The Striders

A 48 Hour Film Script Entry

EXT. UCT RUGBY FIELDS – MORNING

Black Screen.

                    COMMENTATOR

          Today, one way or another, a

          champion must be decided. I know

          this is indeed how sporting

          contests usually work, but it’s

          worth restating for any of you

          doubters out there that our game

          is absolutely no different…

A cloudless sky.

A hypnotically green field.

Two lines of raring SUPPORTERS stand facing each other

across the divide of a makeshift running track.

They clap and shout nonsense in slow motion, one after

the other, as we gradually track and follow their gazes

to the starting line.

                    COMMENTATOR (CONT’D)

          So if you’ve only just joined us

          on this glorious Spring morning,

          we’re awaiting the shot that

          signals the start of the

          beginning of the end of the

          finale of the very first ever

          Varsity Striding League.

The thin line of minimally dressed co-ed ATHLETES strings

itself along the field’s edge.

They’re all slowly perfecting their grim, centered

expressions and performing patently unhelpful stretches.

                    COMMENTATOR (CONT’D)

          From every campus in the country

          they have come, the best of

          Youth, striding gallantly into

          their futures as if they intended

          some kind of pun. But by now the

          only two who can carry both the

          day and the season are our great

          front-striders, Jenna Grey and

          Ndumiso Cele…

We settle on studying JENNA – 22, lanky, fidgeting – as

                                               (CONTINUED)

2 

CONTINUED: 3 

she tries and fails to ready herself with deep breathing

exercises.

                    COMMENTATOR (CONT’D)

          Jenna, stridecraft pioneer and

          President of the UCT Athletes’

          Union, was described by her

          mother recently as

          “embarrassingly overachieving”

          and enjoys Feng-shui, straight

          tequila shots and not getting

          caught in the rain.

Now we move to NDUMISO – 20, shorter, profoundly chilled

– as he puts on a pair of headphones and looks around in

low-key wonder.

                    COMMENTATOR (CONT’D)

          Ndumiso, from UKZN, is at least

          galactically beloved and says he

          enjoys nearly every human

          activity ever conceived, though

          of course he apologizes for not

          having tried most of them yet.

Ndumiso’s gaze shifts suddenly to the left.

Then every athlete’s head turns too.

The RACE-STARTER has just held his pistol aloft.

                    COMMENTATOR (CONT’D)

          Ah, enough backstory then. Kindly

          cover your ears. The race is

          about to be-

The scream of the fired pistol rings out like a cracking

whip.

All the athletes set off in terrific slow motion,

gritting their grins against the prospect of the rest of

their days.

Then suddenly we see them at their actual speed, and in

reality they’re just a group of very serious powerwalkers

cheered on by a minuscule CROWD, flapping their arms

before them as they jostle for early positions.

Unimpressed birds caw in the distance.

EXT. SOUTHERN SUBURBS PAVEMENT – MORNING

JENNA’s taken out a surging lead already thanks to her

marvelous loping gait.

She looks behind her at the vacant street and can’t stop

herself from smiling.

She turns a corner.

She turns another corner.

She gradually starts to slow down in her overconfidence.

But a distant, reassuring voice now begins growing

louder.

After a beat, NDUMISO crosses over to her pavement from

the other side of the street, boosted by his quick, short

steps.

As he catches up to her and then slowly passes, the voice

becomes clear and engulfing and we realize it’s what

Ndumiso’s listening to on his headphones: Zen poetry

recited over a faux-oriental muzak.

                    ZEN RECITAL

          You think you know someone, but

          you can’t. You think you know

          reality, but you don’t. You think

          you know yourself, but you won’t

          [etc.]

As Ndumiso draws nearer to us, the words block out all

the other sounds.

Jenna picks up the pace and storms ahead to catch up with

him. But she looks strained and slightly distraught.

She realizes her only chance is to distract him.

So first she silently shouts.

Then she waves her hands by his side.

Then she weaves between either side of him.

Still, all we hear is Zen.

Finally, she just goes ahead and pulls off his headphones

from behind him so they fall on his shoulders.

(CONTINUED) 

4 

CONTINUED: 5 

He slows down in surprise and so they can actually talk.

                    NDUMISO

               (Sincerely)

          I’m sorry Jenna, were you trying

          to get my attention?

                    JENNA

          Yeah, didn’t you see?

                    NDUMISO

          Nah, I wasn’t really here.

                    JENNA

          Where were you?

                    NDUMISO

          Somewhere else.

                    JENNA

          Where? 

                    NDUMISO

          Already finished.

                    JENNA

          Well that’s pretty rude actually.

                    NDUMISO

          Really?

                    JENNA

          Yeah, and arrogant too.

                   NDUMISO 

          What? 

                    JENNA

          It’s against the rules.

                    NDUMISO

          No, it isn’t.

                    JENNA

          Well, it should be. You’re not

          supposed to try too hard.

(CONTINUED) 

CONTINUED: 

6 

                    NDUMISO

          I wasn’t though.

                    JENNA

          You were.

The sound of their argument fades away but their

bickering continues as they pass down another few

streets.

EXT. UCT RUGBY FIELDS – MID-DAY

They finally emerge on the other side of the field they

started on, doing one more lap before the homestretch.

Then they turn onto the homestretch.

They both steadily speed up their gaits.

                    NDUMISO

          Okay, now would you say we can

          try harder. 

                    JENNA

          Maybe. If we’re taking it

          seriously. 

                    NDUMISO

          I am though.

                    JENNA

          But I’m not, you have to think

          about me. 

                    NDUMISO

          Why not?

                    JENNA

          Because I shouldn’t lose.

                    NDUMISO

          Then you are taking it seriously

          though. 

                    JENNA

          Am I? I guess so.

Now they’re walking too fast and intensely to talk.

They look at the finishing tape.

They look at each other.

(CONTINUED) 

CONTINUED: 7 

They look at the RACE ADJUDICATOR.

They both blast forwards.

Finally, at the tape, they both leap through it,

belatedly embracing direct competition.

A freeze-frame shows both of them with both their feet in

the air simultaneously just before the tape’s breaking.

The Race Adjudicator blows a whistle, waves his hands and

disqualifies them both.

The one remaining SUPPORTER holds his head in disbelief

in the stands.

Jenna and Ndumiso stumble for a second then collapse

together to the floor.

They’re both taking heaving breaths, averting their

glances from each other.

Gradually the sound of the Zen recital grows louder again

from Ndumiso’s headphones.

                    ZEN RECITAL

          You are nothing. But nothing is

          nothing to worry about. Worrying

          isn’t worth worrying about [Etc.]

                    COMMENTATOR

          AH, I guess I was wrong then.

          Sorry folks, silly me.

FADE OUT AND FADE TO BLACK: