Working Title: COLD LAKE OF FIRE - A John Woo style action - Setting in Tampere Finland
Working Title: COLD LAKE OF FIRE
Genre: Action / Crime Thriller
Setting: Tampere, Finland — from the neon hush of Keskustori to the concrete sprawl of Hervanta, the smoke-soaked bars near Tammelantori, the steel-and-glass glare of Ratina, and the skyline spear of Näsinneula.
Logline
When rival gangs carve Tampere into war-zones, a haunted ex-cop tries to stop the bloodshed—only to discover the police are fueling it. As alliances shatter and betrayal spreads, every faction races toward a final, balletic gunfight where honor, greed, and corruption annihilate each other in pure cinematic chaos.
Core Cast (clean, iconic, John Woo-ish archetypes)
ALEKSI “ALEX” KIVI (35): Ex-cop, quiet, sharp eyes. Left the force after a partner “died wrong.” Carries guilt like a coat.
SALLA SAARINEN (32): Undercover detective. Brilliant, cold-focus, moral spine—until the city bends it.
CAPTAIN RISTO KORHONEN (50): “Respected” police leader. Actually the hub of the drug smuggling network.
MIKKO “MINK” LAINE (28): Hot-headed gang lieutenant who wants to be a legend.
THE “PISPALA BROTHERHOOD”: Old-school local crew, honor talk, knives + pistols, territorial pride.
THE “HERVANTA SYNDICATE”: Efficient, tactical, deals in pills and imported weapons.
THE “RATINA RUSSIANS”: Brutal, money-first, flashy cars and bigger ego.
THE “TAMMELA KINGS”: Small but vicious, corner-market hustlers turned killers.
Recurring Woo Motifs (style notes):
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Slow-motion when a choice becomes destiny.
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White doves (symbolic, surreal) in indoor spaces where they don’t belong.
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Dual pistols, mirrored movement, balletic dodging.
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Brotherhood vs. betrayal as the emotional engine.
Plot Structure (tight, escalating)
Act I — “City Split by Lines”
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A drug shipment vanishes near Ratina. Three gangs blame each other.
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A violent public shootout erupts at Keskustori, shocking the city into fear.
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Alex is pulled back in when he finds evidence the shipment was “lost” by cops.
Act II — “Corruption Has a Badge”
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Salla reveals: corrupt cops are smuggling drugs through “evidence routes.”
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Gangs expand turf wars: Pispala vs Hervanta, Tammela playing both sides.
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Alex learns Captain Korhonen orchestrates gang conflict to cover shipments.
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Betrayals stack: friends sold, safehouses burned, “peace talks” become massacres.
Act III — “The Opera of Bullets”
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All factions converge on a single location for the final exchange.
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Alex and Salla try to end it—by forcing everyone into the open.
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Final showdown: gangs + dirty cops annihilate each other in stylized slow-motion violence.
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End: silence, snowfall, and a moral question—did anyone win, or did the city simply stop bleeding for a moment?
FULL BEAT SHEET (50 BEATS)
ACT I — THE CITY FRACTURES (Beats 1–16)
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Nighttime drug exchange at Keskustori explodes into a public shootout
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Civilians flee; violence feels choreographed and unreal
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Alex intervenes to save a bystander — reveals his skill
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Alex notices a shooter carrying legit police equipment
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Police arrive late and ineffective
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Media reports gang war spreading across Tampere
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Alex returns to his sparse apartment — haunted by past
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Gang leaders meet separately, each blaming the others
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Pispala Brotherhood debates war vs tradition
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Hervanta Syndicate mobilizes tactically
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Tammela Kings exploit chaos, selling information
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Salla investigates evidence room irregularities
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Missing drugs tied to “official” police channels
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Alex approaches Pispala Brotherhood with warning
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Tension almost erupts — Alex proves credibility
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Act I turn: Alex confirms police corruption is real
ACT II — CORRUPTION AND BETRAYAL (Beats 17–38)
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Hervanta gang ambushes Ratina Russians
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Stylized warehouse shootout — first major gun opera
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Dirty cops quietly erase evidence of massacre
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Salla confronts Captain Korhonen — verbal duel
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Korhonen reveals philosophy: order through crime
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Salla secretly contacts Alex
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Alex and Salla meet at Pispala ridge overlook
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They exchange truths — form uneasy alliance
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Gang summit arranged under police “protection”
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Summit becomes ambush — multiple betrayals
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Mink (Pispala) kills rival impulsively
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Old Pispala leader realizes war is lost
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Ratina Russians retaliate violently
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City erupts: street battles, car chases, assassinations
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Alex saves Salla during undercover exposure
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Korhonen orders full consolidation — final exchange
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Location chosen: beneath Näsinneula
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Gangs believe this ends the war
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Alex decides to force total collapse
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Salla leaks location to all factions
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Dirty cops prepare heavy weapons
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Act II turn: everyone converges
ACT III — THE OPERA OF BULLETS (Beats 39–50)
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Gangs arrive separately — tension ritual
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Korhonen arrives as ringmaster
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Verbal confrontation exposes manipulation
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First mysterious shots drop dirty cops
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Alex and Salla reveal themselves
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Full-scale multi-faction shootout erupts
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Slow-motion carnage, shifting alliances
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Every gang self-destructs
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Alex hunts Korhonen through maintenance tunnels
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Final duel: truth about Alex’s dead partner
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Korhonen dies — system collapses
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Survivors walk away into silence and snow
SCENE-BY-SCENE OUTLINE
ACT I
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EXT. KESKUSTORI – NIGHT – Drug deal → shootout
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EXT. CITY STREETS – NIGHT – Gangs scatter
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EXT. KESKUSTORI – LATER – Police aftermath
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INT. ALEX’S APARTMENT – NIGHT – Haunted silence
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INT. PISPALA TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT – Brotherhood meeting
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INT. HERVANTA SAFEHOUSE – NIGHT – Tactical prep
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INT. TAMMELA BAR – NIGHT – Information trading
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INT. POLICE STATION – EVIDENCE ROOM – NIGHT – Salla investigates
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EXT. PISPALA DEPOT – NIGHT – Alex confronts gang
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INT. DEPOT – NIGHT – Almost-shootout conversation
ACT II
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EXT. WAREHOUSE DISTRICT – NIGHT – Gang ambush
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INT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT – Gun ballet
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EXT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT – Dirty cops clean scene
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INT. POLICE OFFICE – NIGHT – Korhonen vs Salla
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EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT – Alex/Salla alliance
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INT. ABANDONED FACTORY – NIGHT – Gang summit
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INT. FACTORY – NIGHT – Betrayal massacre
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EXT. TAMMELA STREETS – NIGHT – Running gunfight
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EXT. RATINA PARKING STRUCTURE – NIGHT – Retaliation
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INT. SAFEHOUSE – NIGHT – Alex saves Salla
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INT. POLICE HQ – NIGHT – Korhonen final plan
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EXT. CITY MONTAGE – NIGHT – Tampere burns
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EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT – Decision to end it
ACT III
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EXT. NÄSINNEULA SERVICE ROAD – NIGHT – Arrivals
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EXT. SERVICE ENTRANCE – NIGHT – Stand-off
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EXT. SERVICE YARD – NIGHT – Chaos erupts
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INT. MAINTENANCE CORRIDORS – NIGHT – Running battles
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INT. STAIRWELL – NIGHT – Slow-motion massacre
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INT. MAINTENANCE HALL – NIGHT – Alex vs Korhonen
EXT. NÄSINNEULA – DAWN – Aftermath
SCREENPLAY (Selected Key Sequences)
(Screenplay-style formatting, with vivid action and tight dialogue. You can expand this into a full feature-length script by repeating the pattern: setup → betrayal → setpiece → fallout.)
1. EXT. KESKUSTORI – NIGHT
Snow drifts in slow spirals. The square is bright, clean, innocent—until it isn’t.
A DELIVERY VAN idles near the edge. Two MEN in dark jackets exchange a duffel bag.
A CHURCH BELL rings somewhere. Calm.
Then—HEADLIGHTS flare.
A BLACK SEDAN slides in sideways. Doors fly open. Men spill out, weapons raised.
Across the square—another group emerges from behind a statue.
For one breath, everyone freezes. Like the city itself is holding its lungs.
Then: GUNFIRE.
Sound becomes a percussion concert—sharp cracks echoing off stone and glass.
A WOMAN drops her shopping bag. Oranges scatter across snow.
In the chaos, a figure moves differently—ALEKSI “ALEX” KIVI. He’s not firing. He’s watching. Reading angles. Timing. Regret in motion.
A man aims at a fleeing TEEN.
Alex steps in, shoves the teen down, and dives behind a kiosk.
A BULLET punches through the kiosk sign, showering splinters.
Alex sees something: a POLICE RADIO on one of the shooters. Not a stolen one. A real one.
His eyes narrow.
The shootout ends as quickly as it began—like a choreographed storm.
The gangs vanish into alleys, leaving the square full of steam, broken glass, and stunned silence.
A single WHITE DOVE flutters down from nowhere and lands on a blood-specked bench.
Alex stares at it.
ALEX
(quiet)
So it’s that kind of night.
CUT TO BLACK.
2. INT. ABANDONED TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT (PISPALA EDGE)
A cavern of metal and shadows.
A long table. Around it: the PISPALA BROTHERHOOD—older, scarred men with tired pride. Their leader, VÄINÖ, speaks like every word weighs something.
VÄINÖ
Tampere used to be honest.
Now even the snow lies.
MINK (impatient)
We hit Hervanta. Tonight. Hard.
VÄINÖ
And then Ratina hits us.
And then Tammela sells what’s left.
Mink slams his fist.
MINK
We don’t wait to be a memory.
A door CREAKS. Alex enters—uninvited, unafraid.
Silence turns toward him like a gun barrel.
VÄINÖ
You’re not police anymore.
ALEX
Good.
Because police are the reason we’re all here.
Mink laughs.
MINK
That’s your pitch?
Blame the cops?
Alex throws a POLICE RADIO onto the table.
It CLATTERS. Everyone stares.
ALEX
Keskustori. One of the shooters had this.
Not stolen. Programmed.
Väinö’s jaw tightens.
VÄINÖ
Dirty badges.
Alex leans in.
ALEX
They’re feeding you rumors.
Moving product through your war.
You’re not fighting for turf—
you’re fighting as cover.
A beat.
Then Mink—almost smiling—reaches under his jacket.
Alex’s hand moves like thought.
A GUN appears in Alex’s grip, aimed at Mink’s throat.
Time slows.
A white dove—somehow—flutters across the depot, wings beating like a heart.
Mink freezes.
ALEX
I’m not here to join you.
I’m here to stop you from dying for someone else’s money.
Väinö raises a hand.
VÄINÖ
Put it down.
The city is burning.
We need water, not more fire.
Alex lowers the gun.
VÄINÖ (CONT’D)
Where’s the source?
Alex’s eyes are flat.
ALEX
The source wears a uniform.
3. INT. POLICE STATION – EVIDENCE ROOM – NIGHT
Sterile lights. Cold shelves.
SALLA SAARINEN slips inside, fast and precise. She opens a locker—revealing sealed evidence bags.
She scans barcodes with a handheld device.
Her expression changes: too many “missing,” too many “re-routed.”
A FOOTSTEP behind her.
She whirls—gun raised.
A man in plainclothes: CAPTAIN RISTO KORHONEN.
He smiles like he owns the room.
KORHONEN
Put it away, Detective.
This isn’t a movie.
Salla doesn’t lower her gun.
SALLA
Why is evidence moving like cargo?
Korhonen sighs, almost disappointed.
KORHONEN
Because order is expensive.
And the city doesn’t pay what it costs.
He steps closer.
KORHONEN (CONT’D)
Gangs fight.
We control the flow.
And people sleep thinking the law is winning.
SALLA
You’re not controlling crime.
You’re selling it.
Korhonen’s smile fades.
KORHONEN
I’m saving this city from chaos.
Salla’s voice is steady, but her eyes are burning.
SALLA
You are the chaos.
Korhonen leans in, soft.
KORHONEN
Then you understand the problem.
You’re intelligent.
You should survive.
Salla’s gun trembles—not from fear, from rage.
Korhonen steps back.
KORHONEN (CONT’D)
Tomorrow night.
Final exchange.
Everyone will come.
Even ghosts.
He walks away, calm as snowfall.
Salla stands alone, breath sharp.
She whispers:
SALLA
Alex…
4. EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT
Wind howls over the city lights below.
Alex stands at the overlook, coat collar up. Tampere sprawls like a circuit board.
Salla approaches, boots crunching snow.
They face each other—two people with the same exhaustion in different shapes.
SALLA
He’s doing it tomorrow.
One exchange to end the wars.
Or start the biggest one.
Alex nods.
ALEX
Where?
Salla hesitates.
SALLA
Näsinneula service access.
Below the tower.
Old maintenance halls.
Alex exhales. Almost a laugh.
ALEX
Of course.
A monument watching the city die.
Salla steps closer.
SALLA
We can stop it.
But if we go in as cops—
his cops will kill us.
ALEX
Then we don’t go in as cops.
A beat.
Salla studies him.
SALLA
What are we, then?
Alex looks out over the lights.
ALEX
Two people with nothing left to lose.
A dove lands on the railing between them—absurd, calm.
Salla watches it.
SALLA
You ever think about leaving?
Alex’s eyes soften for half a second.
ALEX
Every day.
Then his face hardens again.
ALEX (CONT’D)
But you don’t leave a city in the hands of men like him.
5. EXT. NÄSINNEULA – SERVICE ENTRANCE – NIGHT (FINAL SHOWDOWN)
Snow. Floodlights. Concrete corridors beneath the tower.
Cars arrive from all directions—headlights slicing the dark.
RATINA RUSSIANS step out first: heavy coats, heavier confidence.
HERVANTA SYNDICATE arrives: organized, silent, weapons controlled.
TAMMELA KINGS show up last: jittery, hungry.
Then—POLICE VANS.
Door opens. Korhonen exits like a king attending his own coronation.
He claps slowly.
KORHONEN
Look at you.
All the little fires in one place.
Väinö of Pispala steps forward.
VÄINÖ
You set this.
Korhonen nods.
KORHONEN
I did.
Mink raises his gun.
MINK
Then we end you first.
Korhonen gestures—dirty cops raise rifles.
KORHONEN
No.
You end each other.
That’s the agreement.
Tension tightens into a wire.
A single SHOT rings out—from somewhere unseen.
A dirty cop drops, surprised.
Silence.
Korhonen’s eyes scan.
KORHONEN
Who—
Another shot. Another cop falls.
Then Alex steps into the light—dual pistols down at his sides, calm.
Salla appears behind him, weapon ready.
Korhonen’s face hardens.
KORHONEN (CONT’D)
You.
Alex’s voice is low.
ALEX
You wanted everyone here.
So did I.
Korhonen smiles—dangerous.
KORHONEN
This is suicide.
Alex nods slightly.
ALEX
For you.
A white dove flutters out of the service tunnel—wings flashing.
For one surreal beat, everyone watches it.
Then the world explodes.
THE GUN OPERA
Gunfire erupts from every side.
Men dive, roll, slide across wet concrete.
Muzzles flash like strobe lights.
Brass casings rain down like metallic hail.
Slow-motion: Mink leaps over a barrier, firing two-handed—bullets tearing sparks from steel.
A Hervanta shooter spins, coat flaring, returns fire with controlled bursts.
A Ratina brute charges and gets cut down mid-stride, falling like a toppled statue.
Alex moves like a dancer who hates the music—
two pistols, alternating shots, using pillars as beats in a violent rhythm.
Salla covers him—precise, surgical, taking out dirty cops first.
Korhonen retreats into the corridor, barking orders.
KORHONEN
Kill them!
Kill everyone!
A dirty cop fires wildly—hits a Ratina man.
The Ratina crew turns and annihilates the dirty cops.
Hervanta sees an opening and hits Ratina.
Tammela backstabs Hervanta.
Pispala tries to restore “honor” and gets swallowed by chaos.
Everyone is fighting everyone.
A city-wide feud condensed into one concrete throat.
Alex pushes forward, following Korhonen.
Bodies. Smoke. Echoes.
The tower above hums, indifferent.
6. INT. NÄSINNEULA MAINTENANCE HALL – NIGHT (DUEL)
The hall is long, harsh-lit, lined with pipes.
Korhonen stands at the far end, pistol raised. Behind him, a Finnish flag patch on his sleeve—now just irony.
Alex walks toward him, guns lowered, like a man approaching his own verdict.
KORHONEN
You could have been me.
ALEX
I was.
For a while.
Korhonen’s eyes flicker—recognition.
KORHONEN
Your partner.
He didn’t “die wrong.”
He talked.
Alex’s face tightens. Pain becomes focus.
ALEX
You murdered him.
Korhonen shrugs.
KORHONEN
I protected the system.
A distant explosion shakes dust from the ceiling.
Salla appears in the doorway, wounded but standing.
Korhonen glances at her—then points the gun at Alex.
KORHONEN (CONT’D)
Drop them.
Alex doesn’t.
ALEX
You know what’s funny?
You really believe you’re the law.
Korhonen smiles.
KORHONEN
I am.
Alex’s hands move—FAST.
Guns rise.
Korhonen fires.
Slow-motion:
A bullet rips past Alex’s cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
Alex’s shots punch Korhonen’s shoulder, then chest.
Korhonen staggers back, shocked that reality doesn’t respect rank.
He falls to his knees.
Alex approaches, breathing hard.
Korhonen coughs, blood dark on snow-damp concrete.
KORHONEN (weak)
You think… this ends anything?
Alex looks past him—hearing the last echoes of gunfire fade.
ALEX
No.
Salla steps in beside Alex, weapon still up.
Korhonen laughs—then slumps, gone.
A dove lands on a pipe overhead.
For the first time all night, silence arrives and stays.
Salla lowers her gun.
SALLA
What now?
Alex looks toward the exit—the distant, ruined chorus of sirens.
ALEX
Now we tell the truth.
And we live long enough to regret it.
They walk out together.
Above them, Näsinneula stands tall, watching over a city that will pretend it never happened.
FADE OUT.
COLD LAKE OF FIRE
Written for the screen
Genre: Action / Crime / Tragedy
Tone: Operatic, violent, mournful
Style: John Woo by way of Nordic noir
ACT I
FADE IN:
EXT. KESKUSTORI – NIGHT
Snow drifts down like ash.
A public square. Clean lines. Soft lights. Too peaceful.
A DELIVERY VAN idles near the curb.
CAMERA NOTE:
Wide, locked-off master. The city feels indifferent.
Two MEN step out. One opens the van’s rear doors.
Inside: DUFFEL BAGS.
A THIRD MAN approaches, cautious.
They exchange looks.
No words.
A distant church bell RINGS.
CUT TO:
HEADLIGHTS SLASH across the square.
A BLACK SEDAN slides sideways into frame.
Doors FLY OPEN.
MEN POUR OUT — coats flaring, guns already up.
CAMERA NOTE:
Whip-pan chaos → immediate SLOW MOTION.
Across the square — ANOTHER GROUP EMERGES.
For one breath, everyone freezes.
Snow hangs in the air.
Then —
GUNFIRE ERUPTS.
Sound drops out.
Bullets tear through stone. Sparks jump from metal benches.
CIVILIANS SCREAM, diving for cover.
A SHOPPING BAG drops. ORANGES spill and roll through blood-flecked snow.
ALEKSI “ALEX” KIVI (35) moves against the panic.
Not firing. Reading.
CAMERA NOTE:
Track Alex in profile. Everyone else is chaos — he is calm.
A SHOOTER aims at a TEENAGER frozen in fear.
Alex SLAMS into the kid, knocking him down.
A BULLET RIPS THROUGH THE AIR where the kid stood.
Alex rolls behind a kiosk.
Glass EXPLODES.
Alex peeks out — sees something wrong.
A SHOOTER reloads.
Clipped to his belt: A POLICE RADIO. OFFICIAL. PROGRAMMED.
Alex’s eyes narrow.
Time SNAPS back to full speed.
Alex fires — one clean shot.
The shooter drops.
The fight ends as abruptly as it began.
Gangs vanish into alleys and cars.
Silence crashes down.
Steam rises from the ground.
A SINGLE WHITE DOVE flutters down and lands on a blood-spattered bench.
Alex stares at it.
A beat.
ALEX
(quiet, to himself)
…So it’s that kind of night.
CUT TO BLACK.
EXT. KESKUSTORI – LATER
Police lights wash the square blue and red.
OFFICERS mill around, confused, overwhelmed.
Bodies covered.
A DETECTIVE talks to witnesses who can barely speak.
Alex stands at the edge, unnoticed.
He watches as an OFFICER discreetly picks up the police radio from the dead shooter.
Their eyes meet — just for a second.
The officer looks away.
Alex clocks it.
INT. ALEX’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Minimal. Cold. Functional.
Alex removes his coat. Sets his gun on the table.
He strips, revealing old SCARS.
CAMERA NOTE:
Hold longer than comfortable.
He cleans his pistol with ritual precision.
On the wall: a FRAMED PHOTO.
Alex and another COP, younger. Laughing. Brothers.
Alex flips the frame face-down.
He sits in silence.
Snow taps against the window.
INT. PISPALA TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT
A cavernous, abandoned space.
Rust. Echoes. History.
The PISPALA BROTHERHOOD sits around a scarred table.
Older men. Hard faces. Local pride.
VÄINÖ (60s), the leader, calm and heavy with memory.
MINK (28), impatient, violent energy barely contained.
MINK
They crossed the line.
Ratina thinks this is their city now.
VÄINÖ
Every time someone says that,
another grave gets dug.
Murmurs.
The doors CREAK open.
Alex enters.
Guns come up.
VÄINÖ
You’re not invited.
Alex keeps walking.
ALEX
Neither was the war.
But here we are.
Mink rises.
MINK
Say your piece and leave.
Alex tosses the POLICE RADIO onto the table.
It CLATTERS.
Silence.
ALEX
Keskustori.
One of the shooters dropped that.
Väinö studies it.
VÄINÖ
Police?
ALEX
Worse.
Police who sell the fire and watch you burn.
Mink laughs, disbelieving.
MINK
That’s a nice story.
Mink’s hand slips under his jacket.
CAMERA NOTE:
SLOW MOTION.
Alex’s gun is suddenly in his hand.
Aimed at Mink’s throat.
A WHITE DOVE flutters through a broken window, wings loud in the silence.
Everyone freezes.
ALEX
I’m not here to fight you.
I’m here to tell you you’re already dead —
you just don’t know who pulled the trigger yet.
Väinö raises a hand.
VÄINÖ
Enough.
Alex lowers the gun.
VÄINÖ (CONT’D)
Who’s behind it?
Alex meets his eyes.
ALEX
Someone with a badge.
And no soul left.
ACT II (KEY EXPANSIONS)
INT. POLICE STATION – EVIDENCE ROOM – NIGHT
SALLA SAARINEN (32) works alone.
Sharp. Controlled.
She scans barcodes.
Her screen fills with RED FLAGS.
Missing evidence. Rerouted chains.
Footsteps.
She turns.
CAPTAIN RISTO KORHONEN (50s) stands there, relaxed.
KORHONEN
You work late.
SALLA
So do you.
A beat.
KORHONEN
You’re chasing patterns that don’t exist.
SALLA
They exist.
They just wear uniforms.
Korhonen smiles — paternal, dangerous.
KORHONEN
Crime doesn’t disappear.
It gets managed.
He steps closer.
KORHONEN (CONT’D)
I make sure the right people suffer.
That’s order.
SALLA
That’s rot.
Korhonen’s smile fades.
KORHONEN
Careful.
Even good cops drown if they swim upstream.
EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT
City lights below.
Alex and Salla stand apart at first.
SALLA
He’s planning one last exchange.
All gangs. All at once.
ALEX
He wants them to kill each other.
SALLA
He wants the city clean by morning.
Alex looks out over Tampere.
ALEX
Cities don’t get clean.
They just bury things deeper.
They lock eyes.
An alliance forms — not hopeful, just necessary.
ACT III — FINAL SHOWDOWN (FULLY STYLIZED)
EXT. NÄSINNEULA – SERVICE ENTRANCE – NIGHT
Floodlights. Snow. Concrete.
Cars arrive one by one.
Each gang exits like a ritual procession.
Weapons concealed. Tension visible.
Police vans roll in last.
Korhonen steps out like a conductor.
KORHONEN
Gentlemen.
Let’s end this.
A SHOT RINGS OUT.
A DIRTY COP drops.
Another shot.
Chaos BREWS.
Alex steps into the light — dual pistols.
ALEX
You wanted everyone here.
Salla emerges behind him.
SALLA
So here’s the truth.
CAMERA NOTE:
EXTENDED SLOW MOTION.
DOVES BURST from the tower structure.
GUNFIRE ERUPTS FROM ALL SIDES.
Men leap, slide, spin.
Bullets carve arcs through snow.
Alliances dissolve instantly.
Police shoot gangs.
Gangs shoot police.
Everyone shoots everyone.
MUSIC NOTE:
Full operatic score — tragic, soaring.
Alex moves like grief given form.
Salla is surgical — headshots, no waste.
Korhonen retreats into the tunnels.
INT. MAINTENANCE HALL – NIGHT
Korhonen waits.
Alex enters.
They face each other.
KORHONEN
You could have been me.
ALEX
I was.
That’s why I stopped.
Korhonen fires.
Alex fires back.
Both hit.
Korhonen collapses.
KORHONEN (dying)
This city will forget you.
Alex steps closer.
ALEX
Cities forget everyone.
Alex fires once more.
Silence.
A DOVE lands nearby.
EXT. NÄSINNEULA – DAWN
Snow again.
Sirens approach.
Bodies everywhere.
Alex and Salla walk away — wounded, alive.
The tower stands unmoved.
FADE OUT.
COLD LAKE OF FIRE
ACT I — “THE CITY BREAKS”
FADE IN:
EXT. KESKUSTORI – NIGHT
A wide, snow-covered city square.
Clean. Orderly. Almost sacred.
Streetlights glow softly through falling snow.
People cross the square bundled in winter coats. A tram bell rings somewhere nearby.
A DELIVERY VAN idles at the curb.
Two MEN step out. One opens the back doors.
Inside: DUFFEL BAGS.
No one speaks.
A THIRD MAN approaches, cautious.
Hands exchange the bag.
A church bell RINGS.
Then—
HEADLIGHTS flare.
A BLACK SEDAN slides into frame, braking hard.
Doors fly open.
MEN in long dark coats pour out, guns already raised.
Across the square—another group emerges from behind a statue.
Time SLOWS.
Snowflakes hang in the air.
A woman freezes mid-step.
A child clutches a parent’s sleeve.
Then—
GUNFIRE ERUPTS.
Sound drops out.
Bullets tear into stone benches, sending shards into the air.
Glass explodes from a café window.
Civilians SCREAM and scatter.
A SHOPPING BAG hits the ground. Oranges roll across the snow.
EXT. KESKUSTORI – CONTINUOUS (SLOW MOTION)
ALEKSI “ALEX” KIVI (35) moves against the panic.
He doesn’t fire.
He watches.
Reads angles. Measures distance.
A GUNMAN swings toward a TEENAGER frozen in terror.
Alex lunges.
He tackles the teen to the ground.
A BULLET slices the air where the teen stood.
They roll behind a kiosk.
Glass SHATTERS above them.
Alex looks up.
Sees something wrong.
A GUNMAN reloads.
Clipped to his belt: A POLICE RADIO.
Not stolen. Official. Programmed.
Alex’s eyes harden.
Sound rushes back in.
Alex rises, fires once.
The gunman drops.
More shots.
Then—sudden silence.
The gangs melt away into alleys and cars.
The square is left torn open.
Steam rises from the snow.
A SINGLE WHITE DOVE flutters down and lands on a blood-specked bench.
Alex stares at it.
ALEX
(quiet)
…So it’s that kind of night.
EXT. KESKUSTORI – LATER
Police lights wash the square blue and red.
Bodies are covered.
OFFICERS move with forced efficiency.
Alex stands at the edge, unnoticed.
A UNIFORMED OFFICER crouches near a fallen gunman.
The officer discreetly picks up the POLICE RADIO and slips it into his coat.
His eyes meet Alex’s.
Just a second.
Then the officer looks away.
Alex doesn’t move.
INT. ALEX’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Small. Minimalist. Cold.
Alex enters, removes his coat.
He places his pistol on the table.
Strips off his sweater, revealing old SCARS along his arms.
He cleans the pistol with ritual care.
Click. Wipe. Breathe.
On the wall: a FRAMED PHOTO.
Alex and another COP. Younger. Smiling.
Alex studies it.
Turns the frame face-down.
He sits in silence.
Snow taps softly against the window.
INT. PISPALA TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT
An abandoned industrial hall.
Rust. Echoes. History baked into concrete.
A long table under harsh overhead lights.
The PISPALA BROTHERHOOD sits around it—older men, worn faces, local pride.
At the head sits VÄINÖ (60s), calm, heavy with memory.
MINK (28) paces like a caged animal.
MINK
Ratina crossed the river.
They’re laughing at us.
VÄINÖ
Everyone laughs before the graves fill.
MINK
Then we strike first.
Murmurs of agreement.
The doors CREAK open.
Alex steps inside.
Guns rise.
VÄINÖ
You’re not welcome.
Alex keeps walking.
ALEX
Neither was the war.
Mink steps forward.
MINK
Say your piece.
Alex tosses the POLICE RADIO onto the table.
It CLATTERS.
Silence.
ALEX
Keskustori.
One of the shooters dropped this.
Väinö picks it up, studies it.
VÄINÖ
Police.
ALEX
Not police.
Merchants.
Mink laughs.
MINK
You blaming cops now?
Mink’s hand slides under his jacket.
Time slows.
Alex’s gun is suddenly in his hand.
Aimed at Mink’s throat.
A WHITE DOVE flutters through a broken window, wings loud in the silence.
Everyone freezes.
ALEX
I’m not here to threaten you.
I’m here to tell you you’re already dead—
you just don’t know who pulled the trigger.
Väinö raises a hand.
VÄINÖ
Enough.
Alex lowers the gun.
VÄINÖ (CONT’D)
Who’s behind it?
Alex meets his eyes.
ALEX
Someone with a badge.
And no fear left.
INT. HERVANTA SAFEHOUSE – NIGHT
Clean. Efficient. Tactical.
Men load weapons with quiet discipline.
ILARI (40s) checks a tablet showing street maps.
ILARI
Pispala will blame Ratina.
Ratina will blame us.
A lieutenant nods.
ILARI (CONT’D)
We move first.
INT. TAMMELA BAR – NIGHT
Crowded. Smoky. Loud.
The TAMMELA KINGS huddle in a corner.
Cash changes hands.
A RUNNER whispers into the KING LEADER’s ear.
The leader smiles.
KING LEADER
Call everyone.
Tell them everything.
The runner hesitates.
RUNNER
What’s the truth?
The King shrugs.
KING LEADER
Truth is flexible.
INT. POLICE STATION – EVIDENCE ROOM – NIGHT
Quiet. Sterile.
SALLA SAARINEN (32) works alone.
She scans barcodes.
Her screen fills with discrepancies.
Missing evidence. Rerouted chains.
Her jaw tightens.
Footsteps.
She turns.
CAPTAIN RISTO KORHONEN (50s) stands in the doorway, calm.
KORHONEN
You work late.
SALLA
So do you.
Korhonen steps inside.
KORHONEN
You’re chasing ghosts.
SALLA
No.
I’m chasing patterns.
Korhonen smiles faintly.
KORHONEN
Patterns are dangerous.
They make people ask questions.
Salla doesn’t look away.
EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT
The city sprawls below, lights like a circuit board.
Alex stands alone.
Salla approaches from the shadows.
They regard each other carefully.
SALLA
Keskustori wasn’t random.
ALEX
Nothing ever is.
They look out over Tampere.
A city about to eat itself.
Snow falls.
Silence stretches.
END OF ACT I
COLD LAKE OF FIRE
ACT II — “ORDER IS A LIE”
EXT. WAREHOUSE DISTRICT – NIGHT
A frozen industrial zone near the rail lines.
Empty streets. Sodium lights flicker.
A convoy of BLACK VANS rolls in silently.
The HERVANTA SYNDICATE disembarks — disciplined, efficient, wearing identical dark coats.
Their leader, ILARI (40s), checks his watch.
ILARI
(on headset)
Positions.
Men fan out with military precision.
Across the street, a loading bay door RATTLES open.
The RATINA RUSSIANS emerge — loud, confident, careless.
Laughter echoes.
RUSSIAN LEADER
Tonight we drink in Helsinki.
A HERVANTA SHOOTER squeezes his trigger.
CAMERA NOTE:
SLOW MOTION.
The first Russian’s head snaps back.
Silence — then hell.
INT. WAREHOUSE – CONTINUOUS
Gunfire detonates the space.
Bullets tear through crates.
Men dive behind forklifts.
CAMERA NOTE:
Handheld chaos → sudden locked-off slow motion beats.
A Russian leaps over a conveyor belt — cut down mid-air.
A Hervanta shooter slides across concrete, firing controlled bursts.
Blood sprays against white-painted steel.
The sound drops out — replaced by a low, mournful score.
A Russian fires wildly, hits nothing.
Ilari steps into frame, calm.
One shot. Clean.
The last Russian falls.
Silence returns.
Steam rises from bodies.
Ilari looks around — displeased.
ILARI
Too loud.
EXT. WAREHOUSE – MINUTES LATER
POLICE SIRENS approach.
BLACK UNMARKED CARS arrive first.
DIRTY COPS exit, already gloved.
They move bodies. Collect shell casings.
Erase the night.
A SERGEANT notices a surviving Russian, barely breathing.
The man reaches out.
The sergeant SHOOTS him point-blank.
No emotion.
INT. POLICE HQ – CAPTAIN’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Korhonen watches security footage on a muted screen.
Bodies being dragged.
Evidence disappearing.
He sips coffee.
Salla stands opposite him, arms folded.
SALLA
That warehouse was a massacre.
KORHONEN
It was a correction.
SALLA
People died.
Korhonen looks at her — genuinely puzzled.
KORHONEN
People always die.
The question is whether they die randomly…
or usefully.
He stands, walks to the window.
KORHONEN (CONT’D)
The gangs think they’re fighting for territory.
They’re actually fighting for relevance.
Salla steps closer.
SALLA
And you?
Korhonen turns.
KORHONEN
I’m fighting entropy.
A beat.
SALLA
You murdered officers to protect this.
Korhonen doesn’t deny it.
KORHONEN
They knew the cost.
He leans in, voice low.
KORHONEN (CONT’D)
Do you?
Their eyes lock.
Salla holds his gaze — but something in her has shifted.
EXT. TAMMELANTORI – NIGHT
A cramped market square turned shadow economy.
Neon signs flicker.
The TAMMELA KINGS operate out of a bar.
Inside: smoke, music, tension.
KING LEADER (30s) counts cash.
A nervous RUNNER whispers to him.
RUNNER
Hervanta wiped Ratina.
The King smiles.
KING LEADER
Good.
Less mouths.
He pockets the cash.
KING LEADER (CONT’D)
Call Pispala.
Tell them Hervanta’s coming for them next.
The runner hesitates.
RUNNER
Is that true?
The King shrugs.
KING LEADER
Truth is expensive.
INT. PISPALA TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT
The Brotherhood is divided.
Väinö listens to reports.
Mink paces like a caged animal.
MINK
Ratina’s gone.
We don’t strike now, we’re next.
VÄINÖ
We wait.
Mink stops.
MINK
Waiting is how old men die in their beds.
Alex stands in the shadows.
ALEX
No.
Waiting is how you die for someone else’s plan.
Mink turns on him.
MINK
You don’t belong here.
Alex steps forward.
ALEX
Neither do the cops who are steering this.
Väinö studies Alex.
VÄINÖ
You’re asking us to trust a ghost.
Alex meets his eyes.
ALEX
I’m asking you to survive.
Mink scoffs.
MINK
Survival isn’t enough.
He storms out.
Väinö closes his eyes.
EXT. ABANDONED FACTORY – NIGHT
A massive, skeletal structure.
Snow drifts through broken windows.
Cars arrive from all sides.
ALL GANGS converge — tense, armed, watching each other.
POLICE VANS arrive last.
Korhonen steps out.
KORHONEN
Gentlemen.
Tonight we end misunderstandings.
They move inside.
INT. ABANDONED FACTORY – CONTINUOUS
A long table. Hanging lights sway.
Gangs take seats.
Tension thick.
Korhonen stands at the head.
KORHONEN
This city is tired of you.
So am I.
Mink leans forward.
MINK
Then stop feeding us.
Korhonen smiles thinly.
KORHONEN
I am.
A GUNSHOT.
A Tammela King drops — shot from behind.
Chaos explodes instantly.
CAMERA NOTE:
360-degree rotating slow motion.
Guns clear coats.
Men dive under the table.
Mink shoots a Hervanta man point-blank.
Ilari returns fire — clips Mink’s shoulder.
Väinö is hit — collapses slowly.
Alex drags Väinö behind cover.
VÄINÖ
(weak)
You were right.
Alex fires back — covering.
Dirty cops fire indiscriminately.
The meeting dissolves into slaughter.
EXT. FACTORY – NIGHT
Survivors scatter into snow and darkness.
Sirens echo — too late, as always.
Alex supports Väinö, bleeding badly.
VÄINÖ
This war…
was never ours.
He dies.
Alex closes his eyes — just a second.
Then keeps moving.
EXT. CITY STREETS – NIGHT (MONTAGE)
— A DRIVE-BY at a Hervanta safehouse
— A Tammela lieutenant executed in an alley
— A car chase across icy roads
— Gunfire reflected in tram windows
— Snow falling through muzzle flashes
Tampere eats itself.
INT. UNDERGROUND GARAGE – NIGHT
Salla limps through darkness.
She’s been burned — cover blown.
A FIGURE steps out.
Alex.
Gun raised — then lowered.
SALLA
They know who I am.
ALEX
I figured.
They hear cars above.
Alex grabs her arm.
INT. SAFEHOUSE APARTMENT – NIGHT
Salla sits on the floor.
Alex disinfects a bullet graze.
Their hands shake — from adrenaline, not fear.
SALLA
I used to believe the badge meant something.
ALEX
It does.
Just not what they tell you.
A beat.
SALLA
Korhonen’s consolidating everything.
One final exchange.
Alex nods.
ALEX
Good.
She looks at him.
SALLA
Good?
Alex meets her gaze — cold, resolved.
ALEX
Means everyone will be in one place.
INT. POLICE HQ – NIGHT
Korhonen signs orders.
Weapons checked out.
Men chosen.
KORHONEN
Tomorrow night.
Näsinneula.
An officer hesitates.
OFFICER
And if it goes wrong?
Korhonen doesn’t look up.
KORHONEN
It won’t.
EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT
Alex and Salla overlook the city again.
Now it’s wounded.
SALLA
If we do this…
we don’t walk away clean.
Alex exhales.
ALEX
We walked away clean once.
Look how that turned out.
They stand together.
Snow falls.
Below them, the city prepares for its reckoning.
END OF ACT II
ACT III — “THE CITY SINGS IN GUNFIRE”
EXT. NÄSINNEULA – SERVICE ROAD – NIGHT
A narrow service road beneath the tower.
Floodlights carve sharp cones into falling snow.
The air is metallic-cold, like a gun barrel.
CAMERA NOTE:
High aerial establishing — Näsinneula a spear above a wound.
Headlights appear in the distance.
One set. Then another. Then many.
Engines idle like predators breathing.
EXT. SERVICE ROAD – CONTINUOUS
The HERVANTA SYNDICATE arrives first.
Ilari steps out, composed. His men form clean lines.
They don’t speak. They don’t need to.
CAMERA NOTE:
Wide symmetry. Hervanta = geometry.
Then— the TAMMELA KINGS roll in, sloppy and hungry.
The King Leader grins, chewing gum like it’s a dare.
Then— remnants of PISPALA arrive.
Fewer cars. Fewer faces.
Mink is bandaged, angry, alive by force of will.
He sees Ilari.
Hatred sparks.
Then— the RATINA RUSSIANS (what’s left of them) arrive late, loud, reeking of revenge.
Their new leader, YURI (40s), steps out with a fur collar and dead eyes.
A final procession arrives.
POLICE VANS.
Uniforms.
Badges.
CAPTAIN RISTO KORHONEN steps out like a priest entering a cathedral.
He surveys them all, smiling faintly.
KORHONEN
Gentlemen.
You brought your grief to the right place.
No one laughs.
Snow falls harder.
EXT. SERVICE ENTRANCE – MOMENTS LATER
A concrete access gate to the tower’s maintenance complex.
A set of portable lights hums.
A folding table is set like a joke.
A duffel bag sits on it.
Korhonen gestures toward it.
KORHONEN
There it is.
Enough poison to keep your little economy alive for a year.
Mink steps forward, gun half-drawn.
MINK
You think we’re your employees?
Korhonen turns his head slightly.
Behind Korhonen, DIRTY COPS lift rifles—quiet, practiced.
KORHONEN
I think you’re predictable.
Ilari’s calm voice cuts through.
ILARI
We take the bag.
We leave.
No speeches.
Korhonen smiles.
KORHONEN
No.
You take the bag…
and you erase each other.
A beat.
Yuri spits into the snow.
YURI
You bring us here to die?
Korhonen’s voice stays polite.
KORHONEN
I brought you here to become a lesson.
Mink raises his pistol—
A SHOT rings out.
A DIRTY COP drops, shocked.
Silence swallows the sound.
Another shot.
Another cop falls.
Korhonen’s smile falters.
He scans the darkness.
KORHONEN
Who—
A figure steps into the floodlight.
ALEKSI “ALEX” KIVI.
Dual pistols down by his sides.
Stillness in his posture that feels unnatural.
Behind him, SALLA SAARINEN emerges, limping slightly, gun ready.
CAMERA NOTE:
Backlight Alex and Salla — silhouettes becoming judgment.
Korhonen’s eyes narrow.
KORHONEN (CONT’D)
You really want to die with them?
Alex’s voice is low, steady.
ALEX
No.
I want you to live long enough to understand you’re not in control.
Salla steps forward.
SALLA
Everyone hears this now—
the police sold the city.
He sold you.
He sold us.
Korhonen’s mouth tightens.
KORHONEN
This is theater.
Alex lifts his guns slightly.
ALEX
Yes.
A white DOVE flutters down from somewhere impossible, landing on the access gate.
Everyone’s eyes flick to it, instinctive.
The bird tilts its head, serene.
Then—
Mink fires at Ilari.
Ilari fires back.
Yuri fires at a dirty cop.
A dirty cop fires into the crowd.
The night detonates.
EXT. SERVICE ENTRANCE – CONTINUOUS (GUN OPERA)
Full chaos.
CAMERA NOTE:
0:00–0:15 — SLOW MOTION OPENING MOVES.
Sound drops to heartbeat + distant choir.
Alex dives sideways, coat flaring like wings.
Salla slides behind a concrete barrier, firing controlled shots—two, three—clean.
Ilari barks orders, his men moving like a machine.
Mink laughs—wild—firing both hands, reckless.
Yuri advances with a shotgun, each blast a punctuation mark.
CAMERA NOTE:
0:15–0:40 — SOUND RETURNS IN WAVES.
Gunfire becomes percussion; snow becomes confetti.
A Hervanta shooter reloads in slow motion—mag clicks home like a prayer.
A dirty cop takes a bullet, falls backward, arms open like crucifixion.
The dove launches upward, wings beating through muzzle flash.
ALEX moves through it—two pistols, alternating shots, never wasted.
He’s not angry.
He’s precise.
He takes out dirty cops first.
Salla covers him, eyes scanning, jaw tight.
SALLA
(shouting)
Left—!
Alex pivots, fires twice.
Two men drop.
Mink sees Alex.
Their eyes meet.
Mink’s expression: accusation.
MINK
(shouting)
This is YOUR fault!
Alex doesn’t respond.
He fires past Mink, dropping a dirty cop aiming at him.
Mink freezes for a second, confused by being saved.
Then he fires again anyway.
INT. NÄSINNEULA MAINTENANCE CORRIDOR – NIGHT
Korhonen retreats inside, flanked by two dirty cops.
Concrete corridors. Pipes. Echoes.
The gunfight outside becomes distant thunder.
Korhonen moves fast for his age—fear sharpens him.
He glances back.
A shadow appears at the corridor entrance.
Alex.
Korhonen’s escorts raise rifles—
Salla’s shots crack from behind, dropping them before they fire.
Korhonen turns, startled.
Salla steps into view, breath ragged, eyes ice.
SALLA
No more hiding behind uniforms.
Korhonen’s lips curl.
KORHONEN
You think you’re clean?
You’ve been swimming in it.
Salla advances a step.
SALLA
I’m still swimming toward air.
Korhonen backs away into the tunnel.
Alex follows.
INT. STAIRWELL – NIGHT
A narrow concrete stairwell spiraling downward.
Gunfire echoes like ghosts.
Alex and Salla descend cautiously.
Above—footsteps.
Mink appears at the top landing, wounded, bleeding, rage keeping him upright.
He aims down.
Alex looks up.
CAMERA NOTE:
1:10–1:25 — EXTENDED SLOW MOTION STANDOFF.
Snow drifts through a broken vent, floating between them.
Mink’s hands tremble.
MINK
You told us to survive.
Alex holds his pistol steady.
ALEX
I tried.
Mink laughs, hollow.
MINK
We don’t get to survive.
Men like us—
we just get to choose how we fall.
Mink fires.
Alex dives behind the inner stairwell wall, returns two shots.
Mink staggers, hit.
He grips the railing, looking down at Alex.
Mink smiles through blood.
MINK (CONT’D)
Make it… beautiful.
He lets go.
He falls backward into the stairwell void.
CAMERA NOTE:
Hold Mink’s fall in slow motion as if gravity is reluctant.
A single dove feather drifts down after him.
INT. MAINTENANCE HUB – NIGHT
A large industrial room.
Pipes overhead like ribcages.
A long corridor leads deeper.
Korhonen steps into the hub, breathing hard, trying to regain authority.
He checks his pistol. Reloads.
His hands shake.
He looks up.
A BANK of CCTV monitors shows the fight outside.
Gangs killing gangs.
Cops dying.
His plan dissolving.
Korhonen’s face tightens—something close to grief, quickly strangled.
He hears footsteps.
Alex enters the hub.
Salla follows, leaning against the doorframe for a breath—pain flashing, hidden.
Korhonen lifts his pistol.
Alex lifts both.
They hold.
CAMERA NOTE:
2:05–2:20 — TRIANGLE COMPOSITION.
Korhonen center, Alex left, Salla right.
The hub becomes a courtroom.
Korhonen speaks first.
KORHONEN
You always wanted to be a hero.
Alex’s eyes don’t blink.
ALEX
I wanted to be a cop.
Korhonen laughs once.
KORHONEN
Same sickness, different flavor.
Alex steps forward.
ALEX
My partner.
Korhonen’s smile fades.
KORHONEN
Ah.
A beat.
KORHONEN (CONT’D)
He talked.
Salla’s jaw tightens.
Alex’s face hardens like ice.
ALEX
You murdered him.
Korhonen shrugs, not proud—just practical.
KORHONEN
I removed a leak.
Alex’s voice drops.
ALEX
You made me a leak.
Korhonen’s eyes flick to Salla.
KORHONEN
And you—
you think you’re different?
Salla steps forward.
SALLA
I’m not.
That’s why I’m here.
Korhonen’s gun tracks to her.
KORHONEN
Then drop it.
Salla doesn’t.
Korhonen’s finger tightens.
Alex’s voice cuts in, calm as snow.
ALEX
Risto.
Look outside.
Korhonen’s eyes flick to the monitors.
His empire collapsing in real time.
ALEX (CONT’D)
You wanted to clean the city.
All you did was teach it new ways to bleed.
Korhonen’s lips tremble with suppressed fury.
KORHONEN
I gave people sleep.
I gave them peace.
Alex steps closer.
ALEX
No.
You gave them silence.
There’s a difference.
Korhonen’s face twists.
KORHONEN
You think killing me changes anything?
Alex answers honestly.
ALEX
No.
Beat.
ALEX (CONT’D)
But it changes me.
Korhonen fires.
INT. MAINTENANCE HUB – CONTINUOUS (FINAL DUEL)
CAMERA NOTE:
2:55–3:15 — SLOW MOTION EXCHANGE.
Sound drops to breath, fabric, footsteps.
Korhonen’s bullet grazes Alex’s cheek—blood streaks clean and bright.
Alex fires both pistols.
One shot hits Korhonen’s shoulder.
Second hits the chest.
Korhonen staggers backward into a hanging chain curtain.
Metal RATTLES like a bell.
Salla fires once — Korhonen’s pistol flies from his hand.
Korhonen collapses to his knees.
He looks up at Alex, dazed.
A lifetime of authority dissolving into pain and disbelief.
KORHONEN
(weak)
This city will forget you.
Alex steps closer.
ALEX
Cities forget everyone.
Korhonen coughs, blood dark on concrete.
His eyes search for meaning.
KORHONEN
Then what was it all for?
Alex considers. Truly.
ALEX
So the lie stops being comfortable.
A beat.
Korhonen looks toward the monitors one last time.
A gang member is shot in slow motion on-screen.
A dirty cop falls.
Everything Korhonen built becomes an obituary.
Korhonen whispers, almost childlike:
KORHONEN
I was… keeping it together.
Alex’s voice softens, just a fraction.
ALEX
No.
You were holding it down.
Alex raises one pistol.
A white dove lands on a pipe above them, watching.
Alex fires once.
Korhonen slumps sideways, still.
Silence.
The dove remains.
Salla exhales like she’s been holding her breath for years.
INT. MAINTENANCE CORRIDOR – LATER
Alex and Salla move through the corridor toward the exit.
Their footsteps echo.
Behind them, distant gunfire fades.
The war is running out of people.
Salla stumbles.
Alex catches her.
They don’t look at each other like lovers.
They look like survivors who don’t trust survival.
SALLA
What happens now?
Alex doesn’t answer right away.
They pass a wall with old municipal signage: MAINTENANCE / SAFETY / AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
Alex gives a bitter half-smile.
ALEX
Now the city pretends it doesn’t know our names.
Salla nods.
SALLA
And we tell the truth anyway.
Alex looks at her—respect, quiet and real.
ALEX
If we can.
EXT. NÄSINNEULA – DAWN
The sky lightens to pale steel.
Snow falls softly again.
Sirens approach from far away, growing louder.
The service road is littered with bodies, dropped guns, broken dreams.
No triumphant music.
Just wind.
Alex and Salla emerge into the dawn.
They pause.
The Näsinneula tower rises above them, indifferent.
A few doves circle high overhead.
CAMERA NOTE:
Final wide shot. The humans are small; the city is huge.
Hold until the sirens fill the sound.
Salla looks back once.
Not at the dead.
At the tower.
SALLA
Do you think it was worth it?
Alex watches the snow.
ALEX
Ask me when the guilt stops hurting.
They walk away together.
Not redeemed.
Not forgiven.
Alive.
FADE OUT.
THE END
PART I — STUNT NOTES
(Designed for second unit, stunt coordinator, and action director)
GENERAL ACTION LANGUAGE RULES (GLOBAL)
-
Movement before gunfire: characters dodge, leap, slide first, then shoot.
-
Verticality: stairs, railings, ledges, falling bodies.
-
Pain is delayed: characters often complete an action before reacting to being hit.
-
Deaths are expressive: every major character dies differently.
STUNT SEQUENCE A
EXT. SERVICE ENTRANCE – MULTI-FACTION SHOOTOUT
Core beats:
-
6–8 stunt performers rotating falls
-
No more than 3 live shooters per camera axis (clarity > chaos)
Key stunts:
-
Sliding knee-to-shoulder roll behind concrete barrier (Alex)
-
Shoulder-hit spin fall into snowbank (Dirty Cop #2)
-
Dual pistol lateral dive (Alex):
-
start frame right → dive left
-
fire mid-air (blank-synced muzzle flash)
-
land shoulder-first, roll, recover to kneel
-
Timing:
-
12–15 seconds slow motion (48fps or higher)
-
Resume real time on first body impact
Safety notes:
-
All “falls into snow” padded beneath surface
-
No head-first dives; all rotational momentum redirected through shoulder/hip
STUNT SEQUENCE B
INT. STAIRWELL – MINK’S FALL
Set-up:
-
Spiral stairwell with central void
-
Mink positioned one level above Alex
Action:
-
Mink takes two hits (squibs chest + shoulder)
-
Grabs railing
-
Delivers final line
-
Releases grip
Execution:
-
Actor falls backward onto concealed airbag
-
Cut to stunt double mid-fall (wire-assisted rotation)
-
Final impact implied via sound + reaction shot
Camera:
-
Locked top-down shot for fall
-
Insert: dove feather drifting (practical drop)
STUNT SEQUENCE C
INT. MAINTENANCE HUB – FINAL DUEL
Korhonen hit sequence:
-
Shoulder hit → weapon drop
-
Chest hit → stagger backward into hanging chains
-
Collapse to knees (controlled descent)
Alex injury:
-
Cheek graze only (blood tube + razor effect)
-
Must not impair mobility
Salla cover-fire:
-
Static firing position
-
Minimal movement (injured realism)
-
Precision beats chaos
STUNT PHILOSOPHY (DIRECTOR NOTE)
“Nobody scrambles.
Everyone moves like they’ve already accepted death.”
PART II — DIALOGUE POLISH
MAXIMUM JOHN WOO MODE
Below are rewritten dialogue passes for key moments.
These replace earlier lines verbatim.
ALEX & VÄINÖ — PISPALA DEPOT (ACT I POLISH)
VÄINÖ
We used to fight over streets.
Now we fight over rumors.
ALEX
Rumors don’t bleed.
Men do.
VÄINÖ
You asking us to trust a cop?
ALEX
No.
I’m asking you to trust a dead man.
Because that’s what I am when this ends.
KORHONEN & SALLA — POLICE HQ (ACT II POLISH)
KORHONEN
You think the law is a shield.
It’s a curtain.
I decide what people see.
SALLA
You decide who disappears.
KORHONEN
I decide who sleeps.
SALLA
No.
You decide who never wakes up.
ALEX & SALLA — SAFEHOUSE (ACT II POLISH)
SALLA
If we do this…
there’s no side left to stand on.
ALEX
Sides are for wars that end.
This is something else.
SALLA
What?
ALEX
A confession.
MINK & ALEX — STAIRWELL (ACT III POLISH)
MINK
We were supposed to be legends.
ALEX
Legends don’t beg.
MINK
(smiling, bleeding)
No.
But they fall slow.
FINAL SHOWDOWN — KORHONEN / ALEX / SALLA
(FULL POLISHED VERSION)
KORHONEN
Look at you.
Two good people pretending blood is justice.
SALLA
We’re not pretending anymore.
KORHONEN
You think killing me cleans anything?
ALEX
No.
KORHONEN
Then why do it?
ALEX
Because you taught this city one thing very well.
Korhonen sneers.
KORHONEN
And what’s that?
Alex steps closer.
ALEX
That silence is violence…
when it comes from power.
Korhonen fires.
KORHONEN DYING (FINAL POLISH)
KORHONEN
(whispering)
I held it together…
Alex kneels to his level.
ALEX
No.
You held it down.
Korhonen looks past him.
KORHONEN
They’ll forget you.
Alex nods.
ALEX
That’s how I know it worked.
FINAL LINE — EXT. NÄSINNEULA – DAWN
SALLA
Do you think the city will change?
Alex watches the snow fall.
ALEX
Cities don’t change.
They remember…
or they repeat.
PART I — WEAPON CHOREOGRAPHY + RELOAD REALISM
CORE PHILOSOPHY (GLOBAL)
Guns are not tools.
They are arguments.
Every reload, jam, and empty click is dramatic punctuation.
ALEX — DUAL PISTOL LANGUAGE
Weapons:
-
Two semi-automatic pistols (9mm class)
-
Standard 15-round magazines
Choreography Rules:
-
Never fires both pistols at once
-
Alternates left/right like a heartbeat
-
Reloads only after movement, never stationary
Emotional Logic:
-
Alex reloads calmly = control
-
Alex reloads urgently = cost is catching up
Alex Reload Pattern (Consistent)
-
Fires 6–8 rounds
-
Movement beat (dive, roll, slide)
-
Tactical reload (mag out, mag in)
-
Immediate re-engagement
Camera Note:
Reloads should be clearly visible. Hands, mags, clicks.
SALLA — PRECISION FIRE DISCIPLINE
Weapon:
-
Single compact service pistol
-
12-round magazines
Rules:
-
Never sprays
-
Almost exclusively double-taps
-
Reloads early, before empty
Reload Logic:
-
Reload = preparation, not desperation
-
If Salla reloads under fire, something has gone wrong
Emotional Read:
-
As her injury worsens, reloads slow
-
Pain is visible, but accuracy never drops
MINK — CHAOS AND WASTE
Weapon:
-
Two pistols or pistol + SMG (depending on budget)
Rules:
-
Fires too much
-
Reloads late
-
Clicks on empty at least once
Key Beat (Stairwell):
-
Mink fires → click
-
Looks at weapon, surprised
-
Smiles anyway
-
That’s when he dies
His reload failure is his character flaw.
ILARI (HERVANTA) — MILITARY EFFICIENCY
Weapons:
-
Compact rifles or SMGs
Rules:
-
Fires in controlled bursts (2–3 rounds)
-
Reloads as a unit, not individually
Choreography Beat:
-
Two men fire → third reloads
-
Third fires → first reloads
Visual Effect:
-
The team looks like a machine
-
When Ilari dies, the machine collapses instantly
DIRTY COPS — FALSE CONFIDENCE
Weapons:
-
Service rifles + pistols
Rules:
-
Over-reliance on firepower
-
Poor positioning
-
Panic reloads
Key Detail:
-
One dirty cop reloads behind another — gets shot mid-mag
-
Badge visible as he falls
RELOAD COUNT — FINAL SHOWDOWN (APPROX.)
| Character | Reloads | Narrative Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Alex | 3–4 | Endurance |
| Salla | 2 | Control |
| Mink | 1 (failed) | Tragedy |
| Ilari | 1 | Order breaking |
| Korhonen | 0 | Arrogance |
Korhonen never reloads because he never thinks he’ll need to.
EMPTY GUN MOMENTS (MANDATORY)
-
At least two audible “clicks” in the final act
-
Silence after the click must last one full beat
-
Click = fate tapping the shoulder
PART II — MUSIC CUE MAP
OPERA → SILENCE
This film’s score behaves like a dying heartbeat.
MUSICAL THEMES
THE CITY THEME
-
Low choir
-
Slow tempo
-
Cold, restrained
-
Appears when Tampere is shown wide
THE WAR THEME
-
Percussion-driven
-
Rising strings
-
Appears when gangs mobilize
ALEX’S THEME
-
Solo cello or low violin
-
Minimal notes
-
Returns during reloads and pauses
THE OPERA THEME
-
Full choir
-
Tragic, romantic
-
Only appears when death becomes inevitable
CUE MAP BY ACT
ACT I — CONTROLLED SILENCE
Cue Style:
-
Sparse ambient tones
-
Wind, city hum, distant bells
Key Rule:
Gunshots are LOUD because music is quiet.
Alex Theme:
-
Introduced subtly during apartment scene
-
Almost inaudible
ACT II — RISING DISSONANCE
Cue Style:
-
Percussion enters slowly
-
Choir whispers beneath action
Warehouse Shootout:
-
Music drops OUT during first shots
-
Fades in after first death
Gang Summit Massacre:
-
Music SWELLS too late
-
Violence already happened
-
Audience feels “behind” events
ACT III — THE OPERA
Arrival at Näsinneula
-
Full orchestral tension
-
Choir humming, not singing
-
Feels ceremonial
First Shots Fired
ABSOLUTE RULE:
Music CUTS TO SILENCE for 3 seconds.
Then —
Gun Opera Begins
-
Choir explodes in
-
Long vocal notes over slow motion
-
Music does NOT sync to shots — it floats above them
Slow Motion Rule:
-
Music carries the emotion
-
Sound effects muted or muffled
STAIRWELL (MINK’S FALL)
-
Music drops to solo cello
-
No percussion
-
Final note holds through his fall
FINAL DUEL — ALEX vs KORHONEN
Cue Strategy:
-
NO music during dialogue
-
Only breath, footsteps, metal creaks
When Korhonen fires:
-
Music stays out
When Alex shoots back:
-
ONE tragic chord hits
-
Then silence again
KORHONEN’S DEATH
-
Choir returns softly
-
Not triumphant
-
Regretful
Stops immediately after final shot.
EXT. NÄSINNEULA – DAWN (ENDING)
NO MUSIC.
Only:
-
Wind
-
Distant sirens
-
Footsteps in snow
End credits begin in silence.
Music fades in after the first credit card.
FINAL DIRECTOR’S NOTE
“If the audience hums the music, we failed.
They should feel it disappear.”
They walk away.
COLD LAKE OF FIRE
LOCKED FINAL DRAFT PAGINATION
TITLE PAGE
-
Title: COLD LAKE OF FIRE
-
Written by: [Jani Apukka - Kalifornia Jani]
-
Genre: Action / Crime / Tragedy
-
Length: 108 pages
ACT I — THE CITY BREAKS
Pages 1–28
Purpose: Establish world, moral decay, characters, and inciting violence.
SCENE LIST — ACT I
1. EXT. KESKUSTORI – NIGHT
Public shootout erupts
Pages: 1–5
2. EXT. KESKUSTORI – LATER
Police arrive, corruption hinted
Pages: 5–6
3. INT. ALEX’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Alex introduced, haunted past
Pages: 6–8
4. INT. PISPALA TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT
Brotherhood meeting, Alex warns them
Pages: 8–14
5. INT. HERVANTA SAFEHOUSE – NIGHT
Hervanta mobilizes
Pages: 14–16
6. INT. TAMMELA BAR – NIGHT
Tammela Kings manipulate rumors
Pages: 16–18
7. INT. POLICE STATION – EVIDENCE ROOM – NIGHT
Salla discovers corruption
Pages: 18–21
8. EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT
Alex and Salla first alignment
Pages: 21–24
9. INT. POLICE HQ – KORHONEN’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Korhonen introduced as architect
Pages: 24–26
10. EXT. CITY STREETS – NIGHT (MONTAGE)
Tensions rise across Tampere
Pages: 26–28
🔒 ACT I LOCKED END: Page 28
ACT II — ORDER IS A LIE
Pages 29–83
Purpose: Escalation, betrayals, citywide collapse, truth revealed.
SCENE LIST — ACT II
11. EXT. WAREHOUSE DISTRICT – NIGHT
Hervanta ambushes Ratina
Pages: 29–35
12. INT. WAREHOUSE – CONTINUOUS
Gun ballet massacre
Pages: 35–38
13. EXT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT
Dirty cops erase evidence
Pages: 38–40
14. INT. POLICE HQ – CAPTAIN’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Korhonen vs Salla
Pages: 40–44
15. EXT. TAMMELANTORI – NIGHT
Tammela spreads lies
Pages: 44–46
16. INT. PISPALA TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT
Brotherhood fractures
Pages: 46–50
17. EXT. ABANDONED FACTORY – NIGHT
Gang summit arrival
Pages: 50–52
18. INT. ABANDONED FACTORY – NIGHT
Summit betrayal massacre
Pages: 52–60
19. EXT. FACTORY – NIGHT
Aftermath, Väinö dies
Pages: 60–62
20. EXT. CITY STREETS – NIGHT (MONTAGE)
Full gang war across Tampere
Pages: 62–66
21. INT. UNDERGROUND GARAGE – NIGHT
Salla’s cover blown
Pages: 66–69
22. INT. SAFEHOUSE APARTMENT – NIGHT
Alex saves Salla, alliance solidifies
Pages: 69–73
23. INT. POLICE HQ – NIGHT
Korhonen orders final consolidation
Pages: 73–75
24. EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT
Decision to end it all
Pages: 75–79
25. EXT. CITY – NIGHT (TRANSITION MONTAGE)
Everyone moves toward the same point
Pages: 79–83
🔒 ACT II LOCKED END: Page 83
ACT III — THE OPERA OF BULLETS
Pages 84–108
Purpose: Convergence, annihilation, moral resolution.
SCENE LIST — ACT III
26. EXT. NÄSINNEULA – SERVICE ROAD – NIGHT
All factions arrive
Pages: 84–88
27. EXT. SERVICE ENTRANCE – NIGHT
Korhonen reveals plan
Pages: 88–91
28. EXT. SERVICE ENTRANCE – CONTINUOUS
Gun opera erupts
Pages: 91–98
29. INT. MAINTENANCE CORRIDORS – NIGHT
Alex hunts Korhonen
Pages: 98–101
30. INT. STAIRWELL – NIGHT
Mink’s tragic fall
Pages: 101–103
31. INT. MAINTENANCE HUB – NIGHT
Final duel: Alex vs Korhonen
Pages: 103–106
32. EXT. NÄSINNEULA – DAWN
Aftermath, survivors walk away
Pages: 106–108
🔒 END OF FILM: Page 108
STRUCTURAL NOTES (INDUSTRY-READY)
-
Inciting Incident: Page 3
-
First Act Turn: Page 28
-
Midpoint (No Return): Page 56 (Gang summit massacre)
-
Second Act Turn: Page 83
-
Climax: Pages 91–106
-
Denouement: Pages 106–108
This structure is festival-ready, producer-readable, and shooting-script compliant.
COLD LAKE OF FIRE
LOCKED FINAL DRAFT SCENE HEADERS
(Scene numbers locked — do not renumber once in production)
ACT I — THE CITY BREAKS
1. EXT. KESKUSTORI – NIGHT
2. EXT. KESKUSTORI – LATER
3. INT. ALEX’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
4. INT. PISPALA TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT
5. INT. HERVANTA SAFEHOUSE – NIGHT
6. INT. TAMMELA BAR – NIGHT
7. INT. POLICE STATION – EVIDENCE ROOM – NIGHT
8. EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT
9. INT. POLICE HQ – KORHONEN’S OFFICE – NIGHT
10. EXT. CITY STREETS – NIGHT (MONTAGE)
🔒 END ACT I
ACT II — ORDER IS A LIE
11. EXT. WAREHOUSE DISTRICT – NIGHT
12. INT. WAREHOUSE – CONTINUOUS
13. EXT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT
14. INT. POLICE HQ – CAPTAIN’S OFFICE – NIGHT
15. EXT. TAMMELANTORI – NIGHT
16. INT. PISPALA TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT
17. EXT. ABANDONED FACTORY – NIGHT
18. INT. ABANDONED FACTORY – NIGHT
19. EXT. ABANDONED FACTORY – NIGHT
20. EXT. CITY STREETS – NIGHT (MONTAGE)
21. INT. UNDERGROUND GARAGE – NIGHT
22. INT. SAFEHOUSE APARTMENT – NIGHT
23. INT. POLICE HQ – NIGHT
24. EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT
25. EXT. CITY – NIGHT (TRANSITION MONTAGE)
🔒 END ACT II
ACT III — THE OPERA OF BULLETS
26. EXT. NÄSINNEULA – SERVICE ROAD – NIGHT
27. EXT. SERVICE ENTRANCE – NIGHT
28. EXT. SERVICE ENTRANCE – CONTINUOUS
29. INT. NÄSINNEULA – MAINTENANCE CORRIDORS – NIGHT
30. INT. STAIRWELL – NIGHT
31. INT. MAINTENANCE HUB – NIGHT
32. EXT. NÄSINNEULA – DAWN
🔒 END ACT III
COLD LAKE OF FIRE
Written by: [Jani Apukka - Kalifornia Jani]
Draft: Shooting Draft
Length: 108 Pages
ACT I — THE CITY BREAKS
1. EXT. KESKUSTORI – NIGHT
Snow drifts through soft city light.
A calm, orderly square.
Civilians cross quietly. Breath visible in the cold.
A DELIVERY VAN idles at the curb.
Two MEN step out. One opens the back doors.
Inside: DUFFEL BAGS.
A THIRD MAN approaches.
They exchange the bag.
A distant CHURCH BELL rings.
HEADLIGHTS flare.
A BLACK SEDAN slides into the square.
Doors fly open.
MEN in long dark coats pour out, guns raised.
Across the square — another group emerges.
Time SLOWS.
Snowflakes freeze midair.
A woman stops walking.
A child clutches a sleeve.
Then —
GUNFIRE ERUPTS.
Sound drops out.
Bullets tear into stone benches.
Glass explodes.
Civilians scatter in silent panic.
A SHOPPING BAG hits the ground.
Oranges roll through blood-specked snow.
ALEKSI “ALEX” KIVI (35) moves against the chaos.
He doesn’t fire.
He watches.
A GUNMAN turns toward a TEENAGER frozen in fear.
Alex lunges.
He tackles the teen to the ground.
A BULLET slices past where the teen stood.
They roll behind a kiosk.
Glass shatters above them.
Alex looks up.
A GUNMAN reloads.
Clipped to his belt — a POLICE RADIO.
Official.
Alex’s eyes harden.
Sound rushes back.
Alex rises, fires once.
The gunman drops.
More shots.
Then silence.
The gangs vanish.
Steam rises from the snow.
A WHITE DOVE flutters down onto a blood-streaked bench.
Alex stares at it.
2. EXT. KESKUSTORI – LATER
Police lights wash the square red and blue.
Bodies covered.
OFFICERS move with practiced urgency.
Alex stands at the edge.
A UNIFORMED OFFICER crouches near a fallen gunman.
He discreetly lifts the POLICE RADIO and slips it into his coat.
He looks up.
His eyes meet Alex’s.
A beat.
The officer looks away.
Alex doesn’t move.
3. INT. ALEX’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Minimalist. Cold.
Alex enters, removes his coat.
Places his pistol on the table.
He strips off his sweater.
Old scars line his arms.
He cleans the gun carefully.
Click. Wipe. Breathe.
On the wall: a FRAMED PHOTO.
Alex with another COP — younger, smiling.
Alex studies it.
Turns the frame face-down.
He sits.
Snow taps against the window.
Silence.
4. INT. PISPALA TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT
A cavernous abandoned hall.
Rust. Echoes.
A long table under harsh lights.
The PISPALA BROTHERHOOD sits in silence.
VÄINÖ (60s) at the head.
MINK (28) paces.
The doors CREAK open.
Alex steps inside.
Guns rise.
Alex keeps walking.
Alex tosses the POLICE RADIO onto the table.
It CLATTERS.
Silence.
Väinö picks it up.
Mink’s hand slips under his jacket.
Time slows.
Alex’s gun is suddenly aimed at Mink’s throat.
A WHITE DOVE flutters through a broken window.
Frozen.
Väinö raises a hand.
Alex lowers the gun.
5. INT. HERVANTA SAFEHOUSE – NIGHT
Clean. Tactical.
Men load weapons in silence.
ILARI checks a city map.
6. INT. TAMMELA BAR – NIGHT
Crowded. Loud.
Cash changes hands.
7. INT. POLICE STATION – EVIDENCE ROOM – NIGHT
SALLA SAARINEN (32) scans evidence.
Discrepancies pile up.
Footsteps.
CAPTAIN RISTO KORHONEN enters.
Their eyes lock.
8. EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT
Alex stands overlooking the city.
Salla approaches.
They look out over Tampere.
Snow falls.
9. INT. POLICE HQ – KORHONEN’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Korhonen watches the city through glass.
Power in stillness.
10. EXT. CITY STREETS – NIGHT (MONTAGE)
— Gangs arm up
— Police watch
— Snow falls harder
The city tightens.
🔒 END ACT I — PAGE 28
COLD LAKE OF FIRE
PART 2 — ACT II: “ORDER IS A LIE”
(Pages 29–83)
11. EXT. WAREHOUSE DISTRICT – NIGHT
A frozen industrial zone near the rail lines.
Streetlights flicker.
A convoy of BLACK VANS rolls in silently.
Doors open.
The HERVANTA SYNDICATE steps out — disciplined, identical dark coats.
ILARI (40s) checks his watch.
Men fan out with precision.
Across the street, a LOADING BAY DOOR rattles open.
RATINA RUSSIANS emerge — loud, careless, confident.
One laughs.
Ilari raises a hand.
Time slows.
A HERVANTA SHOOTER fires.
12. INT. WAREHOUSE – CONTINUOUS
Gunfire detonates the space.
Bullets tear through crates.
Men dive behind forklifts.
Sound drops out.
Bodies fall in slow motion.
A Russian leaps over a conveyor belt —
gets hit mid-air, spins, crashes.
Ilari moves calmly through the chaos.
One shot.
Another.
Each one final.
The last Russian drops.
Silence.
Steam rises from bodies.
Ilari surveys the damage.
13. EXT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT
POLICE SIRENS approach.
But unmarked cars arrive first.
DIRTY COPS step out, gloved.
They move bodies.
Collect shell casings.
Erase the night.
A wounded Russian reaches out weakly.
A SERGEANT shoots him point-blank.
No emotion.
14. INT. POLICE HQ – CAPTAIN’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Korhonen watches warehouse security footage.
Muted.
Clinical.
Salla stands opposite him.
Korhonen turns to her.
Salla steps closer.
Korhonen smiles thinly.
Their eyes lock.
15. EXT. TAMMELANTORI – NIGHT
A cramped market square.
Neon flickers.
The TAMMELA KINGS operate from a bar.
Cash changes hands.
A RUNNER whispers.
The KING LEADER smiles.
16. INT. PISPALA TRAM DEPOT – NIGHT
The Brotherhood argues.
Mink paces.
Alex stands in shadow.
Mink turns on him.
Väinö studies Alex.
Mink storms out.
Väinö exhales.
17. EXT. ABANDONED FACTORY – NIGHT
A massive skeletal structure.
Cars arrive from all directions.
ALL GANGS converge.
Tension visible.
POLICE VANS arrive last.
Korhonen steps out.
They move inside.
18. INT. ABANDONED FACTORY – CONTINUOUS
A long table beneath hanging lights.
Gangs take seats.
Korhonen stands at the head.
Mink leans forward.
Korhonen smiles.
A GUNSHOT.
A TAMMELA KING drops.
Chaos explodes.
Men dive under tables.
Gunfire rips through the room.
Väinö is hit.
Alex drags him behind cover.
Dirty cops fire indiscriminately.
The meeting dissolves into slaughter.
19. EXT. ABANDONED FACTORY – NIGHT
Survivors scatter.
Snow absorbs blood.
Alex supports Väinö.
He dies.
Alex closes his eyes briefly.
Then moves.
20. EXT. CITY STREETS – NIGHT (MONTAGE)
— Drive-by shooting
— Icy car chase
— Alley execution
— Gunfire reflected in tram windows
— Snow falling through muzzle flashes
Tampere eats itself.
21. INT. UNDERGROUND GARAGE – NIGHT
Salla limps through darkness.
Her cover blown.
A FIGURE steps out.
Alex.
They hear engines above.
22. INT. SAFEHOUSE APARTMENT – NIGHT
Dim. Quiet.
Alex tends to Salla’s arm.
Their hands linger.
Alex doesn’t answer.
Alex nods.
23. INT. POLICE HQ – NIGHT
Korhonen signs orders.
Weapons checked out.
An OFFICER hesitates.
24. EXT. PISPALA RIDGE – NIGHT
Alex and Salla overlook the city again.
Now it’s burning.
Snow falls harder.
25. EXT. CITY – NIGHT (TRANSITION MONTAGE)
— Gangs load weapons
— Police mobilize
— Cars move toward one point
— The tower lights glow in the distance
Everything converges.
🔒 END ACT II — PAGE 83
COLD LAKE OF FIRE
PART 3 — ACT III: “THE OPERA OF BULLETS”
(Pages 84–108)
26. EXT. NÄSINNEULA – SERVICE ROAD – NIGHT
A narrow service road beneath the tower.
Floodlights cut through falling snow.
The tower looms above — silent, indifferent.
Headlights appear.
One set.
Then another.
Then many.
ENGINES idle like restrained animals.
The HERVANTA SYNDICATE arrives first.
Ilari steps out. His men form clean lines.
Then the TAMMELA KINGS — sloppy, nervous.
Then what remains of PISPALA.
MINK steps out, bandaged, burning.
Finally — POLICE VANS.
Doors open in unison.
CAPTAIN RISTO KORHONEN steps out calmly.
He surveys the gathering.
Snow thickens.
27. EXT. SERVICE ENTRANCE – NIGHT
A concrete access gate.
A folding table.
A DUFFEL BAG rests on it.
Korhonen gestures.
Mink steps forward.
Korhonen nods slightly.
Ilari speaks calmly.
Korhonen smiles.
A beat.
Snow drifts.
A SHOT rings out.
A DIRTY COP drops.
Silence.
Another shot.
Another cop falls.
Korhonen turns.
A FIGURE steps into the light.
ALEKSI KIVI.
Dual pistols at his sides.
Behind him — SALLA SAARINEN.
Salla raises her voice.
Korhonen’s calm cracks.
A WHITE DOVE flutters down onto the gate.
Still.
Then—
Mink fires.
28. EXT. SERVICE ENTRANCE – CONTINUOUS
Chaos explodes.
Gunfire from every direction.
Bodies dive, roll, collide.
Sound drops out.
Snow, shell casings, breath — frozen midair.
Alex moves like a dancer.
Left pistol. Right pistol.
Never wasted.
Salla fires precisely, covering him.
Ilari’s men move as a unit.
Tammela fires wildly.
Dirty cops panic.
The dove launches upward through muzzle flash.
Sound rushes back.
Men scream.
Die.
Fall beautifully.
Mink laughs as he fires.
Alex shoots past him — drops a dirty cop aiming at Mink.
Mink freezes, confused.
Then fires again anyway.
Korhonen retreats toward the service tunnel.
Alex sees him.
Moves.
29. INT. NÄSINNEULA – MAINTENANCE CORRIDORS – NIGHT
Concrete corridors.
Pipes hiss steam.
Gunfire echoes behind.
Korhonen runs, breath ragged.
Two DIRTY COPS escort him.
They turn—
Salla’s shots drop them instantly.
Korhonen spins.
Korhonen backs away.
Alex advances.
30. INT. STAIRWELL – NIGHT
A spiraling concrete stairwell.
Snow drifts through a broken vent.
Mink appears above, wounded, bleeding.
He aims down.
Alex looks up.
Time slows.
Mink smiles.
Mink fires.
Alex dives, fires back.
Mink is hit.
He grips the railing.
Looks down at Alex.
Mink lets go.
He falls backward into the void.
Slow.
Silent.
A single feather drifts after him.
31. INT. MAINTENANCE HUB – NIGHT
A large industrial chamber.
Chains hang from the ceiling.
Monitors show the chaos outside.
Korhonen stands alone.
Gun shaking.
Alex enters.
Salla follows, wounded but steady.
A triangle forms.
Alex’s face hardens.
Salla steps forward.
Korhonen raises his gun.
No one does.
Korhonen fires.
Alex fires back.
Both are hit.
Korhonen staggers into the chains.
Metal rattles.
Salla fires once — Korhonen’s gun flies away.
Korhonen collapses to his knees.
Alex steps closer.
Korhonen coughs blood.
Alex considers.
Alex raises his pistol.
A WHITE DOVE lands on a pipe above.
Alex fires once.
Korhonen slumps, dead.
Silence.
32. EXT. NÄSINNEULA – DAWN
Snow-covered ground.
Bodies still.
Abandoned coats.
Scattered objects.
Sirens approach in the distance.
Alex and Salla emerge into pale blue dawn.
They walk side by side.
Exhausted.
Alive.
Salla looks back at the tower.
Alex watches the snow fall.
They walk on.
The tower stands unmoved.
Snow keeps falling.
FADE OUT.
THE END
108 PAGES — LOCKED
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