The Umber Unfurling

### THE UMBER UNFURLING

**LOGLINE**

A reclusive librarian, drawn to a mysterious artist at an autumn fair, finds his quiet, ordered world unraveling as he's pulled into the orbit of her unspoken, and possibly dangerous, past.

**SYNOPSIS**

In the low, autumnal light of a cavernous community hall, ARNIE (40s), a meticulous and quiet librarian, finds himself captivated by a stall of "repurposed curios." He is particularly drawn to a small, exquisitely carved wooden bird. The stall's proprietor, BARBIE (late 30s), is an enigmatic woman with a haunted, watchful quality. Their conversation, sparked by the bird, is a delicate dance of cryptic answers and probing questions. Arnie, a man who lives by catalogs and order, is unsettled yet fascinated by Barbie's philosophy of objects having their own stories and "needing a new life." He senses a deep, unspoken narrative beneath her composed surface, symbolized by a tarnished silver locket she wears. As the conversation deepens, Barbie hints at a life spent in motion, "outrunning ghosts" and fearing the danger of stillness. Despite his instincts for safety and routine, Arnie is undeniably drawn to her mystery. As the fair closes, she extends a quiet invitation to her nearby studio, an offer that feels both like a promise and a warning. Choosing to step out of the safety of his shelved existence, Arnie accepts, committing himself to a path that promises to be both thrilling and perilous.

**CHARACTER BREAKDOWN**

* **ARNIE (40s):** A quiet, meticulous librarian. Dressed in a slightly rumpled tweed jacket, with wire-rimmed spectacles perpetually perched on his nose. He lives a life of careful order and has grown comfortable with being invisible. He is analytical and thoughtful, but possesses a deep, untapped well of curiosity and a longing for connection. He feels "seen" for the first time by Barbie, and this feeling is powerful enough to make him question his own safe, stationary existence.

* **BARBIE (late 30s):** An enigmatic artist and collector. She has dark, expressive eyes and a quiet intensity that can be both alluring and unnerving. Her hands, though slender, are calloused, suggesting a life of physical creation and perhaps hardship. She speaks in gentle ambiguities, hinting at a troubled past she is constantly running from. She is perceptive, seeing straight through Arnie's reserved exterior, and carries the weight of her history with a fragile, melancholic grace, symbolized by the old silver locket she never takes off.

**SCENE BEATS**

* **THE APPROACH:** In a large, chilly hall filled with the gentle hum of a craft fair, ARNIE, a fish out of water, approaches BARBIE’s stall, a curated island of intriguing, forgotten objects.

* **THE OBJECT OF INTEREST:** Arnie’s attention is fixed on a tiny, perfectly carved wooden lark. He asks if it’s hers, his voice uncharacteristically gravelly.

* **THE MYSTERY BEGINS:** Barbie is evasive. She doesn't claim ownership, instead saying the bird "found its way to me." This simple, strange statement immediately disrupts Arnie's logical worldview.

* **A SHADOW OF THE PAST:** Prodded, she calls it a gift from an "old project." A fleeting shadow crosses her face, the first clear sign of a painful history connected to her art.

* **A DEEPER CONNECTION:** Arnie, unable to leave, asks about her other creations. They share a moment of intense, unbroken eye contact. For the first time in years, Arnie feels truly *seen*.

* **THE SIGNIFICANT SYMBOL:** Arnie notices a tarnished, ancient-looking silver locket around her neck. His librarian's intuition screams that it holds a heavy, significant story, but a primal instinct warns him not to ask.

* **THE UNRAVELING:** The conversation shifts. She correctly identifies him as a librarian and gently probes the quiet nature of his life.

* **HINTS OF DANGER:** Barbie’s gentle philosophy takes a dark turn. She speaks of the "deceptive" nature of quiet, and of "things you've been trying to outrun." The subtext of danger becomes palpable.

* **THE GHOSTS:** She confesses that "everyone has ghosts," and that stillness can feel "dangerous." Arnie realizes he is not just talking to an artist, but to a fugitive from her own past.

* **THE INVITATION:** The fair begins to close, the atmosphere growing colder and emptier. Sensing Arnie's reluctance to let the moment end, Barbie invites him to her studio near the old canal lock. It’s an open door into her mysterious world.

* **THE POINT OF NO RETURN:** A battle of instinct versus impulse plays out on Arnie's face. He is a man of safety, she is a woman of shadows. He makes his choice. With a mix of fear and exhilaration, he accepts her offer, knowingly stepping off his predictable path and into the unfurling mystery of her life.

**VISUAL STYLE**

* **PALETTE:** The film should be steeped in a rich, muted, autumnal palette. Umber, mahogany, deep forest greens, and the bruised-plum purple of Barbie's jumper. The colours are desaturated, reflecting the melancholic and mysterious tone, but with moments of warmth, like the gleam of light in Barbie's hair.

* **LIGHTING:** Low, soft, natural light filtering through the hall's high, grimy windows. The lighting should create long shadows and a sense of intimacy, while also suggesting that much is hidden. The focus is on faces, hands, and the textures of the objects, which are treated like characters themselves.

* **CAMERA & COMPOSITION:** The camera work is patient and observational, mirroring Arnie's perspective. We begin with wider shots establishing the lonely vastness of the hall, then move into tighter, more intimate compositions as Arnie and Barbie connect. Slow, deliberate push-ins will build tension during key moments of dialogue. We will use extreme close-ups on the detailed carving of the bird, the callouses on Barbie's fingers, and the intricate, worn surface of the silver locket, imbuing these objects with immense narrative weight.

* **PRODUCTION DESIGN:** The craft fair is a world of organized chaos, filled with objects that have their own quiet histories. Barbie's stall is a microcosm of this—a carefully curated collection of natural and man-made curiosities. The textures are paramount: the smooth, worn wood of the lark, the cold weight of river stones, the intricate gears of old clocks, the rough weave of wool. The world feels tangible, historical, and full of secrets waiting to be uncovered.