otzi (sample pages)

7/21/2019 Otzi (Sample Pages)

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Otzi

SAMPLE PAGES

By

Todd Condie

[email protected] 714 0005



BLINDING WHITE.

The sound of HEAVY BREATHING.

SUPER: "Inspired by true events."

The white slowly comes into focus. And there, moving acrossthe expanse, a distant, dark speck. An IBEX, majestic hornscurving from its head nearly to its shoulder blades as itcrosses a...

EXT. SNOW FIELD - DAY

In the distance, more dark shapes. MEN. A half dozen huntersfanned out across the mountainside in fast pursuit.

The ibex heaves from exertion, the foam around its mouthevidence of a long chase. Sure-footed and true, the beast

runs up the frozen incline.

THWUMP.

It stumbles, falls to a knee, an arrow protruding from itsabdomen. Quick, the ibex is back up and running, the snowwhere it fell stained with blood.

EXT. OVERLOOK - SAME

From higher up the mountain, we look down on the chase. Twolegs step into the foreground; someone else is watching too.

The figure moves off in the same direction as the hunt.

EXT. MOUNTAIN GLACIER - DAY

The glassy-eyed ibex is slowed by its wound. It stumblesalong the edge of a mountain glacier’s sheer face.

Suddenly, a LOOPED ROPE flies up from below, snaring theibex by the horn. The beast is yanked off its feet and overthe glacier edge, disappearing out of sight.

MOMENTS LATER

The hunters arrive. Up close, the men are bearded andcoarse. They wear stitched animal skins and cloaks of wovengrasses. They carry rough-hewn bows and stone axes. Theirclothing and weapons may be primitive, but their minds arenot. These are no Neanderthals; these men are us, threehundred generations back.



2.

But at the moment, our hunters look confused. They searchthe area where the ibex once stood.

JORO--muscled, early 20s--peers over the glacier’s edge.

JORO’S POV - At the base of the small glacier--maybe fifteen

feet below--a small stream of runoff flows from underneaththe ice. But no sign of the vanished ibex.

The men gesture to each other, not in crude sign language,but in the shorthand of skilled hunters silently stalkingtheir prey. They come to an agreement and head off.

Slowly, we move down the glacier’s face to where the streamhas carved a dark tunnel under the ice.

A MAN, 40, stout and weathered, emerges from the black. Likethe hunters, he wears patched skins and woven grasses.Unlike them, he wears a mischievous grin.

This is OTZI.

Otzi winds his long rope around his chest. He cocks an ear.Silence. The hunters are gone.

He steps back into the dark of the tunnel. When here-emerges, the heavy carcass of the ibex is slung acrosshis shoulders. Otzi may be small, but he’s certainly strong.

He chuckles to himself and starts off.

MONTAGE - OPENING CREDITS / OTZI DESCENDS THE MOUNTAIN

-- Still heavy-laden, Otzi picks his way carefully across afield of scree.

-- Otzi lowers the ibex down a cliff face with his rope. Hefollows, climbing hand over hand.

-- He passes under the tree line, through a pine forest.

-- As dusk falls, Otzi enters a lush alpine valleytransversed by crude wheat fields. This is the VALLEY OFYEBA. Fires from a distant, lake-side village mark hisdestination.

END MONTAGE/CREDITS



3.

EXT. OTZI’S HUT - NIGHT

The ibex roasts over a fire. Beyond it is a tiny hut made ofsplit boards and a sod roof. The hut is sheltered within asmall copse of trees. No other dwellings in sight.

Otzi steps out of the hut. He pushes some root vegetablesinto the coals.

LATER

Otzi unties his crude deerskin boots, splays his feet outbefore the fire. He inspects the arrow he removed from theibex, then sets it with some others. The new arrow’s blackfletching doesn’t match the rest.

He carves a hunk from the ibex’s leg and takes a greedy,greasy bite.

As he chews, he shapes an unfinished bow with a flint blade.

AULA (O.S.)Otzi?

Otzi looks up. AULA approaches the fire’s light. She’s closeto his age and nearly as weathered.

AULAWill you not join us for the feastof the--

She sees the roasting ibex; disappointment fills her eyes.

AULA (cont’d)Did you not think to share?

OTZI(gesturing to the meat)

Eat.

AULAWith the others, I meant.

Otzi scoffs.

OTZIIt’s mine. I killed it.

Aula picks up the killing arrow, fingers its blackfletching. She knows this is no arrow of Otzi’s.



4.

AULA(feigning flattery)

Then let them see the mighty hunteryou are.

Otzi mulls this thought.

EXT. OTZI’S HUT - MINUTES LATER

Two broad men raise the spit, lifting the ibex off theflame. Otzi and Aula follow them as they carry it out of thecopse. Otzi carries the ibex’s long curved horns.

Clearing the trees, they pass into...

EXT. WHEAT FIELDS - CONTINUOUS

In the open, we see that Otzi’s isolated abode lies a fewhundred yards from the rest of the village’s clustered huts.It’s a distance that speaks volumes.

EXT. VILLAGE OF YEBA - NIGHT

Light from a massive bonfire dances on a dozen woodenstructures. Some hug the lake’s shoreline. Others actuallysit above the water on piles driven into the shallow depths.

EXT. FIRE CIRCLE - NIGHT

Costumed villagers dance. Others beat drums or chant.

Otzi follows the ibex as it’s carried to a long, low tablecovered with foodstuffs. He looks around, beaming withpride. A few revelers glance at the beast and then at Otzi,but they quickly look away.

The men set the animal down and leave, not even a nod inOtzi’s direction.

This is not the reception Otzi had hoped for. In fact, he’salready regretting his decision to share his prize.

Aula places a hand on his shoulder.

AULAThank you, brother.

She too moves off into the crowd. Otzi is left alone.



5.

EXT. SHRINE OF YEBA - NIGHT

At the outer edge of the bonfire’s light is an open spacedominated by a massive stele, a tablet-shaped stone withrudimentary human features carved into its face. This isn’tart; it’s God.

Offerings of various kinds are strewn about the stele’sbase. Otzi lays the ibex horns amongst them.

A group approaches. Leading the way is Joro, the muscularman from the ibex hunt.

With him are several YOUNG MEN and two women: SVETA, 20 andbeautiful as ice, and LYSA, 16 and demure. Joro holds theback of Lysa’s neck, an act not of affection but possession.

He lets go to reach out and touch the ibex horns.

JOROA fine kill.

Otzi smirks.

JORO (cont’d)But how did you manage it with yourbow still unfinished?

The smirk disappears. Joro faces Otzi.

JORO (cont’d)You followed us up the mountain.

OTZI(shaking his head)

I hunt on my own.

JOROYou thieve on your own.

Joro steps to Otzi. The young man is a foot taller and twiceas thick, but Otzi doesn’t back down.

JORO (cont’d)You’ve given my offering.

OTZIIf it were your offering, you’dhave laid it before the gods.

Joro shoves Otzi. Otzi shoves him back. Joro throws Otzi tothe ground and begins to beat him savagely.



6.

Otzi doubles over as Joro strikes him again and again. Lysagrabs Joro’s arm.

LYSAStop it, Joro!

He slaps her hard. She shrinks back, cowed.

JOROThat animal was to be your offeringtoo.

(pointing down at Otzi)Kick the thief.

Lysa looks down at Otzi. Otzi meets her eyes.

JORO (cont’d)Kick him!

But Lysa doesn’t move.

Joro cocks his hand. Lysa flinches.

SVETA(interrupting)

Even your wife finds him toopitiful to strike.

The group LAUGHS.

Joro lowers his hand. He turns back to Otzi.

JOROYou think you can fool the gods,take what they have not given you.But the gods see everything. Andthey give to those whom they love.

Joro reaches into his tunic, pulls out a rude COPPER PENDANTon a leather cord. It catches the firelight as it turns.

Otzi’s eyes go wide at the sight of it.

JORO (cont’d)I won it. Off an Ezeros warrior.

OTZIThere are no Ezeros here.

JOROThen I must have forged it from themountains myself.

Joro hangs the pendant off the ibex horn.



7.

JORO (cont’d)Either way, it is the betteroffering, don’t you think?

OTZIMay the gods decide.

JOROThey already have.

Joro spits on Otzi and walks off, his entourage followingbehind him.

Lysa stays behind, a red welt on her face already startingto show. She holds her hand out to help him up. Otzi brushesit away, standing on his own.

OTZILeave me alone.

Lysa considers him.

LYSADo you enjoy being despised?

Otzi says nothing. He fingers the copper pendant, refusingto even look up as she walks away.

EXT. FIRE CIRCLE - NIGHT

Women ladle mead from a large vat. Otzi pushes past and dips

a cup straight into the golden liquid. He drains it in onego. The women eye him suspiciously. Otzi dips again.

The women step back. Otzi follows their eyes to see MIELO,50s, approaching. He’s tall and grayed; there’s a statureabout him. A wave of his hand and the women step away.

MIELOYour offering is good, Otzi. I amglad to see it.

OTZI(looking around)

The rest are blind to it.

MIELOThe gods see. Is that not enough?

Otzi is chastened.



8.

MIELO (cont’d)Come.

He walks away. Otzi hurries to follow. Despite his insolentnature, this is one man Otzi heeds.

The two men walk. Villagers simultaneously nod with respectto Mielo as they eye Otzi with disgust.

MIELO (cont’d)Tonight, we, the Yebish, burnofferings to the gods. In themorning, the ashes must be taken tothe womb of the world.

(beat)I’ve chosen you to represent thevillage.

Otzi is shocked.

OTZIWhy should I be their emissary?

MIELOOur emissary. All that you do, youwill do for me, for your sister.

(nodding towards Joro’s group)For them too. We are one, Otzi.

OTZI(shaking his head)

I am not one with them.

Mielo’s patience wears thin.

MIELOYou take much from this village,Otzi, but you give little. You liveapart. You father no sons.

The last cuts Otzi to the quick.

Mielo stops and looks in Otzi’s eyes.

MIELO (cont’d)Be one with us or be forever alone.The choice is yours. It always hasbeen.



9.

EXT. FIRE CIRCLE - LATER

The whole village drinks and carouses. The festivities arein full swing.

Off by himself, Otzi drinks too. Aula approaches.

AULATo bear the offerings is a greathonor.

OTZIOne chosen for me by your husband?Or by you?

Aula looks away. She can’t hide the truth from her brother.

AULAMielo cannot rescind it now.

OTZIBut how he wishes he could.

DRUM BEATS interrupt. The village quiets.

A group of men, costumed like animals, enters and dancesaround the fire. From beneath wooly hides, they shake theirarms and stamp their feet. The villagers clap along.

One by one, the men throw off their cloaks, revealing largewooden phalluses strapped to their groins. It’s a fertilitydance.

One of the men dances close to Otzi. It’s Joro. He whips offhis cloak revealing not a wooden phallus but a length oflimp rope. He swishes it around right in front of Otzi.

SVETADance for us, wilted snake!

The crowd erupts in laughter.

His face flushed with shame, Otzi pushes past Joro, throughthe japing crowd, and out into the darkness.

EXT. SHRINE OF YEBA - NIGHT

Otzi passes the stele, stops. He fumbles with the leathercord tied around his waist. Otzi then paints the pile ofofferings with a long stream of steaming piss.

As he reties his pants, he spots the copper pendant hangingfrom the ibex horn.



10.

EXT. WHEAT FIELD - NIGHT

Otzi makes the lonely trek from the village to his home. Thesound of merriment behind him mocks his every step.

EXT. FIRE CIRCLE - EARLY MORNING

All is still. Ashes are all that’s left of the night’sbonfire. Otzi dips his hands into the gray powder, scoops itinto a canister of shaped bark.

As he leans over, the copper pendant falls free, swingingfrom his neck. He slides it back into his tunic.

Otzi turns to see Mielo and Aula approaching. Aula holds outa bulging sack.

AULAFood for your journey.

Otzi puts the food sack and the ashes canister into a packconstructed of birch bark and skins. He hoists it up on hisshoulder.

OTZII do this for the gods. I do thisfor you. None else.

Mielo nods. It will have to be reason enough.

MIELOOn your return, take the Hare’s

Pass, see if it’s open. Two weekssince we’ve had word from theEastern villages.

OTZICould be an avalanche shut thepass.

MIELOCould be.

The look between them says there may be another explanation,one that’s best left unspoken.

They each raise a hand, and Otzi is off.

[TO READ THE REST OF OTZI, CONTACT TODD CONDIE]

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