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FINAL STATUS

When a Mossad agent discovers he has assassinated a Palestinian politician falsely accused of terrorist ties, he risks his job, marriage and ultimately his life to help the man's family. QUARTERFINALIST, NICHOLL FELLOWSHIPS WINNER, AMERICAN SCREENWRITERS ASSOCIATION

Synopsis

Rafi Stein, professional assassin and a rising star in Israel's Mossad, shoots popular palestinian oplitician Samir Erekat in front of his nine-year-old son, triggering haunting memories of his own father's murder. His flight from the murder scene is caught on video by a passing tourist which is played repeatedly on TV when the assassination becomes an international incident. Though disguised, Rafi's wife recognizes him in the video, and it brings home to her what, exactly, her husband does. She leaves him, but by then, the constant coverage has made Rafi realize the destructiveness of his actions, and he becomes obsessed with helping Erekat's widow, Yasmin, and son, Azziz.

Typically Rafi drives a taxi as a cover, and he's assigned to two American diplomats preparing for the upcoming final status talks. From them, he learns that a new U.S. President wants a settlement that includes Hamas, which is anathema to Rafi's boss, Mossad Director Amit Ben-Ami. Erekat had been expected to propose Hamas's participation as well, and his cause is taken up by one of the Americans in particular, Tom Brown. Ben-Ami orders Brown's assassination, but Rafi is already suspicious that it's another in a string of assassinations serving his boss's megalomania more than national security.

His cover as a taxi driver has given Rafi his own cover for secretly visiting Yasmin, who's worried that her son, Azziz, will grow up with the hatred that Rafi recognizes in himself - hatred starting when his own father was killed that steeled him to become an assassin. Unbeknownst to Rafi, Yasmin, too, has recognized him as her husband's assassin, and asks that he give them , Yasmin and Azziz, a ride to the beach. There, she gives her son the option of killing Rafi or not, hopefully to expurgate his hatred.

Azziz lets Rafi live, but only to learn that his best friend, Yuri, has betrayed him. He's confided his doubts about Ben-Ami's motives to Yuri, whose instinctive envy and competitiveness eventually turns him against his own friend, and Yuri becomes Rafi's intended assassin.

Rafi bests them both by thwarting Yuri's assassination attempt, and better, exposing Ben-Ami. As a result, he's able to help Yasmin, convince his wife to come home, and expurgate his own hatred.

Final Status is Munich meets Walk on Water.

Written by:

Timothy Jay Smith

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Format:

Screenplay

Genres:

Drama Thriller Action-Adventure

Budget:

Low

Starring Roles For:

Yosef Sweid
Eric Bana
Viggo Mortenson

In the Vein Of:

Paradise Now
Walk on Water
Munich

Posted:

12/12/2007

Updated:

08/22/2020

Author Bio:

Raised crisscrossing America pulling a small green trailer behind the family car, Timothy Jay Smith developed a ceaseless wanderlust that has taken him around the world many times. En route, he’s found the characters that people his work. Polish cops and Greek fishermen, mercenaries and arms dealers, child prostitutes and wannabe terrorists, Indian Chiefs and Indian tailors: he’s hung with them all in an unparalleled international career that’s seen him smuggle banned plays from behind the Iron Curtain, maneuver through Occupied Territories, represent the U.

Contest Results:

ASA/Gotham (First Place) [2009]
Fresh Voices Feature (Quarterfinalist) [2018]
StoryPros Awards (Quarterfinalist) [2017]
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