SAGE – feature script

A local episode, in a peripheral locality, a conversation cleverly moderated by an unidentified interviewer interviewing a disturbed character who writhes between the fear from the punishment and the urge of a confession for something gone wrong.

In a tiny room, a conversation is taking place in which only the interviewed character is visible, a twenty-year-old boy. His name’s ZABIT. Born in Luf, he came to Dhërmi during Kosovo’s War with his poor family, living a stressful life in one of the many Dhërmi’s abandoned houses that once used to be a watermill. He’s been working hard since he was a little kid. Occasionally, during the questionnaire, he bursts in anger while periodically, we witness his past through Flashback episodes. The tension increases when we come to understand the reason why ZABIT hates his sister, MINE, so much; the latter thinks she witnessed ZABIT sexually touching their little sister, FATIME; MINE entering the scene alters the episode’s context.

THE VOICE asks ZABIT about the school, his peers, the girls; we realize ZABIT lives on the outskirts of the society, not knowing how to deal with his pals, especially the girls; as for the classes, he passed the exams with the help of a professor.

The conversation again becomes tense. After clarifying whether ZABIT has a girlfriend, THE VOICE mentions that the lack of normal relationships with girls is the reason for ZABIT’s violence. At this point ZABIT rejects, telling the moment where the girls saw him differently, with fear and admiration, especially one of them, a long hair brunette called SOFIA. She had no fear. She looked straight into ZABIT’s eyes.

He confesses what he doesn’t dare to accept… love.

Years going by, they grew up, the school ends, SOFIA goes in Athens, ZABIT doesn’t see her for five years, a period when ZABIT again becomes violent towards MINE. SOFIA’s return in the village turns out as reanimation for ZABIT, who’s amazed noticing she’s prettier; one day, they had lunch by the seashore where he booked a room for two. Those words provoke THE VOICE’s reaction, uncovering ZABIT’s lie about the rented room, stating that they found SOFIA raped and murdered in an abandoned house yard.

A very tense stillness follows now.

THE VOICE accuses ZABIT as a liar, then presses more psychologically accusing him of SOFIA’s murder; after an intense verbal impact between the two, ZABIT finally admits that it was an accident. Synchronized for the first time, we witness the episode through a Flashback while hearing ZABIT’s voice-over confessing.

A long, devastating silence answers the question of why he didn’t call for help.

Someone in uniform enters the room, taking ZABIT with him.

Director Statement

Having been a teacher for over twenty years, it is natural that one of the main axes of my formation is undoubtedly education, in all its expressions. I think it is one of the main pillars for a society to invest positively in its future. In these terms, “Sage” is a story like many others where the lack of education, family warmth, social avoidance can bring dangerous and irreversible consequences to the lives of those who experience this lack, also affecting the lives of those around. I see this every day. It concerns me, and it concerns all of us. We close our eyes, pretend not to see, continue on our way until the day this evil intervenes abruptly on us.

Born and raised in a country where the highest and long-standing aspiration is the path to being part of the great European family, we have in our DNA the inferiority complex, taught by living in the appendix of the western civilization, in a world which once was called the Third World. “Sage” articulate this, talking about the missed opportunity, the lost chance despite the desire, the door smashed in the face, turning the aspirant into an unpredictable and extremely dangerous being, capable of doing everything.

This situation creates a label, a stamp, that also serves as a matrix to explain actions, reactions, events. Sometimes this typology is taken for granted, creating misunderstandings with irreversible consequences. The creature in question imbues the cases, no matter they are true or not, adding other layers of malignancy, further strengthening the shell that separates him from the society, turning him into an apparent, extinct volcano, hardly waiting to explode.

The innocent, benevolent leaves of sage that have the misfortune to be found near at that moment are covered, withered, destroyed by fire and lava that takes their lives.

Production Company Profile

Piro Milkani and Eno Milkani found Bunker Film+ in 2004. It since has produced feature films and documentary combining the potential of interesting stories by promoting and supporting new directors who want to make their success in the film industry. 

Piro Milkani is educated as DOP and has made several documentaries and feature films and directed over 25 feature films through a period spanning from 1965 to now. 

Eno Milkani graduated for Theatre Directing continued studies on film in Denmark Ebeltoft at the European Film College. Since 1995 has produced directed and edited several short films documentaries and feature films.

In its portfolio, Bunker Film+ counts short films made by new directors and documentaries mainly financed from the Albanian National Center of Cinematography.