NL.03 — I Miss Lena

an audio-telling in short

1971. In one setting, an attic, seven amateur directors — or was it eight? — shoot a series of three-minute short films in a single night. The only stipulation, apart from the brevity, was that each short include the sentence “I miss Sonia Henie.” Curated by Karpo Godina and others, the collage of sketches (“Nedostaje mi Sonja”) screened at the FEST international film festival in Belgrade that year.

A few weeks ago a creative colleague (and her co-conspirators in my midst here in Amsterdam) challenged a few of us. Come up with an experimental film, loosely in the spirit of ‘I Miss Sonia Henie,” but with a twist. In place of the famous line, we budding directors were told to include “I miss Lena.” Lena is a Labrador Retriever, currently residing in nearby Hilversum, while her human —and one of our number— must toil alone in Amsterdam. Happily, Lena herself joined us for the shoot, and —along with a bone— crashed every scene.

the author with Lena, photograph by Dora Longo Bahia

The short I came up with was acted by five enthusiastic talents on the day. The film as a whole, “I Miss Lena” (directed by my colleagues) is in production.

For fun, I share here my rough, advance recording of the script I contributed. I fear I rather took the doggish shift to heart, and that poor Godina and his colleagues would be appalled. But never mind. My premise is briefly explained at the beginning of the recording which follows.

“I Miss Lena.” A script for a "short” by Kenneth Mills, recorded on 4 April 2024 in Amsterdam.

Characters in order of appearance:

Two waiters.

Schultzy, a smooth-haired Dachshund.

Penny, a wire-haired Dachshund.

Widgeon, a black-and-white English Setter.

Princess, a brown-and-white English Setter.

Molly, a brown-and-white English Setter.

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