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Tena Štivičić
FRAGILE!
 

Mila dreams of becoming a musical star. But as a start, she is only the star of an obscure club in North London, with the guests breaking glasses and pinching the star’s behind on a regular basis. Marko dreams of becoming a comedian. He is a waiter for the time being.

Gayle will become a famous fine artist some day, but is temporarily working with refugees. Tiasha has travelled Europe as a victim of trafficking. She has only dreamt of coming to London and finding someone who at one time, a while ago, promised her “forever”.

Erik used to be a war correspondent. He experienced an explosion at the Bosnian front and touched The Other Side. Today, the only purpose he sees in life is pleasure.

They all come to London searching for something they consider impossible to find anywhere else. While they are waiting for the moment when their dream life begins, their lives intertwine at Michi’s club. Here, they find something else, something they have not at all expected – maturity, more precisely “adulthood”. And the time they only considered to be a wait, actually turns out to be the key moment of their fates.

Scene 1: Michi's Bar

Marko, a Serb, has just arrived to London. He stops at Michi's bar, where he meets Mila, a Croatian girl who works there as a singer although she would like to perform in musicals and theatre. Marko has been advised to go to the bar by a profiteer – a »supplier« of Marko's father; the owner of the bar, Michi from Bulgaria, should help him get a job. Marko, who wishes to become a stand-up comedian, is indeed hired by Michi but as a waiter.

Scene 2: The Refugee Centre

Marta, a Bosnian refugee working as a cleaner, meets Tiasha, a trafficking victim from Russia who is waiting for the social worker, Gayle. Gayle appears and starts to quarrel with Marta because she has again thrown away Gayle's boxes – an art project, and done a superficial cleaning job by only cleaning half of the bathroom walls. Finally noticing Tiasha, Gayle sends Marta away and sits into the office with Tiasha.

Gayle explains some basic rules that Tiasha should consider while waiting for the asylum status: she will live at the refugee centre and get a small allowance, but will not be allowed to work for approximately two years. This makes Tiasha quite upset. She asks Gayle to find a friend of hers in London, a journalist who has been able to help her before. Although this is actually against the rules, Gayle agrees.

Scene 3: The Press Room

Erik, a Norwegian journalist, talks to a colleague on the phone. He is interrupted by Mila, who comes to see him. She inquires as to where he has been for the last few days, but Erik is evasive about it. She then asks him to tell her about Bosnia, but again with little success. She mentions that Michi would like to convince her to do striptease at his bar. Erik loves the idea, which upsets Mila somewhat, but she eventually gives herself to Erik.

Scene 4: The Apartment of Mila and Marko

With a bruised face from a bar fight, Marko comes home after work to find Mila and Erik stoned. Erik soon leaves as it is already six in the morning. Mila starts preparing for work; she also works as an attendant at an old people's home. Marko asks her why she chose Erik and tries to persuade her to leave him, saying that Erik could well cut her throat in her sleep after what he has been through. Angry, Mila says that this is more like Marko’s own heritage; although she regrets her words instantly, Marko goes to bed offended.

Scene 5: The Bird King

Tiasha tells the Bird King story: The people of a land worked very hard and were unhappy. The Bird King wanted to help them and offered to split their lives into the life of the body and the life of the heart; in this way, the body would be able to work hard and not feel the sadness. The people could entrust their hearts to someone who cared about them or to the Bird King and his birds. But there was a fire and the Bird King’s castle burnt to the ground. The birds had to fly away and took along all the hearts they kept. Blinded by the fire, however, they would never find their way back again.

Scene 6: Gayle and Erik at Michi’s Bar

Gayle tells Eric that Tiasha did not die in Bosnia, but that she is in London, looking for him. Erik’s reaction is fierce, but then he goes out to catch a breath of fresh air and clear his mind.

Gayle is approached by Marko, who starts flirting with her and convinces her to go on a date with him. He also mentions that Erik has a girlfriend, which surprises Gayle to a great degree.

Erik comes back and is ready to meet Tiasha. Gayle now doubts whether that is a good idea, but finally gives him Tiasha’s address.

When the guests leave, Michi starts convincing Marko to borrow some money from his father and become his partner in a good investment. Marko categorically refuses.

Scene 7: The Answering Machine

Mila leaves a message on Erik’s answering machine that she has got a part in a performance and that he should call her for them to celebrate.

Scene 8: The Refugee Centre

Meanwhile, Erik and Tiasha are at the refugee centre. Tiasha tells him how she was taken from Bosnia to Albania, then to Italy and finally to Finland, where she managed to escape. Seeing Erik reporting from South Africa, she knew he was still alive. Erik tries to make her understand that a lot of time has passed and that he is no longer like he used to be. Tiasha reminds him that he has once made a promise that they will be together forever. Erik admits that and responds positively when she asks him whether he still wants her.

Scene 9: Mila’s Monologue

Mila’s monologue on Erik and their love.

Scene 10: The Apartment of Mila and Marko

Gayle and Marko next to a full fridge. Marko fondles Gayle, who is not really in the mood as she has had a busy day. They are interrupted by Mila, who comes to change her clothes for work. After Mila leaves, Gayle and Marko talk about her and Erik. Gayle can hardly stop herself from telling Marko about Tiasha.

Scene 11: Erik at a Dance Club – Monologue

Erik explains to Tiasha that his friends in Norway would never understand their relationship.

Scene 12: Apartment of Mila and Marko – Almost a Kiss

Mila comes home after work to find Marko rather melancholic. His Belgrade friends have not been able to visit him because they could not get visas, and he has also not been successful at a comedy festival. He wonders whether life is really better here than at home. Mila tries to cheer him up.

Scene 13: Tiasha’s Monologue

Tiasha says that she would even go to Norway with Erik although it is too cold for her there. She feels that the two of them have been around the world together and that they could also venture to places together where they have not been.

Scene 14: Gayle’s Monologue

Thinking about Tiasha’s map, Gayle gets an idea for an exhibition. She fantasizes romantically about Marko, but has bad conscience because she did tell him about Tiasha in the end.

Scene 15: Marko at a Stand-up Comedy Festival

Marko performs at a stand-up comedy festival.

Scene 16: Settling Old Scores at Michi’s

Michi, Mila, Marko and Erik are celebrating Michi’s birthday. Mila is in a bad mood because her director cut out the last of her monologues. It soon turns out that she took her clothes off in the performance; Michi is enraged because he has long been persuading her to do striptease at his bar. Marko is on Mila’s side. At the peak of tension, Gayle appears. In his anger, Erik reveals to those present that Marko is a son of an important communist – a war profiteer, and accuses him of double morality because he helps himself with father’s connections. Marko says that this was the reason he left home in the first place and that he is not connected with his father’s doings in any way. Erik replies that Marko owes Mila the entire truth about himself. Marko replies that she should find out about Tiasha as well. Shocked and upset at Marko betraying her trust, Gayle leaves.

Scene 17: Six Months Later – Marta’s Monologue

Marta feels that people do not know her because they never really look at her and wonders why that is so difficult.

Scene 18: Michi Closes His Bar Down

Having lost a lot of money at bets, Michi is forced to close down his bar and think about his future. He also has to fire Marko and Mila.

Scene 19: Erik and Marta at the Bar

Erik comes to the closed bar hoping to find Michi, but the only person there is the cleaner Marta. Erik is leaving. Marta guesses correctly that he is actually running away, but wishes him luck and warns him to take care of himself.

Scene 20: The Dubrovnik Restaurant

Mila and Tiasha meet at the Dubrovnik Restaurant. Mila would like to know why Tiasha actually came, whether she loves Erik, whether he has called her and whether she will wait for him. Although he has not called her, Tiasha is willing to wait for Erik because her heart belongs to him.

Scene 21: Michi at the Barber’s

Michi reflects on life. He feels it like a lump in his throat that burns and suffocates him all the time and he is not able to get rid of.

Scene 22: Stabbed Mila

Mila is stabbed on her way to work. Panicked, she wants to call her mother, but does not have enough phone credit to do so.

Scene 23: Michi’s Bar

Tiasha, now working for Michi, is going to Kosovo to bring two more girls. Michi has doubts about the new bar activities and his business with Tiasha, but she convinces him that there is no danger for them to get caught.

Scene 24: Farewell

Marko visits Gayle at her office. He tells her what happened to Mila.

Marko goes with Mila to the airport; she is returning home. She is partly glad because she has never really felt at home in London.

Gayle regrets that she tried to help Tiasha find Erik. Marko tries to soothe her by saying Tiasha would have found Erik anyway. Gayle says she has stopped making art and has entirely devoted herself to social work.

Marko says to Mila jokingly that she should take him along, and she rejects him in the same fashion.

Gayle explains embittered that visas should be given to all foreigners – for them to be deported after three years if they failed to succeed. Resigned, she congratulates Marko for having succeeded as a comedian.

In the moment when Marko tries to make a confession to Mila, her phone rings. Erik has been killed in Baghdad.

Marko admits to Gayle that he owes a great deal of his success to Erik’s stories about Bosnia. He is going to Norway to attend the funeral and invites Gayle to go along. Unable to forget the past events, Gayle refuses. This is their last goodbye.

Scene 25: Cigarettes Kill

Erik and Marta talk about cigarettes – everyone in the world agrees they kill.

Scene 26: Prologue/Epilogue – Dreams Sweet Dreams

Mila and Marko walk by the river, drink coffee and chat. They chance upon Marta, now a homeless person. She plays them a song which they, although of different nationalities, both feel as “theirs”, from their homelands. Mila invites Marko to move into her apartment.