By Hara Nurin
Short movie (10 min)
LOGLINE: The night is the perfect time for unusual meetings
STORYLINE: Meeting of two Bulgarian historical figures who bring us back to their lives, destiny and immortal creativity.
GENRES: Mystery | Thriller
CHARACTERS:
Stranger 1 (34) is a slim and smart men with little beard. He is dressed with suit, vest and tie. In his hand he keeps suitcase.
Stranger 2 (36) is slim man too, but with dark eyes and face, remind Armenian. The man is with little mustache and bemused.
EXT. TSAR ASEN STREET, SOFIA - NIGHT
13 Jan 2020, 9:30 pm
The two strangers walk against each other. When they meet, the first one takes off greetings hats and they start talking near the street lamps.
STRANGER 1
Hey, Mr. Yavorov, hello! What a meeting, right?!
STRANGER 2
Oh, unknown Mister, how you recognize me? (very surprised) I’m just a spirit! Lost, invisible spirit I think, started a night walk near favorite places in Sofia. Because ‘my soul is a moan, my soul is a call…*’.
STRANGER 1
(with big smile and muffled voice) I`ve read some article in the Internet about you just early today!
STRANGER 2
But who remembers me in 21st century!?
STRANGER 1
Don’t say that, Peyo! It is not true! All digital medias write today, 13 Jan was your birthday! (happy smile)
STRANGER 2
It is true! I was born on 13 Jan 1863 in little town Chirpan. My lasts birthdays I spent with my beloved wife Lora, many, many years ago. Let`s walk together and talk, my dear unknown fellow. So many memories come in my mind... My house was somewhere nearby. (He looks around)
STRANGER 1
O.K. Let’s go! You lived on Rakovski Street. Let me show you the road because now there are new streets, new square called Slaveikov, many new shops, very different as you remember them from 1906 year for example…
STRANGER 2
Slaveikov – father or son?
STRANGER 1
Both, both. You will see them sitting on a bench!
FADE TO BLACK
EXT. SLAVEIKOV SQUARE THE TWO STRANGERS SIT ON THE BENCH WITH SCULPTURES OF PETKO AND PENCHO SLAVEIKOV
STRANGER 1
It is dark night, why don`t we talk about… women? You mention your wife Lora. Which woman you loved most in your life – tender and fragile Mina Todorova or passionate and jealous Lora Karavelova?
STRANGER 2
It is a really difficult question for a spirit, my new unknown friend! (for the first time we see a smile on his face) I loved both of them too much, but in a different way. Maybe Lora is closer to my passion, to my lost soul, to my sensitive heart...
FLASHBACK
When he talks we see beautiful well-dressed Lora (27) walking nervously at home (1913 interior)
I do everything in my life with big love and desire! And pain! I think I was not born for love, but for revolution! My big passion is to fight for Macedonia. Gotse Delchev was my good friend and was great leader… It was a big honor to receive Order of Bravery for my involvement in the Balkan War.
STRANGER 1
It is true! (pause)
(He starts to look at him) It is good that people can’t see you in that old-fashioned clothes! Look at you! (he starts to laugh) And your language is obsolete too!
While they are talking, random passers-by pass through them and continue down the street.
STRANGER 2
Dear Mister, I still can`t understand how did you recognize me and how can you see me at all! I’m invisible! It is a great mystery! (pause) Who you are? I know something for sure – you are a really happy man, because you are always smiling!
STRANGER 1
Is it too dark here and you don’t recognize me, Peyo?! You are right. Although my life was hard, I called myself “The lucky man”. My name is Aleko Konstantionov. I have a birthDay today too, but I was born 15 years before you and was killed 17 years before your death. You forgot me…
Yavorov… starts to look at him carefully and it seems that starts to remember…
I want to show you something that can help you to remember me… it is a new monument of me on Vitosha Blvd! I took that suitcase from there and it`s good to give it back till morning! (He starts to laugh)
FADE TO BLACK
Stranger 1 (Aleko Konstantinov) is approaching to the monument with the suitcase and merges with it.
FADE TO BLACK
Two shots are heard in the distance.
Stranger 2 (Peyo Yavorov) is approaching to the monument in front of his house on Rakovski Street and merges with it – in pensive and bemused pose.
Random passersby look at the monuments.
FADE TO BLACK
THE END
Written 13 Jan 2020, 8:30 pm at Casa Libri, Tsar Asen Str.
For Sofia Writing Challenge, Tutor: Tom Philips
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Aleko Konstantinov ‘The Lucky Man’ (13 Jan 1863 - 3 May 1897) (34y)
Peyo Yavorov (13 Jan 1878 - 29 Oct 1914) (36y)
*A moan /„Стон” famous poem by Peyo Yavorov
Love it!