The Pressure Cooker E-Book

Vangelis Bekas

• Herausgeber: AKAKIA Publications
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 132

Beschreibung

Nicos seeks solitude in an abandoned village up in the mountains to study his part in the ‘Woman of Zakynthos’ (a theatrical soliloquy by the Greek national poet Dionysios Solomos regarding the Greek Revolution of 1821). Terrified, King is hiding in the forest lest he is locked up again in a mental institution. And Makis, who is divided between two ladies of the underworld and who has become rich through pimping, is worrying about the collapse of the Greek banks. Nicos, King and Makis, entrapped in the passions of life in their own ‘cooker’, will unavoidably clash, revealing long-hidden secrets. A psychological thriller that connects ancient drama, the Cohen brothers and Dionysios Solomos through an imperceptible thread.

Leseprobe

KOSTAS KOLIMENOS - VANGELIS BEKAS

THE PRESSURE COOKER

Movie Script1st AWARD 2015 Scriptwriters Guild of Greece2015 AWARD AKAKIA Publications

Copyright © KOSTAS KOLIMENOS - VANGELIS BEKAS 2016

Published in England by AKAKIA Publications, 2016KOSTAS KOLIMENOS - VANGELIS BEKASTHE PRESSURE COOKERMovie ScriptISBN: 978-1-910714-72-0Copyright © KOSTAS KOLIMENOS - VANGELIS BEKAS 2016CopyrightHouse.co.uk ID: 184965Cover Image:

Mixed and Designed by AKAKIA Publications

1st AWARD 2015 Scriptwriters Guild of Greece2015 AWARD AKAKIA Publications

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2016, London, UK

[OPENING TITLES]

FADE IN:

SCENE 1. EXT / SNOW-CLAD FOREST / DAYTIME

There is a snow-covered forest on the slope of a mountain. A flute can be heard. Snow is dropping down from the loaded tree branches and a bird is flying from twig to twig. A wooden hovel covered in snow can be made out in the distance between the trees and the tin chimney on its roof is puffing up smoke.

SCENE 2. INT / HOVEL / DAYTIME

Inside the cabin there is a man, KING (48), sitting in front of a lit makeshift brazier and is playing a kind of wind instrument that looks like a flute. His eyes move right and left, following the tempo. His hair and beard are long and dishevelled and he is wearing worn-out army boots. His fingers playing the flute are harsh with nails blackened from the dirt. He is wearing a patched, dirty coat, baggy pullover and wide, saggy trousers. His hovel is full of odds and ends. Empty cans, pieces of paperboard, a rusty spoon, pallets, an old pot, some holed blankets thrown around.

SCENE 3. EXT / SNOW-CLAD FOREST / DAYTIME

The King’s flute can be heard in the white-clad forest. A bird is singing in response to the flute and rushes to hide in its nest.

SCENE 4. EXT / VILLAGE SNOW-CLAD FOREST / DAYTIME

At the edge of the snowed-in forest, there is an abandoned village with stone houses and rooftops covered with slabs. The snow-covered shrubbery and brambles have drowned the footpaths and the house yards.

A SHEPHARD (65) is coming up the mountain towards the forest. He is wearing a woollen hat and is covered in a thick black coat to keep the chilling cold out. He walks off the path and disappears in the trees, leaving behind him traces of blood on the snow.

SHEPHERD

(Hollering) Hey King! Are you alive over there?

SCENE 5. INT / HOVEL / DAYTIME

The KING stops playing the flute, gets jittery at the sound of the voice.

SCENE 6. EXT / SNOW-CLAD FOREST / DAYTIME

The SHEPHERD stands still trying to hear a response from KING. Nothing can be heard. Just a crying magpie. In his hand, he’s holding the pluck of a lamb. The blood is still dripping next to his plastic galoshes, red-spotting the snow.

SCENE 7. EXT / HOVEL - FOREST / DAYTIME

The rickety wooden door of the hovel screeches slowly open, amidst the snow-heavy trees barely enough for KING’S eye to peek through. The door opens a bit more and his face shows. His eyes play wildly like a wild beast’s. He sees the SHEPHERD behind the snow-clad shrubbery and scratches his head. He dares a couple of strides, hides behind a tree and peeks at the SHEPHERD nervously puckering his nose and mouth.

SCENE 8. EXT / SNOW-CLAD FOREST / DAYTIME

SHEPHERD

(Yelling): Where are you, King, you? Brought ‘ya a pluck to cook. Here, I’ll just leave right here for’ ya...

The SHEPHERD leaves the pluck on the snow and approaches the slaughtered lamb lying there. He catches it and starts dragging it on the snow, leaving a trail of blood behind.

SCENE 9. EXT / HOVEL - FOREST / DAYTIME

King reveals himself behind the tree he has hiding, and sniffs the pluck in the air like a forest animal. He runs to it, stands over it and looks at the SHEPHERD who is disappearing down the footpath amongst the stone trees.

SCENE 10. INT / HOVEL/ DAYTIME

KING enters the hovel holding the pluck, and hangs it on a cane protruding from the roof, then sits next to the lit brazier. He picks us he flute again and prepares to play again, but notices that the pluck is dripping blood on a tin plate lying on the floor of the hovel. He gets up, comes closer and observes in the light of the brazier that the blood is running on the tin plate, forming strange signs. His eyes sparkle and he is impressed.

He gets a rusty jackknife out of his pocket and stabs the hanging pluck with it. Then again. And again. The pluck is now dripping more blood on the tin plate and his eyes sparkle even more, looking at the signs made by the blood. He picks up his flute and starts playing, coming closer to the blood that is running on the tin plate and then sits down near the brazier, playing the same tune. The blood (as if made by the tempo of the tune) runs over a little distance on the tin plate and drips on a black and white photo thrown nearby. It is the photo of a young man with a moustache in a suit. It must have been taken around the end of the 1960s.

FADE OUT

SCENE 11. EXT / ATHENS – OUTSIDE NICOS’ HOUSE / DAYLIGHT

FADE IN

The tune from KING’S flute can still be heard. The ‘forest’ of the buildings of the conglomeration of Athens is seen from above. The sun is shining. Cars rolling on the streets and their beeps compete against the flute tune. On the sidewalk, people wear short-sleeved shirts and a young women wearing shorts is licking her ice-cream. On the background there is an old apartment building. The shutters in the second-floor apartment are open.

SCENE 12. INT / NICOS’ APARTMENT / DAYLIGHT

The flute fades out with a prolonged trill when NICOS (68) appears. He is wearing an old-fashioned jacket, stands upright with little hair and a grey beard. He takes out old-fashioned clothes and white undergarments from the drawer and places them carefully into a disheveled valise on the bed. Together, he packs ancient Greek dictionaries, monographs about Solomos and ancient tragedies.

He attempts to put Dionysios Solomos’1 ‘Free under siege’ in his old, similarly weathered, leather bag but he hesitates. He sits on the bed, holding the book reverently in his hands. He is about to open it and start reading, but the door intercom rings and interrupts him. He puts hurriedly in the book in the leather bag, grabs the luggage and the bag and exits the bedroom.

In the sitting room of his frugal apartment, there is a rather old bookcase filled with old dusty theater and literature books. A little further down, there are old armchairs and posters (in English) from performances that he had taken part in in the old days. One of the posters shows himself as Oedipus. The door intercom buzzes again. NICOS presses the button to answer it.

NICOS

Coming down...

Carrying his luggage and leather bag, he opens the apartment door.

SCENE 13. EXT / GROUND-LEVEL PARKING IN NICOS’ APARTMENT BUILDING / DAYLIGHT

ATHENA (28), is a brunette wearing a bohemian summer dress and sandals. Crossing her hands on her chest, she is sitting on the hood of a 4x4 and upon seeing him, she smiles at him, jumps down and opens the trunk, which is full of plastic supermarket carrier bags full of groceries. NICOS comes close to her, smiling back at her, and she helps him put his luggage next to the grocery bags.

NICOS

(Raising his eyes to the sky)

Nice day...

ATHENA

A fine day for solar heaters...

(She puffs, flapping her short dress to indicate she is hot). I couldn’t find sulfur... Let’s hope scorpions would be fed up with stinging...

NICOS

(Looking at her, somehow puzzled)

At least I won’t die hungry!

ATHENA

(Nods reassuringly). Don’t you worry, I didn’t leave a single pack of lentils on the supermarket shelf... (pointing with her eyes to all the shopping bags in the trunk, smiling back). To be completely honest with you, you seem a little too old for a ... return to nature.

NICOS

Back to the roots, Athena. Back to the roots... (he tells her in a rather firm tone and opens the door of the co-driver to enter the vehicle).

SCENE 14. INT / ATHENA’S CAR / DAYLIGHT

ATHENA enters and sits in the driver’s seat, hands on the wheel and starts the engine. NICOS, who is sitting at the co-driver’s seat, smiles at her and she smiles back but a bit restrained.

NICOS

Do you have a lot of installments remaining to pay off the car?

ATHENA

Thanks to mother who chips in. I would be in the clear by December... Did you speak at all to her over the phone?

NICOS

Only with Kostas... He turns 30 in September.

ATHENA

So many years already gone by... unbelievable!

She shifts into the first and they start. The car gets on the street and turns into streets flanked by apartment buildings

SCENE 15. INT / BEDROOM / DAYLIGHT

MAKIS (44) is lying on the bed, next to KATERINA (45). Sunrays enter through the closed shutters. She is sleeping naked from the waist up, half-covered by the sheet.

MAKIS has his eyes fixed on the ceiling. His face has hard features and he is unshaven. His eyes look worried. He throws her hand off him and sits up on the bed. He is naked. The only things he is wearing are a golden chain with a cross across his neck and his silver watch. He looks at the time. He takes his half-finished pack from the top of the bedtable, lights a cigarette and looks at the sun rays coming through from the closed shutters. He gets up. He comes closer to the balcony door and looks at the city through the cracks of the shutters. He is smoking. He seems worried. He looks at the time again.

SCENE 16. EXT / MAKIS’ HOUSE – SIDEWALK / DAYLIGHT

MAKIS gets out, closes the door of the house and walks through the garden. MAKIS’ well-shined black leather shoes are shown as he is walking on the pavement. He is wearing an Italian-type black jacket (despite the heat) and black shirt. He is walking anxiously and hurriedly on the sidewalk while talking on his mobile.

MAKIS

Nothing yet?.. (Pulls the mobile away from his mouth and mumbles) For fuck’s sake! (Brings mobile back to his mouth). Yes, yes,... save that shit for someone else, not me! You’ve been looking for him for six months now, while I’m paying, jerkoff! He’ll cut someone down and I’ll foot the bill!

He hangs up angrily, and stops at a kiosk and tries to get some money from his inner jacket pocket. The hanging newspapers attract his attention. Front-page titles say: ‘The Country under the creditors’ yoke’, ‘Grexit ante portas’. Makis frowns thoughtful, takes his eyes away from the newspapers and turns to the kiosk keeper.

MAKIS

Two packs of Marlboro please!

The man in the kiosk gives him the two packs. Makis takes out a thick wad of 100 and 50-euro bills, finds a 10-euro bill in the middle. He pays up, gets the change, lights a cigarette looking at the front-page news and leaves in a hurry.

SCENE 17. EXT / OUTSIDE THE HOVEL – FOREST / DAYTIME

King is making a skewer with his rusty jackknife, sitting against a tree trunk outside his hovel. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, amidst the lush greenery of the woods. He checks the sharpness of the skewer, smiles in satisfaction, looking at the woods.

He gets up fast and disappears in the trees. He is walking very carefully, having his skewer-spear at the ready, like an ancient hunter. He looks here and there, lurking in wait for his prey. Suddenly, he sees a bird. The bird is chirping and he is mimicking it. In the background, through the trees, one could hardly see the abandoned village with the stone houses. Shostakovich’s can be heard.

SCENE 18. EXT / ATHENA’S CAR – ROAD TO THE VILLAGE / DAYTIME

Athena’s 4x4 is moving on the national interstate Athens-Thessaloniki. She takes a turn into a provincial road where we can see tall mountains looming in the distance. The car gets into a winding road, while Shostakovich’s can still be heard.

The car seems to meander through the snaking dirt road following the music tempo. NICOS is gesturing and talking passionately, while ATHENA is side-looking at him, trying to keep control of the car on the sharp bends of the road.

SCENE 19. INT / INSIDE ATHENAS’S CAR / DAYTIME

Shostakovich’s music can be heard from the car’s CD player.

NICOS

(Continuing with his passionate little speech)... 2,000 years had to pass before the renaissance of the Greek civilization and this time it will not be Thebes under siege but Messolonghi. Not by other brothers but by the Turks. (Athena is side-looking at him, somehow disconcerted). Yet, the Woman of Zakynthos, in counter-distinction of the grandeur of Antigone, will refuse to aid the needy and mocks their martyrdom... The woman of Zakynthos is an allegory... that is not written down in ink. It’s written down in blood! (Athena takes a sharp turn and Nicos grabs the door handle and looks at her scared). Slow down, for God’s sake! You’ll kill us both, Athena...

ATHENA

Can’t we discuss something lighter? (Side-looks at him) The road is dangerous and I just can’t keep my mind on both... (takes another turn).

NICOS

You’re right, Athena my dear, as you wish...

They both look outside, admiring nature. Athena side-looks at him occasionally, he is sulking but he is trying to hide it.

ATHENA

Got you a present! (Looking at the road ahead)

NICOS

(Surprised) You can’t be serious...

ATHENA

Back in the bag (showing furtively with her eye movement towards the back seat).

NICOS picks up the bag and finds a mobile in its packet.

NICOS

Me with a mobile?...

ATHENA

Scorpions do not kid around, we have to be in touch.

NICOS

And this thing? (showing her a solar charger in the bag)

ATHENA

So that you can charge it from the sun, dad!

NICOS opens the box, unpacks the older-type mobile and examines it.

NICOS

Thank God is not one of those with the big screens. My students can’t get off them...

ATHENA

Mine are worse, but I can’t worry about it. Times a’ changin’ pap...

NICOS

In any case... (moving his fingers as if across the smartphone screen) you don’t become an actor this way. You speak to them about Antigone, and all they do is... (he moves his fingers across the hypothetical screen)

ATHENA

So, what are we all supposed to do? Take to the mountains, like you do? (small pause). You’ll be stranded up there in the village alone.

NICOS

I am alone in Athens, as well, Athena, you have your own crowd...

ATHENA

And you have your performances, dad! (She restrains herself, to let this go and sweetens her voice as much as she can) When is the opening night?

NICOS

Beginning of October, I still got time...

ATHENA

And how about the school?

NICOS

I’ll have to think about it till September, I may change my mind...

ATHENA

Let us hope the School Director sees it that way, too...

NICOS

The Director is a friend and he understands! He’s also had it with the freakin’ brats.

Athena changes gear and side-looks at him.

ATHENA

I’m thinking about joining you at the end of the month to spend a couple of nights together. If I won’t be too much of a bother, that is...

NICOS

You take care of your own business, and let me in my...

ATHENA

(cuts him off) Are you going through this all over again, dad? On the one hand, you complain about me having my own crowd, on the other...