A saffron revolution

By
Alessandro Zangirolami
Temple University
Cinematography/Writing for Media Project

a.zangirolami@temple.edu
1-434-466-3415
2211 Locust St, apt. L3R
Philadelphia, PA 19103
FADE IN

INT. JD’S BEDROOM-DAY

An archival Polaroid still shows us the entrance of JD’s old
bedroom. Light sneaks through the curtains. A Typical
teenager room, posters on the wall and clothes thrown on an
unmade bed.
Detail of the two cover wings of a cardboard box. Light is
weak and we just enough to distinguish the shape of the
wings. We hear a SCREECH and a strip of boxing tape runs
over the two edges, closing them together.
Now, JD is crouched in the same room, poorly lit and silent.
The bed is made, and JD closes some cardboard boxes on the
floor.
JD (V. O.)
Risotto alla Milanese, the food of
the gods. Serves two. Dice a small,
white onion in thin, long slices.
Heat a large pan over medium heat.
Add olive oil, two tablespoons of
butter.
CUT TO

INT. MARIO’S BEDROOM-DAY

Full-screen. Another archival Polaroid still shows a wide
shot of Mario’s bedroom. The bed is made, and on the right,
a small armchair holds some clothes.

The small armchair is still there, always holding Mario’s

shirt, pyjama pants, and a pair of thin, dark gray socks
that seem black.

Mario is seated on the bed, with his feet on the ground, and
stares at the closed door, silent. We hear some SCREECHES of
the tape, from another room.
JD (V. O.)
Add the sliced onion, and Arborio
rice. Add half glass of white wine
and allow to be absorbed. Stir,
making sure to fully coat the rice.
Inhale. Breath. Aim at a constant,
fluid rhythm.

CUT TO
 2.

INT. JD’S BEDROOM-DAY

JD crouches on the cardboard boxes, and looks up at a poster
of Don’t Look Back, hanging in front of him on the brick
wall, then stands up.

He stares at it with attention.

The eyes of the guy in the poster are lost in the shadows of
his eyebrows, degraded by the print. The title, Don’t Look
Back is what holds JD’s attention. We hear sound of a knife
CUTTING on a board.
JD (V. O.)
Now remember: preparing a perfect
risotto is hard. It’s not like
saying goodbye.

CUT TO

INT DAD’S KITCHEN-DAY

JD cuts a large, white onion on the wooden board, à la

julienne, marking the rhythm with the curve of the blade.
Then he tosses it in the frying oil.
After adding the rice, JD puts some white wine in it,
causing the steam sound louder, with a HISS.

INT. MARIO’S BEDROOM-DAY

Mario stands up and goes to the door. With his face against
it, tries to listen to the sounds outside the room.

INT DAD’S KITCHEN-DAY

A bit of steam rises from the rim of the pan, hitting JD’s
face. JD stares, still, into the pan and starts stirring:
three times to the right, one to the left. Repeated.
JD (V. O.)
Three times clockwise, one
counterclockwise. Keep stirring and
save the saffron.

The table, in the middle of the kitchen, is accurately set

up for a 1-person meal. There’s a glass, an empty dish, a
bottle of red wine and bread.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.

JD (V. O.)
For the end.
JD still looks down, at the pan. Mario walks to the kitchen
counter, and stands behind him, in the background.

MARIO
What’s the thing?
JD is focused on the recipe.

JD
Huh?
MARIO
What’s the thing with the boxes.

JD
I’m packing.
Risotto is frying and starts GURGLING. Mario looks down,
then at JD.

MARIO
(seems confused)
Where are you... You think you’re
gonna blame me for this?
JD
What?
MARIO
It’s gonna be my fault, now?
JD
Are you...
MARIO
(interrupting)
Where are you going?

JD pauses for a second.

JD
I have a place.

MARIO
This is your place.
JD
It WAS.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.

Steam keeps rising from the pan. JD moves from the stove to
the table. Mario leans on the kitchen drawer, looking at
him.
Mario observes JD putting a steel fork at the side of the
dish, and pouring some red wine in the glass. Then, he
splits the big bread piece into two smaller parts, and puts
them next to the wine.
MARIO
What are you doing?

We see Mario looking at the table, then at JD, who walks

back to the stove.
MARIO
I asked you what are you doing.
JD keeps stirring the rice, we just see his face and eyes
looking down, at the pan, focused.
JD
You know. I want to cook this for
you.
MARIO
Shit, JD, cut it out.

JD
Great! So now you’re talking to me.
JD shakes his head, slowly. The rice, in the pan, gets
creamier.

JD
Well, dad. You deserve it.
MARIO
What are you talking about?

JD
Pay attention.
MARIO
To what?

JD
(nervously)
I’m talking about paying attention.
Mario stops. Then, he looks again at the table behind him.
The rice is bubbling, and we hear FOOTSTEPS, and a chair
SCRAPING the floor.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5.

JD (V. O.)
Three times clockwise, one
counterclockwise. Keep stirring.

Mario is seated at the table and looks at JD. He touches the

bread with a finger, and takes a deep breath.
MARIO
It’s funny.

JD
What?
MARIO
I said it’s funny, JD.

JD slows down with the stirring, then takes a taste of rice

with the spoon.
JD
What? What’s funny?

MARIO
How you cook. The way you stir your
rice. You take care of it, you
gotta take care of it.

Rice is always boiling, still white. JD keeps stirring.

JD
What’s funny?
Mario does not answer, and remains seated. Again, some steam
goes right into JD’s face, then he turns looking at Mario.
MARIO
It’s funny that someone taught you
well.

JD looks at his dad. He sees all the wrinkles wrapping

around his father’s face. He looks at his eyes, his mouth,
his neck. The table is set up, perfectly.
MARIO
That’s how I taught you to make
risotto.
JD keeps stirring it at the same speed, while looking at his
father, thoughtfully.

JD (V. O.)
Inhale, breath, stir. Aim at a
constant, fluid rhythm. That’s what
he said.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.

Full-screen of an old picture of Dad cooking in the kitchen.

JD (V. O.)
Save the saffron, for the end.
JD looks at Mario, now standing right next to him.

JD
(hesitating)
Yes.

JD turns off the stove, while Mario stands silent.

JD
But there’s no saffron. Right?
As JD looks down, he sees a small saffron envelope in his
father’s hands. Mario gives the envelope to JD, who stares
at him.
JD finally takes the envelope, opens it, pours the vermilion
saffron powder into the hot pan.

After a few stirs, the rice turns a bright, warm yellow. It

stops boiling.
JD
Well I hope it’s good.

MARIO
It IS.
Through the curtains, the sky is flat, with no clouds. The
rice falls and smoothly spreads in a brown dish, on the
table.

JD (V. O.)
Let the rice rest uncovered for two
minutes so that the remaining
liquid is absorbed.

JD is seated, looks at his father taking a spoon of risotto.

He stares, serious.
JD
(After a couple of seconds)
Yes, it IS.
Mario takes a sip of wine and another spoon of risotto, then
JD gets up and walks out of the room. Mario does not make a
move.

CUT TO:
 7.

INT. JD’S BEDROOM-DAY

JD still looks at the Don’t Look Back poster. He takes and
puts two music cassettes and some pictures in a small box
then stands up, allowing us to see just part of his legs and
his left hand. Behind him, the curtains let just a small
column of sunlight in.
CUT TO BLACK
END