DÁVID (9) is a quiet, shy, somewhat phlegmatic boy who recently moved to the Budapest suburbs with his parents. It’s his fourth time moving to a new city, therefore he struggles to make lasting friendships. His parents neglect Dávid and don’t treat him as their equal, their relationship is superficial. Due to their lifestyle, once Dávid arrives to his new class, he doesn’t even try to fit in or create new friendships anymore. 

One night from his window Dávid notices a giant beam of light vertically crossing the sky. He jumps on his bike to find the source. His curiosity guides him to his classmate BENJI’s (10) house. From the other side of the fence he listens in on a conversation, which reveals that Benji will be the world’s first child astronaut, he’s prepping for a Mars expedition. Benji  catches him in the act when Dávid flees.  

Next day at school, to protect his secret Benji offers Dávid the opportunity to travel to Mars by suggesting they build a spaceship for him as well. Dávid is sceptical about building a spaceship, he doesn’t believe two children are capable of such a thing, instead he would like to join Benji’s space program. Benji thinks that is absolutely out of the question.  

Meanwhile building the spaceship, Dávid grows into a believer with Benji’s help. The more advanced the spaceship is in the making, the stronger their friendship gets.  They both believe that they will continue their life on Mars.   

Dávid’s parents announce their move to Stockholm in a matter of days. Dávid warns Benji right away; he has to leave Earth now. Benji is a no-show at the launch and the completed spaceship doesn’t even budge. Dávid is furious with his friend and smashes the spaceship to pieces.  

After Benji continues to be unreachable, Dávid begins to worry. It turns out that Benji is in hospital: he is suffering from a fatal illness. The space program was made up by Benji’s mother, who created the tale to ease the last years of her son, and for herself  too.  

Dávid realises that Benji was the first person in his life to treat him as an equal. He decides that before he moves away with his family, he will make sure his friend’s seemingly impossible mission is completed: he will launch Benji to Mars. 

Dávid convinces their classmates to help with the launch. The children smuggle Benji out of the hospital and take him to a mining lake. Once there, a miracle takes place as a giant spaceship appears to take Benji in front of the very eyes of the children and adults present.  

Following the launch Dávid learns that everything is possible with the help of  imagination, and nobody can stop him achieving anything. He decides to take control of his own life: on the day they are supposed to move to Stockholm he runs away from the airport. 

Daoud Dániel is a Hungarian-Syrian screenwriter. He recently graduated from the University of Theatre and Film Arts, he got master degree in Film Script Editing, in Budapest. He wrote Collapsed Lung, which won the first price at Euroshorts in Gdansk. He has also worked in two short documentaries, as a story editor. One of them is Champion, which won the Jury Prize, of the Budapest International Documentary Festival, the other is Downstream, which won the Best Student Film Award at Verzió Film Festival. Daniel also worked in immersive theatre performance called The Animal City, which was presented in Trafó- House of Contemporary Arts. In his free time he voluntarily works for Transfiguration Association, an organizations dealing with the educational development of Hungary. Currently he is working on his first feature film with Simon Szabó.

Simon Szabo is a Budapest based actor, writer and director. His feature debut film (written and directed) „PAPER PLANES” was presented at many international festivals and won numerous awards in 2009. In 2011 he had a great SCRIPTEAST experience with his project „I bring fire” and directed a short to Bela Tarr’s HUNGARY 2011 movie. In 2014 his short film (WALL) was nominated for the EFA best European short film award in Tampere. WALL was screened over 50 countrys around the world and won many prizes. Simon’s next short film (BEFORE LUNCH) in 2016 won the FIPRESCI award in Drama, Greece. His next project is a feature film about friendship of two kids and death.