and stops. He explains something nervously. YOUNG MAN2 (23, jeans, t-shirt, skinny) makes few more steps and then stops to listen. YOUNG MAN1 stops talking, YOUNG MAN2 says something, YOUNG MAN1 gets mad and grabs the other for a neck.

YOUNG MAN1Give me the money, you cunt!

He pushes YOUNG MAN2, which stares at him for a moment, pushes him back and then runs away. YOUNG MAN1 run for him, he takes a gun, shoots him in leg and starts to hit him with legs. Rea watches that with serious expression on her face and moves in a hurry. With another hit in a head, Rea starts to run.

YOUG MAN2AH, MOTHER, AJJJJJJJ!!!

Rea runs further next to the building. (Music Around the world by Daft punk fades in slowly). Two guys stand next to the building by the black flag with a skull for a concert of Pirates. Left one takes a joint from the other and inhales a smoke. Right one out hales a smoke and gets up on toes to look at the fight. Rea runs across the street, along river and runs over a bridge.

12EXT. STREET DAY''Around the world'' continues very loud. Rea runs, her hair jumps up and down over her blue bag and a bag jumps over her back. Behind her are big jumbo posters - BANK, TOLERANCE, AIDS, DRUG KILLS, and CAUTION: MINES, VOTE FOR US, and MERINO QUALITY...

13EXT. STAIRCASE DAY''Around the world'' continues quietly, slowly mixing with other sounds. In front of her hallway, WOMAN (30) is shouting on a BOY (5) which cries quietly and walks in front of her.

WOMANHaven't I told you a million times?! HAVEN'T I?!!! Rea runs into hallway and Woman hits a boy in a head.

WOMANYou, idiot!

14INT. STAIRCASE DAYRea runs up the spiral stairs from first to third floor leaning on a fence.

15INT. REAS APARTMENT DAYOn a TV set Louis Armstrong is announcing reprise of show ''VOA''- VOICE OF AMERICA, following reports about bad happenings around the world (victims of terrorist actions, war in Afghanistan, global warming, radiation, unsuccessful capture of war criminals, founding a new mass grave). Doors are opening, Rea enters apartment and she runs in her room, closing loud both doors. On a door of living room shows MOTHER (40), in a black blouse with gold jewellery around neck. Next to her shows FATHER (45), dressed in a brick red shirt with short sleeves.

MOTHERI knew it, I knew it! Haven't I told her nice,but no, miss wants to be an actress!

FATHERJasna!

MOTHERShe thinks they wait only for her!

FATHERJasna, please, didn't we spoke about that?!

MOTHEROk, ok. (goes back to room) I'm not goodenough for you two! She turns up the volume on TV set (end report of missing money from state budget and diet of cloned sheep Dolly). Father watches at the door of Rea's room. Sounds of ''Ghetto'' by EKV are fading in.

16INT. - REAS ROOM DAYSounds of ''Ghetto'' by EKV from player are louder. Doors, with poster of sunflower field on it, are opening slowly and father first looks through gap and then comes in. Rea lies on bed; her face is down on a blue pillow. Father sits on edge of bed and moves his hand gently over her head. FATHEROh, my darling, it is not the end of the world.It will be better next time.

Rea sits up, father moves a bit and she looks at him.

REAI'm sure that I've passed the exam.

Father laughs. Rea stares in front of her.

FATHERWell, Rea, that's great news.

Father notices that Rea is serious and that she still stares into distance.

You're not so sure about it?!

Rea glances at him and turns a look in front of her.

REAIm not sure what is the purpose of it in thisworld where everyone is filled with violence:beating, stealing, killingfilled with evil andhate for each other?!

Father takes her by shoulders and turns her to him.

FATHERRea, what happened? Did someone attack you?Don't be silent, my child, speak up! REA (smiles, cynical)There is nothing wrong with me. No oneattacked me. (leans into fathers hug) Nothinghappened to me, nothing.

Father relaxes and pets her head.

FATHEROh, my daughter, how many times did wespoke about it?! The world is like that and youknow it.

Father stares into distance. ''Ghetto'' finishes and ''What a wonderful world'' starts, not the original but deranged remix.

(to himself) I think that some things neverchange. (thrilled) But that is only one side ofthe story, Rea. (looks at her eyes) Dont let itdrag you in it, dont give up! (wrinkles) Youmustn't fall into self pity, my child. You'llruin yourself.

Her eyes fill with tears and she bows her head. Father takes her by chin and lifts her head up.

FATHER (gently) What is it? A miracle needs to happen for youto overpass that abyss.

Rea smiles and father embraces her in hug.

Oh, my daughter, you have to be patient, youhave to believe in yourself and everything willbe okayyou wont even notice that miraclehas already happened. And the worldyouhave to let him take care of himself. The onlyway to help him and make him more beautifulis to release him of your own worries. Believein yourself, my daughter.

Rea sighs in fathers hug.

FADE OUT

17EXT. SPACE DARKWe hear same creepy sound that followed Rea in second scene. From darkness slowly comes Earth, which overlaps on bigger picture of Earth turning around in slow motion.

18EXT. TITOS STREET NIGHTSound of bells. Big snowball is turning over by hands of YOUNG FATHER (25).

YOUNG FATHERDo you push, my little one?!

DAUGHTER (4) is beside him and helps him vigorously to push snowball in a park filled with children playing on snow, riding sled. People walk up and down the street lightened with small led lights in all colours.

19EXT. ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS NIGHTFour 10-year olds are throwing snowballs and laughing on their way back from school.

20INT. ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS NIGHTWe hear sounds of ''Yellow submarine'' by Beatles. Doors are opening and DIRECTING STUDENT1 (22) runs out, followed by three FAIRIES (20) waving with magic sticks and one of them is Maa. After them come REINDEER (23) and SANTA CLAUS (22). Reindeer holds his head in arms. They stop with approaching DIRECTING STUDENT2 (25), few meters from door.

SANTA CLAUSHou hou hou!

DIRECTING STUDENT2Hi. Have you finished it?

SANTA CLAUSWe are for today. I just dont know what Almawants from us?! I can't see a big picture.

Directing student2 takes cigarettes out of pocket.

DIRECTING STUDENT2I just saw her, she's very nervous.

He lights up a cigarette and hits Reindeer on shoulder. His head falls off his hands.

Jelenko, what's new?

REINDEER (lifting head)You can see by yourself, I loose my head all thetime.

Someone opens door from club, music is a bit louder, directing student watches in club. SANTA CLAUSRea and Alan are on the stage.

DIRECTING STUDENTWell, you tell me that now?! (runs)

SANTA CLAUSI dont have a clue what's with these directors,they're like flies without heads?! And I dontreally get how can Santa Claus be so serious.

REINDEER (on a way out)Maybe you dont get anything, but I know I'mthe best bloody reindeer on the world.

SANTA CLAUS (following him)Hou hou hou?!

Directing student2 comes back, throws away a cigarette and closes the door.

21INT. THEATRE STAGE NIGHTJulia wakes up from coma by the body of dead Romeo. When she sees him, she jerks and then she kisses him, takes his knife, commits suicide and her head shakes down on Romeos chests.

DIRECTING STUDENT2Excellent, excellent. He stands up from auditorium and comes near actors that stand up.

DIRECTING STUDENT2Great, Alan. ALAN (18) smiles.

Please, Rea! When she sees that Romeo is dead,she is shattered by sadness. She will put hisknife in her chests

REA (serious)These are the sheath; rust there; let me die.

DIRECTING STUDENT2Ok, ok. There is bitterness and pain, I agree. ButRea, Julia dies happy!

Rea looks at him puzzled and Directing student2 laughs.

(excited) Just listen! In that last moment, whileshe puts the knife in sheath and there's no wayback; in that last impulse of awareness she finallyrealises that their love won the battle, that powerof their love and force of injustice they sufferedwill rise them to eternity. However, what is mostimportant for her is that, in just a moment, she'llsee her beloved Romeo. Understanding that, painfrom her face vanishes and it's being replacedwith tiny little smile on her face, like Mona Lisasand she in deed dies happy, Rea!

Directing student2 puffs and looks at Rea.

(pleased) Now you know why we do practicewithout text.

Rea looks into distance; she smiles and nodes her head.

22INT. AZURS APARTMENT NIGHTWe hear a song ''Somewhere over the rainbow''. Azur stands in a hall in winter sky blue coloured jacket and puts red scarf. When he is done, he looks at leaving room and speaks with smiles.

AZURBye, bye, see you later.

Azurs younger SISTER (16) turns around in armchair in front of TV set with Wizard of Oz on it.

SISTER AND MAMA(Mama is not visible)Bye.

Azur closes the door of apartment.

23INT. THEATRE STAGE NIGHTSong is louder. Julias head falls on Romeos breasts under the shiny star of Christmas tree. On her face is a hidden pleasure.

24EXT. ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS NIGHTSong fades out slowly, mixing with other sounds. Rea walks out of building and stops on stairs. Suddenly, Rea hears shallow sound from second scene and looks down. Song stops. She looks at her hands. Rea smiles and song continues quietly. Rea takes red cotton glows out of pockets of her light brown coat and putting them on she looks on her left. She looks on her right. Snowball hits her in forehead.

AZUROh, fuck...

Azur lies on a ground. Rea takes a snow from her face and smiles. She approaches him and gives him a hand.

REAThats what you deserve, being so naughty.

AZUR I know.

Azur takes her hand. Azur takes her down to him.

REAI knew it! I swear on my mother, I knew it!

Azur laughs. Rea hits him on chests and he kisses her in mouth. They look to each other eyes for a moment, then they burst out laughing and Rea falls on a back. People go by; music gets louder and two of them laugh happily.

25EXT. SPACE DARKFrom the dark comes Earth and passes away in fast motion with a sound of bells.

FADE OUT

THE END

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