Richard Stride

Screenplay Title Fragments of Freedom
Author's name Richard Stride

Author contact email rwstride@gmail.com
Author's phone number 07956 947259
Author's physical address 5a Sunnydown, Witley, Surrey, GU8 5RP

Fragments of Freedom
Synopsis

In 1987, 14-year-old Richard embarks on his first family vacation to Yugoslavia, a trip his parents have saved for years. However, their long-awaited holiday takes an unexpected turn when they arrive at a nearly deserted hotel. With few other guests, the family finds solace and connection at a local bar overlooking the bay, where the atmosphere is filled with laughter and improvised entertainment.

Richard, a naturally curious boy, strikes up a conversation with an enigmatic guest who bears no hair or fingernails, sparking a chilling revelation. The man begins to share his harrowing survival story from Dachau concentration camp, one of the darkest corners of World War II history. A story unfolds of a young man who, under Nazi occupation in Yugoslavia, was forced to wear the pink triangle, marking him as homosexual.

Amidst the brutality, even from fellow prisoners, he finds refuge in his imagination, creating a new reality to survive. In a daring and miraculous escape, he became one of only five to break free from the horrors of Dachau. By killing a guard taking his clothes and cutting off his face then placing it on his own... he was able to walk out of the main gate. His tale of endurance, love, and loss resonates deeply with Richard, igniting a self-discovery journey that makes him question his own identity and desires in a world still hostile to difference.


Awards Won

LGBTQ-Unbordered international Film Festival Gold Award.

Quarterfinalist, ScreenCraft Film Fund

OFFICIAL SELECTION Los Angeles Movie & Music Video Awards 2025

CAMBRIDGE SCRIPT FESTIVAL FINALIST