Luca 2: The Complete Script

Scene 1 - Eyes On the Water

(We open over an apartment building at night. The light from the buildings cast a calm orange-yellow glow. There's a bit of a slow zoom in on the building before it cuts to one of the rooms inside, where we hear a gentle humming.)

(As the scene transfers, we see Mrs. Marcovaldo sitting on a bed with a five-year-old Giulia in front of her, with her hair being brushed by her mom as her mom hums the start of a short song before starting to sing.)

Canzone del Mare:

A coat of stone from a castello's ancient walls

But that will quell your skin.

From the rising waves, you will hear their calls

But you must not let them tempt you

You must not let them drown you.

(It cuts to the little Giulia snuggling under the covers as Mrs. Marcovaldo kisses her forehead.)

Mrs. Marcovaldo: Buonanotte, mia figlia. (Heading to the door, about to flip off the light)

Giulia: Mama?

Mrs. Marcovaldo: (Soft motherly smile, turning back to her) Yes?

Giulia: Are sea monsters real?

Mrs. Marcovaldo: (Hesitating) ...I can't say for sure, honey. I've never seen one.

Giulia: (Eyes lighting up) Do you think I'll get to see one? A-and maybe I can be best friends with one!!

Mrs. Marcovaldo: (Holding back a laugh) There's a million things you think you can't do. All you need is a chance to try.

(With that, she flips off the light and closes the door, leaving Giulia alone in her bed in the dark.)

Giulia: (Rolling over onto her side, whispering to herself) A chance to try...

(Birds chirp as it cuts to the next day. Giulia is in her room, using a plastic straining bowl for a helmet and duct-taping a metal pole to a butterfly net. She heads towards her bedroom door and grabs a book on her way out.)

Mrs. Marcovaldo: (The moment she's about to head out of the apartment) Where you going?

Giulia: To... catch a... fish...!

Mrs. Marcovaldo: (Smiling) Alright. Just remember... eyes on the water.

(It cuts to her arriving at the Genova beach and stepping up onto a rock in the shallow water before casting out her makeshift fishing net into the deeper water and resting it on the rock to hold it in place.)

(She plops down onto the rock to sit and watches excitedly, expecting her catch to come quickly. It fades into the next few minutes where she's reading her book, then another fade into her more boredly flipping through, before she's laying on her stomach and reading, then just laying on her back with the book over her stomach.)

(Suddenly, there's a tug on the net, and she darts to scoop it up out of the water, only to see a small fish caught in it.)

Giulia: (Slightly disappointed) You're not a sea monster... (Dipping the net back into the water to let the fish swim away)

(It cuts to Giulia entering the library with Mrs. Marcovaldo holding her hand. She quickly tugs it one direction when she notices a selection of sea monster-related books and happily starts looking through them.)

(It cuts to a now slightly older Giulia with binoculars, running out the door.)

Mrs. Marcovaldo: (Calling out to her) Eyes on the water!

(Using the binoculars, she looks out over the sea, hoping to catch glimpse of a sea monster. It then cuts to her on a boat over the water, but she finds nothing. There's even an instance where she hears someone say "It's all fake" to their friend while walking past a poster for a wanted sea monster. It's clear that she's losing faith.)

(The next time she walks into the library, she instead takes Mrs. Marcovaldo towards the space-related selection.)

Mrs. Marcovaldo: No sea monsters today?

Giulia: Mm-mm. (Flipping through one)

Mrs. Marcovaldo: (Gives her a slightly confused look from behind, but doesn't say anything)

(It now cuts to an even older Giulia redecorating her room in her mom's apartment with space-related objects and taking down her drawings and plans for sea monsters, and now spending her time reading about space and doodling planets.)

(Finally, it cuts to Giulia the school year before the first movie, in uniform and about to head out the door for school.)

Mrs. Marcovaldo: Giulia, wait.

Giulia: (Spinning around on her feet, slightly annoyed) What?

Mrs. Marcovaldo: Remember—eyes on the water.

Giulia: (Sigh) Mama, there's nothing in the water to be afraid of. Sea monsters aren't even real. What's that supposed to mean, anyway?

Mrs. Marcovaldo: (Raising an eyebrow, smiling) Go on. See you after school. (As she's heading out) Have a good day!