What follows is the result of an idea to connect the field of philosophy and thought with the world of drama. Let us choose sentences to ponder from the statements of the members of the philosophical group, which are archived in the “Chistiha Blog” (http://chistiha.blogfa.com); and after manipulating the concepts of those statements, and doing a brief exercise and editing, let us create a dramatic idea that will continue to form another dialogue, another concept, and another thought.
In the principles of drama writing, “ideation” and “drafting” have a specific method; but we tried to be one step before the idea and the plot. At the same stage of mental spark or, in our own words, the “study” stage, where the writer’s hand is open to writing down any image, concept, or point. Here, we have not limited ourselves to not mentioning the technical instructions, performance arrangements, dialogue, staging, and other matters, and left them for more detailed plans; on the contrary, we have completely written down whatever came to mind at the moment.
During our group meetings, we came to the conclusion that it was not necessary to obtain refined and precise plans from our conversations. It was only necessary to immediately edit and record everything that came to mind in an instant as a “study.”
And now we share the same with you. May these exercises and sketches be the beginning of a path to step on a bridge between philosophy and drama.
Ideas on the Bridge from Philosophy to Drama: Etude One Hundred and Seventeen
Note: These sketches have been registered with the Islamic Culture and Guidance Department. And the intellectual property belongs to the author.
These sketches are only allowed to be republished on the “Chistiha” site.
Idea number one hundred and seven
Etude 107
Short film
In an old, dusty alley. We are in an atmosphere similar to the atmospheres of the novel Sal Belwa (Abbas Marouf), or similar to the films of Bahram Bayzai (Klagh). The sound of a few devilish children. Here is a city dweller standing next to the city dweller’s box. The faces of disheveled and slightly terrifying beggars, with a distorted look. The children are from afar through the dust. The children are here around this box. They don’t move much. They are standing. Hands in their pants pockets. They look at each other. There is also a teenager on the other side. He hesitantly comes forward to look. He was more focused on the back of the box before. He takes a step forward. He puts his hand in his pocket to give money. Coins in his fist.
Inside the box are photos of European city views of that time.
After three photos, the teenager proudly turns to the city dweller and asks: “Where is this?”
The city dweller’s face and look: No answer.
Inside the box are photos of European city views; one after another. One after another. This rotation accelerates. Accelerates. Until it reaches nothing in a very fast circle.
The face of a man looking up from something. We recognize this relatively old man. He is the same teenager. There is dust on his head and the skin on his face is dry. It seems that more than his life, this strong understanding has brought him to this day and that he should not be so old now.
He looks up from his mobile phone. This is a mobile phone shop. And the salesman, who is very well-groomed, is the same city-dweller. Who has become young and modern. And we don’t recognize him very well; except with great care.
The old man reaches into his pocket and takes out his bank card from his wallet. Still in amazement. He asks: “Where is this money?”
The face of the young mobile phone seller: A questioning, surprised and astonished look.
The young mobile phone seller: (while holding the old man’s bank card in his hand) Look at him. Written on the back.
The man comes out of the shop door and, holding the mobile phone box in his hand, looks at the window of the same shop. He is still standing. Point of view of his gaze at the window. At the windows. One after another. In a mobile phone arcade where no one moves. If there are people, they stand alone, one by one. This rotation and passing through the middle of the arcade accelerates. It accelerates. The windows behind the windows. All the images reach nothing in a relentless, faster and faster rotation.
The sound of the car horns prevents us from hearing the sound of the fountain in the park. The tired man sits on the bench in this park. A park that looks deserted at this time of day. The man has opened the box. And holds the mobile phone in his hand, looking. Behind him, in the distance, one by one, young people, each with their head in their mobile phones, pass by. Maybe three young people.
Point of view of the man on the mobile phone: The old man is seeing his own face in the blackness of the mobile phone screen. Some time passes. Suddenly, an SMS from the telecommunications company: a congratulatory message about buying a SIM card and an advertisement about how much you can get charged if you pay, etc. The rest of the message is under the end credits. During the credits, a child passes in front of the man’s feet. We only see his feet. It has gone from right to left; in a slightly slower image. End.
Idea number one hundred and seven
Etude 107
Short film
In an old, dusty alley. We are in an atmosphere similar to the atmospheres of the novel Sal Belwa (Abbas Marouf), or similar to the films of Bahram Bayzai (Klagh). The sound of a few devilish children. Here is a city dweller standing next to the city dweller’s box. The faces of disheveled and slightly terrifying beggars, with a distorted look. The children are from afar through the dust. The children are here around this box. They don’t move much. They are standing. Hands in their pants pockets. They look at each other. There is also a teenager on the other side. He hesitantly comes forward to look. He was more focused on the back of the box before. He takes a step forward. He puts his hand in his pocket to give money. Coins in his fist.
Inside the box are photos of European city views of that time.
After three photos, the teenager proudly turns to the city dweller and asks: “Where is this?”
The city dweller’s face and look: No answer.
Inside the box are photos of European city views; one after another. One after another. This rotation accelerates. Accelerates. Until it reaches nothing in a very fast circle.
The face of a man looking up from something. We recognize this relatively old man. He is the same teenager. There is dust on his head and the skin on his face is dry. It seems that more than his life, this strong understanding has brought him to this day and that he should not be so old now.
He looks up from his mobile phone. This is a mobile phone shop. And the salesman, who is very well-groomed, is the same city-dweller. Who has become young and modern. And we don’t recognize him very well; except with great care.
The old man reaches into his pocket and takes out his bank card from his wallet. Still in amazement. He asks: “Where is this money?”
The face of the young mobile phone seller: A questioning, surprised and astonished look.
The young mobile phone seller: (while holding the old man’s bank card in his hand) Look at him. Written on the back.
The man comes out of the shop door and, holding the mobile phone box in his hand, looks at the window of the same shop. He is still standing. Point of view of his gaze at the window. At the windows. One after another. In a mobile phone arcade where no one moves. If there are people, they stand alone, one by one. This rotation and passing through the middle of the arcade accelerates. It accelerates. The windows behind the windows. All the images reach nothing in a relentless, faster and faster rotation.
The sound of the car horns prevents us from hearing the sound of the fountain in the park. The tired man sits on the bench in this park. A park that looks deserted at this time of day. The man has opened the box. And holds the mobile phone in his hand, looking. Behind him, in the distance, one by one, young people, each with their head in their mobile phones, pass by. Maybe three young people.
Point of view of the man on the mobile phone: The old man is seeing his own face in the blackness of the mobile phone screen. Some time passes. Suddenly, an SMS from the telecommunications company: a congratulatory message about buying a SIM card and an advertisement about how much you can get charged if you pay, etc. The rest of the message is under the end credits. During the credits, a child passes in front of the man’s feet. We only see his feet. It has gone from right to left; in a slightly slower image. End.
Author: B. Khosravani
It is recalled that any copying and extraction of these ideas, from an ethical and legal perspective, is only possible by mentioning the address, and use for performance will only be possible if the author’s written consent is obtained.