CHANNEL 8 is a film about today’s Europe. It is about the attitude of the West always knowing better – and the spiritual longing of the East for a better world. The Thriller “Channel 8” circles around the fear of our time: beeing unable to tell reality from fiction. The story is about two people, who are connected in an uncanny way. A tv-anchorman from Paris and a female painter from Russia have never met in person, nevertheless they are close to each other. That is because Valentin and Anastasija have a channel between each other. Like two television stations sending on the same frequency, they experience each other’s life in their dreams. Valentin starts to search the person on the other side of the Channel. He wants to find the person, whose life he happens to encounter in his dreams. He will cross borders, he would never ever have considered possible, not in his craziest thoughts.
108 EXT. SANKT PETERSBURG. ENTRANCE ON A SIDE-STREET – MOMENTS LATER
Valentin and the Norwegian stand in a building entrance. The dishevelled one
opens a filthy tool case made of plastic. He lifts a drawer of rusty nails. Below it:
packages of medicine, small bottles of pills, sacks of trips. A veritable underground
pharmacy of poisons.
DISHEVELLED NORWEGIAN
You want to dream? I have good for you! LSD, spirals, flowers, crazy films.
VALENTIN
No, no… no LSD, I need a real dream.
The dishevelled Norwegian fumbles out a worn-out box of ampules, takes a look
at Valentin’s left forearm. On his wrist the heavy golden Rolex.
DISHEVELLED NORWEGIAN
Oh, you don’t do needles.
The dishevelled Norwegian fumbles further.
DISHEVELLED NORWEGIAN (cont’d)
Here we have… Ketamin. That’s the stuff for dreams. Good stuff, you can trust me. You’ll leave your body with this. How many dreams?
VALENTIN
One dream. The whole night.
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61A INT. ST. PETERSBURG. MOSCOVSKY PROSPECT. THE BOXING CLUB – AFTERNOON
Anastassija visits her friend and driver Rotor in the boxing club. Rotor is working
out with the punching bag.
ANASTASSIJA
Someone’s here.
ROTOR
What do you mean, „someone’s here“? I’m here.
ANASTASSIJA
Someone’s in my thoughts.
31 EXT. PARIS. AT THE TADSHIK COLOR THERAPIST’S – AFTERNOON
Valentin is lying on the treatment table. Kitfi Rost, the Tadshik therapist, lays
colored plates onto Valentin’s back.
VALENTIN
I didn’t ring the doorbell today. I made as if I had rung and still you opened up for me. I mean, I did everything as usual, only with a little difference. I didn’t ring. But still you knew that I was there and opened the door. How is that? How did you know that I was there?
KITFI ROST
I thought you’d ring any moment. And I opened the door. And you were standing there.
63 EXT.SANKT PETERSBURG. BEFORE THE ART GALLERY – WHITE NIGHT’S EVENING
Anastassija steps out into the street, smiling at the Security Man as she leaves.
Suddenly the hand at the end of a red jacket sleeve seizes her slim arm.
MAN IN RED SUIT
(Russian) You have my watch.
ANASTASSIJA
(Russian) What watch, what do you want— you’re hurting me.
MAN IN RED SUIT
(Russian) My watch.
ANASTASSIJA
(Russian) Your watch.
MAN IN RED SUIT
(Russian) My watch. Exactly. A big heavy Rolex Daytona. 14 carat. Gold.
Anastassia motions the man to bend down closer to her.
ANASTASSIJA
(in whispered Russian) I don’t have your watch.
MAN IN RED SUIT
(Russian) What did you say?
ANASTASSIJA
(screams, Russian) I don’t have your watch.
52 INT. PARIS. AVE. MAC MAHON – BRASSERIE “BEER STATION” – DAY
Valentin stands nervously at the long bar.
…
VALENTIN
… What day is today?
GARÇON
Tuesday.
VALENTIN
And what city.
GARÇON
Paris.
VALENTIN
(conspiratorially) Are you sure?
GARÇON
I am quite sure.
VALENTIN
And yesterday?
GARÇON
Monday. Also Paris. It’s always Paris here, Monsieur, ever since I can remember.
85 EXT. SANKT PETERSBURG. STREETSIDE – NIGHT
Three half-grown boys, dirty and with glassy eyes, sit on bricks and curbstone,
between them a can of Pattex® solvent. One of the boys, his head shrouded
with a filthy piece of plastic, bows down low to the can for a deep breath of the
solvent vapor. Above their heads float the numbers 10, 11, 10.
BOY 11
Gaga.
(he laughs)
27 INT. PARIS. BRASSERIE LIPP. BOULEVARD SAINT-GERMAINE – DAY
Valentin and Nina have met for lunch. It is still early, the brasserie is
practically empty.
VALENTIN
Maybe I’m crazy, Nina? Maybe I’m one of these types who suffer from a split personality, maybe one of these freaks who sooner or later crack and blow themselves up along with a whole subway train? Would you believe me capable of blowing up a subway train?
THE WAITER
(making as if he had not heard the last sentence) The… the chicken, Mesdames et Messieurs? A small beer for Madame? A mineral water for Monsieur Valentin? As usual?
Valentin is lost in thought, Nina touches his glass with her own.
NINA
Mineral water? You’re having mineral water?
(after the waiter has left) Everything okay?
VALENTIN
Someone is out there sending on my frequency.
70 INT. SANKT PETERSBURG. METROSTATION – DAY
Valentin steps onto the escalator which leads hundreds of meters down into the
depths. The PEOPLE coming in the opposite direction greet him as factory workers
would their director. Some have titles floating over their heads: WOMAN, SAILOR,
PREGNANT, DIRECTOR, FROM MOSCOW, FEVER, LONELY, IDIOT…..
Suddenly, in the line of people coming in the other direction, there is a gap
occupied by a single person. It is the drunken girl who fell into the Neva in the
beginning of the film. She is pale as chalk and wet, her entire body racked
with shivers. Over her head floats the word:
DEAD
DEAD GIRL
(to Valentin) Don’t look at me.
112 EXT. SANKT PETERSBURG. PLOCHAD VOSTANNIYA – WHITE NIGHT
Valentin stands on the street. Without shoes. In the middle of the busiest street
of Petersburg: the intersection of Nevsky and Ligovsky Prospects. The multi-lane
traffic of a bustling metropolis whips past Valentin, before and behind him.
Valentin looks down to his naked feet.
VALENTIN
(to himself) I want everything to stop. Now.
In fact, everything stops: cars, busses, pedestrians. The entire street. The entire city.
Everyone looks at Valentin.
VALENTIN (cont’d)
Okay. Shoes.
The people again begin to walk. Someone gives Valentin a pair of shoes.
SOMEONE
Here, size 44, they should fit.
Valentin puts on the shoes.
VALENTIN
(straightening up)I need someone who knows his way around here.
A Volga comes to a stop, the DRIVER cranks down the passenger-side window.
DRIVER
(Russian) You need a car?
Valentin gets in.
VALENTIN
The girl in my dreams!
DRIVER
(Russian) I don’t understand you.
VALENTIN
I want a driver who understands me.
The driver gets out, Rotor gets in.
VALENTIN (cont’d)
Rotor! Do you understand me?
ROTOR
Sure, the girl from your dream. Anastassija.
VALENTIN
Anastassija?
ROTOR
Anastassija.
VALENTIN
And?
ROTOR
Difficult.
………………..
CHANNEL 8
Feature l 111 minutes l 35mm l colour l Dolby stereo l shooting: 2006
Screenplay & Direction: Andrea Maria Dusl
Dramaturgical Consultants: Jim Hart, David Keating, Ruth Mader, Marcia Nasatir, Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Cinematography: Wolfgang Thaler
Editing: Karina Ressler
Music: Peter Dusl
Executive Producer: TBA
Producer: TBA
Production: Lotus-Film