‘In the Meantime’
An Original Short Feature from the sights of Cape Town.
FAM3014S
September 2016
EXT. COMPANY GARDENS – AFTERNOON
“Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a
representation.” – Guy Debord
1.
The vertiginous view down Government Avenue stays fixed,
witnessing the dappling sunshine, breeze-driven leaves and
typical dozens of passing locals and tourists as the credits
roll.
All the while, CAITLIN – 18, subtly pretty, in her deep-blue school uniform – strolls along towards us right up the middle, like the last shot of The Third Man, eventually passing, taken up by the jazzy psych-rock emanating from her earphones, which becomes our soundtrack too the closer she gets.
Her face is downcast and wondering, her dark bangs droop a
little along with her step and she fits her hands in her
blazer pockets like a noir heroine concealing two weapons.
As she passes and carries on up the route, the facade of
Table Mountain is revealed beyond her – almost an artificial
backdrop to the set that is the City Bowl, the sky and the
day clear as anything around it.
A raffish tramp, HERO, – mid-fifties, short-bearded, face as
faded as his clothes – sits with his legs crossed on a bench
just ahead of her, scanning the passers-by for signs of
idiosyncrasy or potential compassion.
Soon enough he spots Caitlin and, with practiced flair,
flips out a big cardboard sign from under his seat
emblazoned with the words ’LIFE-ENHANCING STORIES AND
CONVERSATIONS. PAY WHATEVER YOU WISH’ in neat, flowing type.
He holds the sign out, aiming its message directly at her as
she approaches, then flapping it a little as she passes
right on by. She gives it a quick glance over her shoulder
before seeming to carry on regardless, the soundtrack fading
away with her.
He drops the sign a little in disappointment and turns his
gaze back down the avenue in search of his next quarry.
After a moment, he realizes she’s returned and is standing
in front of him, examining the lowered sign, taking off her
earphones, stashing them in her pocket. He looks back up to
her, raises the sign and smiles.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
2.
HERO
Yes, it’s exactly how it reads,
little ma’am. Some of the people
busk with a guitar, I do it with my
voice, my mind, my memory. You can
choose a topic or I’ll start
talking and you can tell me when to
shut up.
CAITLIN
I’m not sure, I-
HERO
And, like music peddlers, you can
just listen and enjoy and move on
if you want to, it doesn’t cost me
anything to be here but I’d like to
keep doing it of course.
CAITLIN
Okay. Its like an ’Argument Clinic’
thing then, I guess?
HERO
Ah, Monty Python, yes, very much
like that, very good, ’cept I won’t
be too silly. Just silly enough in
fact. I can discuss British Comedy,
actually, if you’d
like… (Beat)
But I’m guessing you want a story.
You’re walking home from Exams and
you’re tired of almost everything
in the world and you want something
else to think about so you come
past me and I’m here for you. Am I
right?
CAITLIN
Yes, pretty much. Huh-
HERO
I wouldn’t chat for a living if I
didn’t know people. And I see girls
just like you pass down and up here
most days, most hours. But I don’t
know you yet. I’m Hero, your Hero.
Yourself?
He holds out his hand for her to introduce herself. Which
she does.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
3.
Caitlin.
CAITLIN
HERO
And you’re in Matric?
CAITLIN
Yes.
HERO
And what do you want to study?
CAITLIN
Philosophy, English and Protests.
HERO
Brilliant. Family?
CAITLIN
Parents Divorced, an older sister,
step-brothers on both sides.
HERO
Are you in love with anyone?
CAITLIN
Not yet. I mean, no.
HERO
Okay, that’s enough, sorry to grill
you, but that’ll definitely be
enough. I do have a story for you.
One super-deluxe, gerrymandered,
turbo-charged, aphrodisiacked,
sharp-sharp tale coming up.
He jokingly cracks his knuckles, shakes his head, clears his
throat and crouches down confidentially.
HERO
Alright. There was once-
In the middle-distance between them, an American tourist
takes a loud snapshot of their momentary intimacy with a
protuberant Canon.
They both turn their heads up to look at her but she’s
already studying her shot, holding up her hand in flippant
apology, turning around to head back to her waiting husband.
2.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.
This is LAURIE – petite, blonde-bobbed, in a sweatshirt and
good sneakers – and she smiles down at the screen-gallery of
pictures she’s already taken today before almost skipping
along to MICHAEL, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek when
she arrives by him at the head of the avenue.
MICHAEL – tall, black, wearing a South African souvenir
shirt and cap – is looking around with his hand shading his
eyes, at the luxury cars entering the Mount Nelson Hotel, at
the sun-smacked Mountain, back down the long avenue and then
at his wife, who’s taking a gulp of water.
MICHAEL
What’d you see, babe?
LAURIE
This really sweet moment over
there. This High School girl was
just having a good, long gab with a
hobo guy. They looked so easy with
each other, like they just catch up
every day. And with the tunnel
effect in the background, I thought
it came out alright…
Laurie brings up the picture on her camera and indeed it
could be mistaken for a professional shot.
MICHAEL
Oh wow, yeah. You don’t see kids
doing that in Oakland. And you
definitely don’t see it here very
often. Really good, babe.
LAURIE
What were you thinkin’ about?
EXT. ORANGE STREET – CONTINUOUS
They start to amble along Orange Street, eventually passing
The Labia on the corner.
MICHAEL
Oh, just the usual. How this is a
pretty pretty place in a pretty
pretty country and all that. And
what your Mom would think if we
moved here…
LAURIE
Ha, I was thinking if Trump’s
elected maybe she’d understand but
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
5.
LAURIE (cont’d)
if not she might be liable to fly
out and come get me. Not enough
reason to hope Trump gets elected I
guess.
She nonchalantly tries to hold his hand without him
noticing, but he keeps lifting it to shield his eyes, so she
eventually just clasps it between them.
MICHAEL
Nah, but you’d just have to tell
her it’s just like home, really.
Same bay, same island jail, same
little coffee places, plenty other
yuppies to keep us company.
LAURIE
Yeah, it’s like a West Coast
syndrome or something. Haha.
(Beat) You
all alright, babe?
MICHAEL
Yeah, why?
LAURIE
You look a little down. Are you
down?
MICHAEL
Nah, I’m up, I’m not down. Why
would you think I’m down?
LAURIE
You looked that way. You’re allowed
to be down if you are down, I’d
just want to know why. But you’re
up, huh?
MICHAEL
Yeah, I’m up, don’t worry.
LAURIE
Okay cool, I won’t. Just let me
know if you are down. We’re an old
married couple now, we’ve gotta
know what the other person’s…
(Beat)
MICHAEL
Thinking?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
6.
LAURIE
Yeah, and finish each other’s
sentences if we’re too lazy to.
MICHAEL
Got it. Will make sure to remember.
LAURIE
Thanks honey.
Still ambling, she snuggles her head atop his shoulder, her
eyes betraying faint concern.
EXT. ROBBEN ISLAND TOURIST BOAT – MORNING
LAURIE’s brow is still furrowed as she braces herself
against the dips and bumps of the speeding ferry.
She and MICHAEL sit together wearing ungainly orange
life-jackets. He’s wielding the camera now, leaning over the
side, carefully timing the boat’s crests to ensure the
steady sweet-spot for each frame.
First he snaps the postcard-image of the city bowl view.
Then he turns to capture the sight of the fast-approaching
island.
And finally he comes back to Laurie, leaning himself back a
bit to fit her whole portrait in the frame.
MICHAEL
Turn that frown around, why don’t
ya?
LAURIE
I keep imagining a Great White’s
just gonna jump up and bite your
head off.
He leans back in a bit.
MICHAEL
Nah, this boat’s big enough already
I’d say.
She smiles at the reference. He takes the gap and snaps. The
memory’s made.
INT. ROBBEN ISLAND PRISON MUSEUM CORRIDOR – MORNING
MICHAEL and LAURIE bring up the rear of a cosmopolitan TOUR
GROUP flooding down the sterile route. The portly GUIDE
narrates the scene with an indecipherable Afrikaans accent.
LAURIE looks around at every passing cell through the
camera’s lens.
Finally the group halts by the iconic ’46664’ door and the
guide opens it up and shows off the poky room with a certain
well-rehearsed solemnity.
Everyone gazes inside, observing an unforced moment of
silence. Someone snaps a picture.
INT. ’46664’ CELL – MORNING
LAURIE and MICHAEL are the last in the line of fellow
tourists waiting to pose by the barred window Mandela once
congruently posed at.
They take pictures of each other looking somber and weary.
Then they get the GUIDE to take one of them together,
embracing.
EXT. ROBBEN ISLAND – NOON
A gigantic yellow picture frame sculpture holds the city
bowl fixed in the distance. The sea wind ruffles the
intervening water.
LAURIE and MICHAEL lift themselves up onto the lower bar and
gaze out on the view like Romantic heroes.
MICHAEL
I reckon I could do about five
years in confinement. Ten if I
could have this kind of moment
every day. So cruel to think they’d
give the guy hope by just having
the world waiting for them like
this in the distance.
LAURIE
I could do fifteen years, maybe.
You know how I like my own space. I
mean this would be taking it a bit
far. But I’d get a lot of reading
done I think.
(CONTINUED)
7.
CONTINUED:
8.
MICHAEL
If we were together I’d go the full
twenty-seven. We’d compete and I’d
kick your ass.
LAURIE
Such talk! If I won, you’d just
feel guilty on the outside waiting
for me. And I’d make you suffer.
You’d want to get nabbed again to
be back with me.
MICHAEL
Well, luckily we don’t have to test
that.
Their profiles are blackly silhouetted against the bay.
EXT. LION’S HEAD SUMMIT – DUSK
LAURIE and MICHAEL trudge up the last little ascent to the
small plateau, sweating and graceless.
The light is dying perfectly around them. The visible
peninsula appears as a mini-town version of itself – the
electricity grid flaring up, headlights streaming, the red
sun drowning the horizon.
About 24 other TOURISTS stand, sit and limp around our
couple, most of them cueing up their new Instagram posts.
Laurie and Michael sit leaning against each other on the
rock in the space’s center.
After an appreciative moment, the former takes a cigarette
out from behind her ear and a lighter from her pocket.
LAURIE
Feel like one too?
MICHAEL
Can we share?
LAURIE
Sure. Nicotine Commie.
She lights it, takes a full drag, then hands it to him, the
burning end gradually becoming a primary light-source.
MICHAEL
Thanks comrade.
He takes an identical drag.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 9.
Then he looks around the panorama, understatedly impressed.
MICHAEL
Laurie, how is this place free? I
mean, why would you even need a
career when you could just get
yourself up here once a week for
nothing and be just completely
satisfied?
LAURIE
If something’s free, you always
take it for granted, Mike. It’s
literally granted to you and you
take it, so it kind of makes sense.
MICHAEL
But I’m appreciating it now, it’s
beautiful. What a deal, I mean.
LAURIE
Well we don’t live here. Makes
sense we’d pay it more attention.
They keep passing the cigarette between them.
MICHAEL
So you don’t think there’s anyone
living in Cape Town who doesn’t
take these spots for granted? They
all get up every morning and say
’Meh, it’s just a couple of
motherfucking mountains in the
middle of my city. No big deal.’
Then go off to Yoga?
LAURIE
Exactly. They’re all like that.
No-one here even looks at the
scenery anymore. They all know it’s
normal, and it pretty much is to
them.
MICHAEL
I solemnly promise if we ever move
here, or anywhere beautiful, we
shall never get used to it. Every
day will freak us out anew, and
we’ll teach the kids to stay
shocked too. In that way, we’ll be
stern and old and conservative.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
10.
LAURIE
Only that way though.
MICHAEL
Yeah, that’ll be enough.
INT. HOLIDAY INN HOTEL ROOM – NIGHT
The flat-screen is playing CNN’s coverage of the build-up to
the Presidential Election. The tone could be called
Apocalypse Later.
Seemingly everything else in the room is some shade of
creamy beige, white or periwinkle, including the matching
bathrobes LAURIE and MICHAEL are wearing as they pack up
their clothes in their compact suitcases.
LAURIE
Well, if Hillary wins she won’t be
that great either. Maybe we could
still say we felt safer extending
our stay?
MICHAEL
Maybe. What would we still have to
do though? We’d need to expand our
itinerary.
LAURIE
We could settle in. Stop being
tourists for a bit, y’know. Go
hiking and camping for real. Spend
all day in the Galleries. Meet some
local couples. That kind of thing,
I guess.
MICHAEL
Sounds really domestic. Is that the
word? Nah, routine. Really routine.
LAURIE
Probably less than in the City. How
many new people are we still going
to meet in the City?
MICHAEL
All of them.
LAURIE
All of them?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
11.
MICHAEL
Yeah, we’ll meet every single
person we don’t know in San
Francisco. How about that?
LAURIE
Won’t we get bored?
MICHAEL
We’ve got the rest of our lives, we
can take breaks.
LAURIE
Corny, but I guess. And they might
not appreciate our company, when
you think about it.
MICHAEL
Fuck them then. We’re worth the
time, we’re awesome and adorable.
You said so yourself.
LAURIE
I said that about you, a while ago.
MICHAEL
It goes for both of us. It’s a
self-evident truth.
LAURIE
You think so?
MICHAEL
I do.
He zips the first case shut, lifts it off the bed, stands it
by the door then strolls back to Laurie, wraps his arms
around her neck and kisses her.
LAURIE
You really think so?
MICHAEL
No, I’m just lying to reassure you.
Oh wait, no, I do. Sorry, I really
do.
They sway from side to side, smiling into each other’s eyes,
until they both fall to the bed.
INT. UBER BACKSEAT – MORNING
They’re still holding hands on their way to the airport,
both gazing out at Khayelitsha and surrounds through thick
sunglasses.
LAURIE takes hers off and opens the window a little more.
The passing shacks blur in the open frame.
She looks back to him. Her eyes are weary, subtly presaging
tears.
LAURIE
Do you think we’re free, Mike?
(Beat)
MICHAEL
Metaphysically, or…?
LAURIE
That we’re doing what we really
want to do.
MICHAEL
Yes. What else would we want to do?
LAURIE
I don’t know. If I ask myself the
question does it mean I have any
doubt?
MICHAEL
It means you have high standards.
And you’re high maintenance. And
self-critical. And I want all of
those things.
LAURIE
So we’re doing the right thing?
Going home, being together.
MICHAEL
It feels that way. I have to say it
feels that way. Fuck Donald Trump
though.
Now Michael’s the one to snuggle his head into LAURIE’S
shoulder. His expression is tired but content. The DRIVER
glances at them in the rearview mirror.
12.
EXT. CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DEPARTURES GATE –
MORNING
The DRIVER finishes lifting the couple’s cases out of the
boot and onto their trolley.
MICHAEL watches him do it, then hands him a 5 Dollar Bill.
MICHAEL
Much appreciated, Dude. Hope you
can get this exchanged. Sorry we
ran out of Rands yesterday.
The DRIVER examines the bill, pleasantly surprised.
DRIVER
Yes Sir, very, very generous of
you. Have a lovely, safe flight.
MICHAEL
Of course, thanks buddy. Patrick,
is it?
DRIVER
Yes, have a perfect day, Michael.
MICHAEL, already walking off, sends back a thumbs-up then
joins LAURIE pushing the trolley.
They stride into Departures.
3.
INT. UBER DRIVER’S SEAT – CONTINUOUS
PATRICK – early 30’s, Congolese, handsome, wearing a
chauffeur’s cap and a dinner jacket – gets back into the
car, throws his cap on the seat beside him, ends the trip on
his phone app and studies Michael’s $5 bill in the light.
He whistles, nods his head, then folds the bill up and stows
it in the passenger’s glove compartment. For a moment, we
see dozens of similarly folded pieces of diverse,
multi-coloured currency as the bill joins them.
Patrick sighs, relaxing for a beat, before a buzzing
notification from his driver’s app cuts his rest short.
He accepts a new fare and, examining his map, realizes his
next customer must be standing literally just in front of
the car.
13.
He looks up and indeed sees TAZME – mid-50’s,
broad-shouldered, black-suited and sweaty – striding towards
him, trailing a tiny travelcase behind him.
EXT. CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DEPARTURES GATE –
CONTINUOUS
Patrick jumps out and tries to assist him by opening the
boot and dramatically hoisting the featherweight luggage up
and into it. Then he races round to open the passenger door
for him as well. Tazme looks a little flummoxed by his
determination but gets in without comment.
INT. UBER FRONT SEATS – CONTINUOUS
PATRICK joins him in turn, reverses out quickly and
smoothly, then zoots to the exit ramp.
TAZME
I think you’ve already got your
five stars, Patrick.
PATRICK
Sorry, Sir?
TAZME
That’s a performance of note, I
say. Worth five stars already.
PATRICK
(Smiling)
Thank you, Sir, every kindness
helps, Sir.
TAZME
It’s not a kindness if you deserve
it, brother.
Tazme takes out his phone again. Though it looks like he’s
checking e-mails, it turns out he’s enraptured in a great
game of Tetris.
TAZME (CONTINUED)
Where’re you from, by the way?
PATRICK
Congo, Sir.
TAZME
Sheesh. French or Belgian?
14.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
15.
PATRICK
DRC.
TAZME
Ah sheesh. Belgian. You poor man.
I’m a man of business, you see, and
part of my job is only telling
overseas investors that South
Africa is not a Heart of Darkness.
At least, not anymore. But Congo…
Well Congo’s still Congo, is it
not? How does it feel to not be
there?
PATRICK
Good and bad, Sir. It’s home, but
home is just a place.
TAZME
Very profound, ’Home is just a
place’. I’m from Durban myself and
fly back from Jo’burg every month.
Wouldn’t have it any other way. Too
much family to keep up with, too
many memories.
PATRICK
I wish I could go to Durban too,
Sir.
TAZME
You should, Patrick. Save up and go
before Zuma tanks the Rand. Better
hurry up in that case, actually.
What do you think ’bout that, by
the way? You escape one country of
chaos just to find yourself in
another one? Must have been a
surprise.
PATRICK
I didn’t escape, Sir. South Africa
welcomed me. She was quite kind.
TAZME
Ah, you’re in the minority then.
Most find this country unforgiving
and unfair. But I say it’s close to
life that way, so there are still
some reasons to stay.
The car lapses into silence.
Tazme eventually finishes his Tetris game with an impressive
score just as Patrick pulls up by the main entrance to the
Cullinan Hotel.
EXT. CULLINAN HOTEL MAIN ENTRANCE – CONTINUOUS
In an inverted version of the pick-up process, Patrick jumps
out of the car, pops the boot, removes the travelcase and
places it by Tazme’s feet just as he’s gotten out on the
Passenger side himself.
Tazme shakes Patrick’s hand in thanks.
TAZME
No need to try so hard, Patrick.
You can impress me only so far. Go
well, brother.
PATRICK
Thank you, Tazme. Have a perfect
stay.
Tazme walks up the entrance stairs and inside. Patrick gets
back in the car, disappointed at the absence of a tip. He
gives TAZME three stars on the client-rating measure.
Breathing deeply, he turns the engine on.
Cue MONTAGE:
Over the rest of the day and into the night, Patrick repeats
this rigorous process for client after client:
– Making pick-ups.
– Racing to open the passenger doors.
– Making earnest chit-chat.
– Making drop-offs all over the peninsula area.
– Stashing tips.
– Giving and receiving highly-starred reviews.
INT. UBER DRIVER’S SEAT – NIGHT
Eventually, he arrives back at his modest flat in Salt
River, parking quietly down a side-street.
16.
He sighs, rubs his eyes, then opens the glove compartment
and takes out all the folded tips, stashing them in a small
money bag.
INT. PATRICK’S FLAT – NIGHT
PATRICK walks in and turns on the light.
The place comprises three tight rooms, each coloured a
different shade of mottled green. The furniture is minimal
but the decor is spotless and tasteful, just like Patrick’s
service.
He dumps the money bag down on the counter, takes off his
jacket, tunes the radio on to the Fine Music Station, fulls
up the kettle and sets it to boil, then pulls out two bags
of two-minute noodles from the cupboard and cracks them into
a bowl.
Then he picks up his phone and dials an international
number.
His MOTHER answers in French, and the conversation stays in
French.
MOTHER
Patrick? Patrick?
PATRICK
Yes Mama. I’m here, I’m alright.
Sorry that it’s so late.
MOTHER
No, no, never apologize for that.
You always apologize for that and
you never should.
PATRICK
I’m sorry, mama. Sorry for
apologizing. Oh well. I only have a
minute or two of airtime. So how
are you? Have things settled down?
MOTHER
In our area, yes, they have, thank
God. The street-battles lasted till
last week. The police raided us
more times than necessary. But no,
tell me things. About you. Are you
still eating well? Not getting too
thin again are you?
17.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 18.
The kettle boils and Patrick fluently pours its steaming
water into the bowl and covers it without breaking
conversation.
PATRICK
No, I’m healthy. Like a
marathon-runner. I live within my
means but my means are better. And
I’m managing to save up, for a
rainy day maybe. How’s everyone
else?
MOTHER
No change, dear. We’re holding
together. Your grandfather’s still
in bed, he says he feels ashamed
but we told him not to be so
selfless. And Gigi’s bringing in a
little extra on the weekend. So
we’re more comfortable.
Patrick moves to his bedroom to look out his small window at
the dingy, yellow evening. His eyes are slowly welling up
but his voice stays unaffected.
PATRICK
Okay, that’s relieving, that’s
wonderful. I do have to go soon-
MOTHER
No, but first. Do you still feel at
home all the way down there? I
don’t want you to return. You know
me, I’d join you in a heartbeat.
But is it a safe space for you?
PATRICK
It is. Cape Town is accepting. It
doesn’t want me to leave. I’m still
on the move, but within borders,
which is reassuring. I do have to
go, Mama, I do. I love you, my love
to everyone.
MOTHER
I love you too, dear. Stay
striving, stay you, my child.
Patrick rings off and sighs.
He wipes his eyes, settling himself.
He picks up the one book in the room, from his bedside
table: a very second-hand copy of Le Petit Prince. (CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 19.
He flips through it swiftly, as if downing a quick shot of
pure childhood.
He puts it down, picks up his phone again, walks back into
the kitchenette area, typing in another number.
MARCEL, his long-distance boyfriend, answers and they talk
in hushed English.
MARCEL
(Groggily)
Hello?
PATRICK
Sorry, it’s me.
MARCEL
Patrick. My shift starts in …
four hours. You should’ve-
PATRICK
So does mine. I still want to have
the time to talk to you.
MARCEL
Okay, I know. Thank you. Just
remember next time…
PATRICK
Marcel, please. Did you get to the
beach?
MARCEL
Oh I did, I took the time off. I
spent the whole day there on
Saturday. And went to a movie
afterwards. Did you?
PATRICK
I wasn’t able to. I thought of you
but I let you have a good time for
me.
MARCEL
But wasn’t that the idea, that we’d
be doing the same thing together?
You on the one side, me here?
PATRICK
The beaches are still quite
segregated here. It is very shit.
It is different in Durban?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 20.
Patrick is making himself a cup of tea through all this, and
occasionally he checks his noodles.
MARCEL
Yes, it is nice. Nobody takes care
of the city but the beaches are
full. I didn’t see any other Congo
brothers but I talk to people from
everywhere.
PATRICK
I do too. But they are not clever
or kind often, so I miss you. And
it becomes a circle. And it is not
easy.
MARCEL
How much do you have now?
Patrick walks over to where he left the money-bag and picks
it up to weigh it.
PATRICK
A thousand and a half, or so?
Nearly enough. I will have to buy
things for you, as well as the
ticket. Before you have a job you
will need to eat. Give your notice
next week, and in a month’s time…
MARCEL
In a month’s time?
PATRICK
Yes. In a month’s time. Just a
month.
MARCEL
Now that is so strange. I can not
believe that.
PATRICK
Don’t think about it. It will be
easier to believe that way.
He takes a sip of his tea.
PATRICK
(CONT’D)
My airtime is nearly out.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
21.
MARCEL
You never have enough airtime.
PATRICK
I am saving to bring you here. What
do you want?
MARCEL
Just to talk longer.
PATRICK
You know when we will have time to
talk?
MARCEL
When I am with you?
PATRICK
Yes, well done, how did you guess?
MARCEL
I know. I just haven’t seen you. I
somehow can not imagine not having
to talk quickly with you.
PATRICK
You will not have to imagine it.
MARCEL
Okay. I love you, I will remember
that.
PATRICK
I love you too. Have a good four
hours’ sleep.
MARCEL
You too. Of course, you too.
PATRICK
Thank you dear.
Patrick rings off again.
This time he can’t keep at least two tears from rolling down
his cheeks.
He smiles, fake-laughs himself back to normality, and then
drains his noodles into the sink.
When he’s finished he pours the noodles into a cereal bowl,
adds some cheese, turns off the light and the radio and
stands by the window again in the half-darkness, eating his
belated dinner.
EXT. SIDE-STREET NEAR PATRICK’S FLAT – DAWN
The fragile light hikes up the facade of Patrick’s block. A
fuzzy finish wraps itself round all the solid things in
sight.
PATRICK strolls from his gate, decked in his usual uniform,
and gets in his car to start the day-shift.
INT. UBER FRONT SEATS – DAWN
A drunk DRAG QUEEN – rakish, coloured, with a blue-bobbed
wig on – gets in on the passenger side, followed by Patrick
getting back in on his side.
He pulls off on the main boulevard in Sea Point. Joggers,
dog-walkers and lark-like tourists already litter the
parallel pavements.
DRAG QUEEN
(In Character, slurring her
words)
Thank you so much, dear. You is
such a life-saver, man. I’m always
the girl who needs a dashing
individual to save me from myself,
and here you are.
PATRICK
(Bemused)
Just doing my job, ma’am. Happy to
help if you feel you need saving.
DRAG QUEEN
Give yourself credit, what a way to
start a day I say, with a cultured,
mature, haute couture man like
yourself to take me away from
troubles…
She rests her head on her crossed arms on the dashboard,
looking up at him as if in puppy-dog deference.
PATRICK
(Embarrassed)
You don’t look like someone with
troubles, ma’am. I am sure you
could stand up for yourself if you
needed to?
She’s fallen asleep, snoring loudly as a response to his
inquiry.
22.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 23.
Patrick notices and smiles, a little relieved he doesn’t
have to keep up the conversation.
A short while later, driving through town, he stops at the
interminable robot near Gardens in Buitenkant Street.
He looks down at his still-dozing passenger and sees that an
early-morning honey-ish gleam of sunlight has fallen just
right on her face. Except that the bangs of her wig are
still slightly covering her right eye.
He admires the sight for a moment, then reaches over to
adjust the imperfection.
In the meantime, a HOMELESS BOY comes up to the window and
watches the gesture without judgement.
As Patrick returns his attention to the road, he has a
slight shock noticing the boy’s presence. To cover it up and
continue the trip he quickly rolls down the window, grabs a
R5 coin, puts it in the boy’s hand and drives off without
another thought.
4.
EXT. INTERSECTION ON BUITENKANT STREET – CONTINUOUS
This is THANDO – 11, wearing a faded & frayed red t-shirt
and pants combo with a black beanie, weathered face and
pouched eyes. Only a few shallow pools of shadow around him
haven’t yet been reached by the morning light.
He skips back to the pavement, clutching the coin tightly.
Off the road, he examines it dispassionately, like a
jeweler, then pulls out a small handful of silver and bronze
coins from his left pocket.
He weighs the collected amount in his right hand so as to
reckon it, nods, smiles slightly, stashes it in his pocket
again then runs off around the corner.
INT. SHELL GARAGE SHOP – CONTINUOUS
Through the automatic doors, Thando is seen rounding the
corner, eventually slowing as he reaches the entrance.
As he enters, he waves a quick hello and bows his head
deeply to the CLERK – a mid-forties black woman with
impeccable nails – who nods back wearily in turn.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 24.
As he walks along all the aisles, scanning the shelves as if
ingesting the images of the shop’s stock, the CLERK begins
to watch him closely, wary of potential shoplifting.
After a period of scanning his scans, she turns around, a
little perplexed, and just watches the security camera
screen instead, occasionally checking her phone.
On the security camera screen, he finishes his thorough
survey of the store and then swiftly grabs a bag of chips, a
banana & apple, a bottle of water and a pack of Tennis
biscuits, which he then brings to the counter.
After dumping these amenities in front of the clerk, he then
pulls out the handful of coins and spills it beside them.
Then he pulls out a small Checkers bag from another pocket
and daintily drops it on the counter too.
The clerk dutifully scans the goods and starts to count all
the coins, looking up at him in consternation as if it’s
just part of the job.
EXT. BUITENKANT STREET – MORNING
Thando leaves the store, carrying his packet, waving behind
him as he emerges from the doors.
As he crosses Buitenkant Street he reaches into the packet,
pulls out the apple and takes a bite before stopping on the
opposite pavement.
He takes another bite as he orients himself towards the
Table Mountain Cable-Car Stations.
He mouths a few self-directing words as he signals the path
up the street as being his preferred route.
As he sets off, he looks back at the Garage, then pulls out
a Wonder Bar from his back-pocket and drops it in the
packet.
CUE MONTAGE:
Thando marches his way up to Kloof Nek Road, occasionally
glancing up again at the umbilically-linked Cable-Car
stations, noticing the first few times the earliest cars
pass each other halfway up the mountain, shielding his eyes
from the abounding glare.
As he does so he passes…
– The Labia on Orange Street
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 25.
– Mabu Vinyl on Rheede Street
– The early traffic on Kloof Street
– The brunch cafes on Bree Street
– The kaleidoscopic avenues of the Bo-Kaap
EXT. KLOOF NEK ROAD – MORNING
Eventually he finds himself hiking his way along the curving
edge of Kloof Nek Road, the bottom station approaching in
the distance.
For a moment he pauses, showing little sign of tiredness,
just taking the opportunity to look out at the first
panorama of the day, staring back down at the intersection
he’d been begging at just a little earlier in the morning.
The tablecloth is now pouring off the cliffside like cream
spilling from a cup of coffee.
He takes out the bottle of water and glugs back half of it.
INT. CABLE-CAR STATION – MORNING
Thando joins the line of tourists, both local and
international, threading through to the ticket office for
the next ascent.
Besides a few intrigued looks from a security guard and the
German couple who’ve taken the place behind him, he succeeds
at being inconspicuous.
The line passes steadily and Thando soon finds himself
standing at the ticket counter, divided from the ticket
CLERK – a near-doppelganger for the one at the Garage – by a
thick sheet of plexiglass. He looks a touch uneasy at the
coincidence.
She appraises him with a quick, diagnostic glance.
CLERK
Good Morning. Do you have the money
for the ticket, dear?
THANDO
No, ma’am. But it is free for me to
go up today, ma’am.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
26.
CLERK
How’s that, dear?
THANDO
You can go up free on your
birthday. And come down again too.
Somebody told me.
CLERK
That is true. But are you sure it’s
your birthday, dear?
THANDO
Yes, very sure, Ma’am.
CLERK
I need to be sure, dear. Do you
have anything to confirm it’s your
birthday?
THANDO
I have this. I have kept it safe in
my pocket…
Thando digs around in his back-pocket and pulls out a very
worse-for-wear piece of folded paper and slips it into the
exchange-tray for the Clerk to study.
The Clerk picks up the paper, folds it out daintily and
realizes it’s Thando’s birth certificate.
She looks at the date of birth: 11/10/2005
She glances over at her desk-calendar to confirm today’s
date: 10/11/2016
She realizes that his illiteracy must have caused this
misinterpretation somewhere along the line.
She tuts, raises her eyebrows, folds the paper up again,
puts it back in the tray and thinks for a beat, not looking
at Thando.
Finally she turns to her computer and prints out a free
day-ticket for him. Then she puts it in the tray too.
CLERK
All good. Happy Birthday, Thando.
Have a lovely time up there.
THANDO
Thank you very much, Ma’am. Thank
you, thank you.
He takes the ticket and his certificate and slips away to
the boarding zone.
INT. ASCENDING CABLE-CAR – MORNING
Thando stands leaning on the railing of the ascending glass
carriage, twisting his head in full loops to get the whole
effect of seeing the cracked rocks fall away beneath him,
the city spreading itself behind him and the clouds and
plateaus inexorably approaching him.
He doesn’t seem to register his own amazement. He’s just
taken up by the task of examination. He’s never known this
particular free-floating feeling of casual power.
His fellow passengers are similarly taken up by ’oohing’ and
’aahing’ photo opportunities, but a few of them are kids his
own age or younger, and a pair of Japanese twins – a
clean-cut BOY and long-haired GIRL – turn around from their
vantage to talk to each other confidentially.
After a moment, they notice the intensity of Thando’s
attention on the opposite side from them and the girl takes
out her phone to catch a quick ’Humans of Cape Town’-style
snapshot.
She gets it but the distinctive noise of the camera-app
shutter alerts Thando to it.
The twins turn away quickly but Thando leaves his position
to confront them.
They signal an apology, but Thando just points to the phone
the girl’s still clutching by her side.
She realizes he just wants to see the picture she’d taken,
so she briskly unlocks her phone, pulls up her Camera Roll
and shows it to him.
It’s a well-composed shot given the circumstances and
Thando’s sincerity is clear to see. Thando’s reaction shows
though that what most surprises him in the image is just the
rare moment of self-recognition it signifies. For a brief
moment he’s just as taken up with it as by the passing
panorama. But then he looks up again.
THANDO
Thank you both.
He then returns to his lookout spot. The twins too return to
their conversation.
27.
EXT. TABLE MOUNTAIN PLATEAU – MORNING
Thando speeds out of the top station, apologizing as he dips
around the other day-trippers in his efforts to clamber up
to the highest available platform.
When he reaches it he finds that the tablecloth’s effect has
covered the surrounding vistas in mist momentarily.
He looks around him on all sides a little frantically before
skipping further along the plateau in search of an
unobscured spot.
After a while, he concedes defeat and settles down to wait
out the cloud. He sits himself on one of the short ledges,
his legs dangling, before leaning himself back to rest, his
face turned up to watch the sky.
He takes the Wonder Bar out of the packet he’s brought with
him and unwraps it and eats it in five quick bites.
Then he takes off his beanie, puts it by his side, anchored
by the packet, leans back again and closes his eyes.
EXT. TABLE MOUNTAIN PLATEAU – NOON
When he opens them again, the sky is stupidly blue above
him.
He lifts himself up quickly and smacks right into the sight
of the City Bowl and the Bay and Blouberg in the distance
all before him. The tablecloth has dispersed and the day is
already perfectly clear.
By now, the scattered visitors treading the looping paths of
the plateau have given the space a slight feeling of bustle.
The strong wind pushes some along and hinders others’
journeys.
Taking in the view, his thin shoulders sagging, Thando takes
a moment to notice when a passing LOCAL TOURIST COUPLE offer
him a R2 coin.
He takes it and nods and smiles in gratitude, before picking
up his packet and lifting his beanie.
Somehow, it’s now a bit heavy.
He looks inside it and pulls out three notes – a twenty and
two tens. Then he weighs it in his left hand and the lovely
jingle of the coins puts an even bigger smile on his face.
28.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 29.
He puts the notes back in the beanie and drops the latter in
the packet.
He gets up, takes in the view again, forms a box-frame with
his fingers and then does a loop around the plateau himself,
taking imaginary pictures at each perfect spot:
– Putting Lion’s Head, Signal Hill and Robben Island in the
same shot.
– Gazing all the way along the Twelve Apostles.
– Seeing Camps Bay and its ant-sized people laid out in the
distance.
– Snapping a family of dassies convening beneath a little
ledge.
– Finally, seeing the cable-cars pass each other in mid-air
from the top this time.
Then the Noon Gun goes off.
INT. TABLE MOUNTAIN STATION RESTAURANT – AFTERNOON
Thando walks into the place and strides directly over to a
seat by the big window looking out on the path up to the
plateau.
He puts his packet down beside him and his full beanie on
the counter.
A WAITER – late 20’s, white, male, with a ponytail –
summarily arrives with a menu.
WAITER
Good Afternoon, are you waiting for
anyone?
THANDO
No. Just myself.
WAITER
Alright, do you want a menu then?
THANDO
No-
Thando picks up his beanie and pour out its contents into
his hand.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
30.
THANDO
I’ll have what I can get for this.
WAITER
(Taken Aback)
Alright, I’ll- I’ll see what I can
do.
The waiter quickly estimates the value of the handful –
about R65 – then leaves.
He immediately comes back with a burger and chips combo,
which he places before Thando. The latter’s eyes widen.
WAITER
Anything else?
Thando doesn’t reply.
WAITER
(Cont’d)
I’ll take that as a no then. Enjoy.
The Waiter leaves. Thando continues paying attention just to
the presence of a meal.
INT. DESCENDING CABLE-CAR – LATE AFTERNOON
It’s not getting darker yet, but it’s getting there. The
city seems over-saturated with light and warmth. The cable
car’s descent appears like a soul-deflation on Thando’s
face.
This time he’s standing in the center of the carriage, his
beanie cosily back on his head.
He looks around at all his fellow passengers, noticing the
bored and tired faces, the whispered plans, the occasional
last moments of awe at the patterns in the mountainside.
EXT. STREET BESIDE CABLE-CAR STATION – LATE AFTERNOON
With burdened shoulders, Thando walks out of the station and
sees the Japanese twins from earlier sitting on the viewing
deck of a City Sightseeing bus parked opposite the station.
He waves to them and blows the girl a kiss. They just wave
back. Their PARENTS are too busy taking pictures.
Thando sees that a short line of other TOURISTS are busy
re-boarding the bus.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 31.
He takes off his beanie and aproaches two of them, a STUDENT
COUPLE, who decline to donate anything to his cause.
Undeterred, he carries on begging down the line.
5.
The Student Couple are MAQHAWE – 21, tall, with a leather
jacket and a resting smile – and PALESA – 20, braided hair,
already wearing a jersey.
INT./EXT. CITY SIGHTSEEING BUS VIEWING DECK – CONTINUOUS
Along with all the other tourists, they ascend to claim
their places for the oncoming dusk.
Reserving seats near the back they seize the moment of the
day’s fading brightness to take two successive selfies:
– One with the cable-car wires and the mountaintop hulking
behind them.
– And, turning around, another one with the bay and the bowl
splayed out in their wake.
Their faces are semi-serious, even sententious, but once
they’ve got the pictures they kiss quickly and sit down,
huddling together to maintain intimacy and warmth against
the spite of the early-evening wind.
MAQHAWE
Satisfied?
PALESA
Nah, never will be.
MAQHAWE
Yoh, challenge accepted. I’ll see
what I can do…
The bus rattles into life, pulls out of its parking and
zoots back to the city proper.
Now the bus is shunting down Kloof Street.
People from everywhere and nowhere in particular throng the
pavements, gradually filling up the cafes and bars like a
balancing water-scale.
Maqhawe has his arm around Palesa’s shoulders as he points
out the highlights of his own guided tour.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
32.
MAQHAWE
And there’s P & G’s again. We do
need to check in there sometime,
maybe later. I told you about that
one Trap night, right?
PALESA
Yeah, lots of times.
MAQHAWE
Sorry, that story never wears out
for me. So sentimental. But knowing
it, you know why we have to go
there while you’re around.
PALESA
I do. I feel like I don’t even need
the tour. I could just follow the
map of your fine times around town.
MAQHAWE
That’s why I call you when I’m out
though. I imagine how much better
each place would be with you in it.
PALESA
Are you just saying that? You’ve
said it before.
MAQHAWE
I repeat it ’cause I mean it.
Long-distance is a bitch, but it
pays off now. It does for you too,
doesn’t it?
PALESA
Of course. It’s not bad at all.
Would you want to come to Jo’burg
though?
MAQHAWE
Of course. But wouldn’t you rather
come here again?
PALESA
Hmm…
Palesa looks around at the deck’s panorama in
faux-appraisal.
MAQHAWE
Ah, come on.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
33.
PALESA
No, I would. I could live here. I
could join you for everything. Why
not?
MAQHAWE
Phew. Oh yeah, just along there’s
Alexander Bar? Remember I told you
about-
PALESA
I remember. Where the Youth League
people go?
MAQHAWE
Exactly.
EXT. V & A WATERFRONT – DUSK
The Sightseeing Bus pulls up at its final stop by the
station near the Two Oceans Aquarium.
All the assorted families and couples file out, chatting and
planning their next adventures amicably.
Maqhawe and Palesa are the last ones off and they wait
around for a moment before regaining privacy.
PALESA
So, a movie now?
MAQHAWE
Are you sure?
PALESA
That was the plan you said.
MAQHAWE
I’ve changed my mind.
PALESA
To what?
MAQHAWE
Something you’ll adore.
PALESA
What?
MAQHAWE
Guess.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
34.
PALESA
I won’t. To what?
Maqhawe nods his head lightly in the direction of the V &
A’s vast Ferris Wheel in the middle-distance.
Palesa takes the hint and looks the attraction up and down.
Her face betrays disappointment at her failure to guess the
obvious.
Then she turns back to him with a Cheshire-Cat smile.
INT. PRIVATE FERRIS WHEEL CAPSULE – DUSK
Maqhawe and Palesa climb into the narrow glass box, taking
seats opposite each other to balance out the ride.
They sit wordlessly, watching the door close up beside them
and the capsule gradually ascend.
The Waterfront starts to spread out beneath them.
Then the whole city appears like a pointillist painting on
one side.
And on the other, the sea seems spangled with blackening
gold from the progression of the sunset.
PALESA
Oh, wow.
Maqhawe takes out his phone again.
PALESA
(Cont’d)
No, don’t take a picture. This is
just for us.
He puts his phone down, but doesn’t look happy about it.
She continues to gaze out enraptured at either vista,
looking across at the Cable-Car stations, considering where
they were just a little earlier.
Eventually they reach the zenith of the wheel’s turn, and it
quite suddenly stops.
The capsule rocks, and the two look around pretty
disconcerted.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
35.
MAQHAWE
Technical problem, maybe?
PALESA
That, or they just wanted to give
us more time together.
MAQHAWE
How considerate of them.
He gets up from his side and sidles down beside her, rocking
the capsule further.
MAQHAWE
(Cont’d)
I just realized, imagine if we just
rocked this thing back and forth,
faster and faster, what would
people on the ground think?
PALESA
(Grinning)
Could we even lie down here though?
Wouldn’t they know we were just
pretending?
MAQHAWE
Would we need to lie down?
PALESA
No, but the 30-metre high club
doesn’t sound as sexy, does it?
Maqhawe chuckles.
MAQHAWE
It doesn’t. Good time and place to
make out anyway though.
PALESA
Yeah, perfect.
They duly make out for a beat.
But the wheel misses its cue to restart, so they break and
there’s a moment of awkwardness while they look around at
the views again.
MAQHAWE
(Looking away from her)
I was meaning to ask if you haven’t
changed your mind.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
36.
PALESA
About what?
MAQHAWE
About Postgrad.
PALESA
Oh… not yet-
MAQHAWE
Well, I don’t mind, we’ll keep
things going-
And now the wheel does jig back to life, and they
immediately begin their descent.
FADE TO:
MAQHAWE
Great. Back to life, Back to
reality.
INT. MAQHAWE’S RES-ROOM – EVENING
Maqhawe and Palesa are entwined under the covers in his
single-bed.
The room, dimly lit by a yellow bulb, is mostly bare except
for a few textbooks on the shelf, a kettle & cups and a
’Choose Life’ Trainspotting poster on the door.
They’ve just finished post-coitally kissing.
MAQHAWE
So what do you want to do tomorrow?
PALESA
Whatever’s on the itinerary, I
don’t mind.
MAQHAWE
We don’t have to follow it. We can
be spontaneous if we want.
PALESA
Yeah, but that just makes me
anxious, I don’t know. What did you
line up again?
MAQHAWE
Camps Bay in the morning, wine
tasting in the afternoon.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
37.
PALESA
No need to change that.
MAQHAWE
No, no need.
Both of them are wearing increasingly drowsy expressions.
PALESA
I applied to both. And Wits
accepted me.
MAQHAWE
UCT didn’t?
PALESA
What I wanted to say earlier… I
wanted to come here but I had to
choose whichever replied first.
MAQHAWE
Oh, and UCT didn’t?
PALESA
No. Never got back to me.
MAQHAWE
Fucking admin…
PALESA
Are you alright with that?
MAQHAWE
I guess I have to be.
PALESA
You don’t.
MAQHAWE
I do. I do want to be with you.
It’s taken forever already. Do you
want to wait again?
PALESA
I don’t want to, but I will.
MAQHAWE
Me too. This is worth it.
PALESA
I know, it is. But it’s not easy
for me. And I don’t think it is for
you either.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
38.
MAQHAWE
No. Of course it isn’t. But we can
do it again Let’s… Let’s not
think about it and we’ll make it.
Okay?
PALESA
Okay.
MAQHAWE
Cool. I love you, Pali.
PALESA
I love you too, Maqhawe.
After a brief silence, their drowsiness catches up with
them.
EXT. CAMPS BAY BEACH – MORNING
Maqhawe and Palesa stroll together along the border of sand
and sea, both wearing newly-bought costumes.
She seems taken up by the trinkets and shells she’s picked
up along the way. He seems distracted by watching the
surrounding bathers.
They’re not holding hands.
She looks up ahead of them, noticing something.
PALESA
I’ll wave to you from the rocks,
okay?
MAQHAWE
Cool, run ahead.
PALESA
Then I’ll come back to swim.
While saying this she starts jogging off to the clumped
rocks signifying this beach’s border.
Maqhawe stops strolling, looks around and eventually sits
down to wait for the regular waves to wash around him then
recede. He sighs.
He looks out as far as he can, thinking he can spy Robben
Island from his position.
All behind him, the day’s spate of mostly white tourists and
residents settle in to their sunbathing stances.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 39.
He looks over at the rocks and indeed Palesa is waving to
him from the top of the rock formation.
He signals back, blowing her an unconvincing kiss.
Palesa sees it and starts clambering down on the other side
of the formation.
As she jumps down to the sand, she fails to see an old
AFRIKAANS WOMAN sitting beneath her, leaning against the
rock. As such, she falls right next to her, inspiring an
exclamation of fright.
PALESA
Sorry ma’am. Sorry.
Then she jogs off to the sea again quite regardless.
6.
This is TANIA – 66, dyed-brown hair, good skin for her age,
and wearing a determinedly tacky outfit.
She looks off to see her disappear, tutting disapprovingly.
She picks up the cigarette Palesa caused her to drop,
brushes off the sand grains stuck to it, re-lights it and
takes two deep drags.
Then she extracts from the knapsack beside her a copy of
Ingrid Jonker’s ’Versamelde Gedigte’, flicks through it for
a beat, eventually settling on a poem to recite.
She then tentatively reads ’Verlore Stad’ aloud,
English-translation subtitles clarifying the moment’s
relevance:
TANIA
In die reen wat verby is/ ver dag
en verlore stad/ van akkers van
duiwe vol dagbreek
was my hande die ene eekhorinkie/
vinnig sku maar voorbereid/ ver dag
en verlore stad
deur al die mense het jy gekom/ met
’n eenvoudige glimag/ soos van ’n
lang reis
en die reen wat verby is/ het hom
verwarm aan my lyf/ die reen van
rook en oker
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
40.
wat ruik na jou hande skoongewas/
na warm duiwe en die oop/ oranje
papawer van die lug
She finishes and smiles.
She puts the book down and pulls out a pen and a torn-out
travel magazine feature entitled ’13 Unmissable Cape Town
Hotspots’.
Scanning it for a moment, she crosses out the ’Camps Bay’
section.
Then she folds the article up and uses it as a bookmark,
before getting up and strolling alongside the rocks all the
way back to the promenade.
There she hops into her ancient yellow VW Mini and putters
off on her way back to the city.
INT. THE BOOK LOUNGE – MORNING
Tania surveys every shelf in the place without affect, as if
cataloging the entire range of new reading material in the
city.
The CLERKS watch her progress with bemused interest.
Eventually she seats herself on one of the plush red couches
downstairs, ready to tuck into a piece of carrot cake.
Before doing so she takes out the ’Unmissable Places’
article again and crosses off ’The Book Lounge’.
INT. TRUTH COFFEE – NOON
Tania briskly tours the renowned establishment, taking in
all the steampunk touches and adornments, as well as
eavesdropping on all the couples and visitors who’ve taken
up the best tables.
The WAITERS also observe her with intrigue before seating
her at a cavernous table-booth and bringing her a hot
chocolate.
She takes her first sip then likewise crosses ’Truth Coffee’
off the article.
INT. THE FUGARD THEATRE LOBBY – AFTERNOON
Tania gives the same analytical treatment to the posters and
decor of the Fugard.
Then she buys a ticket for the matinee show of ’District Six
Kanala’ and threads into the main theatre with the rest of
the mostly-senior crowd.
INT. THE FUGARD MAIN THEATRE – CONTINUOUS
She finds her seat and crosses off ’The Fugard Theatre’ just
as the lights go down.
EXT. LOWER MAIN ROAD – LATE AFTERNOON
Tania zips into a squeakily narrow parking space, gets out
wearing big black sunglasses and waves off the closest
car-guard.
Then she marches across the street like a clockwork soldier
in the direction of the nearest cafe.
INT. THAT PLACE IN OBZ – CONTINUOUS
RIAN – 18, long blond hair and wearing sandals – sits alone
at a table, checking his watch, looking around at the books
behind him and across from him.
Then he whips his head back to see his ouma, Tania, stride
in and take the empty seat at his table just as he gets up
to greet her.
Their conversation is entirely in Afrikaans.
TANIA
Sit down, Rian dear. This is no
time for pleasantries.
RIAN
(Sitting Down)
Okay. Well it is good to see you
anyway, ouma.
TANIA
Of course. Lovely to see you too,
as always dear, but I am here for a
reason, an urgent reason, and that
is that-
41.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 42.
The WAITRESS comes up to their table with two menus, about
to ask them if they’d care for anything to drink.
TANIA
(Cont’d)
Rooibos, 1 sugar, cold milk,
asseblief, dankie.
The waitress nods and gives a thumbs-up. Then she looks over
at Rian.
RIAN
A Coke, please.
The waitress repeats the order and leaves them with the
menus.
TANIA
The reason is that you need to make
a commitment, dear. Not now, but
soon. I can see you’ve had fun in
Cape Town but it’s not a city you
can afford to stay in.
RIAN
I’ve still got three more years of
my degree though, Ouma.
TANIA
I know that. I mean after. I have
to tell you now that your future
belongs to Stellenbosch, or it
should.
RIAN
You were fine with me coming to UCT
though, Ouma. What’s been the
change?
TANIA
I haven’t changed. Not at all. I
just used to presume you came here
because you wanted a different
perspective. And now since- Well,
now I can see you want to be an
entirely different person. And I
don’t recognize you.
RIAN
Well I- I recognize myself, I mean.
I’ve changed a bit but this is news
to me.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
43.
TANIA
I feel like you don’t want to be an
Afrikaner, Rian. I’m surprised
you’re not speaking to me in
English.
RIAN
What’s so terrible about English?
TANIA
Nothing in itself, dear. But it’s a
colonial language. You can live two
lives and speak two languages but
if you prefer the one then the
other will definitely wither away,
like a garden choked by weeds. It’s
just like that.
RIAN
Ouma, please, Ouma, I don’t prefer-
The waitress returns with Tania’s tea and Rian’s Coke.
WAITRESS
Decided on anything to eat yet?
TANIA
No, nothing for us. Dankie.
The waitress looks at Rian for a second with raised eyebrows
then leaves again.
Tania pours her milk into the tea and takes a sip.
TANIA
(Cont’d)
You were saying?
RIAN
I was saying, that I don’t prefer
one language or culture here. Cape
Town is indifferent. Everyone’s
more than one person.
Tania bends over and takes out her ’Unmissable’ article.
TANIA
I’ll show you this. Today I went to
4 of these spots, one after the
other after the other. If I heard
or read just one word of my
upbringing – of your upbringing –
at any point, I wouldn’t have
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
44.
TANIA (cont’d)
lectured you. We would just be
exchanging pleasantries.
RIAN
Can we just do that for a bit,
Ouma?
TANIA
What?
RIAN
Slow down and catch up. This is a
lot to process.
TANIA
Okay. Fine. How are you doing,
dear?
RIAN
Thank you. Very well, exams have
been good. I still see my friends
often. Yourself?
TANIA
Same. I see people often. It’s
lonely sometimes, but not often.
Your oupa would be amazed at how
far you’ve come. But he would be
telling you what I’ve been saying,
I’m very sure about that.
Tania takes another big gulp of her tea. A TWENTY-SOMETHING
GUY reading on a couch a short distance away has started
listening in on their talk.
TANIA
(Cont’d)
So, may we continue?
RIAN
Yes, we can.
TANIA
Well, what did you want to say
next?
RIAN
Um, Ouma, I don’t want to disagree
with you.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
45.
TANIA
Well don’t, agree with me instead.
RIAN
I would, but I don’t know if I can
tell you why I don’t.
TANIA
Try me, I can listen.
RIAN
Well, English… English is the
language of money and it’s the
language of no-one in particular.
And Afrikaans is not. Afrikaans is
only itself. It doesn’t have
opportunities.
TANIA
And you feel you need
opportunities? Even though the love
of money is the root of all evil?
RIAN
I do want opportunities, and I
don’t love money, but I need money
to have opportunities. And South
Africa is not a place to specialize
as a person.
TANIA
But what about roots? Will you
remember your roots?
RIAN
I will, but staying with roots
sounds like a- like a compromise on
who I could be.
TANIA
But that’s what I’m saying. You
should already know who you are.
Come back to Stellenbosch, to stay,
and you’ll wonder why you felt you
needed to leave. You’ll feel
liberated. Your father will welcome
you back with wide-open arms.
RIAN
I don’t know how I’ll feel, Ouma.
I’ve committed to being here. The
law faculty is better here. As I
said when I applied. Why did you
want to tell me this now?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
46.
TANIA
It’s my duty. I’ll remind you next
year and the year after that. At my
age I still won’t forget.
RIAN
I don’t think I’ll wear down, Ouma.
TANIA
I know. But it’s my duty. I love
you and I just want you to be
happy. Have you met anyone while
you’ve been here, by the way?
RIAN
I’ve met a lot of people, made many
friends.
TANIA
No man, I meant have you met any
girls…
The TWENTY-SOMETHING GUY checks his watch.
GUY
Oh shit.
He says this loudly enough for Rian and Tania to take notice
for a moment.
He gets up, makes a gesture of apology, picks up a bass
guitar case from the floor beside the couch and heads to the
street.
On the way he pops the money for his bill on the counter
beside the register.
7.
EXT. LOWER MAIN ROAD – CONTINUOUS
This is Jackson – 27 (but not an adult quite yet), coloured,
wearing a Velvet Underground t-shirt. He carries his bass
like a briefcase as he dips across and up the street in the
fading light, heading to ’The Armchair’.
INT. THE ARMCHAIR BAR – CONTINUOUS
He enters the bar, seeing no-one but regulars in the
front-room first.
Then he walks over to the stage-room door and gingerly opens
it.
INT. THE ARMCHAIR STAGE-ROOM – CONTINUOUS
His BANDMATES – JOSIE, ANDRIES and VERNON – are chatting
together on the stage at their respective posts. The
audience area is empty for the moment.
Josie’s adjusting her mic-stand, Andries has just finished
tuning his guitar and Vernon’s offhandedly tapping a cymbal.
The band name, ’The Contradictions’, is emblazoned in red
and white on the bass drum.
Jackson sets his bass aside and starts to close the door
behind him.
JOSIE
JACKO! So glad you could find the
time to make it.
ANDRIES
Yeah, it’s never quite the same
without you, Jackson. Your support
means the world to us.
JACKSON
(With Trained Sarcasm)
Ha Ha. Sorry guys, my apologies,
though I do appreciate your
concern. You know what I was doing
actually?
JOSIE
What?
JACKSON
Sitting at That Place, having tea
and cake, wondering if you’d all
notice if the bass player went
missing.
JOSIE
Well we did, we missed you
intensely. Just please get to
sound-check early next time. We are
a unit, guys, we need to sync up.
47.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 48.
Jackson opens up his bass case and pulls out the purple
instrument, holding it with strength and delicacy.
JACKSON
Got it. No qualms. We are all team
players, Josie.
JOSIE
Great, I’m completely reassured.
He plugs the bass into one of the amps and checks with
Vernon to measure the amplitude.
VERNON
It’s good. Let’s do the Cohen
number to start…
Vernon starts tapping out a slow rhythm which Jackson then
joins.
The band are isolated on the stage, playing to no-one for
the moment.
INT. THE ARMCHAIR STAGE-ROOM – EVENING
In their same positions, they’re now playing to a nearly
full house.
Andries has joined in himself on the song they were starting
to practice.
After a moment it’s clear that it’s an electrified version
of Leonard Cohen’s waltzing ’Dance Me to the End of Love’
which feels appropriate and which the audience whoops for as
they recognize it.
Josie follows the usual lyrics throughout their rendition
until she replaces one of the chorus lyrics with
JOSIE
It’s been a hard week for everyone/
So dance me to the end of love…
Jackson joins in doubling the vocals at the end of every
repeated line, as well as providing the deep harmonies on
the ’La La, La La La La La La, La La’ parts
The CROWD starts to sway towards the end of the number,
first a little facetiously then quite sincerely. One or two
people have even raised their lighters.
Two GIRLS – MICHAELA AND CAITLIN – are standing by the door,
obviously the last ones in, bereft of seats.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 49.
They whisper in each other’s ears, just conspicuously enough
for Jackson to notice them out of the corner of his eye.
He looks over at them without missing a beat or a vocal.
After a moment, they notice him noticing them and stop
talking, joining in the swaying instead, but still looking
at him as a kind of apology.
He smiles and blushes and looks away from them shyly until
the number’s over.
They finish the song to much appreciation, then look around
at each other to confirm the next one.
When Josie’s confirmed it, she nods and turns back to the
audience.
JOSIE
Wow, thank you every one of you,
thank you. We thought you might
know that one, so … congrats.
You’re all like the fifth
Contradiction for the night, Wow.
Rest in Power, Leonard Cohen. So
now… now we know you’ll know this
one. You ready?
The crowd responds with scattered ’Yeahs!’ and fewer whoops.
JOSIE
It’s another cover, because they’re
better than our own songs. For now.
But we hope you dig it.
Jackson launches into a slightly slower version of the
bassline to Tame Impala’s ’The Less I Know the Better’.
The crowd does indeed recognize it and indicates their
approval.
Caitlin and Michaela especially start to bop and smile and
nod their heads in spite of themselves.
Josie’s just about to come in with the lyrics.
INT. THE ARMCHAIR BAR – EVENING
Jackson picks up a beer from the bar and strolls outside to
find a table.
The set’s just finished and his bandmates are either packing
up their equipment or talking to people at the bar that he
doesn’t know.
EXT. THE ARMCHAIR DINING AREA – CONTINUOUS
Jackson finds an empty booth near the back and sits down at
it, putting his legs up on the long bench on one side,
swigging his beer and pulling his shirt to cool down a bit.
After a beat, Michaela and Caitlin walk over to him, bearing
their own drinks.
CAITLIN
Hey.
JACKSON
Oh, hey
MICHAELA
Mind if we sit by you?
Jackson notices one or two empty booths in their immediate
vicinity.
JACKSON
No, not at all.
MICHAELA
Cool, thanks so much.
Michaela is 22, with platinum-blonde hair, a floral skirt
and glitter under her eyes. Caitlin is the schoolgirl from
the first scene, this time dressed in a Pink Floyd t-shirt,
her dark-green eyes shining more clearly in the dimmer
light.
CAITLIN
Sorry if we distracted you. We
really loved the set.
MICHAELA
Yeah, that was my favourite Cohen
song, you see.
CAITLIN
And The Less I Know the Better’s my
favourite song full stop, so thanks
for that. I’m Caitlin by the way.
She puts her hand out to shake his. He takes it.
50.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
51.
JACKSON
Jackson. Good to meet you. And…
MICHAELA
Michaela.
JACKSON
Michaela. Cool. And you guys are…
sisters?
MICHAELA
Yeah, sisters. Both escaping from
exams and all that.
CAITLIN
You’re really good, you know that.
How long have you been playing?
JACKSON
Thank you. Um… I used to play
lead guitar, started when I was
about 14 or so, but Andries is so
much better than me, so when we
started the band I improvised a
little and learned back-up.
CAITLIN
And how long have you guys all been
together?
JACKSON
Like two years now. We do like two
or three gigs a months, practice
every week.
They each swig from their drinks in gradual succession.
MICHAELA
You guys are definitely going
places, we really wanted to tell
you that. I know it sounds cliched,
but if you needed reassurance.
JACKSON
(Increasingly Flattered)
Thank you. I hope so. I mean it
used to be a dream just to play
here, so I hope it picks up
further.
CAITLIN
Why wouldn’t it?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
52.
JACKSON
Well, there’s kind of a
glass-ceiling for Cape Town bands.
We can play at Daisies maybe, but
if we ever get to tour properly, I
don’t know. I’ll let you know
you’re right if we ever get out of
the province. What are you guys
doing by the way?
MICHAELA
I’m doing postgrad in Astrophysics.
And Caity’s still in Matric
actually.
CAITLIN
But how do you think you break the
glass? Do you guys have to brand
yourselves quickly, or change until
you find something popular?
JACKSON
Um, well we’ve tried just being
ourselves, playing what we like,
and that’s worked out so far. We
like ourselves – I mean we’d come
watch us play if we weren’t
ourselves. I was actually just at
That Place across the street
earlier and I overheard a guy
saying something to the effect of
that you can’t specialize who you
are if you live here, and I thought
that was what I’d say too. It was a
good way-
Andries has come out to the back and is waving to get
Jackson’s attention. He succeeds.
JACKSON
(Cont’d)
I think my band-mates want me back.
Sorry guys.
MICHAELA
Go ahead, we were just interested.
When’s your next gig?
JACKSON
Hectic on Hope. Next Saturday I
think.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
53.
MICHAELA
We’ll try make it. Thanks for the
evening, Jackson.
JACKSON
No, thank you guys. See you then if
I do. Cool cool.
He heads off after Andries, waving back to them.
They wave back in turn.
Then Caitlin moves over to the other side of the booth.
Michaela takes out a rolly kit and begins constructing her
first cigarette of the evening.
CAITLIN
Think we came over too strong?
MICHAELA
Nah, I told you. Shyness like
that’s an act. He wanted to talk to
us, he just didn’t want to say
hello first. But you saw, he was
sweet enough.
CAITLIN
I guess. I just thought all
bass-players were introverts.
MICHAELA
With bands it’s actually
reverse-psychology. Have I told you
my theory? Surely I have.
CAITLIN
Not this one.
MICHAELA
Well, a band is a creative,
cathartic outlet- an act. Which
means more often than not your band
persona’s who you would want to be
ordinarily if you just had the
confidence. So lead singers are
usually very quiet, reserved people
and drummers are secret
intellectuals-
CAITLIN
And bass-players are…
forthcoming?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
54.
MICHAELA
Exactly. If you give them the
chance. Charlie was like that, and
Adam, and Jackson’ll probably be
like that too.
CAITLIN
Unless it doesn’t work out?
MICHAELA
Ah, it will, I saw it in his eyes.
He’s here for a good time, so am I.
Natural equation.
CAITLIN
I’ve been meaning to ask… How do
you know people before you really
know them? I mean-
MICHAELA
I don’t know. Just power of
observation really. Guys are very
easy to interpret. Try it out on
Cameron tomorrow. Little things
like if he’s there early, his body
language, whether he buys you
drinks, all that.
CAITLIN
It’s difficult to analyze a
situation when you’re in the middle
of it.
MICHAELA
Yeah, but you have to. You’ve just
got to be self-aware. But relax
while you’re doing it too.
Michaela finishes making the cigarette, holds it up, lights
it, drags from it and offers it to Caitlin.
She takes it, drags it too and holds in the smoke just a
little too long, causing her to cough.
8.
EXT. LABIA THEATRE – LATE AFTERNOON
CAMERON – 20, identical to the screenwriter, wearing a
scruffy jacket – sits at one of the outside tables with a
bookbag beside him, reading Jennifer Egan’s ’A Visit from
the Goon Squad’, his elbow resting on David Mitchell’s
’Cloud Atlas’.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 55.
He looks up to find CAITLIN arriving just in front of him,
wearing a beautiful maroon shawl.
CAITLIN
This is almost exactly how I
pictured I’d find you, Cameron.
What are you reading?
CAMERON
Just doing research. I can be
unpredictable sometimes, I promise.
He closes the book and gets up to hug her.
CAMERON
(Cont’d)
It’s good to see you. How’re you
doing?
CAITLIN
Just dandy, as you’d say.
He pulls out the other seat at his table, which she takes
gratefully. A long line is already forming for the
ticket-office.
CAMERON
Great. I’ve got our tickets already
but we’ve got another few minutes
before we can go in.
CAITLIN
Oh, that’s so nice of you.
CAMERON
No worries, do you- do you want a
drink or anything before?
CAITLIN
I’m alright, thank you. Before I
forget I really have to tell you
that story from the other day. I
think I texted you to remind me to
tell it when we had the time.
CAMERON
Yeah, I was going to remember to
ask…
CAITLIN
Well, in the moment I thought it
was something you’d enjoy more than
anyone. It felt like something in a
script, for real.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
56.
CAMERON
I do love those moments for sure.
Caitlin commences and continues the story with endearingly
effusive gestures.
CAITLIN
Well, what happened was that I was
walking home through Gardens the
other day, and I saw a guy, a
homeless guy on a bench, with a
sign saying he sold conversations
and stories. At whatever price I
thought the conversation or story
was worth. So I was interested and
I came up to him and he guessed
that I felt like hearing a story
and he asked me a few personal
details and I was a little confused
but I played along. And then a
tourist took a loud snapshot of us
for some reason, which distracted
him for a second.
CAMERON
Probably an American.
CAITLIN
Yeah, I thought so too. And then he
launched into his story…
CAMERON
Mind if we get popcorn while you
tell it?
CAITLIN
They get up and walk inside to the concessions cue.
INT. LABIA THEATRE LOBBY – CONTINUOUS
CAITLIN
No, cool.
(Cont’d)
So he said there was once this
little girl, named Anna, who was
taken by her mother to the centre
of a great metropolis. She was
bringing her daughter to her work
in an office in a skyscraper. And
It was the first time Anna had ever
been in such a crowd, the first
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
57.
CAITLIN (cont’d)
time she’d really been into a city,
and as she gripped her mother’s
hand as they walked along the
baking pavement, she stared above
her at all the overbearing faces
and gigantic buildings and she was
just completely overwhelmed. Every
passing person was different –
their size, shape, colour, gender,
everything – and all of them she
tried to acknowledge individually
with the special attention she’d
always paid her parents. But she
couldn’t manage it. It was like
swimming in a river and counting
each drop of water in it.
They pick up a bag of popcorn each and then head into the
theatre.
CAITLIN
(Cont’d)
So she just fainted. In the middle
of the road as they were crossing
it. And to stop traffic backing up
her mother had to pick her up and
carry her into the nearest
building. Try as she might she just
couldn’t wake Anna up. So she
called an ambulance and rushed her
to hospital where she stayed
unconscious in a quasi-coma for the
next three days, with the doctors
convinced it was just some severe
form of heatstroke.
INT. LABIA THEATRE CINEMA 1 – CONTINUOUS
CAITLIN
(Cont’d)
But when she did wake up, with her
anxious parents crying tears of
relief by her bedside, she
explained that she hadn’t been hurt
by the heat at all. Instead, she’d
just fallen asleep. Just like that.
And while she’d slept, she’d dreamt
what it would be like to be
everyone she’d noticed on the
street that day. She felt like
she’d lived a few hundred lifetimes
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
58.
CAITLIN (cont’d)
in those three days of sleep. She’d
been everyone and witnessed
everything and lived all their
pettiness and suffering and joy
without having any control over
their actions. She was just along
for the ride in their heads. And
when she woke up it was like
returning from Narnia, to find that
no real time had passed in the
meantime. And her parents listened
to her and accepted her story and
eventually just took her home. They
never denied her experience but
they never brought it up again
either. And they waited a few more
years to take her into the city
again, by which time Anna had
forgotten all about her incident.
They’ve taken seats near the front of the theater.
CAMERON
Wow. So how much did you think that
was worth?
CAITLIN
I gave him 20 bucks. His version
was like five minutes longer and
used a lot of poetry. He deserved
it.
CAMERON
Yeah, I’d probably give him the
same.
The trailers start playing.
CAMERON
(Cont’d)
Thanks for remembering it. Think I
can use it in a script?
CAITLIN
Yeah, I don’t think he has the
rights to it or anything.
CAMERON
Cool. You happy to be here?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED:
59.
CAITLIN
Yeah, why?
CAMERON
Just asking. I like to know it.
CAITLIN
Don’t worry all the time, Cam. I’d
tell you if I wasn’t having a good
time.
CAMERON
Okay, I’ll remember.
She puts her hand out on the armrest between them.
He sees it and hesitates for a moment.
Then he puts his hand out to hold hers too.
They both look up at the screen.
FADE OUT.
Categories: Movie Scripts