Solo Con Un Divano Only With The Sofa

«SOLO CON UN DIVANO»
*ONLY WITH THE SOFA

Written by
Eva Tunik

FADE IN:

1. EXT. STREET. MORNING

An early morning, sunrise. A street in a rundown neighborhood. RITA (35), dressed in a sportswear, energetically jogging down the street. Rita is talking on her cell phone.

RITA
(talks on phone)
– He is frightening me lately. Completely out of his mind. Can I stay for few days at your place until I find an apartment?

Rita stops near a street pole. Rita looks at the A4 sized, handwritten apartment ad. The title reads: 'Solo Con Un Divano. Only With The Sofa. For rent – one-bedroom apartment. Good neighborhood. Very affordable price. Call: +39 331 911 3019'

RITA
(talks on phone)
– Wait. I will call you back.

Rita takes the shred with the phone number. Dials the number on her cell phone. Phone answers after 3 beeps.

MRS. RUBEN (ON THE PHONE)
– Yes? Hallo? Who is this?

RITA
(talks on phone)
– Good morning. I'm calling regarding the apartment. With the sofa. Yes? I saw it on the pole.

As Rita crosses the street, the dialogue becomes inaudible.

2. EXT. STREET NEAR BUILDING'S ENTRANCE. DAY.

Rita, dressed in jeans, a top-tank, and keds, stands on the street and looks at the building's facade. An old, ‘Bauhaus’ style, grunge building. In the top floor window – a silhouette of an elderly woman and a pet dog. A young couple – SHE & HE – come out of the building and passes nearby.

SHE
– What were you thinking dragging me all the way here? Such a rathole with no elevator.

HE
– Huh? Didn’t you like it, baby? A compact and cozy dumpster. At least you might complain less when we see the next luxury villa.

The couple walks down the street. Rita steps on the first entrance step.

3. INT. BUILDING'S ENTRANCE. DAY.

Rita crosses the doorstep and enters the building. She stops at a mix of old, metal mailboxes of all kinds and sizes, mounted on the wall.
She looks at the names on the boxes. On one of the boxes: 'Apt. 7 Mrs. Margalit Ruben.'

4. INT. BUILDING'S STAIRCASE. DAY

Rita climbs the stairs. Stops at the 4th floor. Rita stands near the door #8. Presses the door-bell once. The door-bell is not working. Rita tries again harder. Rita knocks on the door. No answer. Rita turns away and starts to walk down the stairs. The door of the apartment #7 opens. Rita stops and turns around.
An elderly woman, MRS. MARGALIT RUBEN (85), comes out of her apartment. She is wearing a green robe. Near her bare feet, stands COCO – a small Pomeranian dog with an orange and white colored fur. Coco barks loudly. Mrs. Ruben bends and picks up the dog on her hands.

MRS. RUBEN
– Coco! Quite! Don't go outside. You must be Rita.

RITA
– Mrs. Ruben? I wasn't aware you live here also.

MRS. RUBEN
– But I do. Call me Margol!

Rita's phone is beeping. Rita looks at the phone. 'David' pops up on the screen. Rita presses the red 'cancel' button.

RITA
– Nice to meet you, Mrs. Margol.

MRS. RUBEN
– I'm so happy you came! You look such a nice girl!

RITA
– Thank you! You look nice too!

MRS. RUBEN
– What are we waiting for? Let's see the apartment! Don't you wanna see the apartment?

RITA
– Sure. Mrs. Margol.

Rita climbs up, back to the apartment door.

MRS. RUBEN
– Just a minute! I'm bringing the key! We can not get inside without a key! Can we?

RITA
– Only if we break in.

MRS. RUBEN
– Why would you want to break in? I have a key!

RITA
– I was just joking.

MRS. RUBEN
– Joking? I like jokes. My late husband was a joke! Are you married?

RITA
– No. I'm not married.

MRS. RUBEN
– Boyfriend?

RITA
– No. I don't have a boyfriend.

MRS. RUBEN
– What do you have then? Aren't you…?

RITA
– No.

MRS. RUBEN
– Good. Animals?

Mrs. Ruben pets Coco.

RITA
– We wanted to see the apartment.

MRS. RUBEN
– Right. Coco, let's show Rita the apartment! Wait here, I will bring the key.

Mrs. Ruben gets back inside to her apartment #7. Rita stands in the stairway. Mrs. Ruben comes out of the apartment and takes the key off her neck, where it is hanging on a long string.

RITA
– No electricity?

MRS. RUBEN
– Huh?

RITA
– I rang the doorbell.

MRS. RUBEN
– Coco doesn't like doorbells so much, right Coco?

RITA
– He is a cute dog.

Rita pets Coco.

MRS. RUBEN
– I forgot I have it on me.

RITA
– The dog? Oh! The key!

Mrs. Ruben turns the key in the lock of Apt. #8 and the door opens with a slight squeak.

MRS. RUBEN
– Does it squeak?

RITA
– It does.

MRS. RUBEN
– I like when the door squeaks.

RITA
– But you didn't hear that just now.

MRS. RUBEN
– But the robbers can hear it and will go away. Coco doesn't like robbers as well. Don't you, Coco?

RITA
– Robbers can oil the door before they open it.

MRS. RUBEN
– Can they? Coco, please take a note. Robbers can oil the door and to open it quietly. But not on your watch, right?

Mrs. Ruben puts Coco on the floor.

5. INT. APARTMENT #8. DAY

Mrs. Ruben enters the apartment and Rita follows.

RITA
(closing the apartment door behind her)
– I suppose so. Not like I've got any experience…

Some carton boxes piled near the entrance. It's a tiny, one-bedroom apartment with kitchen and living room mended together, a small balcony, facing the street, and a shower.

MRS. RUBEN
– Where do you work? Since you don't have any husband or boyfriend?
Rita's phone is beeping. 'David' shows on the screen. Rita presses the red 'cancel' button.

RITA
– I'm in between jobs right now. Our company had some downsizing. So I'm looking for a new job now.

Rita walks around the apartment as Mrs. Ruben moves around. Rita is looking critically at the bad condition of the flat.

MRS. RUBEN
– Lucky I don't charge much for the rent so you will be able to manage. Will you?

RITA
– Dunno. How much do you wanna?

Mrs. Ruben and Rita stand in the middle of the living room.

MRS. RUBEN
– Usually, I charge 3000. But since the flat is not renovated after the previous owners – it will be 2000. How does it sound?

RITA
– The flat is in a really bad shape, Mrs. Margol.

MRS. RUBEN
– If you don't like I have other people.

RITA
I did not say that.

MRS. RUBEN
– You have 2 hands and you are not currently working. You can you whatever you like with the flat. I won't charge you for that.
Mrs. Ruben laughs. Coco is sniffing the corner of the sofa.

MRS. RUBEN (CONT’D)
– Coco! Don’t!

RITA
– I see. The apartment seems nice and it's close to the center. And it is not very expensive. I like it.

MRS. RUBEN
– Okay, then I better bring the papers then. And the pen.

RITA
– Looks like we will have a deal after all.

MRS. RUBEN
– I will need the checks and the security deposit.

RITA
(takes out her cheque-book)
– Here we go.

MRS. RUBEN
– Wait right here. Don't go anywhere.

Mrs. Ruben leaves. Rita looks at the sofa.

CUT:

Mrs. Ruben comes back with papers of the agreement. Puts them on the kitchen counter.

RITA
(points at boxes near the entrance)
– What is this stuff?

MRS. RUBEN
– Oh. That's from the previous tenants. You can use it. Or trash it.

RITA
– I see.

MRS. RUBEN
– Sign here and here.

RITA
– Right here and the date of today.

Rita signs the agreement. Rita fills her cheques' book.

MRS. RUBEN
– So now we are neighbors. Isn't that marvelous? You are welcome to visit me whenever you like.

Rita looks around, opens a kitchen cupboard door. A door comes off one of its hinges and falls out. A big, brown cockroach emerges. Coco attacks the cockroach.

MRS. RUBEN (CONT'D)
(to Coco)
– Coco! Kill the bad, bad cockroach!
(to Rita)
– I will bring you a cake to celebrate! Oh. Coco ate a bit of it, but you don't mind, don't you?

RITA
– Thanks!

Rita puts the cheques on the kitchen counter. Mrs. Ruben looks at the cheques and puts them in the pocket.

MRS. RUBEN
– One more thing. The Sofa stays in the apartment.

RITA
– But it is totally ruined?

MRS. RUBEN
– It is not ruined at all. It is a perfectly good sofa. The only memory I have of my late husband.

RITA
– This is what left of your husband?

MRS. RUBEN
– And some other stuff too. But not here. Only the sofa is here You saw the 'Solo Con Un Divano' in the ad.

Mrs. Ruben puts the key on the kitchen counter and goes to the exit. Coco barks at Rita and follows. The entrance door closes with a squeaking sound. Rita helplessly looks around the apartment and with a disgusted look at the old couch. Then she steps on a dead cockroach.

6. NAT. APARTMENT'S BALCONY. EVENING

Rita stands on the balcony and watches the sunset. Her phone in the kitchen rings B.S.

7. INT. APARTMENT'S BALCONY. EVENING

The phone on the kitchen rings. 'David' pops up on the screen. Rita looks at the phone and takes the plate with the cake from the kitchen counter. Then trashes the cake to the dustbin. Rita takes the garbage bag in one hand, the last carton boxes from the entrance in other and exits the building.

8. INT. APARTMENT #8. DAY

Few new boxes in the apartment and a suitcase. Rita takes a measuring tape and measures the sofa. She takes the measurements and writes them down on the piece of paper in her hand.

9. INT. HOME DEPOT STORE. DAY

A big department store. Rita stands in the apartment repair stuff department. Rita pushes an overflowing trolley between isles. Repair stuff, paints, and brushes inside her trolley

10. INT. FABRICS' STORE. DAY

A small fabrics' store near the market, Rita pics a refurbish fabric. Rita stands near the cashier with the fabric and a piece of paper with the sofa measurements.

11. INT. BUILDING'S STAIRCASE. EVENING

Rita climbs the stairs. In her hand shopping bags with the renovation supplies.
Rita and Mrs. Ruben stands near apartment #7 door.

MRS. RUBEN
– I see you are renovating.

RITA
– A little bit.

MRS. RUBEN
Good.
– Rita keeps walking.

MRS. RUBEN
– Just don't touch the couch.

RITA
– Okay.

Rita closes the apartment door behind her.

12. INT. APARTMENT #8. MORNING-DAY-EVENING

TIMELAPSE – Rita, wearing an old t-shirt, tights, with a pulled-up hair, renovates the apartment. Paints walls, doors, kitchen cupboard doors. Makes some serious cleaning. Fixes the electricity for the door-bell.

TIMELAPSE – Rita sews a cover for the old sofa. Rita's '-shirt changes several times during the timelapse.

13. INT. APARTMENT’S #8 ENTRANCE. EVENING

The apartment is all renovated now. Rita places a new doormat. Rita places a sign on the door.

14. INT. APARTMENT #8. EVENING

The door-bell rings. Several times. Rita opens the door.

MRS. RUBEN
– I'm really happy you fixed the door-bell. Such a nice sound. Coco loves it. Right, Coco?

Mrs. Ruben rings the bell again. Coco barks.

MRS. RUBEN
– May I come in?

RITA
– Sure

Rita moves aside.

Mrs. Ruben walks around and looks amazed at all new look of the flat. She also looks at the sofa.

MRS. RUBEN
– Very good nice job!

Mrs. Ruben leaves the apartment.

15. INT. BATHROOM. EVENING

Bathroom. Rita showers. The door-bell rings several times. Rita in towel goes to the entrance door.

16. INT. APARTMENT’S #8 ENTRANCE. EVENING

Rita opens the door. Mrs. Ruben stands outside.

MRS. RUBEN
– Aren’t you afraid of the robbers? I was thinking. You got such a nice flat, I wanna increase your rent.

RITA
– What but we have an agreement!

MRS. RUBEN
– If you don't like it – you can leave.

Rita shuts the door in front of Mrs. Ruben.

17. INT. APARTMENT'S #8 ENTRANCE. MORNING

Dressed in jogging clothes, Rita opens the door. She steps on a small dog poop placed it the center of her doormat.

18. INT. BATHROOM. EVENING

Rita showers. She is singing in the shower.
Door-bell rings several times. Rita keeps showering. She sings louder.

19. INT. APARTMENT'S #8 ENTRANCE. MORNING

Dressed in jogging clothes, Rita opens the door. She steps over a small dog poop placed it the center of her doormat.

20. INT. APARTMENT'S #8 ENTRANCE. MORNING

Rita is packing her things in the boxes.
Puts the boxes in pile. Rita pays attention to the sofa. She comes to the sofa and starts to take off the pillows. Drags the sofa to the balcony. Lift it over the railing, and throws it down to the street. A loud bang.

CUT:

Footsteps. Someone is coming to take the boxes. The apartment door is wide open. Coco enters the room.

RITA
– Come in! It's open!

Mrs. Ruben follows after the dog and looks around the room.

RITA
– Oh, I was sure these are movers.

MRS. RUBEN
– Where is my sofa?

RITA
– There is some sofa dumped on the street, if you interested.
Mrs. Ruben grabs her chest and faints, supposedly having a heart attack.

MRS. RUBEN
– Coco… the sofa…

21. EXT. STREET NEAR BUILDING'S ENTRANCE. DAY.

In front of the entrance on the sidewalk, an ambulance is parked. Two PARAMEDICS in the doorway, bringing out a stretcher. On the stretcher – a body covered in a sheet. A dirty feet is visible.

22. INT. APARTMENT #8. EVENING

Rita sits on the cushion of the couch, on the floor. Coco is attacking the corner of another cushion. The fabric in the corner tears. Rita looks as a package of banknotes appears.

Rita runs to the balcony.

23. INT. APARTMENT'S BALCONY. EVENING

Rita hangs over the railing. Downstairs, on the street – the garbage WORKERS are driving away with the sofa in the trunk.

FADE OUT.

The End.