8 Winds

Marina del Rey.

Hell.

I was stuck.

It didn't matter where I was, I was stuck but good.

The cinema is a brutal mistress.

She seduces and tantalizes your imagination

with great movements of spectacle and human fury.

And then when you embrace her, she abandons you

to the gossamer embers of the seduction

and the possibilities to come.

But they never do come.

Oh, I chased her with all I could ever muster,

always climbing to the promised land

where your shit doesn't stink.

You get your money for nothing.

Then I figured it out.

Even if I got there, it wouldn't fulfill me.

An ethereal illusion with certain disappointment.

In the end, it just left me with dread.

Unspecific, smoldering,

ever-present and unknown.

Dread.

There are rumors, they are true.

Board members and minority shareholders

see it in their best interest to sell to us,

but only if he is not in the way.

It's a lot of fuss over water.

Control the water, control the economy.

You understand?

Control everything.

But we need your expertise.

For a price.

That goes without saying.

He's not an easy man to find.

No, but it must be soon.

Things are in motion that would frustrate our plans.

I am sure you will find a way.

There will be many rewards.

Perhaps maybe their decision-making process

was not the best choice at the time,

but I have nothing to add

other than what's in the film.

It was perverse.

There I was being celebrated,

when with a few hiccups,

I could be penniless and homeless.

What will happen to me?

The march of time has exacted a perverse

and stiff ransom.

And now, I am passed over and ignored.

Tossed aside like an empty beer can

on the side of a highway.

Look for the signs and wonders.

That's the best I could come up with.

Look for the signs.

I try man, I try.

The more gray hairs I get, the less the phone rings.

I have to fight to keep my edge,

try new things, challenge myself to learn new skills.

The smallest act brings the greatest treasure.

The readiness is all.

Dare the dread.

Fight for justice.

Take action, always take action.

Tell me about your favorite food.

Great, I like them too.

Where's your favorite place to get them?

why there?

When was the last time you were there?

Are you afraid to go out now?

Why?

Why don't you feel safe anymore?

Who attacked you?

Who else?

You said you had been attacked?

Is it okay if I clip this mic?

Hey, could you say something, so I can get a level?

Tell me about your favorite food.

Oh, that's a good one.

They're my favorite too.

Where do you go to get 'em?

What's your favorite place?

Hello?

Yeah, yeah, that's me every day.

Well, I'm kinda booked up today.

What's this about?

You're not gonna tell me till I get there.

Well, hold on, let me check my calendar.

Yeah, I can move some stuff around.

Okay, great.

You're gonna send a car for me.

All righty.

And hey, what's your name by the way?

Natalie?

Well, it's nice to meet you Natalie.

I'll see you in a little while.

Whoa.

Christ, they sent a Trumpet.

Are you Charlie?

That's me every day.

- How are you doing today? - I'm good.

Good, that's actually terrific.

Would you like a water?

If that water is so wise,

what's it doing inside the bottle?

You look kinda familiar.

Are you an actor?

Sometimes.

Oh yeah?

What have I seen you in?

Well, unless you were an insomniac

in the former Soviet Republic,

you probably haven't seen any of my films.

Oh, okay, so Russia.

They're cool.

They're actually our best allies, so.

Oh yeah, who told you that?

Well, the president said so.

What about their support of the dictator Assad,

their expansion into the Ukraine?

Where did you hear that from?

History.

It's all over the news.

Must be fake news.

Oh yeah, that's what it must be.

And California farmers

may get some drought relief from an unexpected source.

There are rumors that reclusive billionaire,

John T. Conover, who built his empire

on the Wise Water brand, may allow farmers

across the state to use his newly discovered

vast underground reservoir in the central valley

to water their crops.

This comes as a surprise

since many observers expected the shrewd dealmaker

to sell his water rights to the Aquavelt Corporation,

a Russian conglomerate whose shareholders are not known

to the public, at very high premium.

I was going to meet Boris Levashov.

Not much was known about his background.

He appeared on the Hollywood scene

out of the blue with a lot of juice.

He was Russian, maybe Ukrainian.

He could've been from Long Island.

Some called him a fixer, most just called him.

Girls, guns, gambling, cars, politics.

They said if he entered a revolving door behind you,

he would come out in front of you.

Why he was calling me I didn't know,

but he was calling me.

It couldn't hurt to meet and see what he was cooking.

All right, okay, well, we're here.

Let's make America great again, am I right?

If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.

Mr. Nabis, hi, I'm Natalie, Mr. Levashov's assistant.

Oh, nice to meet you.

Can I get you a beverage?

Ah, no thanks, I'm good.

I was born that way actually.

Mr. Nabis, I really enjoyed your film "The Next Message."

It just really kept me guessing.

I'll be back with Mr. Levashov.

I'll be here, I promise.

Charlie Nabis, you are here.

- Boris. - Sit, sit.

Nice to meet you.

Indeed.

Charlie, I saw your film on YouTube,

"I Accuse."

It's very powerful stuff.

You have a wonderful touch for humanity.

It's in all of your films.

These are troubling times,

and I thought I had to do something.

Yes, yes, these are very bad times.

But it give me an idea.

What do you have in mind?

What do you know about John T. Conover?

- The reclusive billionaire? - Yes, him.

Hasn't been seen for a decade, not even privately.

He's a ghost, a myth.

Yes, exactly.

Would you like to interview him?

How much?

Oh, a man of commerce.

Just like you, Boris.

If you don't pay me, you'll never respect me.

Very true statement.

Let's say that my associates, they're very interested

in bringing his story to the screen.

And you would have to go find him all by yourself.

A documentary?

Would 50,000 be acceptable?

What are my time constraints?

Immediacy is very important.

So you want me to find a guy that doesn't wanna be found,

get him to agree to be filmed for an interview

when he hasn't let anyone take his picture in a decade,

just like that?

I see your point.