
Katarina Šotić
A girl in a city in a country in the world.
Dinner & Time, Act Three
FADE IN:
INT. APARTMENT – DAY
Open to a wide living room, empty of furniture. A couple of boxes are stacked to the side, in the corner. Slow pan from window to open door, clockwise to--
THE KITCHEN
Long and cramped with polished pans and utensils under a single ceiling light [LED]; a table under a huge window unfolds next to a stove with a touchpad. A left hand presses the ON button. Hum of stove heating up.
WIDE SHOT: MAN, he is slightly bent over.
MAN turns to bagged groceries on the counter and starts to sort them: a packet of spaghetti; a block of cheese; minced meat; two tomatoes and an onion; a stick of celery; a small bottle of spices.
MAN reaches into another plastic bag and pulls out a small jar of olives. He frowns.
MAN
(yelling)
I thought we said no olives tonight?
Faint sounds from the other part of the apartment: scraping. MAN continues to sort food, throws the bag away. Shot of a flapping bin lid.
OFFSCREEN SOUND: a yelp
MAN#2
(distant)
Fucking hell!
WOMAN
Fourth time today already.
MAN#2
(still distant)
Well I keep banging my toes on
all this shit.
WOMAN
Don’t cuss.
MAN#2
He should just throw it away.
WOMAN appears in the kitchen doorway; she has her hands on her hips. She steps inside and leans on the table, taking the jar of olives off it.
CLOSE VIEW of polished nails.
WOMAN
(undertone)
Had a craving, that’s all.
She looks straight at MAN#1. He takes the jar and slams it into the fridge, just as MAN#2 shows up at the door. He is limping.
MAN#2
I think I finally broke them.
MAN#2 bends and looks at his toes, then glares at MAN#1.
MAN#2 (CONT’D)
And it’s all your fault.
MAN#1
I’ll pay for the damages.
(pause)
Stay at the door, there’s barely
enough room for me here.
WOMAN hops onto the table, swings her legs.
WOMAN
Here you go!
WIDE SHOT: MAN#1 on the right, next to the stove; WOMAN perched on the edge of table, in the middle; MAN#2 standing next to her, pan to left. Framed in the window is the city’s skyline.
The sun is setting.
Silence.
MAN#1 starts to cup up the vegetables, as MAN#2 crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe. CLOSE VIEW of WOMAN looking outside the window – her POV, busy city street: slow and heavy traffic, sweltering mist above the pavement, people going home from work.
WOMAN
Wanna talk about it?
MAN#1
Nothing to talk about.