10 Seconds. One Phone Call. One Brutal Twist
One day, Federico Fellini made a bet with his screenwriter friend that he couldn’t come up with a script for a 10-second film.
“You’ll never pull it off, my friend,” Fellini said with a grin. “It just can’t be done.”
His friend, Tonino Guerra, raised an eyebrow.
“If you’re ready to part with twelve bucks, Federico, I say let’s bet. Tomorrow, I’ll bring you a script.”
“Deal,” Fellini smirked. “Twelve dollars wouldn’t hurt right now.”
He was convinced he had the bet in the bag.
Later, Guerra admitted that he nearly panicked that evening. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t crack it. The challenge wasn’t just to tell a story—it had to be a full-fledged short film: setup, climax, and a twist ending. All within ten seconds.
Impossible… until inspiration struck sometime past midnight.
The next morning, Fellini took one look at his friend’s tired face and asked,
“You got my twelve bucks, Tonino?”
“Hold on,” Guerra replied. “I brought the script.”
He handed over a single sheet of paper. Fellini unfolded it and read:
A woman is watching TV. A rocket launch countdown begins:
10… 9… 8…
Her face is full of nervous tension.
She grabs the phone, dials.
7… 6… 5…
We stay on her face.
4… 3… 2… 1…
The rocket blasts off.
She speaks into the receiver:
“You can come now. He’s gone.”
Fellini didn’t say a word. He quietly reached into his wallet and handed Guerra twelve dollars.
The story Guerra wrote was a perfect little movie—pure Italian d*rk comedy in the spirit of the golden era of cinema. Only one character appears on screen, yet we understand there are three: the woman, her husband (blasting off into space), and the lover she’s just invited over.
The countdown gives it suspense. The twist gives it punch.
That’s what true screenwriting brilliance looks like.
