VERONIKA
short film project in development
short film project in development
VERONIKA wants to get a lot of money to fix the roof of her house. To do that she needs to work over 12 hours a day as a crane operator in an open-air copper mine. She uses the opportunity of earning extra cash by providing sexual services to her male team workers.
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 20min
Format: 4k (RED ONE)
Location: Pernik, Bulgaria
VERONIKA is 36 years old lonely mother, physically strong and not attractive. She works in an open-air copper mine as a crane operator. Each day she climbs up the stairs of the tower crane and guides the machine in the lifting and moving heavy rocks. Lives in a tiny house with her three years old son and her elderly mother in a lowlife neighborhood of a post-communist town - Pernik.
One day the roof of the house breaks down and water starts dripping from the ceiling into the boy's room. Winter is knocking at the door. Money are needed. The mother decides to take two shifts a day at the mine.
VERONIKA is the only woman in her team of mine-workers. She is clever enough to know how to befit from it as well. By satisfying her male colleges she earns easy money for sexual favors. Another step closer to a fixed, solid roof. It’s hard and stressful but winter is approaching.
Her patience comes to an end when she becomes awear that her team workers made a bet on whether she will sexually accommodate their colleague GOSHO while all of them witness the whole action.
VERONIKA has to face the dilemma, the unpleasant choice between the two alternatives – to drop a big rock over GOSHO’s head or to continue struggling for her warm, safe house for her family.
VERONIKA is in an unsightly room, fitted with metal lockers, to change her clothes. She is a sturdy, square built, homely lady of about 36. Produces a set of work-clothes, a pair of boots and an orange helmet from her locker. A few men are hanging around, changing into work-clothes too.
VERONIKA walks out of the room. Outside the day is desolate, sunk in a fine mesh of autumnal drizzle. The sprawling site of a big copper mine, workmen and machines going about their business, bursts upon her. Some of the workmen say hello. Her boots are wading in mud as she goes ahead. It takes VERONIKA quite awhile to climb the rusty steps up a worn-out yellow crane. She walks into the cabin and sits on the crane driver’s seat. She then produces a packet of cheap cigarettes and lights one. Down below, GOSHO, a mustachioed, long-faced man of about fifty, makes his way to the foot of the crane. He flourishes a pair of signal flags. VERONIKA pulls the levers in the cabin. The crane’s pincers grip a big chunk of rock, pull it high up; the crane then turns round and deposits it elsewhere. GOSHO continues to wave the flags. The workmen shout their instructions to the crane operator too. VERONIKA pulls the levers expertly.
The workmen are in a rundown, peeling, sheet-iron wagon. They are having beans stew with grilled rissoles for lunch. An ancient stove is belching smoke, water is leaking down from the roof. The company is in high spirits. The men are engaged in horseplay, exchanging rough jokes of coarse sexual implication. Everybody, with the exception of VERONIKA, bursts out laughing. Before long, everyone is gone.
VERONIKA goes to wash herself with some water coming out of a pipe, in front of the wagon. GOSHO, moving in from behind, begins to grope while she’s washing. VERONIKA pushes his hands off. GOSHO looks displeased, though not shaken, by her repudiation.
VERONIKA collects her three-year old boy MONI from the kindergarten. They take a walk to the shops in the town’s main street. The kid wants mother to buy him a big blue toy truck but VERONIKA refuses to go along.
They get home. Theirs is a ramshackle, pokey home. The walls are covered in faded wallpaper; there are cracks here and there. VERONIKA’s mother, 65-year old RAINA is cooking dinner in the kitchen.
VERONIKA puts the boy to sleep in its own bed. While VERONIKA and RAINA are discussing next day’s shopping list, a powerful bang is heard coming from the boy’s bedroom. The boy is heard crying; VERONIKA and RAINA rush to its bedroom to discover that a portion of the ceiling has collapsed and water is leaking down from the roof. VERONIKA cuddles the scared boy and calms it down.
VERONIKA is sitting in front of the desk of a be-spectacled man in a crumpled suit, scribbling down in a large notebook with tables. Never looking up, the man in the spectacles asks why she would like to work two shifts. She tells him she needs to earn a great deal of money to have the roof of the house repaired; winter is coming and there is no safe place for her boy to sleep in.
The workmen have all huddled together, lying under a small sheet-iron shelter. VERONIKA joins them. One of the workmen pushes a small red button. A big rock nearby is detonated. Small pieces of mud rain on the shelter, jettisoned by the explosion. The workmen break cover and come out in a group everybody going back to their own work place, VERONIKA mounts her crane. She works hard. GOSHO brandishes his flags.
VERONIKA and GOSHO are walking along a narrow trail in the nearby woods. He is dressed in the same way as she is. They reach an out-of-the way spot. GOSHO takes off his company issue quilted jacket and throws it on the ground. VERONIKA lies down on it.
The two are coming back, retracing their steps. Walking, GOSHO passes a 20-lev note to VERONIKA. She puts it away in her pocket.
VERONIKA is operating the crane. On-and-off, she looks at the sky where dark overhanging clouds are threatening rain. It is getting dark.
VERONIKA gets off a rickety bus. Goes past a dismal wreck of a factory, its windows all smashed. She takes a nervous look around; screams can be heard in the distance. VERONIKA hurries up on her way.
VERONIKA comes back home late at night. Her mother has placed buckets and washbasins in the room to collect the water leaking down from the roof. The boy is asleep in its bed, which has been moved to the kitchen. VERONIKA walks up to the bed to tuck in a bare leg. VERONIKA and RAINA talk in the kitchen, whispering.
VERONIKA is smoking one of her cheap cigarettes in the crane’s cabin. She is listening to a small transistor radio, adroitly operating the rusted levers. GOSHO is waving the flags way below, directing her.
In the lunch brake GOSHO is whispering something to his colleague JORO. They look over at VERONIKA, who is taking her lunch straight from a tin.
VERONIKA and JORO are walking side by side on the wood trail. He hands her a banknote which she puts away.
At home, VERONIKA is looking after the boy, who is ill, waking up in the night with high fever. It’s pouring with rain outside and the buckets need to be emptied out of the window ever more often.
Preparations are made for another detonation. GOSHO pulls VERONIKA aside and the two move away. They disappear behind a nearby hill. A series of detonations take off. VERONIKA and GOSHO are lying down, face down. GOSHO begins to grope again. VERONIKA notices some movement in the shrubs. She spots several workmen, peeping under cover. She gets angry and hits GOSHO in the belly. She leaves in a flurry. GOSHO’s friends break their cover, sneering at him.
VERONIKA is in the cabin, waiting for instructions from GOSHO. The crane pincers seize a huge chunk of rock. GOSHO signals with the flags. The rock throws a shadow over GOSHO. VERONIKA is breathing heavily. GOSHO is scared. The crane opens the pincers and lets the rock chink fall down upon GOSHO. VERONIKA shuts her eyes.
VERONIKA opens her eyes. She has not let the rock fall down on GOSHO, yet. She relaxes; gives up letting the rock fall. GOSHO relaxes as well. VERONIKA comes down and off the crane, hurling away her helmet and pair of gloves. GOSHO, JORO and her workmen- colleagues watch her walking away. VERONIKA is taking a walk in town, smoking the cheap cigarettes. She stops on a bridge across the Struma River. She watches the streaming waters.
VERONIKA collects MONI from the kindergarten. She is walking along a street, holding the boy’s hand. Eventually, they get home where they find GOSHO, JORO and other workmen-colleagues working hard on repairing the roof of the house.
VERONIKA walks out of the room. Outside the day is desolate, sunk in a fine mesh of autumnal drizzle. The sprawling site of a big copper mine, workmen and machines going about their business, bursts upon her. Some of the workmen say hello. Her boots are wading in mud as she goes ahead. It takes VERONIKA quite awhile to climb the rusty steps up a worn-out yellow crane. She walks into the cabin and sits on the crane driver’s seat. She then produces a packet of cheap cigarettes and lights one. Down below, GOSHO, a mustachioed, long-faced man of about fifty, makes his way to the foot of the crane. He flourishes a pair of signal flags. VERONIKA pulls the levers in the cabin. The crane’s pincers grip a big chunk of rock, pull it high up; the crane then turns round and deposits it elsewhere. GOSHO continues to wave the flags. The workmen shout their instructions to the crane operator too. VERONIKA pulls the levers expertly.
The workmen are in a rundown, peeling, sheet-iron wagon. They are having beans stew with grilled rissoles for lunch. An ancient stove is belching smoke, water is leaking down from the roof. The company is in high spirits. The men are engaged in horseplay, exchanging rough jokes of coarse sexual implication. Everybody, with the exception of VERONIKA, bursts out laughing. Before long, everyone is gone.
VERONIKA goes to wash herself with some water coming out of a pipe, in front of the wagon. GOSHO, moving in from behind, begins to grope while she’s washing. VERONIKA pushes his hands off. GOSHO looks displeased, though not shaken, by her repudiation.
VERONIKA collects her three-year old boy MONI from the kindergarten. They take a walk to the shops in the town’s main street. The kid wants mother to buy him a big blue toy truck but VERONIKA refuses to go along.
They get home. Theirs is a ramshackle, pokey home. The walls are covered in faded wallpaper; there are cracks here and there. VERONIKA’s mother, 65-year old RAINA is cooking dinner in the kitchen.
VERONIKA puts the boy to sleep in its own bed. While VERONIKA and RAINA are discussing next day’s shopping list, a powerful bang is heard coming from the boy’s bedroom. The boy is heard crying; VERONIKA and RAINA rush to its bedroom to discover that a portion of the ceiling has collapsed and water is leaking down from the roof. VERONIKA cuddles the scared boy and calms it down.
VERONIKA is sitting in front of the desk of a be-spectacled man in a crumpled suit, scribbling down in a large notebook with tables. Never looking up, the man in the spectacles asks why she would like to work two shifts. She tells him she needs to earn a great deal of money to have the roof of the house repaired; winter is coming and there is no safe place for her boy to sleep in.
The workmen have all huddled together, lying under a small sheet-iron shelter. VERONIKA joins them. One of the workmen pushes a small red button. A big rock nearby is detonated. Small pieces of mud rain on the shelter, jettisoned by the explosion. The workmen break cover and come out in a group everybody going back to their own work place, VERONIKA mounts her crane. She works hard. GOSHO brandishes his flags.
VERONIKA and GOSHO are walking along a narrow trail in the nearby woods. He is dressed in the same way as she is. They reach an out-of-the way spot. GOSHO takes off his company issue quilted jacket and throws it on the ground. VERONIKA lies down on it.
The two are coming back, retracing their steps. Walking, GOSHO passes a 20-lev note to VERONIKA. She puts it away in her pocket.
VERONIKA is operating the crane. On-and-off, she looks at the sky where dark overhanging clouds are threatening rain. It is getting dark.
VERONIKA gets off a rickety bus. Goes past a dismal wreck of a factory, its windows all smashed. She takes a nervous look around; screams can be heard in the distance. VERONIKA hurries up on her way.
VERONIKA comes back home late at night. Her mother has placed buckets and washbasins in the room to collect the water leaking down from the roof. The boy is asleep in its bed, which has been moved to the kitchen. VERONIKA walks up to the bed to tuck in a bare leg. VERONIKA and RAINA talk in the kitchen, whispering.
VERONIKA is smoking one of her cheap cigarettes in the crane’s cabin. She is listening to a small transistor radio, adroitly operating the rusted levers. GOSHO is waving the flags way below, directing her.
In the lunch brake GOSHO is whispering something to his colleague JORO. They look over at VERONIKA, who is taking her lunch straight from a tin.
VERONIKA and JORO are walking side by side on the wood trail. He hands her a banknote which she puts away.
At home, VERONIKA is looking after the boy, who is ill, waking up in the night with high fever. It’s pouring with rain outside and the buckets need to be emptied out of the window ever more often.
Preparations are made for another detonation. GOSHO pulls VERONIKA aside and the two move away. They disappear behind a nearby hill. A series of detonations take off. VERONIKA and GOSHO are lying down, face down. GOSHO begins to grope again. VERONIKA notices some movement in the shrubs. She spots several workmen, peeping under cover. She gets angry and hits GOSHO in the belly. She leaves in a flurry. GOSHO’s friends break their cover, sneering at him.
VERONIKA is in the cabin, waiting for instructions from GOSHO. The crane pincers seize a huge chunk of rock. GOSHO signals with the flags. The rock throws a shadow over GOSHO. VERONIKA is breathing heavily. GOSHO is scared. The crane opens the pincers and lets the rock chink fall down upon GOSHO. VERONIKA shuts her eyes.
VERONIKA opens her eyes. She has not let the rock fall down on GOSHO, yet. She relaxes; gives up letting the rock fall. GOSHO relaxes as well. VERONIKA comes down and off the crane, hurling away her helmet and pair of gloves. GOSHO, JORO and her workmen- colleagues watch her walking away. VERONIKA is taking a walk in town, smoking the cheap cigarettes. She stops on a bridge across the Struma River. She watches the streaming waters.
VERONIKA collects MONI from the kindergarten. She is walking along a street, holding the boy’s hand. Eventually, they get home where they find GOSHO, JORO and other workmen-colleagues working hard on repairing the roof of the house.
story by ZDRAVKA EVTIMOVA
screenplay TOMA WASZAROW
director TOMA WASZAROW
cinematographer GASPER SNURDL
screenplay TOMA WASZAROW
director TOMA WASZAROW
cinematographer GASPER SNURDL
To be done.
A river coming from the open mine.
Abandoned factory next to the open mine.
A little house where workers will gather.