THE LIFT

Bronze eurobest Award
TitleTHE LIFT
BrandBIANCO FOOTWEAR
Product/ServiceBIANCO FOOTWEAR - SHOES
Category A02. Script
Entrant NEW LAND Copenhagen, DENMARK
Idea Creation &CO Copenhagen, DENMARK
Production NEW LAND Copenhagen, DENMARK
Credits
Name Company Position
Thomas Hoffmann &Co. Creative Director
Lea Flodgaard &Co Art Director
Katrine Winblad &Co Art Director
Mathias Trads &Co Copywriter
Peter Vojnovic &Co Graphic Designer
Rasmus Philip &Co Social Media Planner
Sarita Montenegro &Co Account Manager
Christian Grosen &Co Account Director
Anne-Mette Lund &Co In-house Producer
Thor Brammer Jacobsen New Land Executive Producer
Maria-Louise Ottesen New Land Producer
Daniel Kragh-Jacobsen New Land Director
Jasper Spanning Art Official Agency Director Of Photography
Gustav Pontoppidan Art Official Agency Production Designer
Anders Singh Vesterdahl 10db Music Composer
Carla Luffe The Talent Group Editor
Mathias Dehn Simply Studio Sound Design

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

In a film set entirely within the confines of a lift, we follow two people who fall in love, without the other ever knowing. We gain insight into their thoughts by way of subtitles. They plot and scheme ways to break the ice, without ever opening their mouths. And that quickly becomes the central conflict. Their overthinking holds them from acting on their desires. The film is an intimate and often awkward look into the heads of two people paralysed by their own thoughts. And by the end, we wish nothing more than they’d “Step out of their head.”

Provide the full film script in English.

Scene 1 – Lift – Day. We are inside an office-building lift. The door opens. Musac plays from the speaker. In steps a well-dressed man Niklas (28). He presses a floor and steps back. Then Anna (29) also walks in. Niklas gives her a quick look. She presses a floor and stands next to Niklas. The doors close and the lift starts to acend. They just stand there… Now on-screen, we see subtitles, explaining their thoughts. Niklas: Have I seen her before? Kind of looks just like… My mom… Freud-alert. Niklas (sneaking a peak): No fuck, that’s some serious Freudian shit… Did I really just think that? But We go to Anna’s face. Anna: … He’s cute… And smells a bit sweaty… Why do I like that smell? Is that a fetish I have? Is that called a sweatish… Lol. There’s a moment of silence. Anna looks down at the buttons. Niklas: But my mom was kind of cute when she was younger. They just stand there… The lift slowly crawls upwards. Anna: … He’s on the 19th floor. Isn’t that where that architecture firm is? That’s quite cool, he’s an architect. He’s creative… Love that! We go to Niklas. Niklas: … Why don’t I just say something… He looks at his shoes. … We go back to Anna who realizes… Anna: … Isn’t that actually where that accounting firm is? Oh damn, he’s an accountant… Realizes: Well I guess I could use someone who’s good with money. Finally someone my dad would like… Their hands almost touch, but then the lift arrives at the 19th floor. We hear a “pling”, and Niklas, eyeing his chance to escape the awkward situation, quickly rushes out. As the doors close Anna thinks to herself: Perfect. He didn’t notice me at all… Scene 2 – Lift – Day. Next day. A bunch of people’s shoes hurry into the elevator. Anna and Niklas eye each other. Niklas: … Well, would you look at that. Anna: Two days in a row… Scene 4 – Lift - Day Some weeks after… Niklas’s alone in the elevator. Niklas: … If she comes in, I’ll say “We can’t keep meeting this way”... She’ll laugh at that. Even if she doesn’t, at least I tried… Then the elevator stops at a floor (pling) and Niklas looks up and smiles… … Unfortunately it’s a small scrawny man (40), the nerdy type, who walks in. They stand there in silence. Then the scrawny man looks up at Niklas. Man: That’s a magnificent set of hair. Niklas’ smile turns with a polite nod. Scene 5 – Lift - Day The lift is filled with soaking wet people. Niklas and Anna are in each of their corners. Anna gets out her cell phone, and has a look at herself. She sees that her mascara has been running all over her face. She sighs. Anna: … Waterproof my as!>… Just kill me... She turns around and Niklas wonders: … Did she just look at me? Scene 6 – Lift – Day. Some time after: We see Anna is alone in the lift. She’s bored. Riding up and down, trying to meet her. He arrives on the top floor, and presses the button to go down again. Anna: … I can’t keep ditching work to just stand here … We see Niklas with a bouquet of flowers. Niklas: … This is insane. Scene 7 – Lift - Day Not long after: Niklas enters in tight lycra-shorts and click-in shoes. He shakes his head. Not the prettiest sight. Right as the elevator close, in of course walks Anna. She doesn’t look at Niklas, but instead hides in the front of the elevator. Niklas looks down… Niklas: Oh all f€%king days. Anna stands next to him. Anna: … So he’s the sporty type. She looks at his ass. Cute ass. Then the elevator arrives at Niklas floor. Niklas walks out in shame, with his click-in shoes tapping on the floor. He thinks to himself. Niklas: Never cycling to work again! Scene 8 – Lift - Day Winter: Niklas and Anna are on opposite sides of the elevator, they are on their way home from the Christmas party… In the corner a couple are going at it, kissing aggressively. Anna and Niklas are both super uncomfortable with the situation. They ignore each other. Scene 9 – Lift - Day A montage where we see them both standing in the lift, waiting for the other. Scene 10 – Elevator - Day Then we walk into the elevator with Anna. She’s carrying a box with her belongings. She’s been fired. Anna stands at the back. Anna: … Last chance… I have to talk to him. The elevator starts descending, but it stops at the 19th floor. Niklas walks in. Anna looks down terrified. Niklas goes to the back, and stands next to her. We now see what they both are thinking. Both: F/€K Niklas: … Was she fired? She’s probably really emotional. Anna: … This is it. I could tell him I just got fired. Ask him if he’s up for some pity sex. The display counts us down. Anna: … Maybe not sex, maybe just some sushi… Niklas: … Wouldn’t it be romantic… Anna: On the day I got fired… Niklas: … She meet the love of her life… The music starts to build, as the display counts down. Anna: … It would be perfect… Niklas: … Maybe we’ll get married… Anna: … This summer… Niklas: … And we’ll forever be laughing… Anna: … At why we didn’t just say hi in the elevator… Niklas: … Just… Anna: … Turn… Niklas: … And… Anna: … Say… And now they both finally turn towards each other. Finally actually looking at each other for the first time. Niklas awardly smiles at Anna. But than! a pling gets in their way. The music stops. The doors open. The magic is lost. Niklas looks away. Anna hurrys out. And then from outside people start trickling in. The lift doors close, and Niklas is still stuck inside. Super: … Step out of your head… BIANCO.