“Angelina”

by

Ralph N.J

Based on

A poem

By

E.J. Malinowski

BLACK SCREEN

V.O

Aunque tu marcha sea fatigosa
Y el cansancio te duela, no claudiques
Piensa en el río que tumbando diques
Avanza libre en fuerza candorosa.

FADE IN

EXT. Pizza Parlor – DAY

A woman, early 20’s, runs to the pizza parlor in a hurry.

INT. Pizza Parlor – DAY

She runs over to the rack where her apron hangs.

From a small door, the OWNER enters. He is old and of severe Italian features; a stereotype.

OWNER
Cacchio, Angelina! Ma ti accorsi che ore sono? He! Ascoltammi! Tu non decidi quando vieni, IO decido! Capis’!

ANGELINA pays little attention to her boss’s rants as she ties on her apron and walks over to the bar where she picks up her notepad and pencil.

ANGELINA
(fast)
Sì, Signore. Non succederà più.
OWNER
Meglio per te. Al lavoro ora.

ANGELINA starts attending to the customers. The OWNER eyes her.

V.O

Si existes ¿Qué ha de ser más importante
Que vibrar en la esencia de la vida?

CUSTOMER
(irritated yet patient)
Le minéstron.

ANGELINA
(out of a dream; eyelids flapping)
Perdone?

CUSTOMER
(annoyed)
Le mi-nés-tron. Pas vrai! C’est la troisième fois que je le répète.

ANGELINA
Perdon’,’sieur.

She takes his order slowly zoning out.

CUSTOMER
(calming down)
Et une bouteille de San Pellegrino, s’il vous plaît.

ANGELINA is out of it again.

CUSTOMER
Ho! Vous m’entendez?

The OWNER, attending another group of customers, notices the problem.

He approaches ANGELINA and slaps her at the back of head.

OWNER
Svegliati! Vedi he gli fai aspettare!
(to customer; in perfect french)
Mes excuses monsieur, elle n’apprend jamais rien.
Vous prenez ?

CUSTOMER
Le minéstron et une bouteille de San Pellegrino, S’il-vous-plaît. C’est pourtant pas compliqué.

OWNER
Bien sûr, Monsieur. Tout à fait, Monsieur.

He writes down the order on his notepad and tears the sheet of paper which he hands to ANGELINA.

OWNER
Scendi dalla tua nuvola o ti fo’scender’io!

ANGELINA takes the sheet of paper, nods and resumes attending to customers. The OWNER does likewise.

V.O

Sé aquel ave que con el ala herida
Aún sin volar, camina hacia adelante.

ANGELINA carries a tray with drinks. She accidentally runs into an older man, well dressed and professor like. Drinks spill on the floor with a loud crash.

OWNER
(O.S)
Ma Angelina! Cosa ti succede?! Devo far’tutto io?!

ANGELINA kneels down to pick up the mess.

ANGELINA
Perdone, mon-

OLD MAN
Vabbe, Lee.

Recognizing the voice, ANGELINA looks up.

ANGELINA
Signor Clemenza. Non-
(change of tone)
Ha letto la mia scenaggiatura?

She rapidly scoops up the mess from the floor onto the tray.

CLEMENZA
Sì, l’ho letto. Interessante
(staring at ANGELINA’s neck)
Da vero, molto interessante.

ANGELINA stands up in front of CLEMENZA.

ANGELINA
Gli è piaciuto?

As he speaks, CLEMENZA stares at various parts of ANGELINA: her hair, her eyes, her lips, her fingers (holding the tray), her neck etc.

He makes a couple of gestures.

CLEMENZA
Be...essendo il tuo professore...Non so...da un lato, sì...da un altro, no...Divertente,ma...ci sono qualche incoerenza.

ANGELINA
Capisco, che tipo d’incoerenza.

CLEMENZA
(thumb and index finger together)
Piccola così...bisogna discutere...che ora sei disposta?

ANGELINA
Alle sette e mezzo.

CLEMENZA
Perfetto. Mi raggiungi alle otto nel mio appartamento. Non necessiti l’indirizzo, vero?

ANGELINA
No, Le ritroverò.

CLEMENZA
Bene. Così si puo raffinare le cose. Ciao, Lee.

ANGELINA
Lei è l’unica persona a chiamarmi così.

CLEMENZA smiles, puts on his hat and coat and leaves. ANGELINA eyes him intensely.

V.O

Con paso firme y fiel contigo mismo
No dejes que tu barca pierda el rumbo
Ni ante el oleaje fero del egoísmo

CUT TO:

INT. Apartment – NIGHT

ANGELINA sits on a couch. Her script lies on a coffee table in front of her.

During the voice-over will play out a series of jump cuts:

- ANGELINA alone
- CLEMENZA entering the scene with two glasses of wine
- CLEMENZA discussing the script with ANGELINA
- CLEMENZA and ANGELINA talking more intimately¨
- CLEMENZA attempting to grope ANGELINA
- ANGELINA slapping CLEMENZA
- CLEMENZA alone

BLACK SCREEN

INT. Pizza Parlor – DAY

A customer, American by the watch, impeccably clean clothes and boyish physique, sits at a table intensely reading the menu. A manuscript, on the table, lies next to him.

ANGELINA approaches him.

ANGELINA
Lei è deciso?

AMERICAN
(looking up)
Uh...do you speak English?

ANGELINA shrugs her shoulders apologetically with a brief smile.



AMERICAN
No matter
(eyes on the menu)
I’ll have..uh..the..Pizza Napo-Lee-Tana.

ANGELINA
(writing)
Napoletana

AMERICAN
And an Orange Soda

ANGELINA is back in a daydream.

The AMERICAN looks up at her in bewilderment.

AMERICAN
Uh..hello..orange soda?

The OWNER notices. He approaches ANGELINA.

AMERICAN
(to ANGELINA)
Uh, miss...one napo-lee-tana, one soda. Please?
Got that?

ANGELINA is slowly coming out of it.

OWNER
(slapping her)
Ma svegliati cicciona!

ANGELINA falls to the floor.

OWNER
(angry)
Alzati! Vuoi farmi vergogna?!

Customers begin to stare.

OWNER
(to customers)
Non c’è niente. Problema col personale. State tranquilli, per favore. Continuate a mangiare.


The customers obey.

OWNER
(to ANGELINA)
Alzati! Vuoi altro?!

He lifts his hand about to slap her again. The AMERICAN leaps up and grabs his arm, in vain.

AMERICAN
Wait! Don’t hit her! She didn’t nothing by it!

The OWNER, stronger, shoves him off.

OWNER
Cos’ha da intervenire Americano insensato? Questo non è affare tuo!
(sigh of exasperation)
NON IMPARATE NIENTE, VOI STRONZI D’AMERICANI!

He throws the AMERICAN to the floor as well as his manuscript, papers flying.

The OWNER leaves ANGELINA and the AMERICAN to their crawling. They start to pick up the fallen pages.

ANGELINA examines the page nearest to her. It looks like the page of a script.

The AMERICAN, busy gathering the pages, takes ANGELINA’s page.

AMERICAN
Thanks. I’m sorry. I shoudn’t have...

He shakes his head and tries to sort out the pages as best he can.

ANGELINA
Scrivi?

AMERICAN
Excuse me?

ANGELINA does a writing gesture with her hands.


AMERICAN
(amused)
Oh...yes, I am..a writer. Screenwriter to be precise.

ANGELINA
Cos’è “Screenwriter”?

AMERICAN
Oh..uhhh
(searching for a word)
Cinema?

ANGELINA
Cinema?
(pronounced chee-nema in italian)
Serio?

AMERICAN
Mucho Serio

ANGELINA laughs at his mistake. He laughs back.

AMERICAN
And you? Do you
(pointing to ANGELINA)
“scrivi”

He repeats the gesture.

ANGELINA smiles at him.

AMERICAN
“Cinema”?

ANGELINA carries on smiling.

AMERICAN
I think you come with me.

ANGELINA
Nuovaiorche?

AMERICAN
New York? Absolutely!

Smile of joy and relief on ANGELINA’s face.

V.O

Que no se apague entre el pesado mundo
Ni se amilane en el oscuro abismo

CUT TO:

ANGELINA receives a slap on the head and falls to the floor.

OWNER
Fuori dalla mia azienda.

CUT TO BLACK

V.O

La llama azul de tu sentir profundo.

Louis Prima’s Angelina begins to play.

ROLL CREDITS

THE END