Special Thanks to: Jean Pierre Magro, Lindsay Sanner, Ewan Jones Morris, Martha Appelt, Julie McDonald, Piotr Kaminski, Xuria Cristobal, HANDS-ON Glasgow, BBC-Props
SHOOTING DAYS: 4th of July - 9th of July '08, Red Roof Studios, Leith (Scotland)

Friday 4 July 2008

Photo's

Stills of the shooting. Click here for more photos...

Thursday 1 May 2008

STORY SYNOPSIS

'Last Supper' is a short film (15minutes-16mm) about a family during war. They are having supper when suddenly three soldiers come into their house. Just before the soldiers would kill the family, one of the soldiers tries the soup on the table... He says that he hasn't eaten anything so delicious in years. The three soldiers decide to stay for a week and not kill the family, on the condition that the mother cooks for them everyday.

1. INT. DINING ROOM - DAY (DAY 1)

We can hear SHOTS, SCREAMS and EXPLOSIONS in the distance. Sometimes the walls shake and a little bit of debris falls down from the ceiling. JOANNA (36) is sitting around the table with her children THOMAS (15), JULIE (16) and her husband STEVEN (38). They are looking at a little, plastic box standing behind them on a drawer. There is only one control-light shining on the box - GREEN... and suddenly it changes to RED. The family starts to cough and when Joanna sees that Thomas coughs some blood onto his little hand - she stands up and starts putting in a hurry a coat on herself and on her children. Steven grabs her arm.

STEVEN
You are fucking staying here!

He goes up to the children and starts taking their coats off.

JOANNA
Please!

The light on the machine changes back to GREEN.

STEVEN
Sit down! Do you hear me! SIT DOWN!

He pushes her onto the chair. We can see that it is a really poor family. Everyone has just a little bit of soup and a slice of bread lying in front of them. The walls are cracked and the windows are broken.

Suddenly we hear SOLDIERS COMING UP THE STAIRS, SHOTS AND CRYING. The sounds are coming closer...

JOANNA 
Let's get out of here!

STEVEN
We are staying here! Shut up!

He tries to take her coat off...

JOANNA
We'll make it! Please! Steven... listen to me!

Steven SLAPS her in the face.

STEVEN
Shut up! We are staying. There is no use in running away anymore... 
I'm sorry... don't you understand? It's full of them, they are everywhere and there are snipers behind every corner! What happened to our neighbors that run away yesterday!?

Steven sits down. Joanna doesn't answer... she just looks down at the table.

STEVEN (CONT'D)
Tell me? We are a family and we stay in our house. Would you rather die in a field somewhere...?

Steven grabs Thomas and Julie's hands and starts whispering a prayer:

JOANNA
(whispering)
But maybe...

STEVEN (CONT'D) 
(whispering)
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by the name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...

The DOOR SLAMS OPEN, SCREAMS, SHOUTING; the family squeezes its hands harder and a gun appears next to Stevens face... he's whispering the prayer faster now (we can only hear the prayer - every other sound is almost gone)

STEVEN (CONT'D)
(whispering)
... give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...

One of the soldiers - SOLDIER #2 - grabs his head (we can hear everything normally again) and he puts it into the plate with the hot soup:

SOLDIER #1
STOP! Are you fucking nuts!?

We see Soldier #1 putting Soldier #3 onto the table - he's bleeding all over his head and we can see blood dripping out of his chest - he's almost unconscious. (ALL THE SOLDIERS HAVE GAS MASKS ON at the beginning, but they take them off after a while!)

SOLDIER #2
What?
(he's pointing a gun at Stevens head)

SOLDIER #1 
(to Joanna)
Some water... He's been hit a couple of times... fucking snipers.

She gets a glass of water and tries to pour it into Soldier #3 mouth.

SOLDIER #2
What?

Soldier #1 goes up to the window and takes a look outside. He draws the curtains a little bit and tells them to be quiet.

SOLDIER #1
Shhhh!

Suddenly we can hear a woman's voice shouting from the street outside the window:

Woman (V.O.)
Please... don't! Don't kill them! Please!

Her voice is accompanied by some children's crying and sobbing... We hear THREE SHOTS BEING FIRED. SILENCE.

/BEAT

SOLDIER #1 
I think they're gone... 
(he turns back to Soldier #2)
I haven't eaten for days asshole!

Soldier #1 takes a spoon and takes a sip of the soup. He takes another sip and sits down. The other soldier looks at him with disgrace.

SOLDIER #1 (CONT'D)
(to Joanna)
What do you call that?

SOLDIER #2
Fucking piss. Leave it... AHHH
(his arm hurts - we can see blood dripping from it)

SOLDIER #1
It's beyond good. You should get that fixed.
(to Joanna)
Have you made this?
(she nods that 'yes')
It even has a real sausage in it.

SOLDIER #2
Fucking thieves. We even haven't got meat in our regiment.
(still holding Steven)
Sit in that corner and behave.

He pushes Steven into the corner. Steven is standing in the corner - we can see that he's angry. Soldier #2 sits down in front of the plate and the head of Soldier #3.

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
Now sit... common, be a good dog. This animals don't understand a fucking word we're saying.
(he turns to Joanna and points at his arm)

Joanna bows over his arm and Soldier #2 can see a a bit of her breasts.

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
You have a lovely wife...
(he points at the chair inviting Joanna to sit down with them.)

Steven sits down on the floor. Soldier #2 turns his head to Julie while Joanna is trying to stop his bleeding - he gently touches Julie's hand, but she takes it quickly away.

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
How old are you dear?

Julie puts her head down and keeps on looking into the plate. Soldier #2 tries the soup.

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
Ohh my fucking sweet lord.

SOLDIER #1
Ohh yes. I told you.

Soldier #2 finishes his soup in seconds and grabs Julie's plate.

SOLDIER #2
May I?
(she doesn't answer)
You don't seem to be hungry dear?

He grabs her plate and starts eating it. When Soldier #1 finishes eating his Joanna pushes her plate to him. He grabs it and starts eating. He looks at Thomas who's looking at him.

SOLDIER #1
You have to eat to be strong so you can defend your family in the future.

SOLDIER #2
Yeah. Just like your dog of a father in the corner there. Common, bark! HAU, HAU!
(laughs)

Thomas grabs a spoon and starts eating. Soldier #1 blinks his eye to him and bursts out with laughter with the other soldier.

SOLDIER #1
(to Joanna)
Do you have some more?
(she doesn't understand)

SOLDIER #2
I guess not. Time to say goodbye then.
(he reloads the gun)

Joanna stands up, goes up to a drawer, tears a hidden wooden wall out and takes some bread, butter and marmalade out. She puts it on the table.

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
Thieves, fucking thieves.

They start eating the marmalade.

SOLDIER #1
This is... heaven in my mouth.

Joanna points with her finger on her chest and on the marmalade.

[[The whole family and the soldiers are talking in different languages ant they do not understand each other, but for the audience - us - they speak English - we'll understand what they are saying - this will show that there are different languages, but they all express the same feelings, emotions and ideas]]

JOANNA
I made this myself.

SOLDIER #2
Either she tries to say that she's made this marmalade herself or she wants me to fuck her.

SOLDIER #1
I think she means the first thing.

SOLDIER #2
I wouldn't be so sure.

JOANNA
The soup also.
(she points at the empty plates)

SOLDIER #1
We have to stay in this town for four days...

SOLDIER #2
Don't tell me. Let's kill those fuckers and get out of here.

SOLDIER #1
Or we stay here?
(he points at Soldier #3 still lying on the table)
He's almost dead... We don't have to listen to him anymore and she... she'll cook for us?

He takes a piece of black chalk out of his pocket and draws for lines next to each other on the table. He points at them.

SOLDIER #1 (CONT'D)
We'll stay four days.
(he points at the lines)
Four. Do you understand? 
(he crosses one of those lines)
Today is the first day.

STEVEN
(to Joanna)
What is it?

SOLDIER #2
Silence! Shut the fuck up!

JOANNA
They'll kill us. They will kill one of us today.
(tears come to her eyes)

Soldier #1 is still trying to explain it to her. He makes a gesture with his hand as if holding a spoon in his hand and eating.

SOLDIER #2
How stupid can they be?

Soldier #1 looks at the lines and burst out with laughter.

SOLDIER #1
They thought we wanted to kill them.
(to Joanna)
No, NO, no. You cook and we won't kill you.

He reaches into his pocket and takes four eggs out. He puts them onto the table. Joanna nods.

JOANNA 
You just want scrambled eggs... you sick fuckers?

Soldier #2 reaches into his pocket and takes an onion out.

SOLDIER #1
You're a good one. Where do you have that from?

SOLDIER #2
The woman downstairs. She fell over, broke her neck, so I thought she won't need it anymore.

SOLDIER #1
You're a dumbass.

Soldier #1 looks at Joanna and smiles, she wipes the tears of her cheek and smiles too.

2. INT. BED ROOM - NIGHT (DAY 1)

Soldier #2 closes the door in front of Joanna and Steven, but grabs hold of Julie and leaves her in the other room. Steven starts hitting the door.

JOANNA
Julie!

STEVEN
You fucking monsters! I'll kill you two bastards!

Suddenly Soldier #2 opens the door and hits Steven with the end of his gun in the face. Steven falls unconscious.

SOLDIER #1 (V.O.)
What the fuck are you doing?

SOLDIER #2 (V.O.)
Fuck off, you've been doing the same stuff so leave me fucking alone.

SOLDIER #1 (V.O.)
Look at her... she's only sixteen...

SOLDIER #2 (V.O.)
So fucking what?

The door opens and Soldier #1 throws Julie back into the room. She falls into her mothers hands.

SOLDIER #1
I'll go and check if it's clear outside...

CUT TO:

They are lying on the floor and we discover that Soldier #3 is also lying on the floor next to them - he's barely breathing. Steven puts his hand around Joanna and falls asleep. Joanna's eyes are wide open.

SOLDIER #1 (V.O.) (CONT'D)
The streets seem to be empty...

CUT TO:

3. INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT (DAY 2)

The family (Steven's hands are tied with a rope) and the two soldiers (without Soldier #3) are sitting at the table. Soldier #2 has some new clothes on - a white shirt and black trousers. Everyone has a plate in front of them with a little bit of scrambled eggs and little pieces of onion. We can see two lines ticked off on the table. The soldiers start eating, but Steven folds his tied hands and starts praying:

SOLDIER #2
I took some clothes from your wardrobe... thank you my friend!
(he pats Steven on the shoulder)

STEVEN
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by the name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be...

SOLDIER #2
Bullshit. God didn't give you the food, we fucking did!

He slaps Steven in the face.

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
Now fucking eat. In silence.

They all start eating. It is a very uncomfortable situation. Soldier #2 puts some of the eggs on his fork and just before he puts it into his mouth it falls back onto the plate.

/ BEAT/ 

Everyone has to hold their laughter.

SOLDIER #1
You have to admit. It was very funny!

SOLDIER #2 
Yes. Very fucking funny. HA, Ha.

They continue eating in silence.

4. INT. BED ROOM - DAY (DAY 3)

Steven opens his eyes and discovers that Joanna is not lying next to him. He looks around, but there is only Thomas, Julie and Soldier #3 sleeping in the room.

5. INT. DINING ROOM - DAY (DAY 3)

There is only Soldier #1 and Joanna in the room. Joanna is pealing some potatoes. Soldier #1 is looking at some rotten flowers standing next to the plastic box on the drawer.

SOLDIER #1
It's unbelievable. This whole fucking war. I left my son thousands of kilometers away from here...
(Joanna is looking at him, but she doesn't understand a word he's saying)
His name is Michael, Michael junior.

He takes a little, black device out of his pocket and gives it to Joanna. She presses a button and a digital flat-holographic video appears from the device - it's his son and another woman - they are smiling. (THIS WILL BE THE ONLY FUTURISTIC OBJECT IN THE WHOLE FILM, which will point that it all happens in the near future!).

JOANNA
What a wonderful boy. How old is he?

SOLDIER #1
I don't understand what you're saying... he's twelve years old and I fucking miss him.
(he shows her 'twelve' with his fingers)

Joanna points at the door and shows 15 with her hands.

JOANNA
Thomas is fifteen and Julie is sixteen.
(she shows 16 with her hands)
Who's that woman on that photo?
(she points at the woman on the digital flat-hologram)

SOLDIER #1
Her name is... was Agnes. I really loved her, but she was killed, first raped and then killed.

JOANNA
I have the most wonderful children in the world and I'll do anything so that they survive and maybe one day they start studying and have their own families.

Soldier #1 looks at her face and at her black eyes... She notices that:

JOANNA (CONT'D)
He hit me... this motherfucker hits me, beats me and the children up...

A gentle smile appears on Joanna's face... she keeps on peeling the potatoes. Soldier #1 smiles back. Soldier #2 comes in, he's completely drunk and he's carrying a half-empty bottle with him.

SOLDIER #2
Bonjour! Guess what I've found!

He's looking for glasses, he finds them and puts three glasses on the table. He pours vodka into the glasses.

6. INT. BED ROOM - NIGHT (DAY 3)

Steven is lying on the floor. He cannot sleep - his eyes are wide open. We can hear LAUGHTER COMING FROM THE DINNING ROOM (also Joanna's laughter)

7. INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT (DAY 3)

They are all holding glasses and we see that Joanna is a bit tipsy already and she tries to refuse another glass. Soldier #2 grabs her face gently (he's really drunk).

SOLDIER #2
You're a nice piece of meat, aren't you?
(he changes his voice to a 'woman's voice' - he is moving her lips with his dirty fingers)
Yes I want you so badly, take me you strong soldier, take me here, right now!
(laughs)

He notices the bruises on Joanna's face...

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
(to Soldier #1)
Look at that! Our lovely priest here... can you see? Look at all the kisses he's given her!

He throws her onto a chair, he rushes to the door, opens it and comes back with Steven after a second - he throws him onto the floor so that Steven is kneeling in front of them.

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
(to Joanna)
Common! Hit this wonderful husband of yours!

Joanna doesn't understand. Soldier #2 hits him in the face.

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
Like that! Common!

He grabs her hand, drags it to Stevens face and shows her how to do it - she refuses. Soldier #2 hits Steven again.

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
Common bitch!

He hits Steven again and grabs her hand, but she still doesn't want to...

SOLDIER #1
(calm)
Do it. Hit him.

Joanna is looking at him, she's confused. Just as Soldier #2 is going to hit him again:

JOANNA
Stop... stop.

BEAT/

She hits Steven gently... Soldier #2 smiles.

SOLDIER #1
Again. Do it.

Joanna hits him again and a second time.

SOLDIER #2
Isn't that a lovely game... just like war - you just change sides now and again.

Joanna looses herself and starts hitting Steven furiously over his whole body and face...

SOLDIER #2 (CONT'D)
(astonished)
She's a wild one!

She stops... she's standing in front of him... exhausted.

8. INT. BED ROOM - NIGHT (DAY 3)

Steven is lying on the floor - we can see the bruises on his face - his eyes are wide open. After a while the door gently opens and Joanna comes in. She lies down next to him. They are looking at each other with empty eyes - he smells the alcohol...

STEVEN
(whispering)
You fucking bitch...

He turns away from her. Joanna looks at Julie and Thomas sleeping in the corner... and at Soldier #3 who is looking her into the eyes... he's almost dead, his eyes close after a while.

CUT TO:

9. INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT (DAY 4)

They are sitting in front of the table and Steven's hands are tied with a rope again. We see all four lines crossed. There is a bit more food then before on the table - there is more bread and hot soup is standing in front of everyone. Soldier #2 is still completely drunk. He's waving a bottle around. He even pours some vodka into Thomas's glass.

SOLDIER #2
Our last day! Fucking HEY and HO... this is like the last supper! Who wants to play Jesus? I'll be fucking Judas!
(he bursts out with laughter and turns to Steven)
You'll be Jesus. Now you can make your fucking prayer and sing some holy shit! Common!
(he folds his hands to show Steven what he wants)

Steven folds his hands and starts saying the prayer:

STEVEN
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by the name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven and in a second I will stick this fork into his throat and I want you all to start running as fast as you can. Amen.

SOLDIER #2
A-fucking-man!

SOLDIER #1
Amen. This mushroom soup tastes wonderful. Mushroom soup is my favorite!

Soldier #1 sees that something is not right... Suddenly Steven grabs the fork and sticks it into Soldier #2 throat. Soldier #1 jumps up, takes his gun out of his holster and SHOOTS Steven. Soldier #2 is suffocating of his own blood on the floor - Soldier #1 goes up to him, but it's too late. Soldier #2 is dead. Soldier #1 looks worried at Joanna.

10. INT. DINING ROOM - MORNING (DAY 5)

Soldier #1 opens the door to the Bedroom and we see Joanna, Thomas and Julie standing there together.

SOLDIER #1
You're free...

Suddenly a building explodes on the other side of the road (we can see it through the dinning room window). They all fall down on their knees, the room shakes. Soldier #1 looks through the window:

SOLDIER #1 (CONT'D)
Those are the others... they'll kill me...

He sits down on a chair. All the soup hasn't been touched since yesterday... he throws his gun onto the floor and starts eating the soup. He looks at Joanna, Thomas and Julie and smiles.

11. INT. BED ROOM - DAY (DAY 5)

We see three corpses leaning against the wall - it's Soldier #2, Soldier #3 and Stevens, but Steven is wearing Soldier #1's uniform... We can hear EXPLOSIONS, SHOOTING and SHOUTING in the distance.

PAN TO KITCHEN: We see Joanna, Thomas, Julie and Soldier #1 (he has Stevens clothes on) sitting at the table. Everyone is praying, but Thomas...

We hear SOLDIERS RUNNING UP THE STAIRS, SCREAMS and:

CUT TO:

BLACK SCREEN.

FAMILY (V.O.)
(whispering)
... give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...

SOUND OVER BLACK SCREEN: We can hear the DOOR BEING KICKED IN.

FADE TO BLACK: