This scenario original text is written by Tumpal Tampubolon. He asked me to translate it to English because it was about to be submitted to the JIFFEST 2005 script competition. When it won and was produced into a short film to be screened at JIFFEST 2006, our friend Erick helped translating it into a story board. Erick also created a graphic novel titled Bella Karla Drakula, based on this script.
inT. Bedroom - Afternoon
A 5 x 5 m2 bedroom, nobody could be seen. A medium bed in the middle of the room with an end table on its left, the night lamp on it had been turned on. A speck ray of light shone from the window on the right wall of the room. The bedroom’s only source of dim light was the night lamp.
camera pan, medium shot of the bedroom’s surrounding situation.
cut TO:
camera tracking, medium shot closing to the bed.
cUT TO:
close-up shot:
A hand is creeping out from underneath the bed
cUT TO:
medium shot:
A figure clad in black robe.
(the figure is standing with the back against us)
cUT TO:
medium shot:
The figure is walking out slowly from the bedrom.
cuT TO:
inT. corridor - moments LATER
The light in the corridor is also dim. On the corridor’s wall a shadow is casted by the figure.
full shot:
The figure is walking very slowly accros the corridor, still with the back against us.
cUT TO:
int. Kitchen - MOMENTS LATER
A woman is sitting on a low stool, looking as if she was actually squatting instead of sitting. Her left hand is holding a chicken by the neck and a kitchen knife on her right. On her left was a small bucket.
close-up shot:
The chicken’s neck is slit. Blood instantly poured out.
dISSOLVE TO:
EXTREME CLOSE-UP:
A pair of eyes staring bewildered.
(In this shot, the lighting is set purposedly from each side so the eyes are the only thing that could be seen)
cuT TO:
medium shot:
The woman was a little surprised when realising that she was being watched. Her hands were still holding the shivering chicken and the knife.
Mother
(the whole dialogue in this film will appear in text on a black screen)
Oh hi Bella, geez darling you really freak me out --
cUT TO:
By now we can really see who the figure really is. She’s a little girl about 6-t yr.o. About 80-90 cm tall, medium built with curly black hair. She is wrapped in black cloak, reminding us of the typical dracula image.
camera tracking toward Bella, medium shot:
Bella suddenly smirked and plastic dracula fangs can be seen on the corner of her lips. She lifts her left hand as high as her eyes with the arm bended and her fingers gesturing a claw, her eyes widened.
(referring to Tod Browning's Dracula: this is the most memorable gesture of Dracula when he wanted to hypnotized his victims).
cut TO:
medium shot:
Mother reacted by shaking her head, mouthing something like “go play with your sister”.
cut TO:
Medium shot:
Bella pouted. She doesn’t feel like playing with her sister because she’s too little to play with. Her sister is about 4-5 yr.o. Slouching, Bella left her mother, the hem of her black robe is dragged across the floor.
cut TO:
int.living room - moments later
The livingroom is dimly lit. A cute little girl is sitting on the floor. She’s Karla, Bella baby sister. A lot of toys are spread around Karla. She is holding a flashlight. She looks so happy toying with it, shooting lights to the walls.
full shot:
Flashlight shooting the walls to the right and left.
cUT TO:
medium shot:
The light suddenly hit on Bella’s face as she’s entering the room. She covered her face with her robe in reflex, annoyed by the light.
cut TO:
full shot:
Bella grabs the flashlight from Karla’s hands. She then prepares to bite Karla just like a dracula when he’s about to attack the victim.
cut to:
close-up shot:
Karla’s face bright and laughing.
cuT TO:
full shot:
(off screen the door opens)
Bella stops and stays put. She seems to have heard someone opened the door and entering the house. Karla was quiet too. They both listened intently of the footstep coming closer to the house. Bella stands up and runs to the front door.
cUT TO:
int.The house front door- Moments later
CAMERA POINT OF VIEW (POV) SHOT - Person who holds Bella.
Bella runs into the camera, jumping as if pouncing. She looks happy. A pair of hands appears and holding Bella.
The camera turns 360 degrees as the hands keep on holding Bella. She looks happy with her plastic fang showing at the corner of her mouth.
full shot:
A man holding Bella kisses her on the cheek. Father was just coming back from work. He’s wearing a crisp white shirt with a black tie. His pantalons are crisp black, with a pair of shiny black shoes. His masculine face is shaved clean, his shiny black hair is cut short and sleek. Slender and handsome, people could easily guess he’s in his early 30s. His suitcase was put down by his feet. He puts Bella down and then holds Karla who was also running towards him.
cUT TO:
medium shot:
Still holding Karla, Father sniffed around.
DAD
Yummy, from the smell I can tell Mommy is cooking something delicious!
Bella
I think it’s Karla, Daddy. She needs to change.
Father looks curious, reluctantly holds out Karla and puts her down. He sniffs his hands and winced.
fADE TO:
int. dining room - lATER
Father, Mother, and Karla are having their dinner quietly. Bella, still in her dracula robe, looks at her plate with distaste.
CLOSE-UP SHOT:
Bella’s plastic fang was put on the dining table.
dISSOLVE TO:
close-up shot:
Father stares at the plastic fangs with worry. He turns to Mother with questioning look. "What's with the tooth?"
cuT TO:
MEDIUM shot:
Mother simply raised her shoulders as if saying "I have no idea"
cUT TO:
medium sHOT:
Father slowly takes out presents for both Bella and Karla. They were dolls. Karla accepts hers cheerfully, but Bella seems to dislike her present. She just shook her head.
beLLA
Daddy, draculas don't play with dolls.
dad
Sweety, your name is Bella and you're a beautiful seven years old girl anybody ever seen and all beautiful seven years old girls play with dolls. Besides, what's the good being a dracula?
bELLA
Because they can stay up all night,they can turn into bats, and they can’t die as long as they drink blood all the time.
Mother and Father looked very surprised when they hear this. But they said nothing.
fADE TO BLACK.
int. Karla’s bedroom - afternoon
Mother is holding Karla, looking worried. Karla was crying loudly and restlessly. She seems to be in pain. Father came and rub Karla’s back softly, trying not to look worried but failed.
camera tracking, medium shot:
The door is slightly ajar. Still in her dracula robe, Bella could be seen eavesdropping over her parents’ conversation. She looks sad knowing her sister is sick.
fADE out:
int. Pediathryst Practice room
Father and Mother are sitting, looking gloom as they hear the doctor explains Karla’s ilness. The doctor is about 50 years old, with gray white hair. He looks very friendly and assuring.
dOKTer
Your child suffers from a rare disease of… It is inconvenient to let you know this, but the life expectancy in this case is not very promising. In the mean time, we will do medication procedures to lessen her pain. But please, don’t lose hope.
Mother looks as if she was struck by lightning. She cries in her husband’s embrace. Father is trying hard to contain his own emotion.
fADE TO BLACK.
iNT. kitchen - DAY
The kitchen is dated and vague. Bella is playing with Karla’s doll under a table. She wears her usual Dracula costume, a black robe and plastic fangs. A woman in high heels (mother) is seen from a low angle, hurries back and forth preparing dinner. Suddenly a plate fall to floor and broke to pieces, Bella is startled. Mother kneels to pick up the pieces when suddenly she bursts into tears. Bella comes out from under the table still in low angle). Mother sees her, holds her head and caresses her face gently.
bELLA
Mommy, where is Karla?
Mother stares at her as if she'll never see her again then hugs her tightly and cries.
fADE OUT.
INT. HOSPITAL - AFTERNOON
Bella duduk di sebuah kursi bersama Ayah dan Ibu, ini kali pertama dia mengunjungi Karla yang dirawat di rumah sakit dan ini kali pertama juga ia pergi ke rumah sakit, tentu dulu Ibu sering bercerita bahwa dia dilahirkan ke dunia ini di rumah sakit tapi dia tidak pernah ingat bagaimana bentuk rumah sakit.
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL corridor - MOMENTS LATER
They are all sitting in the corridor where all the hospital’s nurses and patients are walking by. The walls are all white and sterile. Windowless. Neon lamps light the corridor. At the end of the corridor there a pair of big swing doors. You can see the room behind these doors in a glance when the doors are opened and then quickly swing shut.
The traffic of patients being transferred, pushed, or strolled are quite hectic in this place. Bella saw several beds a couple of time, covered with white sheets. She is curious what is under the sheets because they are shaped like sleeping people. Accidentally, as a bed is being pushed through, a hand fell out from under the sheet. Bella gasped when realising it was indeed people that had been under the white sheets.
Scared, Bella asked her parents of what happened with those people under the sheets and where are they taken to. Her parents looks confused and not sure how to explain it. Finally Mother answers the question.
iBU
They had been sick for a very long time, Bella. Very sick. But now they are going to a place where they don’t get sick or feel pain anymore, because God takes pity for them.
Mother remembers what the doctor had said about her youngest daughter condition. She’s devastated but tries to look strong in front of Bella.
The Pediathryst who took care of Karla comes out from the room behind the doors. Mother and Father come up to him. They completely forgot Bella was with them. Bella follows her parents.
medium shot,from behind the pediathryst
Bella stands behind her parents so the doctor couldn’t see her as he explains Karla’s latest condition.
Dokter
We had done all the best we could, but her condition is very critical and we might lose her. I’m very sorry.
Upon hearing the doctor’s word, Bella was shocked.
Low angle, medium shot.
Bella steps out from behind her parents.
medium shot
Mother, Father, and the doctor look surprised. They worried of what she might have heard about her dying sister.
Long shot,from the other end of the corridor
Suddenly the corridor turned dark. The neon lights are suddenly dimmed and flashing. A queue of beds with people covered in white sheets are strolling fast into the swing doors.
dissolves to
The queueing beds turn into industrial walking tyre with bodies covered in white sheets sliding on it, going to god knows where.
Bella is worried that her sister might share the same fate as the people under the white sheets. She has to save her sister! She came up with a brilliant idea of just how.
close shot
Bella puts on her plastic fangs. She whips her black robe towards the camera and cover it with darkness.
fADE TO BLACK.
inT. karla’s hospital room - LATER
Karla is laying helplessly in a small bed, tangled in a jungle of wires and tubes. The doctor, Mother, Father, and Bella walked slowly approaching the bed. They all look sad. Father is talking with the doctor while Mother can’t help feeling crushed.
medium shot, low angle
Bella approaches the bed, staring at her sleeping sister. Mother breaks down in tears and is quickly whisked away by her husband and the doctor. Bella is now left alone with Karla.
medium shot
This is the most decissive moment. Bella looks tense. She checks around to see if there’s anyone else in the room. She bends down to her sister as if wanting to kiss the cheek, but then open her mouth. The fangs now look very real like Count Dracula’s. A second before her mouth touches Karla’s neck, her hand whips her robe and covered her and her sister from the view.
fADE TO BLACK.
iNT.LIVING rOOM - dAY
From afar, two figures were sitting on the floor. One is taller than the other. Only their backs can be seen. Both are wrapped in black robe.
CAMERA TRACKING TOWARD THE TWO SUBJECTS THEN STOPS INCHES AWAY THEN CAMERA TRACKING HALF CIRCLE (180 degrees) showing the front of the two subjects, low angle.
The two figures are in fact Bella and Karla, playing together. They suddenly stare into the camera and smile. Fangs could be seen in the corners of their lips. The girls laugh loudly. Lightning flashes could be seen from the window. The girls held their position as if were being photographed.
camera tracking away from the subjects
We see the picture of the two children in a beautiful gothic wooden frame, smiling with their fangs shown with the exact posture before the camera tracks away from the subject.
fADE OUT.
