Julieta Page #7

Two young bodies, half dressed, escaping from the idea

of death.

Cut.

43. MADRID. HOUSE 3. ANOTHER STREET. EXT.

2016. SPRING.

In the present, Julieta, aged 56, is walking through

the streets of Madrid, through the places that remind

her of her daughter. She walks slowly. She isn’t going

anywhere in particular. She looks at everyone she

passes, with close, friendly attention. Lorenzo is

watching her without being seen.

Julieta wants to make herself visible, and Lorenzo,

invisible. (She is seen from a distance, at times

hidden by cars, or passers-by)

Cut.

44 AND 44A. MADRID. INT. AND EXT. “ESTUDIO” SCHOOL.

ARAVACA.

1985. SPRING.

INSIDE A CLASSROOM IN THE SCHOOL.

It is year 85 of the last century. Julieta is dressed

like a modern girl of that time, hair dyed platinum

blonde in a spiky style, short leather skirt and a

blouse. She is probably the most seductive teacher in

the school.

The classroom is full of adolescents. Julieta finishes

writing three words in Greek on the blackboard:

Thalassa, Hals and Pontos.

JULIETA:

(With her back turned as she

writes) The three words mean “sea”

in Greek.

She turns to the pupils.

JULIETA:

Pontos is sea and high sea. And it

refers to the sea as a road, the

road to adventure. That is why

Ulysses is the maritime hero par

excellence.

Julieta is a very affable teacher, who speaks to the

pupils as if they were her equals and teaches them

classical literature as something that is alive. She

makes them participate continuously

JULIETA:

For example, when Ulysses arrives

on Calypso’s island, exhausted

after a shipwreck, the nymph

Calypso who was unbelievably

beautiful… Marcos, who do you

think is the most beautiful woman?

Julieta goes over to the pupil’s desk. Marcos is a very

handsome boy, aware of his attractiveness and therefore

sure of himself.

MARCOS:

You.

Laughter from his classmates.

JULIETA:

That doesn’t count because I’m the

teacher, and it isn’t right for

the teacher to have sex with the

pupils. Come on, tell me someone

else.

MARCOS:

Kim Basinger.

JULIETA:

Really lovely, much prettier than me.

ANOTHER PUPIL:

.ngela Molina.

JULIETA:

She’s beautiful too. Well, the

goddess Calypso was like Kim

Basinger and .ngela Molina

together. And she offered Ulysses

everything you can imagine. Now,

Diego.

She turns to another pupil.

JULIETA:

Tell me something that she offered

him, something really important.

DIEGO:

(With an Estremaduran accent) Her

body.

More laughter.

JULIETA:

That’s the first thing. But also…

something we all dream about?

MALE PUPIL:

Eternal youth.

JULIETA:

Exactly, and immortality. Yet

Ulysses refused it and set out to

sea, facing endless dangers. Which

of the three meanings would you

choose to speak of the sea that

Ulysses yearned for?

FEMALE PUPIL:

Thalassa!

JULIETA:

(Charming) Nooo.

ANOTHER FEMALE PUPIL

Pontos.

JULIETA:

That’s it, pontos! The sea, the

high sea, the road to adventure

and the unknown.

Cut.

45. “ESTUDIO” SCHOOL. CORRIDOR. INT. DAY.

1985. SPRING.

Julieta is walking along a corridor, she passes a few

pupils or teachers. She greets them as she passes.

She stops at the door to the principal’s office. She

knocks and a voice tells her to come in.

46. “ESTUDIO” SCHOOL. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE. INT. DAY.

1985. SPRING.

The principal invites her to sit in the armchair across

from her, on the other side of the desk.

PRINCIPAL:

Mrs. Mart.nez will be coming back

next week, so… your substitution

time will be over.

Julieta nods.

PRINCIPAL:

I want you to know that we are

very happy with your work. We’ve

never had such attendance at the

classical literature class.

JULIETA:

Thank you. I’ve enjoyed these six

months very much.

PRINCIPAL:

I’m glad.

Julieta goes to stand up.

PRINCIPAL:

Wait… This letter arrived for you.

The principal takes a letter from one of her desk

drawers and hands it to Julieta. Julieta looks at the

name of the sender, Xoan Feij.o, and his full address

in Redes, a town in Corunna.

She looks at the principal inquiringly. She turns the

envelope over and sees that it’s addressed to her

although it only has her Christian name, no surname,

and the name of the school.

PRINCIPAL:

Is it for you, Julieta?

JULIETA:

Yes, yes.

PRINCIPAL:

I thought so. We have no other

Julieta.

47. “ESTUDIO” SCHOOL. EXIT.

1985. SPRING.

Adolescents and children are entering and leaving the

building. Parents accompany them or come to collect

them. The usual movement around the school.

Julieta has Xoan’s letter in her hand. She reads it as

she walks.

XOAN (OFF)

Dear Julieta, I don’t know if

you’re still working at the

school. I hope so because it’s the

only address I’ve got for you…

48. TRAIN. SPRING LANDSCAPE. INT. AND EXT. CONT.

1985. SPRING.

Inside the compartment, Julieta is looking out the

window at the spring landscape. We hear the contents of

the letter which Julieta is holding in her hands as if

it were a ticket or a passport.

XOAN (OFF)

I think of you so much. I can’t

get that night on the train out of

my head.

Julieta’s breathing is unsteady from excitement. She

puts her hand to her stomach.

XOAN (OFF)

Ana is still the same, or worse.

Even though I was only away for

two days, when I got back she

looked worse. When you’re here all

the time you don’t realize.

I didn’t go fishing today, that’s

why I’m writing to you. The sea is

very choppy and there’ll be a

storm this afternoon.

49. REDES. TAXI. INT./EXT. DAY. CONT.

1985. SPRING.

A taxi is driving along a street in Redes, a Galician

town on the coast.

XOAN (OFF)

I’d like to see you appearing

through the rain, looking for a

place to shelter, and that that

place were my home.

Julieta is in a local taxi. She has very little

luggage, a medium-sized bag.

50. REDES. XOAN’S HOUSE. EXT. DAY. CONT.

1985. SPRING.

When we finish hearing Xoan’s voiceover, the taxi drops

her in front of a two-storied house whose fa.ade is

mainly a smoky grey color. The house has a modernist

influence. The door is arch shaped, of shotcrete.

Before reaching the front door, there is an area with

terracotta colored tiles, demarcated by a concrete

fence that has a border on its upper part. A white

fence. The sea can be seen behind the house. It is a

very different construction from the other houses along

the street. Really they are all different from each

other.

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