U8

Screenplay adaptation of a Berlin short story about COVID-19 and isolation.

FADE IN
1. Bicycle EXTERIOR – Berlin, Rosenthaler Platz – Night, 11:37 p.m.

Finn leaves a house. He turns around once more and
waves to two people standing in front of it.

                             STATIST 1
Bye, Fin! Have a safe trip home.

Finn walks purposefully toward the television tower. He puts his headphones in his ears and presses play on his smartphone. He puts the smartphone in one of his pants pockets and continues walking until he stops at a bicycle rack in front of a store. He looks around once more. He looks back at the bicycle rack.

FINN
Damn!

Finn takes his cell phone out of his pocket. The time, 11:47 p.m., lights up on the screen. He turns briefly toward Rosenthaler Platz. Then he turns in the other direction, toward Weinmeisterstraße. He looks at the bike rack again. He sighs in disappointment.

FINN
Stupid.

He turns up the music. He puts his smartphone in his pocket and walks toward Weinmeisterstraße subway station. He reaches the subway station and walks down the stairs. He looks at the display board. It says: 10 minutes. Finn looks at the time: 11:50 p.m. He feels around in his jacket pockets, takes a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of one of them. He takes a cigarette, lights it, and then puts everything back in his jacket pocket, smoking as he sits down on the bench. He waits. He smokes a second cigarette. He waits.

Cut to
FADE IN

2. Midnight indoors/outdoors – Berlin, Weinmeisterstraße subway station, 11:59 p.m.

Finn stands on the platform on the white line and looks toward the arriving subway. The wind blows in his face. He looks at the display board again. 12:00 a.m. The subway pulls in. The doors open, but no one gets off. Only he gets on. He is all alone in the subway car. He looks for a four-seat in the front section of the car. On his way there, he turns around and goes to the rear section of the car instead. There he sits down in a four-seat. The subway starts moving and Finn looks out the window. He puts on his face mask.

Cut to
FADE IN

3. U8 interior – Berlin, U8 towards Hermannstraße, 00:00

Now Finn looks at the Berlin window (display board) and reads the news.

                           DISPLAY BOARD
The coronavirus continues to spread in Berlin. 2,993 people
have been confirmed infected with the virus, and 17 people have already died.

The light in the subway flickers slightly. He is still listening to music and looking at his smartphone. No signal. Finn looks out the window. Alexanderplatz. No one gets on the train. He remains alone. The subway continues on its way. Finn closes his eyes. Smiles gently. The subway stops. The doors open. A tall, muscular man in his late twenties, Duante, stumbles into the carriage just before the doors close. His clothes are sweaty. Duante wipes the sweat from his forehead with his hands.

                              DUANTE
You filthy scum. Assholes!

Duante knocks on the train door and then looks around the carriage. He spots Finn. Finn has opened his eyes again and turns down the music. His head is facing forward, but you can clearly see that he is trying to figure out who has just boarded the train. He hears footsteps approaching. Duante walks past his head and sits down directly opposite him. Finn wants to say something, but instead gets up and goes to the other side of the car. Finn sits down in a four-seater there.

                              DUANTE
Are you serious?

Finn doesn't answer and ignores Duante. Finn stares at his smartphone. He presses pause and stops listening to music. Finn becomes nervous. Duante stands up and walks toward him.

                              DUANTE
What's the problem?

Finn continues to ignore Duante. Duante keeps running toward him. Finn looks out the window. The subway is just leaving Moritzplatz.

                              FINN (whispering)
Fuck.

Finn is getting more nervous. Duante stands next to his four-seater and sits down opposite him again.

                              DUANTE
What's your problem?

FINN
Corona.

                              DUANTE
Corona what?

                              FINN
Corona, keep your distance.

                              DUANTE
I'm not interested.

Finn looks into Duante's eyes. He has large, black pupils. Duante pulls a bottle of vodka from under his jacket and takes several large swigs. Finn looks away and stands up. Duante pushes him back into his seat and laughs.

                              FINN
Dude, what's that about?

                              DUANTE
Give me a cigarette.

                              FINN
I don't smoke.

                              DUANTE
You stink of smoke! Give me a cigarette.

                              FINN
I don't have any.

Finn taps his fingers on the seat and looks out the window briefly. He looks back at Duante and sees him pulling a pocket knife out of his pants pocket. He opens it.
FINN

                              DUANTE
Give me a damn cigarette.

Finn obeys immediately and takes out the cigarette pack. He takes a cigarette and gives it to him.

                              DUANTE
Give me a few more.

Finn hesitates. The subway stops, the doors open. He takes another cigarette out of the pack. He slowly hands the cigarette to Duante, but then quickly jumps up and tries to run towards the carriage door. Duante trips him up, Finn stumbles and just manages to push himself off a seat. The subway doors beep. Duante runs after him. The doors close and Finn gets out of the car just in time. Duante stays inside and pounds his fist against the car door. Finn runs out of the subway station. He stands at Kottbusser Tor. He looks around, takes a deep breath in and out. He takes his smartphone out of his pocket. 12:08 a.m. Finn opens WhatsApp. He writes a message to Hagen.

                              MESSAGE
I hate COVID-19.