This particular text was maybe a perfect storm. My practice, teaching English, was at its peak. Unfortunately my relationship with my daughter’s mother had deteriorated and she was now trying to control everything through the courts. It was professionally the best time in my life. Personally it was pretty terrible dealing with someone who refused to ever make rational decisions about anything.

Is this about anger towards women? It’s very possible that this is true. Is this the only intent? No, not at all. And in fact, though my text might have some anger towards women, I think this is the most feminine text I’ve ever been a part of and the fact that I had three teenage female writing partners for it should tell you everything you need to know.

As I said, I was well established as a teacher and nobody planned on leaving the lessons early. The economy was reasonably stable at this moment and so there seemed to be a group of top grade girls hanging in there in spring even though most of the work of perfecting their English had already been accomplished. We decided, or I offered and they agreed, to try and write a screenplay. The screenplay would be a sequel to Pod Kablukom, or at least what happens next in the story. The girls and I read the play and after it was over I told them my idea for a new scenario.

At the ending of the play, nobody is exactly sure of anything except that the American had been rather disruptive and that nobody actually had achieved any happiness from anything. What happens next to me was that from this damage should arise a Phoenix. Perhaps with her relationship with Edward damaged and the possibility of something existing with Robert in America, Nadia decides to go there and take her chances.

She has amazing good fortune right off the plane and the photographer offers to shoot some pictures for a percentage of her first contract. She takes the deal, has a brief romance with the fellow and makes sure that he follows through on his promises. And he did and it turns out there was a modeling career in New York for Nadia.

Now it was 7 years later and Nadia was on the borderline of 30. She no longer had that youthful look about her and after an episode with a photographer, she decides that she’s had enough of New York. She was living with David who had plenty of money of his own and owned her apartment without mortgage. Nevertheless, she decides it’s time to go home to Pinsk to find something real.

The girls loved the story. They were all identifying with Nadia as a model of hope for young girls of the region. Everyone dreams of getting out and making it in the real world. This is a perfect story because it is exactly what is on the mind of teenage girls who come from here. They agreed to work with me on the text.

Most of the ideas from the timeline were mine at the beginning. However, there were several scenes that were added after the original writing as a request from a filmmaker who was negotiating to make the film. He said that according to his measurement, we needed 10 more minutes of material and I wrote out and tried to fully realize the episode around visiting the theater. I thought that would be pretty funny to have the play playing in the theater while she’s visiting.

The girls were there for the translations and added dialogue. I would propose a moment and ask how perhaps someone would talk or what they would say. Some of the greatest quotes were from the girls and not from me. And then with Katrina, I had the most important moment in the writing of this play and it concerned the ending. She rather plaintively explained to me that she couldn’t have her country depicted this way. She said that this was not who Belarusian men were. Hurt people were gentle and though they might feel great emotions, they would never do this as a practice. This open display of violence was not their way. She didn’t imply that it seemed to be very American or very Russian but I loved her argument and we pushed and pulled at the ending which I think turns out rather understandable. It’s also better. It’s all there. The violence is still there. But it’s not. And that was the best compromise.

The script has both languages on it. There are a few translations that miss the point. It started in English because I wrote it and it was an English class but we thought it was important to put the Russian on the page. I don’t think any of the girls were ashamed of the process or the result. I enjoyed this work as much as any as I’ve ever been a part of and I don’t know what else to say. They were the best of times and the worst of times and these three angels came through for me.

I have just reread the play and I think the story stands well enough. I think it’s a nuanced enough telling that you get to see deeply into the character and mind of the characters. It is interesting to debate Nadia’s motivation. It is at the center of the entire business. And of course, to appease the critics, I refused to have either a happy or even a decisive ending. Russians seem to think this is a better way to end films.

It is also a love letter to the town of Pinsk. This particular version that is here is gone and probably will never come back. This was a particular moment when nobody really had any idea what sort of transitions were about to transpire in the state. There was a lot of freedom while the infrastructure was being set up. Of course what was to happen was the Russian occupation of Belarus. Belarus did not argue. They just invited them in.

I believe Hope/Надежда to be pretty well written. It certainly got people’s attention for a while that we had such a property about Belarus. Of course you know what happened. A decision was made, ears were bent so, you know what happened. Still, great script. Check it out and let me know what you think.