“Mother and Son”

1. GIORGIS FLAT                                      INT/MORNING   

GIORGI (19, handsome, dark-skinned, his head is shaven) closes the door of his flat, but at that moment the phone rings. He stands for a while, the phone rings, he turns heavily because of his rucksack, which is full of mountain climbing appliances and opens the door.

THE CREDITS ROLL OVER THE SCENE

GIORGI comes to the telephone but it stops ringing, he stands in front of the phone he waits, the phone rings Giorgi picks up the receiver immediately but nobody answers.

GIORGI

Hallo! Hallo!

 At that moment in wide opened door appears NINA (78, GIORGI’S grandmother) with packages of vegetables and fruits.

NINA

Are you still at home?

GIORGI turns, takes off his rucksack and goes to granny, he takes her packages, NINA doesn’t want him to take the black one.

NINA

Do not worry, it isn’t heavy at all. I’ll take it myself.

GIORGI doesn’t allow NINA to carry the bag; he takes it and puts the packages in the kitchen.

NINA

Who was on the phone?

GIORGI

I do not know. Again, nobody answered. O.K. I have to run.

NINA

Wait, wait I have brought some fruit for you...

NINA is looking for something in her packages. GIORGI leaves the kitchen.

NINA

Please, wait for a while!

NINA takes an apple from the packages, she opens the tap but there is no water, she takes a bottle from the table and washes the apple.

GIORGI

O.K. bye

NINA enters the hall and gives an apple to Giorgi.

GIORGI

I don’t want it

NINA

Please take it!

GIORGI takes the apple, puts it in his rucksack and leaves the flat.

2. THE STREET                                       EXT/MORNING

GIORGI comes out of the entrance and goes down the street quite fast. He passes pedestrians; a WOMAN IN HER LATE THIRTIES, MARIAM (39),starts to follow him. She is attractive and richly dressed, but looks troubled and nervous. GIORGI crosses a street; MARIAM still follows him. Two of GIORGIS friends VAKHO (22) and MISHA (19) notice him and run towards a trolleybus, which has already moved. They try to stop it, but the trolleybus moves on. GIORGI approaches his friends. VAKHO and MISHA are exhausted. MARIAM stops nearby.

3. THE TROLLEYBUS STATION                            EXT/MORNING    

While waiting for the trolleybus the boys notice that MARIAM is looking at them.

MISHA

She is watching you, GIORGI!

VAKHO

She is great, isn’t she?

MISHA

Yes she is great!

GIORGI is silent, just looks at her suspiciously. VAKHO notices that the woman interests GIORGI and decides to joke.  

VAKHO

Hey, look GIORGI does not want to talk with us,

why, why GIORGI? Maybe you’ll go and

 meet her?

MISHA

What’s up GIORGI, do you want her?

(He laughs)

VAKHO

Or maybe, we should go and introduce her to you?

GIORGI

Fuck off.

VAKHO

Of course, we’ll do it, for our best friend, come on MISHA...

MISHA

Stop now, people are looking at us!

(Laughing)

VAKHO

You traitor! I’ll do it myself.

VAKHO moves fast to the woman, after several steps, he stops and turns to the boys with shining eyes and looks at them slyly. MISHA laughs, Giorgi looks at VAKHO as if everything were the same for him.   

MISHA

Come on it’s enough.

VAKHO turns and goes in the woman’s direction not very fast, but impetuous, GIORGI is irritated but doesn’t want to show it and smiles.

MISHA

He is crazy!

Stop him somehow!

(He laughs)

GIORGI smiles indifferently.

MISHA

VAKHOOO come back now!!!

VAKHO turns, he sees that GIORGI has no reaction at all and he makes his steps faster towards the woman.

MISHA

Crazy!

(to himself)

MISHA runs after VAKHO, and tries to stop and lead him back. VAXO wants to slip out of his hands. At that moment comes a trolleybus. GIORGI calls his friends and the boys go to the front door.

4. TROLLEYBUS                                   INT/MORNING

The trolleybus is overcrowded. The Boys are standing in the corner. MARIAM is also in the trolleybus, VAKHO points at her by turning his head.

VAKHO

She follows us!

GIORGI

Fuck off!!!

VAKHO

He is angry, what’s up man? Do you want her?

Do you really want her?

MARIAM guesses what they are talking about and turns to the window. But from time to time looks at them from the bus window.

VAKHO

MISHA, did you see how she was looking at him? The lady also wants our GIORGI, it’s clear, it’s clear.

GIORGI gets nervous, he feels uncomfortable, because of VAKHO’S comments and because of this unknown woman, who was following and staring at him all the time.

MISHA

Let him alone, VAKHO it’s enough.

VAKHO

Will you fuck her today? Tell us, that you’ll do it, tell, tell me that you’ll do it.

GIORGI realize that VAKHO is not going to stop joking at him, so he tries not to express his confusion.

GIORGI

It’s not a problem, I’ll fuck her.

GIORGIS words make VAKHO surprised and doubtful.

The trolleybus stops and the boys get down. The trolleybus goes away. Through the window MARIAM sees the boys entering a high building.

5. SKYSCRAPER                                      EXT/AFTERNOON

The boys are climbing the skyscraper and hanging a poster of mobile phone company. On the poster we see a young lady talking on the mobile and smiling. MISHA and two other workers are on the roof holding the poster. GIORGI and VAKHO are hanged with ropes on the high building and fixing the poster to the wall.

The boys have finished their work. They are still hanged. VAKHO takes the cigarette, and offers to GIORGI, GIORGI refuses. VAKHO smokes alone. Suddenly VAKHO notices MARIAM, who stands in front of the building and stares at them. He looks at GIORGI and begins to laugh cynically, GIORGI sees MARIAM. He says nothing to VAKHO just prepares himself to go down.    

VAKHO

You are running to her?!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 (laughing) 

GIORGI loses self-control, catches VAKHO by the collar and hits him several times, VAKHO tries to protect himself, and the boys are pivoting on the rope.

MISHA

Are you crazy? What are you doing?

(crying from the upstairs)

GIORGI stops, he looks at VAKHO, VAKHO laughs nervously. GIORGI slips down by the rope.

6. ELEVATOR/HALL                            INT/AFTERNOON

GIORGI stops in front of the elevator door, people are waiting for a cabin. At that moment, MARIAM comes and stands nearby. GIORGI is nervous, tries not to look at MARIAM. The elevator cabin comes; they all get in. The cabin is overcrowded. GIORGI and MARIAM stand face to face. MARIAM wares big, black glasses. GIORGI stares at her. They are so close, that they can feel each others breath. Two guys are discussing something loudly, just behind them. On the 4-th floor the elevator stops and some of the people leave.

The elevator continues to go up. On the 7-th floor it stops, GIORGI goes out. For a minute or two, the door remains open and when it starts closing MARIAM rushes out quickly and follows him.

7-th floor is empty; it seems that there are repair works. GIORGI stands at the corner, so that MARIAM doesn’t see him. When MARIAM is closer he catches her arm. She screams.

GIORGI paws, strokes and kisses her. MARIAM tries to get away from him, she is very frightened, but GIORGI is stronger. He looks enraged and doesn’t let her to go. GIORGI hears steps and stops for a while. At that moment MARIAM slips out of his hands and rushes, she passes MISHA who is already in the hall and runs downstairs. MISHA looks at GIORGI astonished.

MISHA

You know her!

At that moment the elevator stops and VAKHO comes out.

MISHA

He knows her, she was here…

  GIORGI turns and goes to the dressing room.

7. DRESSING ROOM                                    INT/AFTERNOON

The boys are changing clothes silently. VAKHO breaks silence.

VAKHO

Was she good?

GIORGI is ready; he picks up his rucksack and goes to the door. He is calm.

VAKHO

Was she good! Why are you running GIORGI?

GIORGI stops and looks at VAKHO.

VAKHO

We are waiting Mr. GIORGI!

GIORGI

She is my mother!

The boys stop amazed for a while, VAKHO begins to laugh. GIORGI looks at him very calmly even coldly, VAKHO stops laughing. The boys are shocked.

8. TBILISI STREETS                                  EXT/AFTERNOON

GIORGI goes home; he walks down the street eating an APPLE, he looks anxious and thoughtful. In a few seconds, the street is filled with schoolchildren of different ages coming opposite GIORGI. The Children are playing, running after each other, two elder boys (16-17) pick up some seeds from a black bag of an old sunflower seller, the old lady scolds them and tries to protect her bag, the boys are laughing, GIORGI goes through the crowd.

9. GIORGI’S FLAT                                    INT/AFTERNOON

GIORGI enters his flat. He hears that grandmother is in the kitchen singing something quietly. GIORGI stops for a while, listens to her and then enters the kitchen. He sees that granny is roasting sunflowers. GIORGI comes to the gas stove and turns it off. Takes a kettle and pours water on the frying pan. It makes a specific sound. He takes a black package, full of sunflowers and throws it out of the window.

GIORGI

How many times have I asked you not to sell sunflowers? Tell me, how many times? Why don’t you want to understand me? I don’t want people to see you sell sunflowers!!!

 I hate this, I hate this smell don’t you know!

NINA turns and begins to cry silently. GIORGI leaves the kitchen. At that moment, the phone rings. GIORGI sits in the living room near the window, looking outside. The phone rings again and again. Giorgi stands up, goes to the phone takes the device and crashes it on the wall.

10.TBILISI SUBWAY/MARKET/TSERETELY AVENUE      EXT/EVENING

GIORGI comes out of the entrance of the house, with a big rucksack full of climbing appliances. GIORGI goes down the street. At the same time, MARIAM moves from the opposite side of the street in GIORGI’S direction. GIORGI notices her, starts walking faster and gets in to the subway. He sees MARIAM again in another wagon, in the subway. He leaves the subway, and comes out on the “market station” MARIAM follows him, they cross the whole market.

 GIORGI catches “marshutka”(Tbilisi mini-bus) that goes to the training hall MARIAM loses him in the crowd for a while but then sees him and she gets into the same marshutka. The marshutka gets stuck in the traffic jam. After several minutes of waiting, GIORGI comes down the “marshutka”, MARIAM rushes after him immediately.

GIORGI and MARIAM move through the cars’ labyrinth and at last they cross the road. GIORGI goes very fast, MARIAM runs after him. There are crowds of people, GIORGI doesn’t stop. MARIAM runs after him, suddenly GIORGI stops and turns to MARIAM.

GIORGI

What do you want?

MARIAM is feverish, she cannot say anything.

GIORGI

What do you want? I am asking you!

(pause)

MARIAM

I love you!

(Pause)

GIORGI looks at MARIAM very concentrated he looks a bit shocked for a while and then GIORGI begins to laugh very cynically, tears begin to move down on MARIAMS face.

GIORGI

I don’t need you.

GIORGI is very cold; MARIAM cries but still tries to restrain her feelings.

MARIAM

I love you!

GIORGI

Please go and don’t come back any more, I just don’t want to see you. Bye

MARIAM can’t say anything she is in hysteric, she tries to embrace GIORGI, but GIORGI doesn’t let her to do it.

GIORGI

Don’t touch me, don’t dare to touch me anymore.

He turns and crosses the street.

MARIAM

 But I love you!

(to herself)

11. THE STREET                                      EXT/EVENING

(music)MARIAM is in hysterics, she is crying all the time, people look at her. Suddenly an old lady comes to her and offers her help, MARIAM cries harder.

12. THE TRAINING HALL                               INT/EVENING

(music)GIORGI is climbing on an artificial cliff, with other climbers.

13. GIORGI’S FLAT/PORCH                             INT/EVENING

MARIAM knocks on the door. After several seconds NINA opens the door. MARIAM wants to say something, she takes a deep breath, but she can’t talk, she is speechless.(pause)

NINA looks at her constrained. The silence is embarrassing. MARIAM turns her head away, she can’t look at NINA. (big pause)

NINA closes the airon door.

MARIAM stays outside she cries silently, suddenly she burst out into knocking on the door louder and louder.

MARIAM

Please, open, open the door, I beg you, please, help me please, please…

NINA stands behind the door and hears her scream. She is tense, she doesn’t know what to do.

After several seconds NINA opens the lock.

14. GIORGI’S FLAT                                   INT/EVENING

MARIAM and NINA sit at the table in the middle of the dining room. After minutes of silence, NINA starts talking.

NINA

Why are you back?

(pause)

NINA

What you want?

(pause)

NINA

Why now, why? Where have you been so long?

MARIAM

I know, I can’t, I really cannot.

NINA

It’s too late, you’re too late. He’s grown up. Fourteen years without you. Do you think, you can just come back and retrieve GIORGI after fourteen years?  He does not need you. He hates you.

MARIAM
My husband died.

NINA

And what then?

MARIAM

I am alone...

(Pause)

MARIAM

I hate myself…

MARIAM looks very depresed. NINA doesn’t say anything more. The sound of heavy rain breaks the silence. NINA stands up and goes to GIORGI’S room. She starts picking wet clothes from ropes. It is raining hard and drops fall on the floor. NINA goes to bring rags to clean the wet floor.

Suddenly MARIAM enters the room. She sees a poster of mountains on the wall, some nice stones (pieces of rocks) some books on the table, she sees a photo of GIORGI with his friends and looks at it. At that moment, NINA enters, she cleans the floor, takes rags and goes to the bathroom. NINA comes back and brings GIORGI’S black and white photos.

NINA

Here are GIORGI’S photos!

MARIAM

Thank you!

MARIAM takes the photos and sits on GIORGI’s bed. NINA stands at the window, folding the wet clothes. MARIAM sees on the photos: little GIORGI in front of the “Mounting climbing club”, GIORGI with other boys on top of a mountain, on the back side of the photo is written ”Kazbegi 1999”, GIORGI holding a flag-“Ushba 1996”, GIORGI with his schoolmates, two-year-old GIORGI.  

MARIAM

Oh my God, he is so small here so lovely, my boy.

At that moment, GIORGI enters the flat, all wet, he sees MARIAM in his room, sitting on his bed. Giorgi turns his head to NINA, who is standing scared and dumb.

GIORGI

GO away!

MARIAM wants to say something.

GIORGI

OUT!

GIORGI (to NINA)

What is she doing in my room?

NINA does not answer. GIORGI opens the door, points to it.

MARIAM

 GIORGI, please, let me stay.

GIORGI

OUT!

GIORGI leaves the entrance door open, goes to his room and closes the door behind him. He sits on the chair, closes his eyes to make himself calm down. He is all wet.

15. KITCHEN                                        INT/MORNING

GIORGI sits down at the table, he seems angry with his granny. NINA prepares breakfast for GIORGI, she lays the table.

NINA

You have to see her, just for once.

GIORGI

NO, it’s impossible.

NINA

Just for once.

GIORGI

No, I don’t need her, we don’t need her.

NINA

Please, just one time, she feels very bad.

GIORGI

I don’t care.

NINA

Don’t be so cruel, tomorrow she is leaving. She asked you to meet her for the last time, and she will never be back. Giorgi, please do it for me. She will wait for you in front of the Marriot hotel until 5 o’clock.

GIORGI

No I said!

NINA

Please GIORGI, that man has died, her Turkish husband. She is absolutely alone.

GIORGI

Now let’s stop talking!

Giorgi leaves the kitchen.

14. STREET (IN FRONT OF THE MARRIOT HOTEL)     EXT/AFTERNOON

GIORGI is standing on the pavement, glancing aside. He sees MARIAM sitting in the hotel café, smoking cigarette and looking around. GIORGI is standing so that she cannot see him. A waiter is coming to MARIAM and bringing some drink. GIORGI is observing her. MARIAM is drinking and still looking through a big window. She looks very depressed, she is crying. GIORGI makes a move to the cafe direction. At that moment somebody calls him, he sees his friends (MISHA with other three guys). He is a bit astonished.

MISHA

Hey man, what are you doing here? We have been calling you.

Today is VAKHO’S birthday and we all are going to him.

Come with us.

GIORGI looks at the boys thoughtfully, he is thinking hard.

MISHA

What’s up?

GIORGI

No…thi…ng.!

GIORGI follows the boys and just once he turns his head and looks at the Marriot café and MARIAM’s chair is already empty.

15. “SAKHINKLE”(Georgian traditional restaurant)  INT/ EVENING

The Boys are in sakhinkle. They are eating khinkali (Georgian traditional dish) and drinking vodka with beer. In the corner, the musician plays Georgian national music (zurna-duduki). It’s a real feast. GIORGI drinks, talks loudly and they sing all together.

16. THE ELEVATOR                                         INT/NIGHT GIORGI enters his apartment building and pushes the elevator button. He seems calm. An outmoded cabin with grafitti on the walls comes, he goes in. He pushes the button number 8. And the elevator moves up. GIORGI leans back, looks at the shining bulb. Suddenly he pushes the red button, and the cabin stops. He starts crying like baby.      

(Credits)