(STAGE OF L.

) by MICHAEL REISCH & STEFAN KUBIZ

Revisions by (Names of Subsequent Writers, in Order of Work Performed)

Current Revisions by (Current Writer, date)

2011 lichtspiellabor

INT. NYC WALKUP BUILDING HALLWAY - NIGHT We see ROY (mid 20s) sitting on the bottom quarter of the stairs. His head leans in his arms deep in thought. He stares straight down to the ground. A moment! Strained, he looks behind him and up the staircase. He slowly starts to crawl up on his knees. It seems more than just hard for him, almost impossible. JUMP CUTS as he progresses further up the stairs. He again slips back down the stairs. He cringes and sits back on to the wall of the staircase. Looks back up and drops is head.

INT. ROYS APARTMENT BEDROOM - DAY CU on ROY opens his eys in his bed. As we DOLLY back we see HANNA a mid 20 girl lying next to him. ROY tries to stretch but his right arm is stuck. Roy tries to pull his arm away from HANNA, as she holds on to it even harder. Roy has to pull with force to get his arm out underneath HANNAs head. Again he tries to stretch out but he is trapped on the side of the bed between the wall and HANNAH. He looks at her and in his expression we can see that he cares for the girl. Slowly, trying not to wake her up, he climbs over her and leaves the bed.

INT. NYC WALKUP BUILDING HALLWAY - NIGHT - FLASHBACK The same scene as before with ROY on the staircase. JUMP CUT as he progresses further up the staircase. JUMP CUT as he desperately tries to reach the top of the stairs, it seems impossible. JUMP CUT as something is pulling him back JUMP CUT as he slides back down the stairs.

INT. ROYS APARTMENT BEDROOM - DAY ROYS POV looking at HANNA as she sleeps. He sits at his desk and turns towards and stares her down. On the floor he searches for his pants. For the first time we see HANNAs entire room. Squared canvases are spread around her room! The room is messy, clothes spread all over the floor, littered with empty wine bottles and other garbage which line his painting canvas. As he finds his sweat pans he puts them on and takes a cigarette pack out the pockets, takes one cigarette out, turns towards the window and just as he wants to open it he stops. He turns around, sits back in the chair and lights the cigarette. He blows the smoke towards his bed. HANNA lies motionless still in a deep sleep. ROY stares at the girl, when she starts to react on the cigarette smoke he puts it out in one of the empty wine bottles, than gets up and leaves the room silently, trying not to wake her up.

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As he leaves the room we can see HANNA as she opens her eyes. It is clear that she did not just wake up but has been awake for a while. 5 INT. ROYS APARTMENT HALLWAY - DAY While he scrambles down the hallway he looks back to HANNAS bedroom door. Through the little slot between the bedroom door and floor he can see that there is still no movement in from HANNA. 6 INT. ROYS APARTMENT KITCHEN - DAY ROY finds one of his dirty T-shirts on the kitchen counter and pulls it over his head. On the round kitchen table he finds a piece of paper and pen. He looks back down the hallway to the bedroom door, waits for a moment, and realizes her still in the bed. He starts to write a note: Hey had to leave early... Sorry, that I... Roy looks back down the hallway towards the bedroom and through the gap under his bedroom door he can now see movement. ROY gets nervous and starts to look around him, wanting to get away. Quickly he decides to rush out the front door leaving HANNAS apartment. 7 INT. NYC WALKUP HALLWAY - DAY ROY looks again around him to find a place to hide. He runs up the stairs to the next floor of the stairway and waits. He leans over the railing and listens carefully! Nothing happens... Suddenly he hears footsteps in the hallway below. He quickly leans back from the railing, recognizes a DOOR CLOSE. ROY reverberates. He tries to get a peak between the two stairways to see if the person is gone. As he bends over the railing again, he can see that HANNA is walking down the stairs. Roy feels his pants and realizes that he has nothing on him, no key, no cellphone, no ID, nothing. He is not wearing anything except his sweat pans and a dirty shirt. Barefoot he stands in the hallway, checks again over the railing to see if HANNA is gone, before he rushes down the stairs towards his apartment door. He tryes to open the door. ITS LOCKED. He tries even harder to force it open. Fuck... ROY 7 6 5

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ROY turns around and walks down the staircase. One floor below, identical to HANNAS place, he KNOCKS on the apartment door right below her place. 8 INT. NY WALKUP HALLWAY - INFRONT OF CHESTERS APARTMENT CHESTER, a young Freshman NYU law student, nicely dressed in jeans and polo shirt opens the door. CHESTER Oh, hey Roy... What up? He looks to ROY, standing bare foot, with his dirty t-shirt and sweat pants. ROY Ahhm... (with his finger pointing to the top) I locked myself out! CHESTER Locked your self out? Where is your girl, man? ROY Yeah... she... can I? (points at the back of the apartment) CHESTER looks at ROY questioning... 9 INT. CHESTERS APARTMENT KITCHEN/ HALLWAY - DAY ROY does not wait for a responds and pushes into Chesters apartment. The place has the exact same layout as Roys apartment and by knowing exactly where to go, he walks down the hallway towards the bedroom that is literally papered with posters of Eminem. CHESTER Hey where are you going, man? No answer from ROY, as he enters the bedroom. 10 INT. CHESTERS APARTMENT BEDROOM - DAY 10 9 8

In CHESTER'S bedroom everything is nicely clean, everything is organized and seems to be on the right spot. CHESTER DUDE, what are you doing? Still no answer from ROY, as he walks straight towards the window towards the fire escape, opens it and climbs out.

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EXT. FIRE ESCAPE NY WALK UP BUILDING - DAY Roy now out on the fire escape looks at CHESTER who is still inside the apartment. ROY Thanks though. CHESTER with a short delay. CHESTER Ahm... any time. Sure! CHESTER shuts the window.

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EXT. FIRE ESCAPE NY WALK UP BUILDING - DAY

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From the top floor we can see how ROY crawls up the fire escape. One floor up he tries to open the square framed window to HANNAS apartment. From the inside, we see ROY try even harder to open the window. It is locked. No chance for ROY to get in. ROY sits back on the fire escape and screams. We can see ROY leaned against HANNAS apartment window. He looks back inside the place, gets up and walks down to CHESTERS apartment and KNOCKS on his window. There is no movement what so ever in the apartment. He knocks again but there is no response. He tries to open the window but it is also locked. As he turns around and looks down he can see CHESTER down on the street walking away. He rushes up the fire escape two floors to the apartment on top of HANNAS. The place is totally empty, it does not look like there is a tenant living there. He again tries to open the window to this apartment, but there is no way to get at least back into the building. 13 EXT. FIRE ESCAPE / BOTTOM BALCONY - DAY 13

On the bottom balcony of the fire escape, ROY tries to pull out the ladder to climb down to the street but it is stuck, it wont move at all. He hops over the railing, hangs from the bottom of the balcony and lets go. He falls down on the street, landing in a pile of garbage. 14 EXT. NYC STREET IN FRONT OF THE WALK UP BUILDING - DAY ROY is fine but covered in the ripped garbage. He gets up and tries to clean himself off while he walks up the stoop of the building trying to get back into the hbuilding. 14

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The front entrance also now locked. He stands bare foot only wearing sweats pans and a dirty T-Shirt that are covered in garbage. 15 EXT. NYC STREET IN FRONT OF WALK UP BUILDING STOOP - DAY ROY sits down on the bottom stair of the stoop. His feet already start to turn black from the dirt of the fire escape. An OLDER LADY walks up the street, she sees ROY sitting on the stairs of the stoop looking above him, sizing up the building. She walks up to ROY and pulls a 1$ bill out of her purse. ROY does not recognize her as he still looks back up the building. LADY Young man, you should not let yourself go so early in life! ROY turns around and looks surprised as the Lady hands him the money! ROY (waves off) No, no, I... LADY Dont worry about it. ROY No, seriously. Im fine, its okay. LADY Stop being a fool, young man. I... I insist! ROY LADY 15

Indecisive, ROY reaches out with his hand and takes the bill. ROY Thanks, thanks a lot. LADY Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace A POLICE OFFICER comes up towards ROY and the OLD LADY.

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OFFICER What is going on here? You are begging for money on private property? ROY laughs. ROY Im sorry I did not try to beg, I just... OFFICER What is it you are laughing about? You have your ID? As he looks at the Officers face, he recognizes that this is not a joke. Sir, I... ROY

The POLICE OFFICER does not want to hear an explanation. OFFICER (insisting) No valid ID, trespassing, begging for money? This is all against state and city law. You need to leave, sir! Roy slowly gets up. LADY Officer please, Im sure he did not mean any harm. The officer turns to the old lady. OFFICER Let me handle that please. ROY gets up and cautiously steps away from the stairs. He gives in, but turns back for one more try. Sir, I... ROY

OFFICER (annoyed and angry) I dont care, Im already doing you a favor not to have you arrested right away. ROY is stunned, shakes his head and starts to walk further down the street not knowing where to go. Desperately Roy looks back at the building where the OFFICER is still talking to the OLD LADY.

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EXT. NYC STREET - DAY

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As ROY slowly progresses down the street he repeatedly looks back at the officer who is still standing there talking to the old lady. As ROY wants to turn around the corner he turns around again and sees HANNA who comes down from the opposite side of the street. She carries a plastic bag from a coffee place in one hand a tray with two cups of coffee in her other hand. As HANNA reaches the building she turns, the POLICE OFFICER politely holds up his hat, greeting the girl. She walks up the stoop of the apartment building and pulls out her key to the front door. ROY inconspicuously works his way back towards the apartment building as the POLICE OFFICER is still lingering in front of the building. ROY slowly walks closer to the building trying not to be seen by the POLICE OFFICER. He hides behind the trash bags he landed on when he jumped down from the fire escape. There he waits to find the right moment to sneak into the building without being noticed by the officer. As a person comes out of the building, ROY jumps over the balustrade, almost hitting the man that just exited the door. MAN Hey.... what the? ROY runs up the stoop towards the door trying to reach it before it closes again. The POLICE OFFICER turns around and notices ROY. POLICE OFFICER Hey... STOP!!! ROY rushes up the stoop to catch the door before it shuts. The officer starts to run after him. ROY makes into the building and slams the door into the officer to get away. 17 INT. NYC WALKUP BUILDING HALLWAY - DAY ROY runs down the hallway. The Officer makes it past the door and continues pursuit. The POLICE OFFICER closes in behind him. STOP!!! POLICE OFFICER 17

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ROY sprints up the stairs, the POLICE OFFICER gets closer! They reach the second floor and ROY who is bare footed slips and slides on the floor. When they reach the stairs towards the next floor the POLICE OFFICER gets a hold of ROYs leg and pulls him down the stairs. ROY Please, stop it. I live here, stop. As the OFFICER is on top of the young man he pulls his handcuffs from the back. POLICE OFFICER You people are pissing me off! HANNA comes rushing down the stairs... HANNA Whats going on? POLICE OFFICER Im just trying to protect you, miss! HANNA Protecting me from what? Stop that! He lives here, its fine. OFFICER Are you sure? HANNA Of course Im sure. Let him go. The Officer lets go of Roy. HANNA helps ROY to get back on his feet. HANNA (CONTD) Look at you! HANNA helps ROY to get up the stairs. This is the same frame as before, ROY suffering to get up the same staircase. OFFICER Next time you should just simply explain your self, before you start to run from the police! As they walk up the stairs ROY looks back at the officer, than looks at HANNA and smiles.

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ROY I locked myself out, you left and I HANNA You dont have to explain your self. Just stop playing these stupid games there is really nothing to be afraid of. Roy looks at HANNA as she opens the door to her apartment. Nothing! 18 HANNA (CONTD)

INT. HANNAS APARTMENT BATHROOM

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ROY steps into frame covers himself with a towel, walks out the bathroom and slowly closes the door behind him. 19 INT. HANNAS APARTMENT KITCHEN - DAY ROY, showered and clean, and HANNA are sitting at a round table in his kitchen. They sit opposite of each other drinking the coffee HANNA just bought at the shop. Roy pulls out the two 1$ bills he got from the old lady and slips it over to HANNA. ROY Here! For the coffee! They smile at each other! HANNA Thanks! You want to go back to bed? ROY looks back at the front door ROY They get up from the table and leave frame towards the bedroom. 20 EXT. NYC WALKUP FIRE ESCAPE 20 19

The camera cranes up the fire escape and through the window we can see HANNA and ROY as they get back to bed.

END CREDITS ROLL