EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY
____________________
SUPERIMPOSE: 1925
A young man (30's), PYOTR SHARKOVIA and his daughter (10),
NATALIA SHARKOVIA, walk around a graveyard. The young man
holds her hand.
The older man points to a few gravestones.
They stop at one particularly beautiful stone, it is a very
clean looking old stone and there is a very clear epitaph
written on it.
Natalia takes out some wax paper and makes a rubbing of the
words.
Her father watches her.
A group of men surround her father. They lead him off.
Natalia is staring at the gravestone. She doesn't even see
this happen.
INSERT - RUBBING: PRASKOVIA SHEREMETEV 1768 - 1803
INT. MOSCOW - APARTMENT BLOCK - DAY
___________________________________
The 10 year old Natalia has returned home, alone. Her face is
covered in tears.
She comes up to her front door to see two men holding her
mother, LARISSA, down as they destroy the house looking
for...something.
The room is filled with six scary looking men, one of whom
closes the door on Natalia.
Natalia sits down on the floor. She takes out the rubbing she
made of Praskovia's grave. It is a sixteen line poem.
She takes out another sheet of paper and starts to copy down
what it says.
She can hear her mother's screams. She writes.
EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY
____________________
10 year old Natalia is sat by Praskovia's grave. She reads
and has a picnic laid out.
EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY
____________________
10 year old Natalia is asleep on Praskovia's grave.
Her mother approaches quietly and wakes her up. Natalia,
bleary eyed walks off.
POV: Larissa. She sees a letter, addressed to "Daddy".
Natalia has left this on Praskovia's gravestone.
Larissa, frightened, grabs it and rams it into her pocket.
____
OPEN
TITLES: RUSSIAN
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
2 -
Birth and Judgment: A Tale of Two Eras
INT. RUSSIAN BIRTHING HUT - NIGHT
_________________________________
SUPERIMPOSE: 1768
SONIA, (20's, strong, Russian, tiny) is giving birth.
A midwife enters the room and immediately starts to open
windows and doorways so that the baby may have a clear path
to it's new life.
Sonia is brave but screams in pain, the women try their best
to calm her. They do this by singing.
WOMEN (SINGING)
We sing to you, We praise you, We
thank you, O Lord. We pray to you, our
God, We pray to you, our God, We pray
to you, our God. Our God.
The baby is born. The midwife takes a large and sharp arrow
head and cuts the umbilical cord.
The midwife takes her and holds the child out to the night
sky. The baby cries out into the wilderness.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Praskovia Ivanovna Kovalyova-
Zhemchugova. Russia's greatest Opera
singer. Her father was a blacksmith,
her mother a farm worker. As both
parents were owned by the Sheremetev
family it meant that she too would be
owned as a slave. At the time of her
birth the Sheremetev family owned a
(MORE)
NATALIA (V.O.) (CONT'D)
million such slaves.
EXT - MOSCOW STREETS - MORNING
______________________________
SUPERIMPOSE: MOSCOW 1936
NATALIA, now in her 20's, runs, she is late.
She wears a plain shirt and a cardigan, however unlike the
other women, she is wearing working trousers.
Her hair is a mess and still wet. The other women in the
street look at her with disdain.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
Songs of Birth and Shadows of Oppression
INT. BLACKSMITH'S SHOP - NIGHT
______________________________
The Midwife carries the still screaming baby into her
father's shop. The men inside are drunk.
The baby is passed around from one man to another. Finally
she makes it to her father, IVAN, (30's, enormous)
Some of the women who helped with the birth join them for a
drink.
The men in the shop sing loudly.
DRUNKEN MEN (SINGING)
May there always be sunshine. May
there always be blue skies. May there
always be mummy. May there always be
me!
The baby falls asleep peacefully in the shop, surrounded by
the singing drunks.
INT. RUSSIAN BIRTHING HUT - NIGHT
_________________________________
Women tend to Sonia. She is asleep.
We can hear the men singing the lullaby again and again,
louder and louder.
Houses all over the village are joining in.
NATALIA (V.O.)
She was born into song. She was born
into a family who loved her. In these
cruel times the people had nothing
else to give her but their songs.
EXT - MOSCOW STREETS - MORNING
______________________________
Natalia runs around a corner and freezes. She brushes her
hair with her hands, desperately trying to tidy it.
A man in a police uniform, dark colours and a cap with a blue
ribbon stares at her.
She turns her eyes to the ground, she knows not to stare
back.
She hears a scream and looks to the doorway.
Three NKVD agents, also wearing dark uniforms and caps with
blue ribbons, drag another man out with them. He is spitting
blood from his mouth and nose.
They place him on the ground and the four men proceed to beat
the man to a pulp with their truncheons.
Natalia looks up at the scene, she cannot avert her gaze.
She is about to open her mouth to say something when she is
grabbed roughly from behind by an OLD WOMAN.
The old woman walks her hurriedly away.
OLD WOMAN
Just keep walking. Don't stop.
NATALIA
What did he do?
OLD WOMAN
What do you care?
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
Voices in the Wheat Field
EXT. LARGE WHEAT FIELD - MORNING
________________________________
SUPERIMPOSE - 1774
Praskovia, (6 years old), walks amongst dozens of serfs who
work the field.
They all sing.
Praskovia joins in, she knows the words so well, the tunes
she sings are beautiful coming from this angel of a child.
She is trying to carry a very a large pail of water.
SERFS (SINGING)
Do not scold me so, my dear. Wrath
with words so feebly matching! Such a
scolding soothes my ear, I’m your
words intent on catching. As they
issue suddenly, pouring forth in
pretty prattling. What marvel that
they sound to me Pearls on silver
salver rattling!
Praskovia sees two men on enormous horses. The first man is
NIKOLAI SHEREMETEV (20's, handsome), the man on the horse
next to him is a lot fatter and slightly older, this is his
brother VASILY.
She bows and walks away. Neither man notices her.
NIKOLAI
This is what the theatre needs. Father
agrees. Russian theatre needs more
Russian voices.
VASILY
Father and his Russian voices. The
people who matter want Italian and
French.
NIKOLAI
Father is building serf theatres.
VASILY
He is too kind to his serfs.
NIKOLAI
The Empress. The Empress is too kind
to the serfs.
Nikolai is oblivious. He is staring at a buxom serf. She
looks back at him and smiles.
Her mother grabs her and pulls her away.
Nikolai, ever cheeky, bows his head to the serf mother as she
rushes her daughter away.
Genres:
["Historical Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
Whispers of Hierarchy and Desire
EXT. STATE COMMITTEE FOR CINEMATOGRAPHY - DAY
_____________________________________________
Natalia runs to the entrance of a very imposing building.
(Although this is 1930's Moscow so all of the buildings are
imposing).
INSERT - SIGN ABOVE THE DOOR: STATE COMMITTEE FOR
CINEMATOGRAPHY
INT. SERF HUT - DAY
___________________
6 year old Praskovia walks through her village.
Nikolai approaches her on his giant horse. She stops and
bows.
He hands her a large bouquet of flowers and points at a door.
Praskovia, understanding, takes the flowers to the door. She
then runs off.
The buxom girl from the previous scene opens the door. She
picks up the flowers.
She notices Nikolai smiling at her. She waves to him.
INT. NIKOLAI'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
______________________________
Nikolai is alone. Candles barely light the room.
The door opens, in walks, ESTHER, (late 50's, stern).
Esther is with another woman. It is the buxom girl from
before. Behind Esther and the buxom girl are two more women.
All three giggle and act shy. Esther leads them to Nikolai's
bed. Nikolai begins to blow out the remaining candles.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Character Study"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
Tension in the Corridor
INT. STATE COMMITTEE FOR CINEMATOGRAPHY - CORRIDOR - DAY
________________________________________________________
Natalia is sat in a long corridor, outside of an important
office.
INSERT - SIGN ON THE OFFICE DOOR - CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE
COMMITTEE FOR CINEMATOGRAPHY.
She is nervous and is tapping her foot.
TIMA BARISHKIMOV, (30's, excitable) comes out of the office.
Tima looks around to make sure no one is watching and then
kisses her.
TIMA
It's a good job Chairman Sisi likes
you. 15 minutes late.
NATALIA
I just saw a man. Being beaten in the
streets. By the NKVD.
TIMA
Well he must have resisted. Stupid
really.
NATALIA
Tima. He wasn't being arrested, he was
being beaten to death in the street.
TIMA
Focus. We are late. You're late. Focus
Natty.
NATALIA
I'm late because I just saw a man be
beaten to death.
TIMA
And that is not something you will
repeat in there. Serov is in there.
Natalia pales at the name Serov.
TIMA (CONT'D)
He's read the script. Luckily, Bartold
is there too.
NATALIA
The Devil and an Angel on the
Chairman's shoulders.
TIMA
Please don't say that in there Natty.
Tima goes in and Natalia leans over to try and see inside.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
The Inspection at Kuskovo Palace
INT. KUSOVO PALACE - BALLROOM - DAY
___________________________________
SUPERIMPOSE: KUSKOVO PALACE 1779
In a great hall a line of girls wait. None are older than 20.
Most are in their teens.
All look timid. Scared. Silent.
Except for the ten year old Praskovia who is staring at
Nikolai and Vasily as they 'inspect the goods'.
She is the youngest one there. Esther stands close to her.
Esther whispers something into Praskovia's ear and then joins
Nikolai and Vasily.
VASILY
This must stop Nikolai. These are like
the bride shows of old. Line up the
girls and see which is worth...
NIKOLAI
More theatres. More girls. More
dancers.
VASILY
More women for your bed.
NIKOLAI
Benefits of a busy man.
They check the first few girls.
NIKOLAI (CONT'D)
Those three over there. Their breasts
are too big for the dancing troupe.
The women with big breasts blush, one starts to cry.
ESTHER
If you can cry like that my girl, we
can use you in the tragedies.
VASILY
Father has said yes. I am to marry.
Though most of the court says she is a
whore. Beneath me. I think the Empress
wanted more for me. But the Empress is
a romantic woman so father convinced
her to approve the match.
NIKOLAI
They use such words? Because of her
low rank? The court can't...
VASILY
Well they called her an actress. They
said all we do is bed our casts.
NIKOLAI
She is an aristocrat. What is the
issue here? Your name will raise hers.
VASILY
According to the court not highly
enough. It will be some time if I can
introduce my bride to the Empress, if
at all.
NIKOLAI
You are a Sheremetev, you carry the
most important name in Russia. Unless
you marry the Empress herself what
rank is befitting yours?
Nikolai stares at a beautiful woman in the line up.
VASILY
Nikolai, you must marry. You must have
heirs. You are older than me.
NIKOLAI
I have children.
VASILY
Legitimate ones you brothel creeper.
NATALIA (V.O.)
In the times of the Tsar once girls
were old enough they would be checked
for rashes and to make sure they were
still virgins. Those girls with large
hips and breasts would not remain
virgins for long. They were no good
for the ballet, but they were good for
the aristocrats to abuse for their
fun.
Praskovia smiles sweetly and bows (as she was taught) when
the three stop at her.
ESTHER
This is the one the Princess
mentioned. The singer.
NIKOLAI
Sing for us a song please.
Praskovia freezes, she looks at Esther.
VASILY
Are you stupid girl? Do you know any
songs?
PRASKOVIA
My father taught me a lot of songs. So
did the kitchen workers. Russian songs
though. My mistress said I should
learn French songs.
VASILY
Who is your mistress?
PRASKOVIA
Princess Martha Dolgorukaya.
VASILY
A fine woman Nikolai. A fine young
woman. Good rank. Higher than ours.
She is also a widow Nikolai. And young
enough to bare...
Nikolai raises his hand to silence him. Vasily walks away
laughing.
NIKOLAI
Sing for me one of these Russian
songs. I like Russian songs.
PRASKOVIA
Do not scold me so, my dear. Wrath
with words so feebly matching! Such a
scolding soothes my ear, I’m your
words intent on catching. As they
issue suddenly, pouring forth in
pretty prattling. What marvel that
they sound to me Pearls on silver
salver rattling!
She has a powerful voice that fills the room and none can
believe that it is coming from a 10 year old girl.
Esther smiles. The two men are impressed.
VASILY
Please. Show me your teeth. And your
fingernails.
_____________________________________________________________
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Period Piece"]
Ratings
Scene
8 -
Censorship and Defiance
INT. STATE COMMITTEE FOR CINEMATOGRAPHY - CHAIRMAN'S OFFICE -
_______
MORNING
Natalia and Tima sit in two small chairs in front of three
imposing men.
Sat at a massive desk, with a placard bearing his name, is
CHAIRMAN SISI. Behind him, perched like a friendly parrot, is
his second in command, BARTOLD.
A third man, sat on a sofa to the left of Tima and Natalia is
SEROV. By his side is a cap, with a blue ribbon. He is NKVD
like the men who terrified Natalia earlier.
SEROV
In the first five pages you have
Nikolai staring at large...women twice
in two different scenes. This will not
do. It is pornographic.
NATALIA
It is the truth. He was a lecherous
youth.
Serov chuckles to himself.
SEROV
The truth?
TIMA
We will tone this all down. This is an
early draft Comrade Serov.
Natalia glares angrily at Tima.
She looks at Bartold, he puts his finger to his lip as if to
shush her.
She is the only one who sees this.
She ignores him and turns with passionate zeal towards Serov.
NATALIA
Comrade Stalin taught us that there is
a need to correct history. This is
correcting history. It is brutally
clear that the oligarchs were
perverts. The people must be made
aware of this.
Serov seems placated by this answer.
BARTOLD
A good Leninist answer.
TIMA
We will of course tone it down. To
make it more...suitable.
NATALIA
Besides, this film is about Praskovia,
not Nikolai.
Chairman Sisi holds out his hands in a friendly conciliatory
manner.
SISI
This is true. We need more stories
about our women. Our Serf women. Whose
voices were silenced by the Tsarist...
Serov smiles at him. It is meant to be friendly instead it is
very creepy and it has stopped Sisi in his stride.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Political Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
9 -
Tensions in the Park
EXT. MOSCOW PARK - DAY
______________________
Natalia and her mother, Larissa, walk through the park.
Her mother is dressed warmly and has wrapped her head in the
obligatory red scarf.
She touches her daughters head. Natalia bats her hand away.
NATALIA
Stop it mother. I like my hair like...
LARISSA
It could do with a comb Natty.
They continue to walk in silence.
LARISSA (CONT'D)
Still with this woman? Why always with
this bloody singer? Because of your
father? He didn't know they were going
to arrest him that day you know. He
didn't leave you there on purpose.
Natalia says nothing.
NATALIA
I could quote it when I was a little
girl in school. The gravestone, it was
16 lines and I knew every word. It was
a worm in my head. It never left me.
He wanted me to read about that woman.
I know it mama. I know this era like
the back of my hand. I know this
woman, like I know myself.
LARISSA
So stick to history, stick to
academia. Why film it?
NATALIA
Because the people don't read my book.
They watch films. The Politburo watch
films, Comrade St...
LARISSA
Fuck that Georgian prick.
Natalia looks around.
NATALIA
Mama.
Larissa walks over to a park bench and sits down. She beckons
for Natalia to join her.
LARISSA
Are you sure you are not just doing
this for a certain young boy? Films.
That's his thing.
NATALIA
Mama.
LARISSA
Marry him Natalia. Don't make him
famous.
NATALIA
Mama.
BARTOLD (O.S.)
Larissa, Natalia. Good day.
Bartold waves to both and joins them.
LARISSA
Here he is. Another academic who wants
to be a movie star.
BARTOLD
Larissa, please.
LARISSA
You and that Barishkimov boy. She
could be a great historian. Instead
she is writing silly film plays.
Bartold laughs.
He sits down next to Larissa. He strokes her hand lovingly.
Natalia does not see it. She does see her mother blush
though.
BARTOLD
It went well today Natalia. We should
hear soon.
LARISSA
We? What the hell do you do in that
Committee man? Don't you know?
BARTOLD
Larissa.
Natalia stands.
NATALIA
Mother I must head off, I have re-
writes to make.
BARTOLD
A lot. Serov has been in editing room
3 berating Barishkimov all afternoon.
The boy has all that work to do and he
has to listen to Serov.
Natalia leaves.
LARISSA
This bloody singer. Since she was a
child. Her father left her in front of
this bloody singers gravestone. It's
where they arrested him. She thinks
it's a sign.
BARTOLD
"What is to become of her wretched
spouse, Fated to drag out the rest of
his days without his friend?" She used
to quote it to me all the time.
LARISSA
Jesus. Not you as well.
BARTOLD
What? I have a good memory.
LARISSA
It's a pissing gravestone. Not a sign
from God.
BARTOLD
"Yet her death was the path to
immortality."
LARISSA
Stop quoting fucking gravestones to
me.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Family Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
10 -
Creative Struggles and New Opportunities
INT. NATALIA'S APARTMENT - DAY
______________________________
Natalia sits in front of her typewriter. She has written half
of a page. She rips the paper out of the machine and throws
it in the bin.
NATALIA
How in the hell can I write about
Nikolai being a womaniser without
writing about his womanising?
TIMA (O.S.)
Well you're going to have to work on
it. I no longer work in editing room
3. I am now a director. A great and
powerful one...
NATALIA
We got the film?
Barishkimov is beaming at her in the doorway.
TIMA
Yes. I have the commission. The film
is in the works. There is a caveat. A
really bad one.
NATALIA
Who approved it?
TIMA
The Chairman himself.
NATALIA
A caveat? Serov?
TIMA
Supervising.
NATALIA
Well, any problems with him we can go
to Chairman Sisi.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
11 -
Betrayal in the Shadows
INT. MOSCOW - LUBYANKA PRISON - NIGHT
_____________________________________
Chairman Sisi is alone in a dark cell. He is cold, bloodied
and miserable.
A slot in the door opens. The old man cries out in fear. A
pair of eyes look through the slot. The eyes belong to Serov.
Serov is stood in the corridor with a GUARD.
GUARD
Your testimony will be of great help
Comrade Serov.
SEROV
Well I'm not sure why he kept asking
for me. The Chairman and I rarely saw
eye to eye.
Another man approaches, this is NIKOLAI YEZHOV. The head of
the NKVD.
YEZHOV
Ask yourself which side of that door
you want to be on Comrade Serov. That
is a question you must ask yourself
every day.
The first guard opens the door. Serov watches as he walks in.
The Chairman barely opens his eyes.
SISI
Serov?
The first guard takes his gun out of his holster and shoots
the Chairman in the head. Serov pales. Then he smiles.
SEROV
So. Comrade Yezhov. Sir. I assume
there is now a job opening?
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
12 -
A Bittersweet Departure
EXT. VILLAGE - BLACKMITH'S SHOP - DAY
_____________________________________
Sonia and Ivan, along with Praskovia, pack up the contents of
their village shop onto a large cart.
The people are out in force, they help with the larger
luggage.
Many of the women cry and moan, knowing that they may never
see them again.
NATALIA (V.O.)
After Praskovia entered training in
the theatre her family was moved to be
closer to her. As slaves they had no
homes. They were told to live where
they were ordered to. Praskovia's
father was ordered to take his work to
Kuskovo. A city built on the backs of
slaves with money earned by the
Sheremetevs.
Sonia is crying, Ivan is excited. Praskovia is quiet.
She diligently takes the things that Ivan and Sonia hand her
and loads them onto the family cart.
Her mother boards the cart. Her father takes the reins and in
the soft morning light they take their lives somewhere else.
Genres:
["Historical Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
13 -
A Day in Kuskovo: Dreams and Discontent
EXT. KUSKOVO - DAY
__________________
The family arrive in the large city. It is the first they
have ever seen.
The cart is stopped. Praskovia's father gets off the cart and
walks down a street with a sheet of paper in his hand. He is
illiterate, he stares at the page with nothing but confusion.
Praskovia jumps down, she can read and does so, she points in
another direction and Ivan goes off with a smile on his face,
proud of his genius daughter.
Praskovia looks down the street and she sees a large
building.
A magnificent building. This is one of the largest theatres
in the world at the time.
We hear a soft voice, a beautiful voice singing. At first it
appears to come from the theatre. It is Praskovia.
PRASKOVIA (SINGING)
And famous shall I be, while there
remains. A single Poet ’neath the
light of day. Through all great Russia
will go forth my fame. And every
(MORE)
PRASKOVIA (SINGING) (CONT'D)
tongue in it will name my name. And by
the nation long shall I be loved.
Because my lyre their nobler feelings
moved.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Many years later Praskovia Sheremetev,
the greatest singer of her age, would
write to a friend about how on that
day she decided that she would see the
inside of that magnificent building..
TIMA (O.S.)
Cut. Print. Good work everyone. That
is enough for today.
This is not Kuskovo anymore Toto. This is a soundstage in the
heart of the Soviet Media Machine. Natalia and Tima's film is
up and running.
Praskovia, her mother and father are all actors. They get
down from the fake wagon and walk off to their changing
rooms.
Various stagehands take the scene apart and begin to turn off
lights and pack away a lot of the equipment.
Natalia walks up to Tima.
NATALIA
Tima, it's the weekend.
TIMA
Oh yes. Sorry people. It's the
weekend. Monday. 6 am start.
The workers all groan.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Musical"]
Ratings
Scene
14 -
Tension in the Morning
INT. NATALIA'S APARTMENT - NEXT MORNING
_______________________________________
Tima reads pages in bed. Natalia reads pages in bed.
Both scribble away and edit the pages.
NATALIA
We need the correct balance. This is
Praskovia's story but I think I'm
talking too much about her. My
obsession with her is overwhelming the
plot. 'I don't have special claims, On
(MORE)
NATALIA (CONT'D)
this illustrious house...'
TIMA
Stop quoting Akhmatova. You know her
work is banned. Do you want to be
banned?
Neither looks up from their work.
There is a knock on the door. Natalia looks at Tima. They
both look a little panicked.
NATALIA
Only the NKVD knock this...
KIRICH (O.S.)
It's Kirich.
Barishkimov and Natalia breath a sigh of relief.
Natalia puts on her dressing gown and answers the door. The
second she touches the handle the door flies open.
KIRICH,(40's, squat with glasses) comes in out of breath.
KIRICH
The Chairman has been arrested.
TIMA
What?
KIRICH
Last night. His wife called me.
TIMA
That was stupid. Using the phone. What
does this mean for the film?
NATALIA
Tima. The Chairman has been arrested.
TIMA
And? We can't help him now.
NATALIA
What were the charges?
KIRICH
Embezzlement.
NATALIA
Embezzlement? There is no money to
steal.
KIRICH
They came for him at two in the
morning. On Wednesday.
NATALIA
No one has heard from him since
Wednesday night?
TIMA
That's not how it works sometimes.
Sometimes it could be weeks before you
notice people are gone. Where is his
wife now? Hopefully not using the
bloody phone.
KIRICH
She has been at the prison since
Thursday morning. No one will talk to
her apparently.
There is another knock on the door. Everyone jumps in fear.
Then they all laugh at their foolishness.
Another man walks in. This is PETROD (20's, enormous and
strong).
PETROD
Have you heard about the Chairman?
NATALIA
Yes. He's been arrested.
Petrod sees Kirich.
PETROD
That's Kirich's news, mine is even
fresher. It's Serov. Serov is the new
Chairman.
NATALIA
Already.
Now Tima is more attentive.
TIMA
What? How? Wait Serov? Jesus you know
what this means?
KIRICH
What?
TIMA
It was Serov. Who do you think
denounced Chairman Sisi? It was Serov.
PETROD
Serov put out a memo very late last
night saying that he was the new
Chairman. Asshole couldn't wait until
the Monday. Maria, the cleaner, was
the only one in this morning and she
saw it and she came and told the wife.
All projects are to be assessed for
political viability...
TIMA
Viability? Jesus, he hates us.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Political"]
Ratings
Scene
15 -
Clash of Aspirations
INT. KUSKOVO BLACKSMITH'S SHOP - DAY
____________________________________
Several women are in the back room. They sew and mend
clothes.
Praskovia's father is working in the front of shop.
Praskovia, now a teen, comes into the room. Sonia steps out
from the other women and hugs her tightly.
The other women look at Praskovia with disgust. Her clothes
are clean and finely pressed. She has not spent the harvest
outside like they have.
PRASKOVIA
I am learning French mama. Like the
wealthy. Like the masters.
Praskovia's mother crosses herself as if her daughter has
been taken by the devil.
SONIA
My daughter is a whore.
PRASKOVIA
I am a singer.
SONIA
They only cast these women to spoil
them. Actresses, Courtesans, Singers.
Whores. All.
PRASKOVIA
My God mother.
Her mother slaps her.
SONIA
Did they teach you this? This
blasphemy? Does it make taking their
seed easier?
PRASKOVIA
I am still a virgin.
SONIA
Do you bleed?
Praskovia says nothing.
Sonia looks out of the window and sees the carriage that
bought Praskovia. She crosses herself again.
SONIA (CONT'D)
What did you do to deserve such a
ride? You will not wear those clothes
to church. You will find something
old, from the house.
Genres:
["Historical Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
16 -
Judgment in the House of God
INT. CHURCH - DAY
_________________
Praskovia and Sonia sit in church. The power and grace of
Orthodoxy is in full effect.
The icons glitter in the candle light. The priests are
dressed in their full attire. The church is packed to the
rafters.
The serfs are sat in the rear.
The serf men all point and look at the gloriously dressed
aristocrats at the front of the church.
All the women in the church stare at Praskovia. They whisper
to each other about the new 'star' sat amongst them.
NATALIA (V.O.)
She was to have the finer life, a life
of operas and training and fine
clothes and beautiful things. However
to the women in her village she was a
traitor to her class, like so many
people who see the shine of a coin she
(MORE)
NATALIA (V.O.) (CONT'D)
had turned her back on those who had
nothing.
Genres:
["Historical Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
17 -
A Call from the Past
INT. NATALIA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
________________________________
Natalia works. Tima reads.
TIMA
'Like so many people who see the shine
of a coin?' Laying it on a bit thick
for the new Chairman aren't we?
Natalia looks at her work, embarrassed.
She looks at what she has written. She rips the page out and
throws it into the bin.
NATALIA
'We can and must write in a language
which sows among the masses hate,
revulsion, and scorn toward those who
disagree with us'.
TIMA
If in doubt, chuck in a strong quote
from Lenin.
NATALIA
Stalin does it. If in doubt. Quote
Lenin.
Tima searches through a drawer. He finds a tie. He also finds
something else. He pulls it out of the drawer.
He holds Natalia's original wax paper rubbing from
Praskovia's grave.
TIMA
What is this?
NATALIA
Be careful with that.
TIMA
Is that what I think it is? Sorry.
He places it back into the drawer.
TIMA (CONT'D)
You should frame that. It's
(MORE)
TIMA (CONT'D)
historical.
NATALIA
What? And give my paranoid mother a
heart attack?
Tima puts on his coat and hat.
NATALIA (CONT'D)
Tonight. Say nothing sarcastic, don't
tell any of your jokes. Heads down
remember. It is boys only but remember
Tima doesn't like dirty jokes.
TIMA
I must kiss the new Chairman's ring my
dear. At the moment we still have a
film to make, though I'm not sure why.
He kisses her on the cheek and leaves the apartment.
LATER:
Natalia reads a book and smokes a cigarette. She has given up
work for the night.
The phone rings. She is startled.
She picks it up and stubs out her cigarette, she finds
herself standing to attention.
NATALIA
Hello?
VOICE (ON PHONE)
Please stay on the line for the
General Secretary.
Natalia is confused.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Comrade, this is the General
Secretary.
NATALIA
Sorry, who?
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Comrade, this is General Secretary
Stalin. I wanted to talk to you about
(MORE)
STALIN (ON PHONE) (CONT'D)
your film. Do you have a free moment?
Natalia nearly faints. Then she almost throws up. Then she
catches herself.
NATALIA
Is this a joke? Is this you Petrod?
STALIN (ON PHONE)
I can assure you it is not. Listen I
have read the current shooting draft
of your work and I see it as a great
lesson for our people to learn of how
people were treated in the past. Even
the rich and powerful were treated
badly. You must allow yourself to
write more about the Empress and the
Tsar.
NATALIA
Comrade...I...I apologise.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
For what?
NATALIA
For thinking you...
STALIN (ON PHONE)
You would be surprised how few people
believe it is me. Don't they realise
that I care about all those who live
in Russia? Your film must tell the
correct story. The film will give the
masses a victim to cry over.
NATALIA
Victim?
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Why poor Praskovia. The most beautiful
voice in Russia, we will need a good
singer to dub the singing. I don't
think your lead...
NATALIA
The film is safe?
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Of course. However, I disagree with
(MORE)
STALIN (ON PHONE) (CONT'D)
Chairman Serov's report. The film must
include your views more strongly.
Russian women always tell the truth,
unlike Russian men. Telling the truth
about the past is how we will fix the
problems that face our future. Comrade
Serov says you are a good historian,
but a sordid writer. Is this the
truth? Tell me a sordid story, about
Tsar Paul. One that the censors would
not let me see.
NATALIA
I have a sordid tale about Count Pyotr
Koshkarov. He liked to whip his women.
For sexual gratification.
STALIN
Like the English.
NATALIA
Yes sir...Comrade... he spanked them.
It pleasured him to do so.
STALIN
The English perversion. I wonder.
Would it not be good for the writing
to have this perversion be Tsar Paul's
and not Koshkarov's? The English
perversion was famous amongst the
royals of Europe. I mean this for the
film, a perversion for Tsar Paul. I
must go now, Comrade. Please continue
your work. As you can imagine. Be
discreet. I did not call. No one
believes people when I do. That is why
the truth is so important.
The line goes dead. Natalia's legs give out from under her
and she collapses on the floor.
LATER:
Natalia is lying in bed, trying to sleep and failing. We hear
the door crash open.
TIMA (O.S.)
Natalia? Natalia? Are you awake?
Tima staggers in. He is drunk.
NATALIA
What the hell Tima? Are you drunk? Did
Serov get you drunk?
TIMA
No. Bartold did. He's still deputy.
Afterwards. Serov didn't even give us
tea. He was livid. Livid.
NATALIA
What happened?
TIMA
I don't know. I went there, saw
Bartold and panicked. I thought this
is it. The film is canned and Bartold
is here to make sure I don't punch
anyone. But no. No. We are a hit,
Serov says the film will stay on. It
will stay on budget and political
ideology, he says, but get this, he is
too busy now as Chairman to supervise.
So Bartold will. Bartold. We can film
what we want. How the hell does a
thing like that happen? Serov told us
and threw us both out within a minute.
A minute?
Natalia says nothing.
TIMA (CONT'D)
Why do you look so worried Natty, come
let's have another drink. We're going
to be stars.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Political Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
18 -
The Power of Praskovia's Voice
INT. LARGER THEATRE - DAY
_________________________
Dozens of people build a set around Praskovia.
Even over the noise we can hear her voice as she practices.
A director is waving wildly at her trying to get her
attention from all the chaos around her.
She doesn't even see him. Instead she sings to the back of
the room.
Her voice has the power of a goddess, she is giving it
everything trying her best to be heard over the din.
As she sings a group of wealthy looking men and women enter
and watch from the back of the room.
NATALIA (V.O.)
As a young woman, one of her most
famous roles was that of...
Natalia's narration and the din of the workers is finally
drowned out by Praskovia's singing.
Everyone in the theatre has stopped.
PRASKOVIA (SINGING)
It is my heart that breaks. I cannot
stop it from doing so. To you my heart
seems so simple. But it is pure
because of this.
EXT. THEATRE - DAY
__________________
People putting up the marquee outside the theatre can hear
Praskovia also. They too stop working.
Genres:
["Drama","Musical"]
Ratings
Scene
19 -
Silent Longing and Social Critique
INT. THEATRE - DAY
__________________
Praskovia finishes singing. The whole theatre is deathly
silent. No one wants to move.
NATALIA (V.O.)
She played a servant girl. In love
with a prince she sings about how she
knows that she cannot ever marry the
man she loves. The whole opera was
about the awful world of class and
position, and none of the audience
ever understood that she was singing
to them directly.
Most frozen by her is Nikolai. He looks at her with eyes of
pure love.
She looks back at him. She is crying. Not because she has
fallen in love but as part of her performance.
He however has fallen for both the woman and the romantic
role she is playing. The silence is broken by a WORKER
talking to his compatriot.
WORKER
Was she singing in Russian? The court
censor will never allow it.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Musical"]
Ratings
Scene
20 -
A Night at the Theatre: Social Hierarchies and Personal Longings
EXT. THEATRE - NIGHT
____________________
The show is on, and Praskovia is the star. The playbill is up
and her name is at the top.
Outside barkers shout and yell. The rich and powerful enter
the theatre.
Two of the most fabulously wealthy are buying tickets from a
scalper (yes they had pirates and scalpers even then). The
tickets are so hot even they can't get in.
INT. THEATRE - NIGHT
____________________
SUPERIMPOSE: 1785
Praskovia sings in front of the crowded theatre. The men all
stand. The women remain seated.
NATALIA (V.O.)
So constricted was the ranking system
of Tsarist Russia that men would not
sit for fear of offending a man who
outranked them arriving late.
PRASKOVIA (SINGING)
In my heart. There is a wind. It is
the wind of change.
INT. THEATRE - NIGHT 1785
_________________________
Praskovia sings in Italy. This crowd is different, a more
mixed bunch. A more discerning crowd.
PRASKOVIA (SINGING)
You sit astride this land. A giant
with no equal. I love a giant and yet
I am so small you cannot see me.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Musical"]
Ratings
Scene
21 -
Brotherly Banter in the Fields
EXT. RUSSIAN FIELD - DAY
________________________
Nikolai is astride a magnificent horse accompanying his
brother, Vasily.
VASILY
I can't remember the last time I was
invited to court.
NIKOLAI
Bugger the court.
VASILY
Bugger the...? Do you disdain this
world so much?
A carriage rides past them. Inside is Praskovia. She sees the
powerful Sheremetevs. Vasily sees her. Nikolai pretends not
to.
VASILY (CONT'D)
Our great success has returned. You
must be pleased.
NIKOLAI
Father has sent her to the serf
theatres.
VASILY
Father and his serfs.
NIKOLAI
She should be singing for the Empress
herself. Her voice is that....
Vasily starts to laugh.
NIKOLAI (CONT'D)
What?
VASILY
Have you sent flowers to her house
yet?
Genres:
["Historical Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
22 -
Behind the Scenes: A Tense Production
INT. THEATRE - NIGHT
____________________
The last theatre, filled to the brim with the common people.
Sonia and Ivan are watching their daughter in all her
success. She does not know they are there.
PRASKOVIA (SINGING)
Je perdais volontiers ma vieille vie
pour vivre avec les dieux et la
geants.
SUBTITLES: I would happily lose my old life. To live with the
Gods and Giants.
SONIA
Why does she sing this in French? How
are we supposed to understand her?
INT. SOUND STAGE - DAY
______________________
A large 1930's movie camera moves back to reveal that this
last theatre is not indeed a theatre from the 18th century
but rather a sound stage in 1930's Russia.
Tima corals a number of extra's, sound people and cameramen.
In front of him are the actors who play Praskovia, her mother
and her father.
PRASKOVIA
(To Tima)
I still don't like these lyrics. I
want to bring in Bernie. I don't
speak, or sing in French Tima.
NIKOLAI
If she's bringing in Bernie I want to
look at my lines again.
TIMA
I'm not bringing in Bernie. We're not
allowed to use him anymore.
PRASKOVIA
Then tell Natalia I want to talk to
her later.
NIKOLAI
So do I.
Tima smiles at them blankly.
Both walk off.
A group of stagehands surround Tima as he he walks around the
set.
Amongst them are Kirich and Petrod. Also with them is GOLOVIN
(50's, female) and IVANOV (30's, imagine a scarecrow).
KIRICH
We can't use yellow walls on set
three. We need to change it to orange.
It will work better.
TIMA
Why?
KIRICH
Trust me it does.
PETROD
Is Natalia going to re-write. If she
does ask her what new sets she wants.
There's only so many theatres we can
build.
TIMA
We can re-use the sets. Just dress
them differently. Why does the colour
matter if the film is black and white?
Both men look at him as if he's mad. They walk away.
TIMA (CONT'D)
I don't like those two sometimes.
IVANOV
They're your best friends.
GOLOVIN
Did you hear about Sisi's wife?
TIMA
People, the previous Chairman is not
our business.
IVANOV
I heard she still can't visit him.
TIMA
It's not our business.
GOLOVIN
He's been registered as uncontactable.
IVANOV
That's not a word. I think it's not to
be contacted anyway.
TIMA
People it's not our business.
IVANOV
Why is the wife getting involved? She
should stay at home.
GOLOVIN
She didn't. She told my cousin that
(MORE)
GOLOVIN (CONT'D)
she hasn't heard anything and when she
asked at the headquarters they told
her to go away. That he was
uncontactable.
TIMA
It's not our business. That's not the
phrase anyway.
IVANOV
What does it mean? He's locked up, why
can't she write to him?
TIMA
For fuck's sake. It is not our
business.
Golovin looks at Ivanov.
IVANOV
Dead? Does it mean he's dead?
GOLOVIN
Of course that's what it means you
simple bean pole.
TIMA
Get back to fucking work. Now. Fuck.
Natalia sits in the corner of the sound stage. She writes in
a notebook.
A stagehand comes over and hands her a note.
STAGEHAND
From the Chairman.
INSERT - THE NOTE: "THIS IS A POLITICAL FILM! NOT
PORNOGRAPHY!"
She screws up the paper and throws it on the floor.
TIMA
More wisdom from the formidable
Chairman.
NATALIA
I don't like the lyrics to this one.
We need to change them.
TIMA
More political.
NATALIA
No. More subtle.
TIMA
This is the cinema of Eisenstein. We
don't do subtle.
NATALIA
Remind me. I'm tired. Why is this
story important?
TIMA
I can't remember. Too tired. What did
you tell me last year?
NATALIA
She is the epitome of power and how it
keeps us in our place. She is the
epitome of a woman in a man's world
who still has the power to succeed and
thirdly, we can hide the fact that we
are having a pop at the current
enslavement of our people by making a
film about the most famous slave of
her time.
TIMA
That's a good pitch.
NATALIA
Worked on the previous Chairman. Rest
in peace.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Political Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
23 -
Whispers of Ambition
INT. LARGE APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT
_____________________________________
Various members of the film crew and the actors we saw before
are getting very very drunk
They are in the kitchen as is the safest place to get this
way.
Serov stands in the corner of the main living room. He is
holding court with two sycophants, ALEXEI and NIELS.
SEROV
The meeting was with the deputy
himself. And Bulganin's office was
connected by just a door. One door
(MORE)
SEROV (CONT'D)
between myself and the new Premier.
ALEXEI
Imagine. He could have walked right
in.
SEROV
And I would have greeted him with a
large smile. I met him on three
occasions last year you know.
Natalia and Tima enter the room with a bottle of wine as a
gift.
Tima whispers in Natalia's ear.
TIMA
He's telling everyone how many times
he's met Bulganin. Bartold tells me it
was his double that Serov met last
time.
NATALIA
Let us play the game as we must always
play.
Tima hands her the wine and stalks off to the kitchen.
Natalia approaches Serov alone.
NATALIA (CONT'D)
I have bought a bottle of this wine.
It is very good. I had a bottle myself
last night.
SEROV
Have you come alone?
He knows she has not.
NATALIA
Is your wife here?
SEROV
Somewhere. She is very busy. The new
job doesn't just make me busy you
know.
Natalia spies Bartold in another part of the room.
NATALIA
Well, there's a friendly face. Please.
Enjoy the wine comrade.
She walks over to Bartold.
NIELS
I would not be surprised if she was
fucking him too. I hear Bartold and
her mother have always been close. Too
close for even her husbands liking.
SEROV
Do not be pornographic comrade. She
definitely has a friend somewhere.
Though I have re-written a great deal
of her smut a lot of her, quote-
unquote history, is getting through. I
have told them repeatedly that the
villain of the piece is this Nikolai
fellow but the film keeps focusing on
this woman. I will tell you something.
I will be talking to my friends soon
about that woman. I guarantee.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
24 -
Gossip and Tension
INT. NATALIA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
________________________________
Both Natalia and Barishkimov are drunk from the night and the
gossip.
TIMA
He spent most of the night telling me
how everything in art these days was,
pornographic. I swear to God. He's
found that word and he will not leave
it alone.
NATALIA
And yet, Serov is fucking his 14 year
old niece. At least that is what
Golovin told me.
TIMA
Golovin and her gossip is going to
cause trouble Natty.
The phone rings. It is late. Natalia jumps out of her skin.
NATALIA
It might be my mother. Her friend,
Sasha, is unwell.
TIMA
You have another man?
NATALIA
Don't be stupid.
Tima slinks off drunkenly to bed.
She goes into the other room and answers the phone.
VOICE (ON PHONE)
Please stay on the line for the
General Secretary.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Did you enjoy the party at Chairman
Serov's house tonight?
NATALIA
Very much so sir...comrade.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
I believe he invited me. Bulganin too.
Though I have not seen my invitation.
I rarely see invitations these days. I
will leave you to your reveries
comrade. What do you think of comrade
Serov?
NATALIA
He is a good man. Good at his
politics.
There is a very long silence. Natalia starts to sweat, has
she just condemned Serov?
STALIN (ON PHONE)
What little fact do you have for me
tonight comrade?
NATALIA
Empress Anna once caught her court
dwarf in bed with a lactating goat.
She wasn't very surprised by this as
she made them marry one another
earlier that night.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
My word. I am glad that we are ridding
ourselves of these perversions. It is
vital comrade. My word. Like nothing
(MORE)
STALIN (ON PHONE) (CONT'D)
I've heard of these people. These
Germans. They were Germans the Tsars.
NATALIA
We have made this clear in the film.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Is the actor who plays Paul using the
accent I talked about last week?
German. After all this adds to the
accuracy of the film. We will be at
war soon and I need the people to
realise that it is the Germans who are
the enemy.
NATALIA
I agree.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
My word. A goat. Goodnight comrade.
He hangs up.
Natalia walks into the bedroom. Tima is fast asleep.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
25 -
Echoes of the Past
INT. MOSCOW APARTMENT - DAY
___________________________
CLOSE UP: A Clock, it is One O'clock.
Natalia is visiting Larissa.
There are lots of photos on the wall with her mother as she
grew.
There are no photos of Natalia with her father.
On a shelf above a large radio there is a photo of a stern
looking man from the 1920's.
Natalia goes over. Takes it in her hands and stares at it
with tears in her eyes.
LARISSA (O.S)
Be careful with that Natty. You look
tired.
Natalia turns to see her mother. Larissa places a pot of food
on the table.
NATALIA
Smells wonderful mama.
LARISSA
Smells like what I had left in the
cupboards Natty.
Natalia puts the photo back onto the shelf.
Her mother winces.
LARISSA (CONT'D)
Be careful. Not many photos of the old
guard about these days.
NATALIA
I know. You have told me. Stalin the
editor of history. A catchy phrase.
LARISSA
Don't be smart. They took everything
Natty. His papers, his medals. He was
in the war and they took all the
things that told the world that he did
those things, that he even existed. He
was Lenin's friend.
NATALIA
Lenin had no friends.
LARISSA
Don't be smart. And sit down.
She does as ordered.
LARISSA (CONT'D)
How is your boyfriend's film going?
NATALIA
It is my film as well mama. A few more
weeks and then the first cut will go
off to the committee.
LARISSA
Committees committees committees.
Serov and his cronies will stop your
film if I think you've done what you
said you would do. A film about a
woman who challenges the status quo.
What the hell were you thinking? Your
father wasn't leaving you a message.
(MORE)
LARISSA (CONT'D)
It wasn't fate. He was just swept up
by the whole fuck...
NATALIA
Well it won't matter with the support
of Comrade Stal...
Her mother drops her cutlery with a loud crash.
LARISSA
Natalia?
NATALIA
Comrade Stalin he has read my script.
He's even added to the re-write of the
film itself.
LARISSA
No. Oh my god. Oh my god. Has he
talked to you have you met him? Has he
seen you?
NATALIA
No mother. He calls me on the
telephone.
LARISSA
He calls? He has called you more than
once.
NATALIA
Yes. We don't talk about politics
mother. He likes to talk about
history.
LARISSA
You don't talk about politics? It is
all politics to these people. It is
all connected. Oh my god. Oh my god.
Her mother flees the table and locks herself in her bathroom.
Natalia knocks on the door, we hear her mother weep.
NATALIA
Mother. Mother? Where is the harm? We
don't talk about anything but the
past.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
26 -
A Bittersweet Return
EXT. PRASKOVIA'S HOME VILLAGE - DAY
___________________________________
Praskovia travels in a large carriage.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Around this time the female serfs were
moved once again, back to their
village and their farms. Strong
Russian women were always needed to
bring in the harvest.
The carriage pulls up to her and various serfs and their
children come out to see who is in it.
Praskovia exits the carriage. She is dressed as the famous
opera singer she has now become.
Sonia rushes out of her home upon seeing her.
She goes to hug her daughter but stops herself when she sees
what she is wearing compared to her daughter.
PRASKOVIA
Mama, what is wrong? Am I not your
daughter?
Sonia looks furious, her daughter has become exactly as she
had described.
She cleans her hands on her apron and then carefully hugs her
daughter.
SONIA
You must change. Immediately.
(Beat)
Are you still pure girl?
They walk into their house.
The entire village is now out
NATALIA (V.O.)
Praskovia was now one of the most
famous women in Europe. However she
was stuck, as was most of Russia
between the beauty and power of the
aristocracy that she did not belong
to, and the serfdom that did not want
her to return.
INT. NATALIA'S APARTMENT - DAY
______________________________
Natalia finishes typing exactly what she just said above.
Again, she is not happy with this.
NATALIA
(To Herself)
Useless. Who the hell am I writing
this for? The audience or Stalin? Or
Serov or Tima, or Bartold? God. Now
I'm talking to myself like a mad
person. Praskovia. That is all this is
about. Focus, fucking focus.
She takes the paper and throws the writing in the bin.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Family Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
27 -
A Fairy-Tale Encounter
INT. PRASKOVIA'S FAMILY HOME - DAY
__________________________________
Sonia is sat at her dining table.
Praskovia has changed her clothes and enters wearing
something a little more akin to what she used to wear.
PRASKOVIA
See mother, I still have more
practical dresses. I don't work in the
fields. I need to wear what I am told.
Sonia, however, looks at the dress and touches the material.
She doesn't like it.
EXT. FOREST - DAY
_________________
Praskovia walks in the woods near her village.
A gaggle of small children follow her and giggle behind trees
so that she doesn't see them.
She turns and waves at them. They wave back and run off.
She is now utterly alone.
She looks down at her shoes. They are dirty. She leans over
to clean them. Stops herself and looks around. She sees a
dog, a very large dog staring at her.
She walks up to the dog in a friendly manner. The dog snarls
at her. The dog barks and then gives chase.
She runs. The dog catches up to her. She closes her eyes,
awaits the attack, and then nothing. She opens her eyes.
Looking at her, the dog is obediently sitting on the ground.
She looks around and there is Nikolai Sheremetev astride his
enormous horse.
NATALIA (V.O.)
They met as if in a fairy tale. She
the damsel in distress, he the
powerful prince. He was aware she was
his property, he was not aware then of
how easily she would capture his
heart.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
28 -
Café Conversations and Celebrations
INT. CAFE - DAY
_______________
Natalia, Tima, Kirich and Petrod sit and eat the little food
there is.
They are all exhausted but happy with the progress of their
work. Bartold, joins them.
BARTOLD
Natty, I've just come from your
mother's. She is not a happy woman.
NATALIA
She is never happy. Can we talk about
this another time please.
TIMA
Talk about what?
NATALIA
Nothing, just my mother, being my
mother.
(Beat)
And if I have to hear any more praise
about Eisenstein...
KIRICH
Let me guess, 'he has all the money he
wants', 'he has all the cameras he
asks for'...
PETROD
'He can write anything he wants, say
anything'...
NATALIA
About right.
TIMA
It is true though. Eisenstein is God.
PETROD
No, Louis B Mayer is God.
TIMA
Careful what you say.
PETROD
He runs his studio like the party
does. You do as he says and he
controls all. And the work is
wondrous. I saw some of it in Prague.
BARTOLD
I hear that Comrade Stalin loves their
Westerns.
PETROD
Jazz and Westerns, the only art that
the Americans ever invented.
TIMA
That's better. The degenerate arts.
KIRICH
Jazz and Westerns. You fool. We have
Tolstoy, Tschaikovsky and Goncharov.
NATALIA
Well, we had, we had those people.
What do we have now.
BARTOLD
We have you Natty. Your mother tells
me why and it makes sense.
KIRICH
What is that? Have the committee
decided we still have another job for
another week?
PETROD
It's an excuse to get very drunk.
He stands on his chair and yells to the room.
PETROD (CONT'D)
Everyone back to Natalia's for drinks,
dancing and possibly sex.
There is a large cheer.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Satire"]
Ratings
Scene
29 -
A Call from the Kremlin
INT. NATALIA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
________________________________
The small apartment is full to the rafters with people.
People sing along to Cole Porter.
There is a lot of drink.
NATALIA
No I am not inviting fucking Chairman
Serov. He cut the best line I ever
wrote. The line was, 'Sometimes women
use the beauty of their voices and the
beauty of their bodies and love to
lift the masses. They were often
punished or called whores for doing
so.' He cut the fucking line.
The phone rings. She looks at the clock. It is late.
Golovin picks it up. She looks confused.
GOLOVIN
Natalia it's for you. Some government
thing.
She goes pale. Bartold notices and walks over to the phone
with her.
BARTOLD
Is that him?
She ignores him.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
I can hear music. American music. That
is a bit too rich for me comrade.
NATALIA
Sir, I apologise. It is a party. I
will tell them to stop.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
It is alright to celebrate. In fact I
call to celebrate you. To congratulate
you. If your film is as good as I
think it will be then the world will
see the truth of what it was to love
in the time of the cruelty of the
(MORE)
STALIN (ON PHONE) (CONT'D)
Tsars. Bravo Comrade and don't drink
too much of that bad Polish vodka
tonight. I will send some good Russian
vodka to you.
The phone clicks off. Natalia looks terrified.
BARTOLD
So Larissa was right. You have been
talking to him.
NATALIA
You need to stop gossiping with my
mother. It's just someone from the
Ministry.
BARTOLD
Which one?
NATALIA
Fine, It was Stalin, Bartold. You know
it was Comrade Stalin.
BARTOLD
Stalin. Jesus fucking Christ. This is
bad. This is very bad.
He was a little too loud. Tima notices and comes over.
Bartold drags both of them into a quiet corner. It isn't that
quiet in the uproar of the party.
TIMA
What the hell is going on?
BARTOLD
Stalin.
TIMA
What?
BARTOLD
Stalin has just called to congratulate
her.
TIMA
Fuck me.
NATALIA
It is nothing.
BARTOLD
Nothing? It is Stalin.
NATALIA
He has been reading my drafts.
TIMA
Wait. He has called before.
NATALIA
He calls about once a week.
Bartold looks as if he is about to faint. Tima grins like an
idiot.
TIMA
This is wonderful.
BARTOLD
Are you mad?
TIMA
Don't you see. We have the stamp. The
stamp of approval that only Eisenstein
has. We could ask for more.
BARTOLD
I wouldn't.
Bartold and Natalia exchange a worried look.
TIMA
What? We have the hottest film in
Russia on our hands. With Stalin's
stamp of approval we will be famous.
NATALIA
We only talk history. No politics.
Just strange history, weird things. He
likes to gossip, about the Tsars.
BARTOLD
Good God.
TIMA
Exactly. We have God's approval.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Political"]
Ratings
Scene
30 -
Echoes of Isolation
INT. THEATRE - NIGHT
____________________
Praskovia sings in a room full of the great and the good.
In the front box sits Nikolai. He cannot take his eyes off
her.
She looks down from the stage at him with a sneer.
NATALIA (V.O.)
She sang in Italian and French, as was
the fashion of the day.
INT. BALLROOM - NIGHT
_____________________
Praskovia is surrounded by suitors. They are all incredibly
young.
Nikolai looks at her from afar. He sees all the men laugh.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Men were attracted by the nature of
her forbidden virginity. She knew that
she was merely a challenge to them
rather then a partner to create a life
with. Her faith protected her. If they
came too close she would cross herself
wildly, as her mother had taught her.
She walks away from the handsome young men and escorts a
grumpy old general to his seat in the dining hall.
INT. SALON - DAY
________________
Praskovia sings to a small group of women.
Her voice is perfection. Nikolai sits at the back.
NATALIA (V.O.)
She sang of places that Nikolai had
visited but as he heard her sing he
realised he had not experienced.
Praskovia notices Nikolai sat in the back.
He smiles. She does not.
Some of the women notice that he has failed with her and
giggle.
INT. SALON - NIGHT
__________________
Praskovia leaves the room with her accompanying musicians.
She passes Nikolai as she leaves. She smiles at him.
Outside she and the musicians are led away from the beautiful
rooms they were just in and taken downstairs to the kitchen.
Praskovia sees one of the cooking women in the large kitchen.
The woman is from her village. Praskovia waves to her. The
woman ignores her.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
31 -
A Serenade of Affection
INT. LARGE BALL ROOM - DAY
__________________________
Praskovia is alone in the room. She sings to herself.
There are no words, she is merely training her voice in the
operatic style.
To her side is a mirror, she checks herself. She works on
where she places her arms and her body so that she can give
the best performance.
Nikolai is watching from a doorway. Praskovia doesn't see him
directly and then she spots him in the mirror's reflection.
PRASKOVIA
(To the reflected Nikolai)
Do not leave me flowers Sir. I beg.
Leave me be.
She smiles to herself.
PRASKOVIA (SINGING)
I knew a Cossack from the far east.
The women he met knew him as the
beast. He lied and smiled but they did
not bite. For they had God in there
hearts with all it's might.
She turns and smiles at Nikolai. He blushes.
Nikolai leaves and she returns to singing operatic Italian.
INT. THEATRE - DAY
__________________
The theatre is in the middle of a major renovation.
Praskovia walks around with a groups of musicians and other
singers.
Nikolai sees her, she sees him. He pauses what he is doing
and bows to her in respect.
Nikolai walks over to her.
NIKOLAI
I would never leave flowers on your
doorstep. I feel like your mother
would beat me.
She smiles and blushes.
INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT
________________________
Praskovia and Nikolai share a meal.
They are alone. There isn't even a servant.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
32 -
A Call from Stalin
INT. CINEMA FOYER - DAY
_______________________
There is a small crowd gathered outside of a cinema.
It is the premiere of Natalia and Tima's film.
The only people here wear party badges, this is not like a
Hollywood premiere.
The wives are dressed plainly and all the men are over the
age of 50 and wearing the same black suits.
Tima smokes and paces. As usual Petrod, Kirich, Golovin and
others are drinking.
A bell rings and the crowd goes into the cinema to watch the
film. Petrod, Kirich and Golovin go inside. Tima and Natalia
do not follow them.
The phone in the foyer rings, a desk clerk hands it to
Natalia.
TIMA
Is it him?
STALIN (ON PHONE)
What was that?
NATALIA
Nothing, the director, Barishkimov is
nervous.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Today is a big day comrade. I wish
that I could be there. Sadly, my work.
NATALIA
You are a busy man.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
The scene. With Paul and his obsession
with uniforms. Very funny.
NATALIA
Have you seen it?
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Of course, last night. I may watch it
again. It is very truthful.
NATALIA
Empress Elizabeth had to shave her
entire head after a haircut went
wrong. Her court all followed suit.
Can you imagine that, a bald court?
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Not all the Tsars were so foolish.
Alexis had peasants whipped, branded,
tortured and then cut to pieces. Is
Serov there?
NATALIA
I think so.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Did he gasp when Paul tried to kiss
Praskovia? When the court finally
realised the truth of the love affair.
NATALIA
I don't know. I don't think so.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
We must all wish we were as moral as
comrade Serov. Do not let Barishkimov
know I called. I don't want to
frighten him.
NATALIA
I may have already let the cat out of
the bag on that front sir. I
apologise.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Oh. Oh that is a shame. I do so wish
we could talk again.
He hangs up. Natalia looks at Tima. Her hands shake.
TIMA
Did he ask about the film?
NATALIA
He's seen it. He wanted to know if
Serov enjoyed the kissing scenes. I
told him your name. I told him your
name.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
33 -
Dinner Table Tensions
INT. NATALIA'S MOTHER'S APARTMENT - DAY
_______________________________________
Natalia is sat at the dinner table with her mother and
Bartold.
Larissa dishes out some hot food and all three look at the
food with hungry eyes.
LARISSA
Are you hungover? Was there not a
party?
NATALIA
No mother, that is on Friday, when
they release the film to the public.
LARISSA
You still have more committees? More
censors.
NATALIA
Comrade....Stalin seems happy with the
film. It should be fine Mama. He said
he wanted to continue our
conversations.
LARISSA
That. Is dangerous.
BARTOLD
And he asked you about Serov?
NATALIA
Yes.
BARTOLD
I told him. Stop kissing ass. You kiss
it too often and sometimes they turn
around to see whose noses have turned
brown.
LARISSA
Bloody horrible man.
BARTOLD
He's not long for this job. That is
what he tells people. He's just there
as an interim. He's moving up
apparently. Stalin must be putting the
feelers out.
NATALIA
Good.
Bartold and her mother look at each other. They are not so
sure any of this is good.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
34 -
The Final Judgment
INT. LUBYANKA PRISON - PRISON CELL - NIGHT
__________________________________________
The dark cell. The small light coming from the door. Inside a
scared and half naked man. Mad with fear and covered in his
own blood.
Serov is inside. His time is over. He has rubbed people the
wrong way and he knows it.
The door opens and framed in the door like the grim angel of
death is his NKVD boss, Yezhov.
YEZHOV
Ask your self which side of that door
you want to be on Comrade Serov? That
is a question you must ask yourself
every day. One day, I suppose it will
be my turn to be in a cell like this.
SEROV
Who denounced me? Was it Bartold?
YEZHOV
Comrade Stalin has been very impressed
with your work, but you are a bad
judge of films my friend.
SEROV
What? What film? What? I don't
understand.
An NKVD GUARD walks in and shoots Serov in the face.
GUARD
I didn't know Stalin was such a fan of
(MORE)
GUARD (CONT'D)
films...
He laughs at his own joke. Yezhov does not join in. The guard
freezes in fear.
GUARD (CONT'D)
Just a joke...sir.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
35 -
Inheritance and Intrigue
INT. CHURCH - DAY
_________________
Praskovia sings a requiem.
It is the funeral of Nikolai's father.
NATALIA (V.O.)
With the death of his father, Nikolai
controlled all of his land. The need
for him to sire a legitimate heir was
greater then ever.
Vasily is stood with his two sons.
His two sons smile.
NATALIA (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Without an heir the money would have
gone to Vasily's children. Children
that Vasily himself did not trust.
As we hear the music we see the funeral end, all the men
shake Nikolai's hand and all the women curtsy in front of
him.
Vasily's sons both shake Nikolai's hands and bat his
shoulder. They are far to friendly and jovial for the event.
He is now lord of all he surveys.
INT. CAFE - DAY
_______________
Natalia and Tima are sat with Kirich and Petrod
Tima is behind a large newspaper and the other three are
silent.
TIMA
There is nothing in the paper today.
Not even a denouncement of Chairman
Serov.
KIRICH
It's happening more and more these
days. They don't even have trials.
People just...disappear.
Ivanov rushes into the cafe, out of breath.
IVANOV
It's Bartold.
Tima puts his paper down.
IVANOV (CONT'D)
Sorry.
TIMA
It makes sense.
PETROD
How do you know?
IVANOV
I was going through the telegraphs and
letters. Oh wait...
Ivanov takes a letter from his pocket and gives it to
Natalia.
IVANOV (CONT'D)
Here. I think it is good news. Looks
very official.
PETROD
Are you reading the mail now?
IVANOV
Bartold's appointment was last night.
The telegraph was up on the wall of
the office. Everyone is delighted. I
sent Golovin to find Bartold, we must
celebrate.
TIMA
Don't be cruel. I mean I didn't like
the man but I'm getting sick of all
this celebrating of the dead.
KIRICH
What else is there to celebrate about?
NATALIA
Oh my God.
TIMA
What is it?
NATALIA
The film is going to play at a
festival. In Austria.
TIMA
Austria?
KIRICH
Another celebration.
TIMA
When do we go?
NATALIA
It is just me. I am the only one
going.
Tima snatches the letter from her hands. He is furious.
TIMA
What is this shit?
He reads the letter.
TIMA (CONT'D)
I'm the fucking director. This is
because of you and your friendship
with Stalin isn't it. Are you fucking
him?
Natalia is about to slap him.
Instead we hear a commotion at the entrance.
Golovin flies in.
PETROD
What is wrong with you now?
GOLOVIN
Tima, Natalia, you have had an
invitation sent. From Yezhov.
TIMA
The head of the fucking NKVD.
NATALIA
See. Do you see Tima. This is what my
'friendship' has done to us.
TIMA
I don't understand. We just made a
film. A romance. A fucking romance.
NATALIA
And didn't we think we were so clever
Tima. My mother said so, that I'm so
clever. Tima, to these people. It is
all politics. Even our silly little
film.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
36 -
Whispers of Love and Despair
EXT. FOREST - DAY
_________________
Nikolai and Praskovia walk through the woods were she was
chased by the dogs.
They are almost arm in arm.
INT. THEATRE - NIGHT
____________________
Praskovia sings in the theatre that Nikolai built.
This time the room is truly empty.
She finishes singing into the dark and silent room.
She leaves the theatre at the side exit and Nikolai is there.
He is always there. Their love affair has begun.
INT. CHURCH - NIGHT
___________________
Praskovia is alone in the church with a PRIEST.
She cries. The Priest is stern but friendly.
PRASKOVIA
Father. Am I a whore? I have heard
people call me this name.
PRIEST
A slave cannot say no to her master.
Praskovia continues to weep. These words do not help.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
37 -
Heartbreak in the Ballroom
INT. KUSKOVO PALACE - BALLROOM - NIGHT
______________________________________
Praskovia sings with a small band to the great and powerful
of Russian society. It is no theatre show, instead a grand
banquet is in full effect.
The Empress Catherine, (the Great no less), sits at the head
of the room. On her left hand side is her current lover and
on her right is Nikolai.
Next to Nikolai is a beautiful young aristocrat.
PAUL, the hated heir, sits far from his mother.
The band finish their last piece and go silent. There is a
light round of applause.
PAUL
More, more. More songs, more wine.
Catherine glares at her son. He ignores her.
Several of the aristocrats stare at Praskovia and then at
Nikolai, there is a murmur of gossip.
Nikolai does not take his eyes off the beautiful young woman
to his right.
Catherine nudges Nikolai who looks at Praskovia and then goes
back to his flirting.
Catherine nudges her own lover and seems angry. She has heard
the gossip too.
NATALIA (V.O.)
A year after the death of his father
Nikolai began to retreat from court to
see to his massive estates. However,
Catherine's court came to him. The
court also knew he had taken a new
lover, and it was she who sang before
them this night.
Praskovia starts to sing. Her voice is as perfect as ever but
as she sings she tears up.
She stares at the only man she has ever loved and because he
must ignores her it breaks her heart.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
38 -
Trapped by Society
INT. KUSKOVO PALACE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT
____________________________________________
Praskovia is in her bed. Alone.
The door to the room opens and in walks Nikolai. He is quite
dishevelled and very drunk.
Praskovia stares at him with all the rage she can muster.
Seeing this, Nikolai shrinks down like a child.
He drops to his knees and literally crawls towards the bed.
She tries not to but Praskovia laughs at his foolishness.
Then she begins to cry.
Nikolai stands. He has sobered up.
PRASKOVIA
I can never be in the same room as
you.
NIKOLAI
I do not understand.
PRASKOVIA
That is the problem. The giant does
not see the ant underfoot.
NIKOLAI
Did you get that from the church? What
is the matter with you?
PRASKOVIA
When you are in court. When you are in
the room and people call you Count I
will never be able to take your hand.
I will never be able to introduce
myself to your people.
NIKOLAI
Who cares about...
PRASKOVIA
Everyone cares. This is Russia.
Everyone cares. I care. God cares.
NIKOLAI
You are my only lover, my only.
PRASKOVIA
We live in sin and everyone knows
this. The servant talks. My mother has
stopped talking to me.
NIKOLAI
(Angrily)
Then I shall rid myself of gossiping
serfs. And your mother can go straight
to...
He stops himself.
PRASKOVIA
I am a serf. I am a serf. Your serf.
Your property. Your singing,
performing...
NIKOLAI
Monkey?
He smiles weakly at her.
NIKOLAI (CONT'D)
Ask me.
PRASKOVIA
No.
NIKOLAI
Ask me my little monkey.
She laughs.
PRASKOVIA
No.
NIKOLAI
I would give it all away. We could
flee. We could live as husband and
wife in the south, in the east. With
your mother, and your priest.
PRASKOVIA
But not here. In our own home.
Nikolai approaches her.
NIKOLAI
Ask me monkey.
PRASKOVIA
No.
NIKOLAI
I command you to ask me. To rid me of
(MORE)
NIKOLAI (CONT'D)
it all, hand all the wealth over to
Vasily and his children.
PRASKOVIA
You command me? You ask me to tell you
to give up your wealth for me? How
could you, how could I? This is our
trap Nikolai. Russia.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
39 -
Tensions of the Heart
INT. CHURCH - DAY
_________________
The church is once again full to the rafters. Praskovia is in
church with her mother.
She listens to the choir sing and it lifts her spirits.
Looking down the aisle she sees many of the other serfs
staring at her.
Unlike the aristocrats their gossip is not so giggly but
rather they look annoyed and angry at her.
Her mother leans over and whispers in her ear.
Praskovia is quite shocked by what she has said.
INT. KUSKOVO PALACE - DINING ROOM - DAY
_______________________________________
Praskovia is sat eating lunch with Nikolai.
She is quite upset by her church visit. Nikolai notices but
says nothing.
PRASKOVIA
She said my soul was in danger.
NIKOLAI
Pardon?
PRASKOVIA
My mother. In church.
NIKOLAI
Well then don't go. If that's how
she's going to act.
PRASKOVIA
She's my mother.
(Beat)
They say. They say that the Empress
and Potemkin got married in secret. So
(MORE)
PRASKOVIA (CONT'D)
as to save their souls.
NIKOLAI
Who does?
PRASKOVIA
Who says that the Empress was married?
Most of the courts in Europe. Don't be
so blockheaded Nikolai.
One of the servants coughs. He is stunned that she talks to
the master in this manner.
PRASKOVIA (CONT'D)
Get out you, you fool.
The servant looks at Nikolai for confirmation of the order.
He nods his approval and the servant leaves the room.
PRASKOVIA (CONT'D)
You see this. I am not your wife. And
until I am I have no right to
anything. I have no power. I don't
have a voice. I am just your mistress,
your slave.
NIKOLAI
Two small points my little monkey.
PRASKOVIA
Do not call me that.
NIKOLAI
One, Catherine is the Empress, chosen
by God, so she can do as she pleases
and two, she wants me to marry one of
her German relatives and until I talk
her out of that idiocy I can hardly
run off and marry you.
PRASKOVIA
My mother isn't wrong though. How can
I sit in a church knowing as I do that
I am your...whore.
NIKOLAI
I will kill the first man, priest or
not, who says that.
PRASKOVIA
That doesn't protect me from God.
She leaves the room in a hurry. Angry at the thought of going
to hell for love.
Nikolai sits quietly for a second. He then throws his napkin
onto the table and goes after her.
INT. KUSKOVO PALACE - STUDY - NIGHT
___________________________________
Praskovia reads, alone. Nikolai enters. Sees her and then
leaves again.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Like any man of wealth he decided to
buy himself out of his troubles.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
40 -
The Nursery of Isolation
INT. MOSCOW PALACE - BALLROOM - DAY
___________________________________
Praskovia wears a blindfold.
Nikolai walks her down a corridor his new giant palace.
A servant opens a door for them and Nikolai removes the
blindfold.
Praskovia's eyes clear and she sees what he has bought her.
He has built her a nursery.
She, delighted, hugs and kisses him.
NATALIA (V.O.)
This final grand building was to
become Praskovia's prison.
INT. MOSCOW PALACE - SALON - DAY
________________________________
Praskovia stands alone at the window and watches Nikolai as
he walks the grand lawns with two servants and a coterie of
aristocratic friends.
Praskovia is most assuredly not allowed to join them.
A servant walks over to see if she needs something and
Praskovia waves her off.
REVERSE ANGLE:
Nikolai sees Praskovia in the window. One of his friends
points to her and waves.
The others laugh and walk off leaving Nikolai fuming.
He composes himself and rejoins the group.
REVERSE ANGLE:
Praskovia begins to sing. Just to herself.
PRASKOVIA (SINGING)
And famous shall I be, while there
remains. A single Poet ’neath the
light of day.
She shifts gear from this old Russian folk song to something
much more operatic.
PRASKOVIA (SINGING) (CONT'D)
Vous êtes assis à califourchon sur
cette terre. Un géant sans égal.
J'aime un géant et pourtant je suis si
petit qu'on ne peut pas me voir.
She sings both so softly as to be barely audible. However it
is in the quiet that she will break her own heart.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance","Musical"]
Ratings
Scene
41 -
A Night of Enchantment and Callousness
INT. THEATRE - NIGHT
____________________
Praskovia holds the stage, The room is packed.
Nikolai and all the other men in the room are bewitched by
her. All the women are quietly jealous of her.
The men all stand, the women remain seated.
In the box seats next to the stage, surrounded by prostitutes
and other drunken fools is the heir apparent, Paul.
Praskovia finishes her performance and all applaud, none more
diligently than Nikolai.
Paul hardly notices the finish of the performance at all,
considering he has is face buried in the bosom of a woman.
INT. THE WINTER PALACE - GRAND BEDROOM - CORRIDOR - NIGHT
_________________________________________________________
Praskovia and a number of other serf performers wait in the
corridor along with several other servants.
A priest comes out of the Grand Bedroom and points to
Praskovia.
Praskovia follows and enters the room.
The priest whispers something in her ear. Praskovia sings
quietly to the room.
PRASKOVIA (SINGING)
O Lord, look upon me, Your creature,
and the work of Your hands. Take away
my fear, and send Your angel to
comfort me with the strength of Your
presence, even as You were comforted
in Your agony...
A group of very powerful Russians surround the dying Empress,
Catherine.
There are priests, who do nothing. Ladies in waiting that do
nothing but weep and generals who sigh and huff.
Paul stands in the corner, he grins like an idiot.
He pushes a doctor out of the way to see if his mother is
dead.
He shakes the body violently. She does not respond.
He giggles happily and then walks out of the room.
Praskovia stops singing.
Everyone else stands. Stunned at the callousness of their new
Tsar.
EXT. THE WINTER PALACE - NIGHT
______________________________
A messenger is sent out into the night.
He rides like his life depends on his speed. Which it does.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
42 -
Silenced Tensions in the Kremlin
INT. KREMLIN - CINEMA - NIGHT
_____________________________
Natalia and Bartold watch this action unfold on the screen.
Bartold is nervous and he holds Natalia's hand tightly. There
is an empty seat next to him.
Sat next to Natalia on the other side is Tima.
Natalia leans over and whispers to Bartold.
NATALIA
Why didn't she come?
Bartold shushes her.
There is small clap of glee as a man in front of Tima and
Natalia applauds the daring ride through the night on the
screen.
This is Stalin. And this is a very large theatre with a very
large screen and a very small audience of the most powerful
men in Russia.
Sat next to Stalin is Yezhov, who is taking notes.
YEZHOV
This seems expensive.
Stalin shushes him.
INT. KREMLIN - DINING HALL - EVENING
____________________________________
Stalin and Yezhov and a few other faceless dignitaries host a
dinner for the successful film makers.
Sat to Stalin's right is Natalia who has Stalin's rapt
attention.
Tima and Bartold are sat across from the main group.
Yezhov stares at both like a shark.
Tima is drunk. Bartold tries to take the wine away from him.
TIMA
Look at her. She must have been...
BARTOLD
Tima shut up.
TIMA
Comrade Stalin. Sir. May I ask why the
invitation to Vienna did not extend to
me, the Director?
Stalin acts as if he didn't even hear the question.
Though he stares at Bartold for a brief second. Bartold
nearly pisses himself.
YEZHOV
We see this picture film as a brave
tale of Russian females and the power
of Soviet women. It makes sense to
send a woman to promote this...
He looks at Stalin to make sure he is saying the right thing.
He is.
YEZHOV (CONT'D)
Wonderful vision of the Russian past.
So Comrade Sharkovia attends.
Yezhov says these final words as if all he is really saying
is 'How dare you, shut up!'
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Political"]
Ratings
Scene
43 -
A Night of Grief and Change
INT. NIKOLAI'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
______________________________
Nikolai is asleep in his room. Praskovia is absent.
Esther enters the room. Behind her is the messenger from the
winter palace
The messenger hands him the news that Catherine has died.
NIKOLAI
Oh God. What a tragedy. Such a
wonderful woman.
The messenger coughs, he hands Nikolai a second message.
The messenger leaves the room.
NIKOLAI (CONT'D)
Paul is now the Tsar.
ESTHER
For how long? I thought Alexander was
to be Tsar? I thought they were going
to skip a generation to Alexander?
NIKOLAI
No it is Paul. And there is worse
news.
ESTHER
We are to report to St Petersburg.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Tsars were unable to do anything for
themselves. They were fed, washed,
(MORE)
NATALIA (V.O.) (CONT'D)
clothed and assisted everywhere by a
team of servants. Paul, useless as he
was as a Tsar was even worse as a man,
Nikolai would not leave his side for
many years after the death of
Catherine.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
44 -
Tensions in the Kremlin Dining Hall
INT. KREMLIN - DINING HALL - EVENING
____________________________________
The meal is finished.
Tima is drunk and Yezhov has a hand over his shoulder in a
friendly manner.
Bartold is drinking coffee and at the same time trying not to
shake.
Stalin rises and leaves the room. He doesn't say goodbye but
he does kiss Natalia's hand. Natalia blushes.
TIMA
I knew it.
YEZHOV
Women are very tricky my friend.
Especially the clever ones. Praskovia
was very sweet, and not too clever. I
liked that about the film.
TIMA
Clever women, her mother is like this
you know.
YEZHOV
Larissa Sharkovia. Yes. I
feel...Comrade Bartold...Why didn't...
Larissa Sharkovia did not attend.
BARTOLD
She is...unwell.
TIMA
She is always unwell. I also think,
she doesn't like me.
Yezhov stands up and so do all the other flunkies.
YEZHOV
Comrade Bartold, before I leave I have
some good news. You are to be made the
(MORE)
YEZHOV (CONT'D)
Chairman of the Committee of
Cinematography. Congratulations. This
order came from Comrade Stalin
himself.
TIMA
That's amazing news.
Both Bartold and Yezhov look as if they are going to murder
Tima.
Yezhov leaves.
Bartold grabs the bottle and leaves the room. Tima drunkenly
runs after him
TIMA (CONT'D)
Think of it. With you as Chairman we
can make any film we wish to.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Political"]
Ratings
Scene
45 -
Tensions in the Salon
INT. MOSCOW PALACE - SALON - DAY
________________________________
Praskovia sits with her mother. Her mother mends clothing,
Praskovia reads.
Her mother looks at her daughter with worry on her face.
PRASKOVIA
If you want something mother it is OK
to ask one of the servants. You are a
free person now.
Ivan enters the room. He is drunk.
He says nothing to either of them. He grabs a bottle from a
table in the corner of the room and skulks off.
SONIA
He has nothing to do Praskovia.
PRASKOVIA
He was a drunk when he had things to
do.
SONIA
You are not the mistress of this house
Praskovia, stop acting like it. Know
your place.
PRASKOVIA
My place is higher....
Her mother scowls at her. Who is this upstart?
SONIA
Where is your...man this evening?
Still in St Petersburg drinking with
the Tsar no doubt.
PRASKOVIA
The Tsar is ill mother, many people
must tend to him.
SONIA
The kitchen staff talk of his son.
Alexander. A fine man. Unlike you I am
still welcome in the lower circles.
You get the best information on the
masters from the kitchens.
PRASKOVIA
What do they say about me then? Or do
you poison them with your own words.
SONIA
You are not a Countess. Do not act as
such.
PRASKOVIA
How am I to act? How?
SONIA
It would help to see some of the
troupe. Some of your actor friends
perhaps?
PRASKOVIA
We have a concert in a week. For the
Tsar.
Her mother gives her a look.
SONIA
That is work. All you and Nikolai do
is work. And all me and your father
do...
PRASKOVIA
Is drink and gossip.
Her mother stands, furious, and then walks out of the room.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
46 -
A Night of Reckoning
INT. NATALIA'S MOTHERS APARTMENT - NIGHT
________________________________________
Natalia rushes into see her mother. Natalia has the letter
about Vienna in her hand. She gives it to her mother. Her
mother ignores it.
LARISSA
I have seen your film. I saw it last
night Very good. I especially like the
mother. This Sonia. She was right you
know. Mother's are always right you
know.
Her mother is sat at her kitchen table with a bottle of vodka
in her hand. On the table is a box of photographs. She has
some laid out on the table through them.
INSERT - PHOT0S: Various shots of old Bolsheviks.
Natalia sits down, takes off her coat and puts her letter on
the table.
Her mother picks it up but Natalia doesn't notice as she is
too busy grabbing the bottle of vodka for herself.
LARISSA (CONT'D)
Bartold is dead. He sent me a letter.
He shot himself after your meal with
that Georgian. After your meal with
your new friend.
NATALIA
His letter?
LARISSA
My lover sent me his suicide note.
That is Russia. Suicide is better than
success. I have burned it already. The
NKVD will already know he sent it. The
fool. Fucking foolish old man. He knew
better than to send a fucking letter.
She starts to cry, Natalia pours her another drink.
NATALIA
I still don't understand why mother.
LARISSA
He was an old communist like myself
(MORE)
LARISSA (CONT'D)
and your father. He knew the old
proverb, "To live long, stay away from
the Tsar."
NATALIA
What the hell does that mean?
LARISSA
It is all over now, Bartold's suicide
has doomed us. No. You and Stalin.
That is what doomed us. They will come
for you now. Your name is on a list. A
letter from a suicide, my name has
moved up the fucking list. Damn you
Bartold you prick. They hate suicides
Natalia. They don't like to be cheated
of their executions and imprisonments.
Natalia grabs the box and looks at the photographs.
Her mother hands her the one she had in her hand.
LARISSA (CONT'D)
The men in that picture. Your father
you know, but that is a young Bartold.
NATALIA
He was handsome. I thought these
photos were missing.
LARISSA
They were, missing in the hole I made
in the walls since your father died.
NATALIA
Is that a young Serov? With father?
LARISSA
He's getting rid of them all. Your
friend Stalin. All the old Bolsheviks
are ready for it. They know what he is
about to unleash. Your father was just
earlier with his anti revolutionary,
Troskyist...blah blah blah.
Larissa briefly glances at the letter Natalia gave her.
LARISSA (CONT'D)
This letter says Vienna.
NATALIA
Yes. Vienna.
LARISSA
Alone?
NATALIA
Yes.
LARISSA
If you do it, you will have murdered
your boyfriend.
NATALIA
Defect? They will kill Tima. They will
kill...
LARISSA
They're already dead. You only have
one chance. Run. Go as far as you can.
Pick an embassy in Vienna, take it all
with you and run. I'll be shot, but
I'm already dead. Your friends are
too. You are all dead. Stalin phones
you every night. Your name is on one
of his fucking lists.
NATALIA
Not every night.
LARISSA
One night is one night too many.
You're all already dead. It's just a
matter of which list your names are
on.
NATALIA
Stalin loves the film. Loves it. Why
would he get rid of us, we already
have a new idea in the works. This
time about the Empress Anna.
LARISSA
He loved his wife Natalia. Look what
happened to that poor cow. Run. Don't
even look back. Don't even worry. I
won't let them...
Her mother walks over to the kitchen drawer. She takes out an
old gun.
NATALIA
What the hell is that?
LARISSA
It was your father's. In the wall it
was, with the photos, can you imagine.
They never found it. They turned over
every part of our house. We had a
house back then. They found what they
were looking for. Even found time to
have a little fun with me. I should
have shot them then. Let them kill me
too, but I had a daughter. They
reminded me of my daughter. Those were
the earlier times when that Georgian
prick only killed the guilty. I stayed
off his radar for 10 years. Then you.
You had to be so talented. You had to
write so beautifully of the past. So
well that even that Georgian prick
became a fan.
Natalia pours another drink.
NATALIA
Shall we get drunk mother. I think we
are safe for now.
LARISSA
You will run. You cannot tell him.
NATALIA
Who?
LARISSA
Tima.
NATALIA
I think that might be the first time
you've used his name.
Natalia goes to the kitchen and gets a bottle of wine.
NATALIA (CONT'D)
Mother, I was never nice about Serov.
To Stalin. Is that why he is dead?
LARISSA
A few years ago Stalin calls the poet
Pasternak and asks Pasternak about his
friend the poet Mandelstam.
NATALIA
Mandelstam was sent to the Gulag. For
anti Soviet propaganda. Serov is
nothing but loyal.
LARISSA
Stalin wanted to know how good of a
friend Pasternak was. Pasternak, at
least this is what Bartold told me
last week, Pasternak replies: Poets
rarely make friends. With those four
words he condemned his friend forever.
Stalin will never let the man come
home now Natalia. Do you understand.
The phone calls? They were just fun
for him. Like a cat playing with a
mouse. You are his current mouse.
Her mother looks at her and smiles.
They both begin to cry. This is their last day together and
they know it.
NATALIA
All Russian stories end in tragedy
don't they?
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
47 -
The Execution of Terror
EXT. PALACE COURTYARD - DAY
___________________________
In a large crowd Praskovia, her mother and father watch the
end of a mans life.
Paul and Sheremetev are stood apart on a dais, surrounded by
guards.
Sheremetev looks as if he is about to vomit. Paul could not
look more happy.
A young man, around 20 years in age is dragged out. His face
is bloodied. He is unable to walk, speak or even fight.
Paul leans over to Sheremetev he whispers something in his
ear. Sheremetev bows. He must and will obey.
The young man is dragged up to the execution block. A dirty
burlap sack is put over his head and he is hung. Badly. He
dangles and chokes and dies slowly.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Paul returned the terror of the
Tsarist regime. All would obey, but
(MORE)
NATALIA (V.O.) (CONT'D)
they were obeying a madman.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Political Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
48 -
A Night of Madness and Melancholy
INT. MOSCOW PALACE - BALLROOM - NIGHT
_____________________________________
The ballroom is packed full of the brightest and the best.
Tsar Paul himself is sat at the head table watching the
people dance as a large band plays.
He throws food at some of the dancers. They laugh. They have
to.
Paul is pawing a woman next to him.
Nikolai is sat to his left. He stares at the band as
Praskovia comes out to sing. She sings beautifully to the men
and women, most stop dancing to listen.
Praskovia comes off the stage to a large round of applause.
Nikolai comes out of his seat and the whole room follows
them.
He introduces her to Paul who grabs her, Nikolai grabs his
hand.
NIKOLAI
Sire, she is a free woman.
Praskovia blushes and Paul fumes.
The whole room is afire with the scene.
Praskovia is grabbed by two of the Emperor's servants who
drag her from the room.
Nikolai sits back down next to the Emperor who has already
moved onto another beautiful woman.
Nikolai waves at the band to play on and they do so.
The people in the room go back to their dance but all eyes
are on Nikolai.
INT. MOSCOW PALACE - BALLROOM - EARLY MORNING
_____________________________________________
It is the next morning. Servants are putting out candles,
cleaning dishes and sweeping the floors.
The rooms of Nikolai's palace are emptied out.
The massive paintings are turned around to protect them and
the furniture is covered. The ballroom is also empty, save
for a few candles.
Praskovia sits in the ballroom with one lone violinist. She
does not join in by singing.
Her mother enters the room and sits with her.
Praskovia starts to sings to the rafters.
Suddenly the room goes silent. She has stopped mid note.
She begins to cough and then collapses to her knees. All of
the people left in the room rush to assist her.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Consumption. She never sang in public
again. Her voice was lost to time like
so many other slaves of her era.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
49 -
The Fall of Paul
INT. WINTER PALACE - GRAND BEDROOM - NIGHT
__________________________________________
It is late and Paul sleeps alone in a drunken stupor.
There is a loud noise outside. Paul awakens in fright.
He rushes out of bed and hides like a child behind his
curtains.
Three men drag him out.
He is dragged in front of Nikolai.
PAUL
Is this because I insulted your whore.
They drag him to a desk and thrust some papers for him to
sign in front of him. He does nothing.
NIKOLAI
Sire. You must abdicate.
They freeze for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then one
begins to pummel Paul with the butt of his sword. He falls to
the ground and the three men proceed to beat him to death.
NATALIA (V.O.)
The day she went silent, the
aristocracy of Russia silenced the
German mad man.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Tragedy"]
Ratings
Scene
50 -
Bittersweet Union
INT. CHURCH - NIGHT
___________________
Praskovia and Nikolai finally marry.
There is no one of any importance in attendance, just a few
servants.
Vasily is at his side.
Praskovia's mother is not there.
Her father is sat on a chair. He is drunk.
PRASKOVIA
Like Catherine and Potemkin.
NIKOLAI
My little monkey.
NATALIA (V.O.)
To Praskovia the wedding meant so
much. It changed nothing. She still
could not be with him in life, amongst
his peers and friends. Few came to
visit and those that did were rebels
who spent their wealth and power
complaining about their wealth and
power.
INT. KUSKOVO PALACE - NIGHT
___________________________
Nikolai is hosting a small dance for his friends and some of
the theatre crowd.
Praskovia sits and watches the events.
VASILY
You should ask your wife to dance.
NIKOLAI
I...
VASILY
Be a man. Fuck our name. You killed an
Emperor to be with this woman.
Vasily digs him in the ribs.
VASILY (CONT'D)
Just a joke.
Nikolai stares at Praskovia.
VASILY (CONT'D)
Just a joke Nikolai, right?
INT. BALLROOM - EARLY MORNING
_____________________________
The party is over. The room is being tidied.
A small coterie of musicians still play.
Nikolai and Praskovia, dance together.
They are the only other people in the room apart from the
servants and the musicians.
PRASKOVIA
I am pregnant.
NIKOLAI (SOFTLY SPOKEN)
May there always be sunshine, May
there always be blue skies, May there
always be mummy, May there always be
me!
PRASKOVIA
Did i teach you that?
They continue to dance. Both weep with joy. Even some of the
musicians and servants cry with happiness.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Child birth was too much for
Praskovia. Before she died she made
Nikolai promise that her son would
carry his name.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
51 -
Stalin's Solitude: A Test of Loyalty
INT. KREMLIN - CINEMA - NIGHT
_____________________________
We see this dance and scene play out in an empty cinema.
Empty save for one person. Stalin. He watches this scene and
cries.
He then picks up a telephone.
STALIN
Yezhov. Arrest them all. Such a shame.
Such a waste.
YEZHOV (ON PHONE)
The woman is due to go to Vienna
tomorrow.
STALIN
Leave her to go. We will see her
loyalty.
There is a long pause.
STALIN (CONT'D)
I fail to see what is so unclear. She
is to be allowed to leave.
Stalin puts the phone down and then shouts to the projection
room.
STALIN (CONT'D)
Go back 10 minutes.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Political Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
52 -
A Grief-Filled Farewell and Royal Acknowledgment
EXT. MOSCOW PALACE - GARDENS - DAY
__________________________________
A funeral hearse, resplendent in its majesty pulls up to the
front of the palace.
Servants, those that are left, take off their hats in respect
as a coffin is placed into the hearse.
Sonia and Ivan, come out to watch. Ivan carries Praskovia's
child as he did when she was baby.
INT. MOSCOW PALACE - GRAND BEDROOM - DAY
________________________________________
Nikolai lies in bed. He is not asleep, nor really awake.
A doctor checks his temperature and pulse. Their is nothing
wrong with him other than grief.
EXT. MOSCOW PALACE - GARDENS - DAY
__________________________________
The hearse is loaded with the coffin.
Vasily joins Praskovia's mother and father and the baby.
The funeral cortege slowly makes its way from the Palace to
its final place in the cemetery.
INT. WINTER PALACE - DAY
________________________
SUPERIMPOSE: 1804
The court of the Russian Tsar is being held in full effect.
Medals, uniforms, tiaras and crowns are all about and
everyone stands rigidly.
Nikolai holds his child's hand and walks through the crowded
court.
No one looks directly at him and yet everyone glances at the
child.
Nikolai approaches a man, the Tsar. The Emperor of all the
Russians, Alexander the First.
We can tell that it is him by the deference all around show
him.
Nikolai bows deeply.
There is a pause, the court holds its breath and then the
Tsar leans down and shakes the hand of the infant Dimitry.
Praskovia has finally gotten what she wanted.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
53 -
Desperate Asylum
EXT. VIENNA - AMERICAN EMBASSY - DAY
____________________________________
SUPERIMPOSE: VIENNA, 1936
Natalia, carrying a large bag gets out of a taxi and pays the
driver.
She looks around. An NKVD agent is across the road. He misses
her in the crowd and in the split second he doesn't see her
she dashes for the embassy.
She runs to the marine guard. Her desperate face says it all.
He lets her in to the building.
INT. AMERICAN EMBASSY FOYER - DAY
_________________________________
Natalia sits in a room full of other people looking for help.
All of them speak Austrian, German and English. None speak
Russian.
The NKVD agent who was following her comes in. He doesn't
need to cause a commotion he simply sits down and watches
Natalia.
A flunky embassy worker goes over to Natalia and walks her
into an interview room.
Natalia is sat on her own. A two way mirror facing her.
Her bag is gone. She sits silently.
An EMBASSY OFFICIAL walks into the room.
He looks terrified. He has a phone in his hand. He passes it
to Natalia.
NATALIA
Who is this?
EMBASSY OFFICIAL
He says. He says. It's...
He practically throws the phone down and leaves.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
This is how this ends Comrade?
NATALIA
I am sorry. My mother told me this was
for the best.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Yes, I was sorry to hear about your
mother. She murdered a policeman this
morning.
NATALIA
Is she?
STALIN (ON PHONE)
It was...unfortunate. Come home
Comrade. You have nothing to fear.
Your mother was wrong. She was
foolish. The police merely wanted to
know that you were safe, they wanted
to know why you had gone to that
embassy.
NATALIA
I came to this embassy because I have
only been here for three hours and you
have already murdered my mother.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
It is all such a shame. Your film, so
(MORE)
STALIN (ON PHONE) (CONT'D)
beautiful. Barishkimov was a fine
director.
NATALIA
Comrade Stalin. Did you let me escape?
Why? Why am I free?
The line is silent for a painfully long time.
Stalin hangs up. She is shaking. Crying.
Another embassy official, this one, CIA AGENT DONELLY rushes
in.
DONNELLY
What did you do? What the hell did you
do?
Natalia does not answer. She looks at him.
DONNELLY (CONT'D)
Do you need asylum? Political asylum?
NATALIA
I need to get out of here. Safely. I
need to get out of Europe. He could.
He could.
DONNELLY
Lady you just had a phone call with
Joseph Fucking Stalin. You can have
the world.
EXT. VIENNA - AMERICAN EMBASSY - DAY
____________________________________
We see two Marine guards throwing the NKVD agent out of the
building.
INT. NATALIA'S MOTHER'S APARTMENT - DAY
_______________________________________
EARLIER:
Three NKVD men are bang loudly on the door.
Natalia's mother opens the door and tries but fails to shoot
one of the men in the face.
The other two men wrestle her to the ground and proceed to
beat her.
She is then dragged out. The man she nearly shot walks up to
her broken body and shoots her in the head. Blood spews all
over her nice clean floor.
The other men drop the body and begin to push him about,
furious that they will have paperwork to fill in.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
54 -
Shadows of Oppression
INT. MOSCOW - CINEMA FOYER - NIGHT
__________________________________
Several NKVD men tear down posters and images that we saw in
the foyer of the cinema previously.
A NKVD man comes out of the projection room with several
rolls of film.
There is no way now that anyone in 1930's Russia is going to
see the Praskovia film.
INT. LUBYANKA PRISON - CELL - NIGHT
___________________________________
Tima lies on the floor of a dark dank cell in just his
underwear.
Two NKVD guards come into the cell.
He tries to stand but cannot so they drag him out.
EXT. MOSCOW - STREET - NIGHT
____________________________
Kirich and Ivanov are out in the streets. They hide their
faces from the crowd. Both look broken.
They walk straight into a gang of NKVD men who bundle both
into a van.
Everyone on the street acts as if they have seen nothing.
INT. MOSCOW - APARTMENT CORRIDOR - NIGHT
________________________________________
Golovin is sat on a suitcase, outside of her small apartment.
She waits patiently as three NKVD men come up the stairs.
The take her away, she grabs her suitcase. They allow her to
take it, they are all smiles and jokes.
INT. MOSCOW - APARTMENT - NIGHT
_______________________________
Finally, it is Petrod's turn.
Three NKVD men wait, as Petrod kisses his crying wife
goodbye.
We can hear a small child cry from the next room.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
55 -
A Letter from the Shadows
INT. VIENNA - AMERICAN EMBASSY - NIGHT
______________________________________
Agent Donnelly shows Natalia to a small room. The room has a
bed with a sink and that is all.
Natalia sits down. She has her bag. She takes out three cans
of film.
She also takes out her rubbing from that fateful day in the
graveyard.
She has no clothes. She has no amenities. She has run from
Russia with only her film in her hands.
She will not let these film cans out of her sight.
She goes over to the desk. There is a pad of paper and a
pencil.
DONNELLY
In case you want to write anything
down.
NATALIA
When will I...?
DONNELLY
You're going to be talking to a lot of
people in the next few weeks.
Donnelly leaves.
Natalia takes the pencil and does what she has always known
to do in a crisis. She starts to write.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Dear Tima, I wish I had known sooner.
So I could have told you. The day
before Bartold died I find out I was
pregnant. That is why I ran.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
56 -
Silent Letters
INT. NEW YORK - APARTMENT - NIGHT
_________________________________
SUPERIMPOSE: NEW YORK, 1943
Natalia is at her typewriter again.
She is looking at a manuscript and editing it.
INSERT - MANUSCRIPT COVER: ESCAPE FROM STALIN BY NATALIA
SHARKOVIA
There is also a pile of rejection notes on her desk.
On her desk is the photo of her father. On the wall is a
frame holding the Praskovia rubbing.
She is alone in the apartment.
The phone rings. She jumps out of her skin. She calms
herself.
NATALIA
What the hell woman? What is wrong
with you?
She answers the phone. A familiar voice is heard.
VOICE (ON PHONE)
Please stay on the line for the
General Secretary.
Natalia collapses onto the floor but keeps the receiver to
her ear.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Good evening Comrade. I am sorry to
call you so late...
NATALIA
It is not late.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
I have all these clocks in front of
me. It is this time in Berlin, it is
this time in London. It is not late in
New York, but it is late enough.
NATALIA
How can I help you Comrade, sir.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
I. I. This country has seen so much
trouble. So much pain. Cheer me up
please. With one of your...
NATALIA
I've been reading about the Americans.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Ah yes. I have too.
NATALIA
Did you know that their President
Harding would often have sex with his
mistress in a closet attached to the
White House.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
I hear the current President is
something of the degenerate too.
NATALIA
I don't worry about politics anymore
sir.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
Yes. History. Did you know Washington
had teeth made of wood and hippo
bones?
NATALIA
Yes. Are you going to call again.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
May I?
NATALIA
Of course. No politics. None of this
awful truth nonsense either. Just
foolish history. Foolish stories.
STALIN (ON PHONE)
All history is foolish and yet it
traps us. What did Praskovia's grave
say, "Even in her final hour she
remained devoted. Feeling the full
grief of those she was leaving
behind".
NATALIA
Can I quote you on that?
Stalin laughs. Just once, more a chuckle than a laugh.
He hangs up.
Natalia looks across the room, she sees the now 6 year old
Anna. The phone call has woken her up.
Natalia silently leads her back to bed. She closes the
bedroom door behind her.
Natalia cries. She wails into the night.
LATER:
Natalia has a pen in her hand and she is doing what she has
always done. She writes.
She takes what she has written and puts it into an envelope.
She then writes the words 'Dear Comrade Stalin' on the
envelope.
She opens a cupboard. Pulls out a shoe box and puts the
letter into the box. There are dozens of other letters in the
box. They are all labelled 'Dear Comrade Stalin' She puts the
box on a shelf. The box is unmarked.
There are other boxes all of the same size.
Various Shots of the boxes. Box 1 is labelled 'Tima'. Next to
it is a box marked 'Mama'. Another set of boxes are labelled
'Bartold,'Serov' and 'Sisi' four more boxes are marked
Petrod', 'Ivanov', 'Kirich' and Golovin'. A final box is
marked 'Anna'.
She returns to her desk, there is another envelope that is
labelled 'Dear Tima'. She goes back to the cupboard and
places this in the Tima box along with the dozen or so that
are already in there.
Genres:
["Historical Fiction","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
57 -
Reflections in Moscow
EXT. MOSCOW STREETS - DAY
_________________________
SUPERIMPOSE: Moscow, 2000
Natalia, now 86 is walking the streets of her youth for the
first time in 60 years.
She is arm in arm with her grown daughter ANNA (62) who is
every bit as beautiful and powerful as her mother.
Anna has a camera around her neck and she takes photographs
of everything.
Natalia and Anna are walk through the busy streets.
They are very much acting like the tourists that they are.
Anna takes her photographs and no one stops her.
Natalia looks around. She is looking to see if she is being
followed. They sit down at a cafe.
NATALIA
You can order a coke?
ANNA
Mother, what did you think Russia was
going to be like?
NATALIA
It's been sixty years. I had no idea
what it would be. Didn't expect so
much...America.
Anna takes another picture. A SCARY LOOKING MAN stands up and
walks over to them.
SCARY LOOKING MAN
No pictures lady.
ANNA
Sorry.
NATALIA
Anna, stop taking pictures. This is
Russia. You can't just take pictures.
The man sits back down. Anna stands up, she walks over to the
man.
ANNA
I'm very sorry. May I take a
photograph?
SCARY LOOKING MAN
No pictures lady.
ANNA
No I understand. Can I take a picture
of your hands. Your tattoos. They're
beautiful.
The man's attitude suddenly changes and he beams. She takes a
photo of the tattoos on his hand.
ANNA (CONT'D)
Thank you.
LATER:
Anna and Natalia sit and look out at the busy world outside.
NATALIA
Do you remember my shoe boxes?
ANNA
What Mama?
NATALIA
The letters. I wrote. Tima, Mama,
Bartold, even bloody Serov. It's what
I did. I wrote. I was an addict.
ANNA
Mama. I know this. You showed me them.
All sealed and ready to be sent. Told
me I was only allowed to read my
letters. I was so disappointed when I
saw that you had only written me two.
NATALIA
Such a smart young American. You
talked to me every day, what would I
write to you for? You still got a box
though. Know's everything this girl.
Do you remember when Stalin died?
ANNA
Not really Mama, I was a teenager.
What did I care? I remember someone
running into our class to tell the
teacher. She seemed particularly
concerned that I might take the news
badly I guess.
NATALIA
I wrote him a letter, I wrote him
dozens, can you imagine. I didn't
label his box. Didn't want people to
think I was a mad woman. All those
letters to the dead and a box of
letters for that Georgian Prick, as
your grandmother would call him.
Mama's letters, I told her she was
correct, all Mama's are correct Anna.
ANNA
I tell my own children this every day
Mama. The grandchildren too.
NATALIA
Smart American. Tima. All I could say
to him. I told him about making films
in America. I begged his forgiveness.
I told him about you. Can you imagine.
ANNA
Mama. It's OK. I never peeked.
NATALIA
Ivanov. I wrote him a letter the day
after I had met Louis B Mayer himself.
Can you imagine? Petrod, I wrote to
him telling him about the film they
were making about Praskovia. Based on
my screenplay. I told him how he would
not recognise the American version.
They changed everything. They even
took out the politics. I thought
Golovin would find that funny.
ANNA
Mama, I always knew those letters were
private but you've told me some of
this before.
NATALIA
I'm not going to tell you all the
naughty secrets Anna. I'm Russian not
American. Serov. Why did I write to
him. That bastard. I was so angry with
him. What did it matter? Tima. Your
father...Imagine his rage. I dreamed.
I dreamed that he forgave me. My
letters begged him....
ANNA
It's OK Mama.
NATALIA
I told you. About your father. I
forget so much these days and I repeat
myself, can you imagine. That world. I
always told myself it was dead to me.
I was writing letters to the dead.
When Stalin died I stopped. I don't
even remember where those letters are
these days. They're not in the house.
I looked before we came here.
ANNA
Mama, I have them. They're in my
garage. We can read them if you want
to when we get home. They're all still
sealed. I'm Russian too you know.
NATALIA
It's all a lie isn't it. Telling
ourselves that the past is all dead to
us. All those times. All those
memories. Even the memories of a long
dead singer. They are who I am.
ANNA
Mama, my father, the man who raised me
was a man named Arthur Lawrence Clarke
and you married him when I was ten. I
don't who know this man...Tima is. The
only thing I know about my father was
in the two letters you wrote to me and
the book you wrote that no one bought.
In your book you said he was killed
and that's why you ran. Today I know
that they killed him because you ran.
In Russia, You're dead before you make
that decision so what does it matter.
You had to run. I am here today,
because you ran. I love you Mama.
LATER:
The two women have finished their coffees and wave at the
waiter for the bill.
NATALIA
This is when Russia is at it's most
terrifying you know.
ANNA
What was that Mama?
NATALIA
When Russians speak of freedom.
Freedom to you means something. To the
Russians, it means something that is
taken away. The Decembrists wanted
freedom. They only wanted the vote,
Nicholas the First wiped them out.
What about Alexander the Second? He
gave the serfs freedom, only for
maniacs to demand more than most
(MORE)
NATALIA (CONT'D)
wanted. His son took that freedom
straight back. Or the Revolution, the
proper revolution that removed the
Romanovs, all they wanted was the
vote. Until Lenin locked the doors on
them and took over as dictator. Lenin,
the man Germany sent back to set up a
dictatorship that would kick them out
of the war. Instead it started a civil
war that butchered millions. Or are
they talking about the freedom the
Russians screamed for when they sent
the tanks to kill them in Moscow in
91. Those Russians had freedom, this
very year, to vote in an election and
all I can ask is this. How long until
this freedom is taken this time? Or is
it already being taken?
ANNA
No politics.
NATALIA
Smart mouthed American. In Russia,
everything is politics.
The waiter goes over and the scary looking man waves him
over. The waiter goes to him instead.
The waiter leaves the women alone. It is clear that the scary
looking man has paid for them.
NATALIA (CONT'D)
What?
ANNA
Mafia.
Natalia smiles.
NATALIA
Better that then NKVD.
Natalia looks over to the scary looking man.
NATALIA (CONT'D)
Thank you young man.
The scary looking man beams with joy again.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Family Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
58 -
A Disturbing Encounter
EXT. NATIONAL GALLERY - DAY
___________________________
Natalia and Anna walk to the gallery. In front of the
building is a large, mainly quiet crowd.
A large Russian Federation flag catches Anna's eye. She takes
a picture.
Another flag comes into view. The old USSR flag. Anna snaps
away at the crowd. Natalia is no longer close to her.
Policemen and protesters chat to each other in a friendly
manner.
Natalia tries to rejoin her daughter. A man steps in front of
her. Not sure what she is going to say. Before she opens her
mouth he puts a leaflet into her hand.
There is a picture of a young Putin with a skull and
crossbones overlaying the image. Underneath the picture it
reads "Putin - Butcher of Grozny"
She turns over the leaflet. It reads "Brezhnev Hall. 8pm..."
Natalia finally gets through the crowd and rejoins Anna at
the entrance to the gallery. She hands Anna the leaflet.
ANNA
Shall we go?
NATALIA
(Horrified)
That is not funny.
Genres:
["Drama","Political","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
59 -
A Letter to Praskovia
INT. NATIONAL GALLERY - DAY
___________________________
Anna and Natalia walk through the gallery.
With a museum so close to the 20th Century there is a
noticeable absence of any art from the USSR.
Most of the paintings and portraits are of an era before that
world. The world of the Tsars.
Anna is looking at a painting of a large battle scene.
Natalia walks around a corner and sees a large portrait in
front of her.
NATALIA
Anna. I've...
ANNA
Mama?
Anna joins her mother.
In front of them is a very Russian portrait.
The painting of Praskovia by Nikolai Argunov.
It is one of the most famous paintings of its era. Natalia
weeps. Tears of joy.
NATALIA
It's her. It's my Praskovia. My
obsession.
They both sit down in front of the painting.
ANNA
Do you have a letter for her?
NATALIA
So smart. So American.
Natalia pulls out a letter to Praskovia. She puts it down on
the floor in front of the painting.
ANNA
Mama, you might not be able to do
that.
NATALIA
What? In the new Russia?
Genres:
["Historical Drama","Family Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
60 -
Bittersweet Revelations
INT. BALLROOM - EARLY MORNING
_____________________________
We go back to the morning after the wedding.
The party is over. The room is being tidied.
A small coterie of musicians still play.
Nikolai and Praskovia, both tired from the night dance
together.
They are the only other people in the room apart from the
servants and the musicians.
Though we don't hear it this time. Praskovia has just told
Nikolai that she is pregnant.
They continue to dance. Both weep with joy. Even some of the
musicians and servants cry with happiness.
NATALIA (V.O.)
Dear Praskovia, I never saw your
painting when I was younger, but I did
see your grave...
FINAL CREDITS:
INSERT: Praskovia Sheremetev died in 1803, her husband died,
a recluse, in 1809. His wealth passed onto his son. His
descendants are still wealthy today.
INSERT: Under Stalin, nearly 3.3 million people died after
being charged with political 'crimes.' Many more died under
his dictatorship including roughly 6.5 million from
starvation.