gc37

THE GREATEST CRIMINALS IN FINLAND
Written by
Sara federico
97 rue Beaubourg, #306
75003 Paris
France
(323) 807-4745

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EXT. THE RIVER DARENT, DARTFORD - DAY
A slew of people gather around the river as paramedics pull a
girl out of the water. She coughs up water as they drag her
onto the bank and begin helping her.
EXT. UPPER BELGRAVE STREET, BELGRAVIA - DAY
A girl, seemingly asleep, is loaded into an ambulance. The
only onlookers the girl's parents, stoically looking on.
EXT. MAUDSLEY HOSPITAL, SOUTH LONDON - DAY
An ambulance blares its sirens as it pulls up to the
emergency department.
INT. BED ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
A curtain divides two chambers. One bed is rolled to the
chamber on the left. The girl pulled from the river is hooked
up to machines.
Just after her medics exit, another bed rolls in to the
chamber on the right. The sleeping girl is rolled in. They
hook her to machines and exit.
INT. BED ROOM - LATER
BEGIN CREDITS
Medics come in and remove each from their machines.
The head nurse takes items from ANNIE, 18, the girl pulled
from the river and CAMILLA, 18, the girl who was seemingly
asleep.
Their parents put items away in their dressers, kiss them,
and tearfully leave.
The nurse gives them each a quick physical and then gives
them scrubs to wear.
After the admission is finished, Annie and Camilla sit on
their beds, side by side a few feet apart. They don't budge.
ANNIE
What the hell does it take for a
girl to just kill herself in peace?

---

2.
INT. TUBE STATION - DAY
A man in his mid-50s, who will only be referred to as LONDON
CITIZEN, stands on the platform amongst other passengers
waiting for a train.
TITLE OVER: London, one year earlier.
A 17 year old ANNIE plays her bass guitar and sings a song by
Johnny Cash. LONDON CITIZEN turns slightly and watches her.
LONDON CITIZEN (V.O.)
I met Annie when she was 17. She
had a boy haircut. Her parents
didn't understand her.
After she finishes the song, he walks over to her and drops
5p into her guitar case. She avoids eye contact with him.
ANNIE
Thanks.
LONDON CITIZEN
What's your name?
ANNIE
(rigid)
Fuck off.
LONDON CITIZEN
(laughs)
That's a strange name for a girl.
She snarls at him. He puts his hands up in surrender and
backs off.
His train arrives. He peeks back over his shoulder at her
before he boards.
EXT. PARK - DAY
The LONDON CITIZEN walks his dog at the park. He observes a
few girls sitting in a circle and talking in a courtyard.
They wear hospital gowns. He spots ANNIE and stops. They make
brief eye contact before Annie diverts her attention.
LONDON CITIZEN (V.O.)
It wasn't for another few months
that I found out about Annie. I
found out about her being in
hospital. I found out about the
time she took her mother's sleeping
pills.
(MORE)

---

3.
LONDON CITIZEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
She had such an attitude when I met
her and such a strange sense of ego
that her fragility took me by
surprise.
He continues walking down the street. They get more and more
crowded.
LONDON CITIZEN (V.O.)
I couldn't imagine her in that
state. She's anybody's daughter,
sister, friend. And everyone around
her was helpless to her struggle.
There's something inside that
nobody can tap into because they're
so cut off from the ideals of a
teenage girl with a chip on her
shoulder. We fail to identify with
her despite the fact we've all gone
through hopelessness. I felt bad
about it.
EXT. STREET - MORNING
The LONDON CITIZEN crosses the street.
TITLE OVER: Knightsbridge.
He bumps into MR. ST. JAMES, a man of his age. He's extremely
frazzled.
MR. ST. JAMES
Oh, I've seen you before, at the
cafe by my house.
(points)
We chatted over a coffee once.
(holds hand out)
George St. James.
LONDON CITIZEN
(nods, shakes hands)
Yes, I slightly recall, Mr. St.
James. Mister Saint, that's quite a
title.
MR. ST. JAMES
(chuckles)
You'll have to excuse me, I'm very
upset. My daughter's been put in a
hospital.
LONDON CITIZEN
Oh, I'm terribly sorry.

---

4.
Mr. St. James pulls a picture out of his wallet- it's
Camilla.
MR. ST. JAMES
Her little boyfriend, you see, is
extremely abusive. Yells at her and
brings her down. Shameful.
Mr. St. James trails on.
LONDON CITIZEN (V.O.)
As the man rambled on, I wanted to
ask him why on earth he didn't stop
the boy. But it occurred to me that
his daughter didn't come that way.
I grew disgusted with the man
instantly- he was the one that
started that trend in her life. It
wasn't her boyfriend that abused
her first- he just scoped out the
vulnerable one.
The London Citizen scoffs and pushes the man away.
LONDON CITIZEN
Fuck off.
He storms away. Mr. St. James looks on, very confused.
LONDON CITIZEN (V.O.)
I guess in hindsight I never really
linked the two girls other than the
fact they were both in hospital for
being a bit broken. I didn't assume
they were in the same hospital nor
even knew of each other's
existence. All I thought of was how
much of a shame to see this
treatment. I got over it in a few
days.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
The LONDON CITIZEN sits down with a plate of food. The news
is on in the background.
LONDON CITIZEN (V.O.)
Many months later, I sat down to
eat and watch the telly when a
message from Interpol came on-
looking for the two teenaged girls
I recognized.

---

5.
NEWS ANCHOR (O.S.)
...Annie J. Ableton, 18, of
Dartford, and Camilla D. St. James,
19, of Belgravia.
The London Citizen stops eating.
LONDON CITIZEN (V.O.)
Maybe it was my overanalyzed
thinking of Annie's 'Fuck Off' or
my fight-or-flight feeling from my
conversation with Mister Saint- but
I knew that these girls ran away. I
felt partially responsible, like I
should have done something long
ago.
NEWS ANCHOR (O.S.)
If you have any information, please
call London Police at...
The London Citizen looks over at his phone for a long while
before looking back at his dinner, and continues eating.
LONDON CITIZEN (V.O.)
I didn't phone the police because I
knew nothing of their intentions,
their whereabouts; in fact, I
really knew nothing about them at
all. The police only wanted them
for their arrest, not to help them.
The news anchor repeats the Interpol message.
LONDON CITIZEN (V.O.)
When the fox hears the rabbit cry,
it comes running, but not to help.
He continues eating.
INT. BED ROOM - MORNING
ANNIE sits on the end of her bed. A psychiatrist stands at
the foot of her bed, writing on a pad of paper.
TITLE OVER: Maudsley Hospital, South London.
ANNIE
When can I go?
PSYCHIATRIST
Two weeks.

---

6.
ANNIE
Two? Really? Last time you only
kept me for one.
PSYCHIATRIST
You're here for two because there
was a last time.
Annie rolls her eyes. The psychiatrist walks to the other
side of the curtain.
PSYCHIATRIST (CONT'D)
(fading)
And a time before that, and a time
before that...
ANNIE
(under breath)
Bitch.
CAMILLA, from the other side of the curtain, glances over at
the person she cannot see. The psychiatrist approaches her
with a small cup with pills.
PSYCHIATRIST
Take these.
Camilla swallows the pills with ease.
PSYCHIATRIST (CONT'D)
Now don't ask for any more.
(chuckles)
I'm sorry, sorry. Are you feeling
better today?
CAMILLA
I guess.
PSYCHIATRIST
Nauseous?
CAMILLA
No.
PSYCHIATRIST
Dizzy?
CAMILLA
No.
PSYCHIATRIST
Headaches?

---

7.
CAMILLA
No.
PSYCHIATRIST
Polyps?
CAMILLA
What?
PSYCHIATRIST
(chuckles again)
I'm sorry, sorry.
Camilla sighs deeply.
PSYCHIATRIST (CONT'D)
Any questions for me?
CAMILLA
Yes, when am I allowed to leave?
PSYCHIATRIST
Two weeks.
CAMILLA
Really?
PSYCHIATRIST
Only because you've been here
before.
The psychiatrist walks to the door and leaves.
PSYCHIATRIST (CONT'D)
(fading, same chuckle)
And a time before that, and a time
before that...
Camilla flops back on her bed.
INT. MAUDSLEY HOSPITAL - DAY
Four girls are seated in a blank white room. A sappy, 30-
something counselor, ABBY, scribbles on a clipboard.
ABBY
Hold on one second, girls.
(scans the room)
This looks like the right group.
Abby goes back to writing. ANNIE rolls her eyes. CAMILLA
notices and chuckles to herself.

---

8.
ABBY (CONT'D)
(continues writing)
Is something funny?
The girls are silent.
ABBY (CONT'D)
Didn't think so.
(finishes writing)
Alright let's introduce ourselves
now. Name, age, where you're from,
and why you're here.
(points)
You first.
A very thin, young girl, ROSE, looks around nervously.
ROSE
Me? Um, my name is Rose. I'm 16,
from the West End. Um, do I have to
say it?
ABBY
We're all open with each other
here, Rose. If we can't openly talk
about everything and anything then
how can group therapy be useful?
ROSE
(sulks)
I have an eating disorder.
Abby nods and smiles. She gestures to the next girl, KAYLA, a
gothic 18 year old.
KAYLA
Kayla. 18. Hounslow. They say I
have a personality disorder. I just
like fire.
The girls slide their chairs back a bit.
ABBY
Um, great. Thanks Kayla. You?
Annie starts paying attention.
ANNIE
I'm Annie, I'm 18 too.
She gives Kayla a friendly punch. She doesn't budge. Annie
backs off slowly.

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9.
ANNIE (CONT'D)
Uh, I tried to drown myself.
ABBY
Drown?
ANNIE
Yeah, drown- like Virginia Woolf.
Filled my pockets with stones but
found out the hard way that the
River Darent isn't as deep as the
Ouse.
The girls chuckle. Abby angrily stares at Annie, who smirks
back at her.
ABBY
(sly)
How very poetic.
ANNIE
Well, I've always wanted to be a
great writer. I failed at that, so,
I figured I'd go out like one and
my oven hasn't been working...
The girls contain themselves, watching Abby's face turn to
rage. She diverts her attention to the next girl.
CAMILLA
(composes)
Oh. My name is Camilla, I'm 19,
from Belgravia. And, um, I
attempted, I guess.
ABBY
You guess?
CAMILLA
Well it didn't work.
ABBY
(smiles)
Thank you, Camilla.
(extremely sappy)
Alright, thanks for sharing, girls.
You're all here because you've had
bad thoughts and acted on them.
There's four of you: so just
remember, you're not alone.

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