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The Lazaretto
Plunged into an appalling, makeshift quarantine, a mother, father and a very special little girl struggle to survive as a terrified world fights to contain a hideous plague of unknown origin.
► Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi (Rated PG-13)
► 96-page feature screenplay
► 4-page synopsis
► $10+ million budget
► © 2010-2023
A little girl. Her illustrated Bible. The end of the world.
The Lazaretto is in the vein of Shyamalan's spiritual opus "Signs", but instead of invading aliens has an apocalyptic/Rapture theme. It is a contemporary, intense drama that audiences may interpret merely as a semi-zombie movie, but it is actually a metaphor of the consequences of submission and denial in the face of authority.
As I wrote the story, I thought of the concentration camp film "The Grey Zone", which I had just seen, but in the era of COVID we may even imagine a contemporary analogy. Ultimately, it has a faith-based sensibility - though certainly not in a "traditional" way - at least, less than "Signs".
With this in mind, you can count on an especially complex, enigmatic but inspiring finale.
Essentially, the apocalyptic story-line may attract the audience, but the story is actually very grounded in execution.
Lastly, I write for diverse casts and the unexpected, and have provided this story with a spectacular setting with no SFX needed: Boston's monolithic "Government Center", a people-dwarfing example of Brutalist architecture. After all, the location is a metaphor for a concentration camp. But, most cities have such architecture if you wanted to retain the retain the look and can't shoot in Boston.
Major Characters/Casting Possibilities:
► Parents Rachel Walton, 28 years, and Sam, 29
► Penny Walton, 6
► Madeleine Shaten, 50
► Fellow residents Mikhail, 35; Mr. and Mrs. Wellington, 65; Raj and Mehreen Dhaliwal, 40
Accolades:
Semi-Finalist (Faith in Film: International Screenwriting Competition 2022)
