Live in Sinj For a While

EXT. SINJ, DALMATIA – MOUNTAINSIDE VILLA – DUSK

The Adriatic breeze whispers through the olive trees. The sky glows pink over the stone rooftops of Sinj. Joe C. Jukic, aka JCJ, stands barefoot on a tiled terrace overlooking his homeland. Lauryn Hill, wrapped in a woven shawl, stands beside him, eyes wide at the rugged beauty of Dalmatia.

LAURYN HILL
It’s… untouched. Pure. Like time doesn’t chase people here.

JCJ
(smiling, arms open)
Of course you can stay here, Lauryn. Sinj is holy ground. Just know—you’re welcome because you respect it.

LAURYN
I wouldn’t be here otherwise.

JCJ
This ain’t some Airbnb spiritual retreat for influencers.
(leans in, voice lower)
This is Club Croatia. And uninvited guests get bounced—by my brother Bruno.

He gestures down the path where BRUNO, built like a tank in a black t-shirt with “VETERANI '91” across the chest, sips espresso and watches the village road like a hawk.

JCJ
So let the boat people hoards be forewarned.
(firm)
This ain’t England, where they treat refugees like guests of honor while their own veterans rot under bridges.

LAURYN
(nods solemnly)
Truth. The whole world’s upside down. Giving medals to cowards, and silence to the brave.

JCJ
Here, we remember who fought. Who bled. We don’t hand the house keys to strangers while our own sleep outside in the cold.

Lauryn looks at the Church of Our Lady of Sinj in the distance. Bells toll faintly.

LAURYN
And here… I can rest?

JCJ
Here, you can heal. But always remember: freedom ain't free, and peace has a price. It was paid in this soil. So walk gently.

They watch the sun dip behind the mountains. In the distance, an old war vet lights a candle by a roadside shrine.

FADE OUT.