HOMECOMING: 100% PURE NEW ZEALAND - YOUR BIG BREAK! 13/01/2010 Written by Natasha and Sven Jurshevski To be directed by Sven Jurshevski “Have you ever been to a place for an extended period of time, left and then never returned? Consider childhood as not just a certain period of time, but a place in time. Can we ever truly return to childhood? My perception of my own childhood can only really be explained by my relationship to New Zealand: a country that was home to my early years and a country that I left shortly thereafter and never returned to. New Zealand itself is a geologically developing country, a set of sparkling islands surrounded by an immense ocean on one side and vast sea on the other, that makes it a remote, precious treasure. – the “Land of the Long White Cloud”. As you will see, I have filmed this entire pitch against the backdrop of my current home - Toronto, Ontario – otherwise known as the “Big Smoke”. Given the chance to return to New Zealand, I would wish to project my own memories - particularly those of the geography and unique geological features – for the benefit of the potential visitor, inspiring them to take the trip and to create their own memories.” _____________________________________________________________
TITLE: HOMECOMING
EXT. LONG SHOT OF THE FERRY LEAVING THE SOUTH ISLAND TOWARDS THE NORTH ISLAND SHOT AT THE REAR OF THE FERRY LOOKING BACK AT THE SOUTH ISLAND
SVEN (V.O.)
The first time I took this ferry I was going in the opposite direction.
OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF SVEN AT THE BOW OF THE SHIP LOOKING AT THE NORTH ISLAND.
FADE TO BLACK.
*Cue soundtrack with decrescendos and crescendos in between voice-overs
SCENIC SHOTS OF THE SOUTH ISLAND AND THEN TRANSITION TO SHOTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND - MOST LIKELY TO BE SHOWN WITH CAPTIONS I.E. SOUTH ISLAND - QUEENSTOWN; OR NORTH ISLAND - WELLINGTON
SVEN (V.O.) (CONT’D) New Zealand, the youngest country in the world, is the home of my most fond childhood memories.
LONG SHOT OF THE FERRY ENTERING THE PIER AT THE NORTH ISLAND.
SVEN (V.O.) (CONT’D) I was privileged enough to have travelled the world when I was young and see so many different places in the world. None of these foreign images have stuck with me more than my memories of New Zealand.
FADE TO WHITE.
LONG SHOT OF HOUSE OF 68 WADESTOWN RD. IN WADESTOWN - SVEN IS STANDING OUT FRONT SVEN This is where I started to grow up after arriving in New Zealand.
Sven begins to walk out of the right side of the frame, the camera pans following his motion then cuts.
SHOT FOLLOWING SVEN DOWN THE STREET TO “PLAYCENTER” - A KINDERGARTEN IN WADESTOWN, NZ.
Across the street from the “playcenter” there used to be this burger-joint that had black and white tiled floors, Sven will enter the place (if it still exists) you will see the employees (showing the neighbourly side of NZ and not just the tourist aspect) and he will order a milkshake.
SVEN (V.O.) (CONT’D) When I was a kid I loved the milkshakes they made here.
FADE TO BLACK.
LANDSCAPE SHOTS OF WADESTOWN TRANSITIONING TO LANDSCAPE SHOTS OF WADESTOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL - INTERSPLICE A FEW AERIAL SHOTS OF THE SCHOOL IF POSSIBLE.
SVEN (V.O) Here is where I started my education. I thought anything was possible, but it wasn’t until I moved to Khandallah where I truly became attached to New Zealand.
CUT TO A SHOT OF HANDS PARTING BUSHES, MULTIPLE CUTS OF SOME ONE WALKING THROUGH THE BUSH AND SURROUNDING GARDEN OF 19 JUBILEE RD. KHANDALLAH SVEN (V.O.) (CONT’D) When I and my sister were kids she used to collect the little tops to pop cans. Before we moved to the U.K. she buried them along with mummified dolls and other mementos. This was her buried treasure and has since become my buried treasure. It has been my dream for 13 years to come back and find these treasures, remind myself of my deepest memories of New Zealand, and to thus unlock the door to my youth. The voice over will be intercut with me digging and trying to find our buried treasure from when me and my sister were kids. *Dialogue and the outcome of this scene depends on me finding the treasure.
FADE TO WHITE.
LANDSCAPE SHOTS OF MOUNT. KAUKAU
SHOTS OF SVEN WALKING UP MOUNT. KAUKAU AND REACHING THE SUMMIT
SVEN (V.O.) This is what New Zealand means to me, come find out what New Zealand can mean to you!
FADE TO WHITE.
_____________________________________________________________ TO CLARIFY Ultimately I am trying to press that people should be coming to New Zealand to look at it through their lens and not some National Geographic high-def footage you can see on TV Saturday mornings. - This DRAFT script will be subject to a partial or entire re-write depending on my impressions and the results of visiting with friends and to memorable locations when I arrive back in New Zealand. - Voice-overs will be ad-libbed or changed on spot depending on my feelings when I am recording them. _____________________________________________________________ Director’s Biography
Sven Jurshevski is a 20 year old aspiring filmmaker from Toronto, Canada. He is currently attending the University of Toronto in Media Studies with a Cinema stream. He was born in Toronto in 1989 and shortly after moved to Tokyo, Japan. When he was 3 years old his family moved to Wellington, New Zealand when his father was hired to assist in the restructuring of the country’s debt. They resided in Wellington for 4 1/2 years earning the family full citizenship. They then moved to London, England just before his 8th birthday. His family moved back to Toronto in late 2002, after his 13th birthday. Since then he has taken up many interests, recently at the University of Toronto he focused on his poetry, writing and filmmaking. Among other projects, Sven recently completed a music video for the locally popular band, A Fourth World, producing, directing and editing the project with the participation of other artists including actors and special effects contributors.