Sorry (Short film - script)

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"Sorry" is an unrealised project for a short film due to the main actress' health problem in the last moment. I had to replace it fastly with another one and that is how the following one came out. The story of "Sorry" was inspired by my wish to make a dramatic film with a hidden social meaning. I was seeing the first scene in my head for days so I just decided to develop the idea. That is how the whole plot and script were written by me for a night and soon after that the actors were chosen. I hope you enjoy reading it!

Plot

Kate is coming home from school. She looks tired. She checks the mailbox and finds a letter from Mrs. Smith – psychiatrist. She gets in the elevator holding the letter tight and then puts it inside her backpack. She gets in her home and searches something to eat first before she opens the letter. Everything is empty. She grabs a glass of water and sits on the chair. She sees a picture of her father who passed away, touches it and with wet eyes says how much she misses him. She reads the diagnose “early stages of schizophrenia as a result of severe depression“ and starts crying. She writes a letter to her mom telling her she is sorry. She escapes home, goes to the local shop and then she sees that she only has one pound in her wallet . She goes in and buys bread. She wants to continue her life somehow but not that way – in poverty and as a load to her mother. So as she doesn’t have a place to sleep, she goes to a cave in the mountain where she will be far from everyone. When her mother – Susan – comes back home and finds the letter written by her and the diagnose, she falls on the floor and starts crying. After waiting for her the whole night she calls the police. The next day she puts “missing” papers all over the town. One week later there is still no results of the police's search. They tell the mother her daughter is most likely to be dead and that they will stop searching for her. She goes by herself but she loses faith and kills herself with pills. Kate gets through many hard times as weather conditions and hunger which build her mind stronger. After the weather gets too cold for her to survive and as a result it is harder for her to find any animals to kill. She eats her last slice of bread and decides she has to do something about it. She falls asleep looking at the night sky. The next morning while she looks for something to eat she hears footsteps. That’s her chance. It’s a girl – Emma – going trough the woods. When Emma sees Kate looking at her as a target behind a tree, she screams and starts running. Kate reaches her and they both fall on the ground. Kate puts her hand on Emma’s mouth saying: “I’m sorry” and hits her with a stone in the head. Emma dies and Kate changes their clothes, takes the food Emma has in the backpack, goes to the river, washes herself and goes to the town. She sits on a bench because she is tired of much walking. There she sees Jake getting out of a huge building, going to his car to get his cigarettes and asks her if he can sit next to her. She likes him because he looks rich and handsome which is another chance for her. They start talking. He tells her both of his parents died in a car crash so he was left alone. Jake offers her to live with him. His dream is to get married and have someone next to him for his entire life. As she sees how rich he is, she gets married to him because she wants future for herself. She gets too greedy and decides to kill him so that everything he has will be left for her. After she has everything she wanted she goes to her old apartment with hope to live happily with her mother again but when she knocks the door, nobody opens. Their new neighbor is coming home and Kate asks her where the woman living here was but the neighbor replies that she has committed suicide after not being able to find her daughter. Kate tries to hold her emotions but with wet eyes she says she understands. She goes out crying on her way home. When she is already at the house she falls on the ground crying her eyes out, alone and broken. She goes in the bathroom and cuts her veins with the words: “I’m sorry”.

Script

The following film contains images some viewers may find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.

Action 1

Scene 1 – 30 seconds

Me: Life… It’s not that easy for everyone. Sometimes the fault is not in us but in the circumstances. But we are the ones whose fault it would be if we let them conquer us.

- - - - -> I’m sorry *silence*

Scene 2 – 2 minutes

Kate: Mom? *silence*

. . .

Kate: I miss you so much, dad! *wet eyes*

Scene 3 – 30 seconds

Kate (thinking while walking): I have to continue… somehow. I can’t live my life being load to my mom! It’s been hard enough for us so far anyway. I don’t want to make it any harder.

Action 2

Scene 1 – 1 minute

Susan: Kate? ... Kate?

. . .

Susan: Hello? My daughter escaped home… (long conversation)

Scene 2 – 1 minute

Police: Sorry to inform you ma’am but we still can’t find Kate. It’s been 2 weeks already so we suppose she is already dead. We will stop the searching process but we will continue working of the case and keep you in touch if we receive any information.

Susan: No! I can’t accept that! If it’s not you, it will be me who will find her!

. . .

Susan: Kate! Kate! *searching for her*

Scene 3 – 30 seconds

Susan: Kate… my dear daughter Kate! My whole life… mommy is coming.

*kills herself with pills*

Action 3

Scene 1 – 1 minute

Kate (thinking): I can’t stay here any longer. I have to move on or else I will die here.

. . .

Kate (thinking): Mom, I hope I didn’t hurt you much. I promise that one day we will be together again!

Scene 2 – 2 minutes and 30 seconds

Kate (thinking): That’s my chance!

Emma: Who’s there?

Kate: I promise… it wont hurt.

. . .

Kate: I’m sorry… *Kate kills Emma*

Action 4

Scene 1 – 3 minutes

Jake: I’m sorry, can I sit next to you?

Kate: Um…yeah…sure. *sees Jake smoking* By the way…can you please give me a cigarette?

Jake: Of course! And… are you from here?

Kate: Yes.

Jake: What an awful town!

Kate: I guess. *Kate is staring at Jake*

Jake: What?

Kate: Um…nothing. *Jake is staring at Kate* You what?

Jake: Same. *silence* I’m Jake by the way.

Kate: Kate.

Jake: Nice to meet you, Kate. How old are you?

Kate: 18. And you?

Jake: 20. And… I wanted to point out how beautiful you are.

Kate: *small laugh* Thanks

Jake: Tell me something about yourself.

Kate: Well… I don’t have much to say about me. I escaped home and… now I’m here.

Jake: So you are homeless now?

Kate: Yes…

Jake: *small cough* You can come live with me if you want to.

Kate: *small laugh* Sorry. I don’t want to disturb anyone.

Jake: Don’t worry about that. I live alone. My parents died in a car accident last year. Both of them were famous businessmen. But… I’m lonely now. I need someone by my side. My biggest dream is to get married to a person who I truly love and can talk with.

Kate: I can’t promise you all these things but at least I can talk about anything with you. I fully understand you. I lost my father when I was young and left my mother because of our hard time with money. I found out that I had a serious mental disease which needed pills and an extremely expensive recovery program. I didn’t want to make the situation even harder so… I escaped.

Jake: Sorry to hear that. So… you accept to live with me?

Kate: *laughing* Well… I guess.

Jake: Thank you so much… Really! I promise you won’t regret it.

Scene 2 – 30 seconds

Jake: That’s it.

Kate: Wow!

Scene 3 – 1 minute

Me: After living together for 6 months, they decide to get married. Kate? She doesn’t love him, she never did. All she wants is to own everything he has. Of course for these 6 months she acted as she truly loved him. So… they got married.

Kate: I’m sorry…

Action 5

Scene 1 – 3 minutes

Kate: Um… Hello. Do you know where the woman from that apartment is?

Neighbor: Sorry miss. This woman committed suicide around 6 months ago. I’m new here but I heard she did this as a result of not being able to find her daughter for more than 3 weeks. What a pity.

Kate: *wet eyes* Yes… what a pity… Thank you for the information

Neighbor: *sad smile*

. . .

Kate: *cutting herself* I’m sorry mom! I’m sorry Jake! I’m sorry Emma! I’m sorry my own self! … I’m sorry! *dies*

Me: Not sure if this need any words. Just one thing: change! This story shows us today’s society and that a person is even capable to kill in order to: first - save his own life and second: for money. Think of the consequences. Save yourself.