his head
WILLKIE (CONT’D)
We need to treat your wound.
He tries to lift COWBOY, but he wheezes and moans. WILLKIE puts him back down.
COWBOY
In my right pocket.
COWBOY glances at his jacket
COWBOY
Take it… there, in the right pocket.
6
WILLKIE unbuttons the pocket and takes out a folded white envelope.
COWBOY (CONT’D)
It does not have a name on it, the
name of the owner of the land and
the gold mine. Write you name,
son… Go to Los Angeles, you need
to go to Gold Star, find Richard
Taylor and show him this paper.
COWBOY coughs
COWBOY (CONT’D)
But there is more, son. There is
more. There is a place in Russia
where there are sand dunes of
gold…
COWBOY chocks and falls silent.
For some time WILLKIE keeps looking at the dead man. Then he folds the envelope and puts it in his shirt pocket.
INT. ARTEMIEV’S OFFICE – GEOLOGY INSTITUTE – MODERN RUSSIA – DAY
INSERT SHOT – OLD YELLOW PAGES OF THE NOTEBOOK
7
Diary of a Convict:
V.O. LIUBOV ARTEMIEVA
March 1966. I just now realized how stupid it was! I do not even know his name. He said that he was an American journalist and writes essays on the Russian nature. I called him a Yankee as a joke. It seemed he wasn’t offended. So I called him Jan – for short. My boy – he has his eyes.
ARTEMIEVA’S HAND TURNS PAGE AFTER PAGE
September 1966. I nearly went mad with grief when my son was taken away from me.
November 1967. My son is one year and two months! How is he there? How does he look now?
August 1968. It’s him! Damn, Jan! I recognized him immediately. What the hell is he doing here in the prison? How did he get here? And this woman with him – very well dressed. No, I’m not jealous!
August 1968. I was allowed a meeting with Jan! But what to tell him? That our son was taken away from me.
August 1968. I’m afraid. It is possible that the risk would cost me even longer, if not eternal separation from my dear son!
August. In 1968. I ran away from camp with Jan!
BACK TO SCENE
ARTEMIEV closes the diary.
8
INT. CLASS ROOM – GEOLOGY INSTITUTE – MODERN RUSSIA – DAY
NICHOLAY YURSKY a twenty-five year old lecturer stands in front of his students.
YURSKY
I have good news for you guys, the
expedition was approved.
Students get excited
YURSKY
So have you decided who is going?
KOVALEV – a well-built guy with small black eyes, stands up.
KOVALEV
Yes. I’ll go, Misha Samokhvalov and
Nastya Barsukova!
STUDENT 1
Nicholay Nickolaevich, is it true
that the place where you are going
…well, it does not exist?
STUDENT 2
And there is no gold there.
KOVALEV
There are mountains of gold there.
STUDENT 2
How do you know?
9
STUDENT 1
So when do you sail away to Kolyma?
YURSKY
First of all, it’s not Kolyma, second
of all it’s not all about gold.
NASTYA
Who else is going?
The CLASS turns to her. NASTYA – a beautiful young girl with big brown eyes – looks at YURSKY – smiling.
YURSKY
Artemiev – the head of the expedition
and I.
Students begin to shout GOLD. GOLD. GOLD
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR
It is ARTEMIEV
ARTEMIEV
Do you have a minute?
10
YURSKY
All right, the class is over for today.
You can go.
Students leave.
ARTEMIEV
I’ve been told you want to see me.
YURSKY
Severkov
