Family, tradition, change and the inevitable farewells. A story. about the prevailing love of family that transcends time.

Transcription

1 Passed Over - A Short Film about Family and Loss Family, tradition, change and the inevitable farewells. A story about the prevailing love of family that transcends time. finds herself growing up through her families Passover tradition with her and GRANDPA. The arrival of a mysterious MONGOLIAN GONG becomes the symbol of times conquering and inescapable progression. We are introduced to Rose and her family when she is four and her only real fear seems to be eating the vegetables required during the Passover holiday. This is when her Grandpa brings forth an ancient gong that soon becomes part of the family tradition. As the gong is rung, Rose grows up and she slowly sees her grandparents age and pass away. She finds herself finishing the Passover Seder in her parents house, her grandparents being a missed memory and their gong carried over into it s new home. Rose confronts the gong to find that it s more than a device that moves time forward, but a way to go back and say goodbye. by Ko Costarella

2 PASSED OVER written by Ko Costarella

3 FADE IN: INT. GRANDPARENTS DINING ROOM - EARLY EVENING The dinner table is set for Passover. At the table sit UNCLE DANNY (38), RYAN (8), JOHN (38), UNCLE CRAIG (34), and (4). The dining room is quaint and homey. Pictures of Grandma and Grandpa on worldly adventures adorn the walls. Rose sits eyeing the herb on her plate. It s a limp piece of salt-soaked parsley. She looks up to her brother Ryan who s looking at his piece of parsley in a similar way. She looks to the right of Ryan at her father John, who is on his PalmPilot underneath the table. She looks to the left at her uncle Danny, who is looking at the limp parsley on his plate just as Ryan is. From the Kitchen enters Rose s mom JULIE (36), her Aunt STACEY (29) and her (69). Brisket s in the oven and here Rosie, I found this just for you. Grandma hands Rose a brand new 30-MINUTE SEDER BOOK with her name on it. She takes a seat opposite at one end of the table. Julie and Stacey both sit next to Rose. Stacey, who is visibly pregnant, rubs her hand against Craig s back lovingly as she takes her seat. Harold! We re about to start the Seder! I m coming! There is a BANG. GRANDPA (O.S)

4 ! 2. Harold?! GRANDPA (O.S) Be right there! INT. STAIRCASE - EARLY AFTERNOON GRANDPA (70) struggles to move a large MONGOLIAN GONG down the staircase. INT. GRANDPARENTS DINING ROOM - EARLY EVENING Craig and John jump up to help Grandpa as he slowly drags the massive gong into the dining room. JULIE Dad! You re going to blow your back out! where on earth did you get that? Grandpa GRUNTS as he tries to talk through his straining. (answering for Grandpa) We got it the last time we were in Northern China. He thinks it s epic. John and Craig relieve Grandpa by taking the gong, and place it in the corner of the room. Grandpa straightens his back letting out CRACKS. GRANDPA That s because it is epic, just wait until you hear this puppy ring. I thought we could use it to spruce up the Seder. Grandpa, Jack and Craig take their respective seats at the table.

5 ! 3. Rose stares at the gong, she can hear a slightly HUMMING radiating out from it. She looks at the ornate iron dragon that wraps around the top of the gong. The Dragon snarls at her. She quickly retreats her eyes to her seder book that she s holding in her lap. RYAN Grandpa, Grandpa! Can I bang it? GRANDPA (to Grandma) Janet? She nods at Grandpa. He then nods at Ryan, who, immediately jumps up from his seat. Grandpa follows. Rose watches as Grandpa hands Ryan a small mallet. GRANDPA Strike it right in the middle here. He points at the center of the gong. She looks back down at her seder book resting in her lap. The gong MOANS. Okay! Bang the thing and let s start, I have soup on the stove! (10) plays with her TAMAGOTCHI beneath the table over her seder book. Ryan (14) notices her from across the table. RYAN Mom! Rose s playing with her Tamagotchi under the table!

6 ! 4. JULIE Ryan, stop being annoying. You re fourteen, don't tell on your sister. And Rosie, please put that away. Rose sticks her tongue out at her brother, who returns the gesture. Julie (42) notices that John (44) is on his BlackBerry underneath the table as well. She CLEARS HER THROAT to get his attention. He looks at her sheepishly but returns to his phone. Craig (40) and Stacey (35) each sit with one of their twins, ZIGGY (5) and BLU (5). Grandma (75) sits at the head of the table reading from the seder book. Praise to You, Adonai, our God Sovereign of the Universe, Who has kept us alive and sustained us and allowed us to reach this season. Grandma pauses at this line. Rose looks over to Grandpa s end of the table. His chair is empty, except for his sweatshirt which is draped over the backrest. A moment of SILENCE is shared. Grandma takes a breath and resumes. (CONT D) As we prepare for the first course of our Seder meal we wash our hands. Eating is a holy act as we wish our hands to symbolically purify ourselves for the ceremony we are about to begin. Rose and Ryan look at the limp pieces of parsley on their plates, they look at each other, they know what s coming.

7 ! 5. (CONT D) The vegetables that we now eat are a symbol of the arrival of spring. We dip them in salt water, a reminder of the tears our ancestors shed during the years of slavery and oppression in Egypt. Bottoms up! DANNY Danny leans back and drops the parsley down his gaping maw. The rest of the family does the same. Rose nibbles her parsley tentatively. EVERYONE Praised are you Adonai, Sovereign of the Universe who creates the fruit of the earth. Ziggy starts fidgeting. Craig picks Ziggy up from his lap. The two of them begin to walk around the table. Grandma looks up at Rose who has just finished getting her parsley down. Okay Rosie, ready? Rose nods. She picks up her seder book, which is now has several stickers on its cover. Rose begins to read from the booklet. Why is this night different from all other nights? In what ways do you find it different?

8 ! 6. Rose notices that Ziggy and Craig have made their way over to the gong. Ziggy stands at the base of the gong as Craig demonstrates with the mallet how it works. I find it different in four ways. In one fluid motion Craig lightly strikes the gong in the center. And the gong MOANS. Grandma (79) continues reciting the questions with Rose (14), now with black and purple braces on her teeth. And what is the first? On all other nights we eat bread or matzah, while on this night we eat only matzah. Rose looks back over to the gong, both Ziggy (9) and Blu (9) are running around the table. Ziggy is chasing Blu and holding the mallet in his hand. And the second? As Ziggy passes the gong he strikes it with the mallet. The gong MOANS. On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables and herbs, but on this night we have to eat bitter herbs.

9 ! 7. Rose (18) has grown her hair out long, and wears glasses. She watches Ryan (22) show the gong to his girlfriend CINDY (22). And The third way? Grandma (83) coughs as she recites her line from the booklet. Rose looks over with worried eyes as Cindy takes the mallet in her hands. RYAN (to Cindy) It s Mongolian. My Grandpa brought it out at Seder when I was a kid. It has the strangest sound. Just hit it right here Ryan points at a spot in the center of the gong. Rosie? Rose pulls her attention back to the table. The gong MOANS. Sorry On all other nights we don't dip our vegetables in salt water, but on this night we dip them twice. And the final way sweetie? INT. JULIE AND JOHNS DINING ROOM EVENING

10 ! 8. JULIE the final way Rosie? On all other nights we eat while sitting upright, but on this night we eat reclining. The family now sits around the dining table in Julie (53) and John s (55) house. John sits with his iphone 6s under the table and Julie sits at the opposite end. Craig (51) and Stacey (46) sit at the table with Blu (16) and Ziggy (16). Ryan (25) sits next to his new girlfriend PAULINE (23) whom he met in grad school. DANNY (55) sits next to Rose (21). Julie closes her seder book. JULIE Well before we start on the next part, we ll have mom s Matzah ball soup Rosie honey, would you mind helping me in the kitchen? Yeah, sure. INT. KITCHEN EVENING Julie stands over a giant pot of Matzah ball soup, adding the finishing seasoning. Rose enters the room, still holding her old seder book. As she enters, she notices the Mongolian gong is sitting in the corner of the room. The ornate dragon snarls again at her. Mom, I thought you and Dad decided not to take that thing. Rose motions to the gong, Julie looks up from her cooking.

11 ! 9. JULIE Well you know it s become such a part of our family tradition. (beat) JULIE (CONT D) and it reminds me of Grandma and Grandpa. Rose looks down at her seder book. Her name is faded across the front cover. The stickers are faded and torn. She begins to cry. Julie notices this, and immediately moves to comfort her daughter. (beat) JULIE Oh sweetheart It s okay I just miss them both so much I keep thinking I m going to close my eyes and they re going to be back here and Grandma s going to bring out her brisket, and Grandpa s going to tell his stories and it hurts because I know that s never going to happen again. (CONT D) I just miss them JULIE Rosie, I love you. Your father loves you. And I know your grandparents loved you very much.

12 ! 10. Love you too mom. Julie hugs her daughter. JULIE Honey let s talk tonight okay? I ve got to bring this soup out Ziggy and Blu can still get so fidgety. We re here for you Rosie, all of us. Thanks Mom, I ll be over in a minute. Julie nods and hugs Rose again, and leaves for the dining room with a tray of soups. Rose is left standing alone in the kitchen still holding her book. She wipes her eyes and looks over at the gong. It begins to HUM, the same hum she heard when she was four. She places the book on the counter and slowly walks over to the gong. As she moves closer, the HUMMING gets louder. She walks until she is within an arms distance from the gong. She reaches for the mallet. She stands for a moment, holding the mallet in front of the gong. The HUM is loud. She turns the mallet several times over in her hand. She looks again at the dragon, who snarls at her. She strikes the gong. It MOANS. INT. GRANDPARENTS DINING ROOM - LATE EVENING Rose (21) stands next to the gong in her grandparents dining room. She can see herself, YOUNG (16), sitting at the dining table after passover eating a bowl of ice cream. Grandma (81) sits next to her, also with a bowl of ice cream.

13 ! 11. When I was your age Rosie, our Mom would give us each a nickel on Shabbat nights, and we would all run over to the store for ice cream. A nickel? YOUNG Funny to imagine that huh? It was still just as delicious back then! She takes her last bite and smiles at Young Rose. GRANDMDA Shall we go in the kitchen for a glass of milk? Young Rose nods and takes her last bite, and the two bus their dishes into the kitchen. The room is empty for a moment. Rose stands there alone. Grandpa (74) and Young Rose (6) enter the dining room together. GRANDPA And they say the dragon on top is a guardian spirit. He s there to watch over our family and keep us safe. YOUNG I think he s scary.

14 ! 12. GRANDPA Well he needs to be scary! That way he scares away the bad guys But he's here to protect us, don't forget! The two walk up to the gong. JULIE (O.S) Rosie! Time to go, say bye to Grandma and Grandpa! Young Rose reaches up to hug her Grandpa, who bends down to receive the hug. Bye Grandpa! YOUNG Young Rose runs out of the dining room. Grandpa watches her as she runs off. He then stands up to face Rose, who is standing in front of the gong, still holding the mallet in her hands. He looks at her and smiles. THE END FADE OUT.