MERCEDES-BENZ - FOREVER YOUNG
Title | MERCEDES-BENZ - FOREVER YOUNG |
Brand | DAIMLER AG |
Product/Service | MERCEDES-BENZ |
Category |
A02. Script |
Entrant
|
ANORAK Berlin, GERMANY
|
Idea Creation
|
ANTONI Berlin, GERMANY
|
Production
|
ANORAK Berlin, GERMANY
|
Credits
Christiane Dressler |
ANORAK Film GmbH |
Executive Producer |
Yan Schoenefeld |
ANORAK Film GmbH |
Producer |
François Rousselet |
ANORAK Film GmbH |
Director |
Benoit Debie |
/ |
Director Of Photography |
Miyako Bellizzi |
/ |
Wardrobe Stylist |
Rene Navarrette |
/ |
Production Designer |
Amanda James |
Final Cut |
Editor |
Jacob Ipsen |
sec studio |
Editor |
Christian Wegehenkel |
Slaughterhouse GmbH, Berlin |
Post Production Producer |
Henning Knoepfel |
Soundtree Music Ltd., London |
Sound Design |
Luis Almau |
/ |
Music |
Luke Fabia |
/ |
Music |
Matthias Schmidt |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin |
Managing Director |
Tilman Gossner |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin |
Executive Creative Director |
Marcell Franke |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin |
Executive Creative Director |
Veit Moeller |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG |
Executive Creative Director |
Alice Bottaro |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin |
Creative Director |
Caio Batista |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG |
Art Director |
André Santa Cruz |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin |
Copywriter |
Alice Bottaro |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin |
Scriptwriter |
André Santa Cruz |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin |
Scriptwriter |
Veit Moeller |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG |
Scriptwriter |
François Rousselet |
ANORAK Film GmbH |
Scriptwriter |
Eric Schmid |
/ |
Scriptwriter |
Stephanie Dzionara |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin |
Strategist |
Robin Weintraut |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG |
Account Director |
Negin Ghanizadeh |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin |
Account Manager |
Sebastiaan Peters |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin |
Agency Producer |
Florian Zizmann |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG |
Agency Producer |
Geraldine Gramenz-Hohlbein |
antoni garage GmbH & Co. KG |
Head of TV |
Write a short summary of what happens in the film
Rob, our protagonist, is stuck between work and the usual expectations of grown up life. With no free time and too many mails to read, he has slowly forgotten his passions and the things that used to make him happy. Until one day he is confronted with his 16-years old self: raw, honest and sometimes annoying like every teenager, his younger self helps Rob to face some harsh truths – and find the joy of being alive and carefree again, for example while going on an exciting night ride.
Provide the full film script in English.
01 - INT. HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM IN THE 1990S — DAY
We open on the sneakers of teenagers beating time on the bleachers.
Looking at the center court of the gym, a high school band with a few
cheerleaders, playing for a school audience.
Cut to YOUNG ROB at age 16, having the time of his life playing on his
drum kit.
We hear Adult Rob’s voice over the scene.
ROB (VO)
Do you recall that moment when
everything in the world was
alright? I was 16.
A close-up on the crash cymbal sounds the end of that memory.
02 - INT. ROB’S APARTMENT, BEDROOM – MORNING
Rob sleeps with the sheets away, a hoodie on, laptop on the bed beside
him. Long work night. Rob is awaken not by his alarm clock, but with an
insistent buzzing. His fingers feel his phone on the floor.
Rob checks text. Early 30s, he’s looking worth for wear.
He scrolls up to the top of all-caps panic text messages over the
screen - BETA CRASHED - WE R SCREWED
ROB
Shit.
Cut to Rob splashing his face of water —and drinking from the tap—
hurriedly getting dressed running around. No time for a shower. The
coffee machine pours fast. He puts his sneakers on. Meanwhile he
listens on the phone as angry voices come from the speaker.
ANGRY FEMALE VOICE (speaker)
…ships in less than two weeks and we're
still crashing…
BOSS (speaker)
It was working last night. It was working
the night before. What are you guys saying?
Suddenly the coffee overflows.
03 - INT. ROB’S CLA – MORNING
Rob is stuck in a traffic jam and mumbles with frustration.
Rob's now on a call with a coder (his phone now connected to the
speaker of the car) trying to take the situation in hand.
CODER (speakerphone)
…screen says that's an unimplemented
trap. It's calling a routine that is
not there. It's a system error—
ROB
How bad are you saying?
04 - EXT. OFFICE PARKING LOT – MORNING
Sun just coming up. Rob pulls into a high up parking lot and then-
The CLA brakes abruptly as a young woman hurrying, hard to see in the
dawn light, passes in front of Rob’s car. He’s still on the conference
call.
The woman, with a mischievous rock’n’roll look beneath the professional
exterior, gives Rob a WTF?! gesture. This is CHLOE.
Rob does the apologetic gesture, but you can tell the encounter barely
registers with him; he’s focused on the call.
05 - INT. ROB’S OFFICE – DAY
As soon as Rob arrives, a coder jumps on him. Rob barely takes his eyes
off his screen, sending texts and emails, not listening.
Typical open plan digital workplace. Robs seems to be the team leader
on this floor, with his own office area in the thick of it. The office
fills up with coders and developers, all in crisis mode.
Rob eventually sits at his desk covered of an organised mess, tossing
his phone aside. He spends on his chair, exhales, when his boss knocks
on the glass panel as he walks by, trying to cheer him up. Rob barely
opened his laptop and closed it immediately.
ROB'S BOSS
A face that's begging for caffeine.
06 - INT. ROB’S OFFICE, BREAK ROOM - DAY
INSERT: fingers with blue nails hand a mug of hot Americano.
CHLOE (O.S.)
What was that on the parking lot?
You almost ran me over!
ROB
(cheeky/sarcastic)
Chloe turns to Rob while pouring herself another coffee. She’s in shock
(with a smile). They taunt each other all the time. She looks great.
Sly and smart. She looks down at Rob's tatty-looking shoes.
ROB
(re: Chloe's shirt)
I saw them. The good old days…
CHLOE
I wish I did. Just bought it
second hand…
(pause)
You get out to see any music these
days?
Chloe starts laughing.
ROB
Naa… It's full of kids.
CHLOE
We should quit and open a place for
people like us…
ROB's phone is buzzing on the table.
CHLOE (CONT’D)
(a gulp of coffee)
There's some music for you....
Chloe waves as she exits with her coffee.
07 - INT. ROB’S APARTMENT, BEDROOM / STAIRS – NIGHT
Rob has collapsed, fully dressed on his bed.
From the kitchen, a rustling sound. A thump. Rob wakes up. Someone’s
moving around out there. He silently goes down the stairs, a baseball
bat in his hand.
08 - INT. ROB’S APARTMENT, KITCHEN — NIGHT
Out to the kitchen. Someone is indeed digging around in the
refrigerator, a silhouette looking for a snack. He seems a little
disgusted by all the healthy stuffs.
YOUNG ROB
Ew!
The overhead light comes on and that someone turns around. It’s Rob at
age 16, the bottle of OJ in the hand. Adult Rob stares at his younger
self, who is smiling mischievously, but his smile fades when he sees
Adult Rob’s shocked expression.
YOUNG ROB
Dude, don’t freak out…
ROB
Who're… You’re… me!
YOUNG ROB
No duh!
ROB
What the… It's—
ROB & YOUNG ROB (unison)
— crazy.
YOUNG ROB
I know.
Young Rob looks like he wants to laugh, his older self looks freaked
out. Young Rob sits on the kitchen benchtop. He takes in Adult Rob’s
appearance: bed-headed, pale and stubbly, a little worn out.
YOUNG ROB
We look like shit. I mean you.
Rob drops in the couch still dazed. Finally:
ROB
Okay, I gonna have a shower.
You can go back to the Nineties.
09 - INT. ROB’S APARTMENT, BATHROOM, BEDROOM — MORNING
Rob rinses off in the shower, muttering quietly to himself. He steps in
the bedroom, pants already on…
…to find his younger self lying on the bed, holding Rob’s iPhone and
staring at the flickering screen in amazement. Porn sounds come from
the speaker.(ALT: Explicit Rap video sounds come from the speaker)
YOUNG ROB
(awed)
Future is rad…
(off Rob’s still-stunned look)
Yo, pinch yourself, your sixteen
year-old self is in the house, okay?
Rob nods. Still having his doubts.
He grabs a shirt and leaves the bedroom.
10 - INT. ROB’S APARTMENT, KITCHEN / LIVING ROOM — DAY
Rob picks up the empty bottle of OJ from the fridge, giving a mad look
toward his younger self.
Young Rob is sitting loosely on the couch, talking loud from the living
room, before Rob reappears.
YOUNG ROB
Hey, I couldn't find our drums.
Do we still have a band?
ROB
No time for that.
Young Rob looks really disappointed. Hurt.
YOUNG ROB
And my CDs?
(he looks around)
No posters? No kicks? Man!
Rob laughs at how much the world has changed. Dressed for work, he
looks for his phone. The phone suddenly rings in Young Rob’s hand.
Incoming call. Young Rob looks at the screen.
YOUNG ROB (CONT’D)
Wait, this is a phone, too?
11A - EXT. ROB’S APARTMENT, STREET – DAY
Rob's hurtling down the stairs of the residence, laptop under his arm,
already texting. Young Rob follows him, sliding on the handrail of the
staircase — like kids do.
Rob hurries towards his CLA parked in front of his apartment's
building, while his teenage self tries to keep up, talking a mile a
minute.
YOUNG ROB
So what happened was — I was in algebra
class, looking at my teacher droning on,
thinking, man, I hope I'm not such a loser
when I'm his age, and then — boom, I'm here…
Rob, concentrating on his text, prentends the kid is not there. He
opens the car door using his smartphone. They both jumps into the CLA.
YOUNG ROB
...and I gotta tell you, so far I'm not at all...
His younger self slams the door and shifts his tone.
YOUNG ROB (CONT'D) ...impressed. Nice ride!
The CLA rushes off like a shot into the street.
11B - INT. ROB’S CLA, DRIVING – DAY
We see Rob driving his CLA to work, while Young Rob is headbanging on the heavy music blasting in the car. Rob can't stand it. He switches the rock music station to a finance news radio using the gesture control feature.
YOUNG ROB
Dow-Jones-stocks blah blah blah.
12 - INT. ROB’S OFFICE BUILDING, ELEVATOR – DAY
Rob and his teen self squeeze into the elevator. Rob swipes at his phone. So does everyone else. Young Rob watches them.
YOUNG ROB
Future people are obssesed about those
things, huh?
ROB
Quiet.
Everyone on the elevator glances at Rob... all silent.
YOUNG ROB
Dude, you know I'm invisible, right?
13 - INT. ROB’S OFFICE – DAY
Cut to a montage sequence. Rob goes through his adult workday, while Young Rob loiters around before he soon grows bored.
Rob in a conference room, slumped on his chair, listening to an arrogant monologue of his boss. Rob glances at the Boy next to him who has a tech magazine with Rob's boss on the cover, and has drawn all sorts of graffiti (even a speech bubble saying, “Hello, I'm a dick”). Rob stifles a laugh.
Rob's on his laptop, typing fast, when... Young Rob sneakers jump on the desk. Young Rob is slouched in Adult Rob’s office chair, his feet on his desk. He opens soda cans, while Rob's trying to focus.
Cut to Young Rob riding a skateboard in the middle of all those grown- ups desks. Rob glances at him across the glass window of his cubicle.
Chloe leans in.
CHLOE
You're wired in?
Rob is working his headphones on. He looks up at Chloe. Young Rob stops pounding his laps with drum sticks and sits up, instantly smitten.
ROB
(removing his headphones)
Hey.
YOUNG ROB
Hey.
CHLOE
So... my friend got food poisoning,
shrimp tacos, apparently — so I have an extra ticket for tonight. Joining?
YOUNG ROB
Cool, who's playing?
ROB
Ooh. Yeah. We launch tomorrow
.
CHLOE
Yup. School night. We'll get you home early. Promise.
Rob shakes his head with a regretful expression. Chloe gets it, but she’s cool, calling out as she exits:
CHLOE (CONT’D)
You’re gonna regret it...
When she’s gone Young Rob jumps out of the chair to sit on the desk.
YOUNG ROB
Tell me we’ve a thing with her.
ROB
Naah. Not cool. She works here.
YOUNG ROB
Dude! what's wrong with you? She's
hot, she's smart and cool. And she has tickets!
ROB
Seriously, office relationships are frowned upon.
YOUNG ROB (surrender)
Frowning on anything cool seems to be a thing 'round here. Whatever.
Rob watches the Boy walking away: a vibrant and curious presence in this office of overworked, overly serious grown-ups.
Cut to the Boy asleep on a couch in the office. Rob, calling for a long day, wakes him up as he passes by.
14 - INT. ROB’S CLA (DRIVING) – NIGHT
The CLA runs by night in an almost empty avenue.
Rob drives. Young Rob just looks out the window at the world of his future. He seems down. Really sad, actually. Both of them are quiet.
ROB
What are you thinking?
Young Rob looks away. We see a little tear slip down his cheek. He wipes it quickly. His older self doesn’t notice.
ROB
Nothing? No wise-ass observations?
YOUNG ROB
Stop. STOP!!!!
Rob brakes and pulls over to the side of the road.
15 - EXT. ROADSIDE – NIGHT (CONTINUOUS)
Young Rob jumps out of the CLA and starts walking away. Rob gets out, calls after him.
ROB
What's that? What are you doing?
YOUNG ROB
Getting away from you.
ROB
Hey! You know nothing about life.
Young Rob whirls on his older self.
YOUNG ROB
You call this life? You turned us
into that boring old man! Look at you, dude, you're not fun. You don’t do anything except work.
You don’t love anything, or anyone
.
ROB
Wait—
YOUNG ROB
I mean, is there anything in your life you don't have to plug in and charge?
ROB (sarcastic)
Get over it! It just happened.
YOUNG ROB
You suck! You sold our drums, man.
We were good!
This seems to break through Rob’s denial. Rob starts to answer, but seems to know his answer is lame and anyway his younger self cuts him off.
ROB
Yeah. I just—
Young Rob calms down finally. His older self looks ashamed.
YOUNG ROB
Don ́t you remember, (QUOTE TO BE RECORD LATER)
ROB
Did I say that?
YOUNG ROB (shot from a wide)
That's from our poster in our room!
A beat, as Rob realises his younger self has a point. Then:
ROB (CONT’D)
You hungry?
Close up of "Send Address to car" feature.
16 - EXT. BURGER JOINT (OR TAQUERIA) - NIGHT
We cut to a new montage sequence. Rob and his young self eat burgers leaning against the CLA under the neon lights. At the same time, both remove the pickles from their burgers. They exchange a look and smile.
The CLA's running windows down and Young Rob's enjoying the night.
17 - EXT. MOTEL POOL – NIGHT
The two Robs jump over a wall; it’s hard for old Rob, but his younger self gives him a hand. They find a big pool (of a gritty motel) glowing irresistibly in the night. They both strip down, before jumping in.
The receptionist comes in; they grab their clothes and scramble off, laughing.
18 - EXT. BEACH – NIGHT
In a wide of the Beach at a bright night, we see the two silhouettes running breathless on the beach. Rob tackles the Boy on the sand — like kids again.
They break in an abandoned lifeguard stand covered in graffiti, climbing on the roof. The two Robs are sitting side by side, feet dangling, watching the ocean.
YOUNG ROB
Listen, I don't know how much longer
I gonna be here for....so....before I go back to algrebra class. I want you to teach me something.
ROB
Yeah? Like what?
19 - INT. ROB’S CLA - NIGHT
Rob is behind the wheel and young Rob sits next to him.
ROB
Buckle up !
Rob flips the car into drive and stomps the gas, pinning Young Rob back in his seat as the CLA’s.
20 - EXT. EMPTY PORT OF MIAMI – NIGHT
A wide open, deserted stretch of concrete - the perfect automotive playground. We see the CLA launching like a rocket, passing under the gantries. Rob shows to his young self that, like the CLA, he was holding the fun in reserve until now.
INTERCUT INTERIOR/EXTERIOR as Rob pushes the CLA, pedal to the floor, shifting up gears, the front wheel in the camera, while he and Young Rob hoot and holler like lunatics as the music blasts and the engine revs.
Cut close on Young Rob, in the passenger’s seat, a look of euphoria on his face as the car spins in slow motion. Just like at his drums.
Rob power slides the CLA to a stop. Turns off the music. All we hear is the engine’s powerful idling hum.
The two Robs look at each other, grinning ear to ear. Rob the adult looks happy at last, flushed, eyes shining, fully alive.
We look at Rob. Rob looks back to Young Rob - but Young Rob is gone. Rob get's out of the car. Buffeled. Reflects upon the situation.
Rob looks around. Nothing but the empty Miami port all around.
21 - EXT. EMPTY PORT OF MIAMI – NIGHT
Rob gets into car. Calls to his Mercedes:
ROB (OS)
Hey Mercedes, call Chloe.
We hear the phone dialing. The CLA rushes off in front of the camera, driving through Miami by night.
Rob smiles and look (back) in the rear mirror.
21B - INT. GYM – NIGHT
Close-up on Young Rob hammering on his drums.
He hits the cymbal as if he was closing his set.
Cut to black.
SUPER: THE NEW CLA. PLAY BY YOUR RULES. [MERCEDES BENZ LOGO]
22 - INT. CHLOE’S APARTMENT - EARLY MORNING
We follow her bare feet padding across the floor of her lived-in apartment. Chloe with a sleepy head, stops short: someone is sitting on the counter of her kitchen, a bowl of cereal in her hand.
It’s Chloe at age 15.
YOUNG CHLOE
(looking at Chloe's smartphone)
Hey, that thing keeps ringing...
CUT TO BLACK [CLOSING CREDITS]
FIN.