CYCLOPS'S ISLAND

Written by

Ioanna Tsinividi

email io1na@icloud.com
Phone Number 00306944864645
EXT. - OPEN SEA - DAY

Leander, a weather-beaten but gallant middle-aged man sails

his small wooden boat, stacked with books on its two sides
while singing a JOYFUL PIRATE SONG. There is a book holder
stand with an open book just in front of him. The cover reads
‘Marabu’ by Nikos Kavvadias. The sea is calm. Some objects
are floating on the sea’s surface; two rusty metal drums,
some wooden boards, a ship's bunk. Among them floats a dead
seagull in an early state of decomposition wrapped with
plastic strings and with plastic pieces sticking out of its
stomach. Leander puts his hand in the sea and grabs the gull.
He throws away the pieces of plastic and eats the bird raw.
He finishes his meal and continues his joyful SINGING IN A
LOUDER VOICE.

EXT. - BAY - DAY

The boat sails outside a bay. Leander notices a small source

of water on the coast. He grabs his binoculars and confirms
that there is water falling on the rocks above the beach. He
turns his helmsman and sails straight for the beach while he
continues to SING LOUDER and more passionately. Suddenly
there is a LOUD SHOT. He receives the bullet bellow the
shoulder and falls backwards, into the water. He sinks
straight away. After a few seconds his head emerges from the
water. He looks at his ungoverned boat which continues its
course towards the coast and swims after it. He swims
underwater as long as he can hold his breath hoping the
marksman will not spot him.

EXT. BEACH - DAY

The boat reaches the seashore. Leander arrives and hides in

the shallow water behind his boat. He is injured and panting.
While still hidden and trying to pull his boat off the sand,
a second SHOT opens a hole low on the board of the boat from
which sea water starts to enter. Leander -no longer having
the choice to sail away- swims along the length of the beach.
He comes out of the water, onto the garbage strewn beach,
hides behind a pile of rocks and waits there.

EXT. BEACH-DAY

Grey clouds cover the sun and the day becomes dark as a large
cockroach hides behind some garbage laying on the sand.
 2.

A shadow emerges from the pine trees behind the beach. A

person who looks like an astronaut is now distinguishable. He
wears a full metallic, space-like uniform and a reflective
helmet which hides his face. The outfit is old and half
rotten and he wears garbage bag boots on his feet. He is
holding an unfamiliar technological tool. Leander observes
him from between the rocks while the astronaut is also
looking intensely towards the rocks behind which Leander is
hiding. He raises his tool and scans them. We switch to the
POV of the tool’s camera which produces a thermal-like image.
Through it the rocks become transparent and there is a clear
image of Leander behind them. The tool provides written
information about the microbes it finds on Leander’s body.
‘Basic types of Bacteria: E-coli, Clamidae, Acidobacteria,
Steptobacillus, Proteobacteria, Vibrio Cholerae Virus and 89
more types of unknown viruses and bacteria. Contamination
Level: High. Surrounding area: Low.’ The astronaut lowers the
virus scanner, raises his gun and starts to walk towards
Leander’s hiding place.

LEANDER
(still hidden behind the
rock)
I bring good news to you dear
friend! Those viruses are not
harmful anymore.

The astronaut appears right next to him. They are now facing
each-other while the gun is still pointed at Leander.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
The medicines which inactivate them
are on my boat. Thanks to them I
survive without an outfit. Freely
breathing the air!

Leander stands up on his two feet. The astronaut gets alarmed

and waves the gun at him while loudly exclaiming a threat
which comes out as a buzzing sound from the astronaut’s
broken helmet mic.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
(trying to calm him down)
Please, allow me to fetch them.

Leander hesitantly starts to walk towards his boat. The

astronaut allows him to pass but follows him with his gun
always pointed at him. Leander seems to be in pain.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
Three complex doses of six
different pills. I will explain how
they are to be taken ...
 3.

Half way to the boat Leander stops. He has an expression of

suffering on his face and is pressing his hand against his
wound. His knees start to bend. Unable to keep walking he
sits on the sand.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
(while in pain)
Go to the glove box under my bow.
Way down the bottom you will find 6
bottles of pills. Bring them over
and I will explain.

The astronaut hesitates.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
For heaven’s sake, trust me! I'm
the living proof that they work.

The astronaut goes to the boat. He takes out a disinfectant

spray attached to the sides of his uniform and sprays the
whole boat, then he jumps on it.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
They are right there, deep under
the bow ...

The astronaut sprays the area under the bow and then creeps
under it in order to search. Leander grabs the opportunity to
run away. He runs as fast as he can. He is stronger than he
made seem. He climbs the rocks at the edge of the beach and
lands on another beach.

EXT. PINE FOREST - DAY

He runs towards the interior of the island, enters a pine

forest and crosses it. While running he passes through
various kinds of garbage, parts of appliances, toys, entire
furniture and trees decorated with plastic bags on their
branches. In the forest he spots from afar another, smaller
person in a similar uniform to the Astronaut’s. The two of
them stare at each other while Leander bypasses him and
continues his running. But the fatigue coming from his injury
slowly defeats him. Leander faints and falls on the ground.
The astronaut appears in the distance. He walks up to the
unconscious Leander, takes out the disinfectant spray and
sprays him.
 4.

EXT. BEACH-DAY

The sea is calm and the sunlight is strong. As Leander opens

his eyes he realizes that a heavy chain ties his leg to a
rock. His boat is lying on the sand at the other end of the
beach and the astronaut is searching it for potentially
useful things. The many books stacked along the sides of the
boat are useless to the astronaut so he pulls each of them
out and throws them at the water’s edge. He finds some tools
and keeps them in a cardboard box along with the binoculars
and some other objects he has already put in. He finds more
books. He throws them away. The waves bring some of the
floating books near Leander. He gets up and goes in the water
to collect them.

LEANDER
Admittedly there are no pills...

The astronaut continues to throw the books while Leander

collects them.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
(raising his tone of voice)
There is no glorious medicine to
cure moral poverty!

Leander comes out of the water holding some books.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
And only lyrics will survive at the
end!

The astronaut does not pay any attention and continues what
he was doing. Leander grabs a wooden plank from the garbage
lying on the beach and places it on the sand next to the
rock. He puts the books on the shelf upright and open in
order to dry. He goes back into the water and collects more
floating books but the length of the chain does not allow him
to reach them all.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
So, you have chained your guinea-
pig now. Will I die from my viruses
like I’ m supposed to?

The astronaut finds the ‘Snake Goddess’(the famous Minoan

statuette) and throws it on the sea side. Leander conceals
the shock caused by the mistreated statue. He grabs a second
plank and makes a second shelf which he places on the upright
books. He places the second lot of books, standing on the
second shelf. He walks again towards the sea. While walking
he spots a rusty screwdriver lying amongst various garbage on
the sand. He picks it up. Then he spots a plastic container
and picks it up too.
 5.

He takes them to the sea, briefly washes them and fills the
container with water. He goes back to the rock and sits down.
He takes off his shirt. His wound has dried blood all around
it. He pours some water from the container on it and wipes it
with his shirt.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
Many people have been called, few
have been selected; and it’s us who
have come so far. We have this
honor in common my friend, to see
the end of the end.

Leander takes the screwdriver and dries it with his shirt.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
(waiving the screwdriver
at the astronaut)
But a life confined in a suit is
not worthy of this honor!

He puts the screwdriver in his wound and tries to push the

bullet out. An expression of acute pain appears on his face.
The astronaut approaches Leander. He stands a few meters away
from him and watches him. Leander manages to push the bullet
out. The wound bleeds more now. He puts the shirt on his
wound and presses it with his hand as he waits for the
bleeding to calm down.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
Declining courage dear friend.
Fear! Fear is the indisputable
beginning of all disease. To
believe that you cannot manage the
world and that you are constantly
threatened by it. So you ultimetely
become overwhelmed and weakened...
and vulnerable to sickness!

Leander tears off a part of his shirt.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
People may carry the deadliest
viruses but the fearless will not
get sick. I see their settlements
on the coast. They do survive.
Without suits.

Leander wraps the torn fabric around his shoulder.

 6.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
Strengthen your soul to live
without fear! That is the only
immunity there is.

Leander finishes wrapping his shoulder and lays back. He

looks at the sky. The astronaut slowly starts to walk away.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
(loud)
Give me my tool box to fix my boat.
The Cholera virus alone should
normally kill me within two days.

The astronaut continues to walk. Leander leans on his elbows

in order to be heard.

LEANDER (CONT'D)
(louder)
If it doesn’t, there will be
nothing more for you to observe. So
I shall sail away.

The astronaut continues to walk away until he disappears

behind the pine trees. Leander mumbles some resentful words
but the pain forces him to lie back on the sand and rest.

EXT. BEACH-DAY

The next morning a cockroach examines Leander’s bloody shirt

which is still lying on the sand. Leander sleeps with his
head under the shade of the book shelves. A soft wind drops a
book and wakes him up. As he wakes up, he finds his tool box
next to him. He opens it and confirms his tools are inside.
He observes his chain and pulls it a little. Its length has
changed. He observes that a second chain has been added to
the first with a padlock. He gets up and starts walking to
his boat while still examining the length of his chain.

LEANDER
(to himself)
So you lengthened it, didn’t you...

The chain is long enough for him to get there.

MONTAGE:

- Leander uses his tools to shape the hole on the hull into a
clear shape. He makes a patch from some wooden planks he
finds in the garbage around him and glues it on the inside of
the hull.
 7.

- The astronaut walks through the pine forest.

- Leander takes off the mast and turns the boat around. As he
does so a cockroach runs across the hull of the boat. Leander
grabs it and puts it in his mouth. He eats it alive.

- The astronaut walks up the slope of a hill.

- Leander drinks his last glass of water from his thermos. He

fills in the gap between the patch and the hole with epoxy
and sands the hull.

- The astronaut climbs up towards the top of the hill.

- Leander turns the boat back to sailing position and puts

the mast back on.

- The astronaut arrives at the top of the hill and looks over
at the view.

-Leander walks straight away from his boat. He sits at a

distance, on the sand and admires it. He starts to sing the
same JOYFUL SONG he sang in the first scene.

EXT. TOP OF THE HILL- DAY

The astronaut is standing on the top of the hill, looking at

his gloved hands while moving and stretching his fingers. He
pulls one glove and takes it off. A female hand is revealed.
She (Galatia) pulls off the other glove and keeps stretching
her fingers. She takes off her uniform. She is wearing full-
length underwear beneath it. She takes off her helmet.
Galatia is a woman at her thirties. She is skinny and has a
tired and sweaty face. She deeply inhales the air and feels
the surrounding environment.

EXT. BEACH- DAY

Leander has fallen asleep on the sand. Galatia is walking

towards Leander’s boat carrying a bag on her shoulder and a
big water thermos on her hand. She is not alone. With her is
an eight year old boy wearing similar beige, full-body
underwear and also carrying a bag. Galatia and her son arrive
at the boat and push it a bit towards the water. They load
their bags as well as the cardboard box with Leander’s
belongings that she had separated earlier. She has tied her
gun with a cloth around her waist. Leander wakes up and sees
them. He runs towards the boat as they climb on the deck. He
arrives and grabs the boat by the bow. Galatia reaches for
her gun and once again points it at him.
 8.

GALATIA
Release the boat.

Leander doesn’t move. While still pointing the gun at him she
reaches in her bag pocket with the other hand, takes out a
couple of keys tied on a big rope knot and shows them to
Leander. She gets up and throws the keys as far as she can
onto the sand. Leander follows them with his eyesight as they
land close to the books by the rock of his captivity. Galatia
loads the gun and seems determined to shoot if she must.
Leander gives a decisive push to the boat which carries it
further into the water. The boy raises the mast. Leander
walks to the spot where the padlock keys have landed. He
takes them, unlocks the padlock which ties the chain around
his ankle and frees himself. He stands up and watches as his
boat sets sail for the open sea. In the boat Galatia is still
pointing the gun at him.

EXT. OPEN SEA-SUNSET

When they are far enough Galatia puts the gun down and lays
back. She calmly looks at the sky. She observes the clouds as
the boy drives the boat. She slowly and hesitantly starts to
SING A SONG. It is similar to the pirate song Leander sang
earlier on.

EXT. BEACH- SUNSET

Leander turns around and walks towards the rock of his

captivity. He arrives and stands in front of his books which
are drying on the sand. His attention is caught by the book
‘Marabu’ which he read earlier on his boat. He picks it up,
sits on the sand and lays his back against the rock. He finds
the page he left off at and starts to read.

EXT. OPEN SEA-SUNSET

Galatia continues to SING SOFTLY as the boat disappears in

the vastness of the ocean. End titles.