Saturday 31 August 2013

Treatment

Treatment for Short Film

SISTER walks away from village train station. She appears to have been waiting a short time. She walks slowly carrying a weekend bag towards the seafront. She smells and listens to the nearing sea and listens to the church bell strike six. Beyond the church is the ocean. She spends a moment watching it before carrying on walking in little hurry, drinking it all in. She looks at the shop front of a closed iced cream parlour, ‘Harper’s Iced Creams’ and the remaining swooping gulls and allows herself a smile.
SISTER carries on walking down a street as dusk rapidly sets in. A figure stands in the growing darkness somewhere in the distance on the pavement in front of her. SISTER squints to try and see him. He doesn’t move. She stops in front of him and they spend a long beat looking at each other. They hug, somewhat awkwardly. SISTER runs her thumb over the collar of BROTHER’S winter coat. He takes her bag and they walk off together.

In BROTHER’S kitchen- rustic, oak, cast iron, etc, he serves her a lamb stew and cuts her a slice of bread. SISTER smiles softly and says “thanks”. He takes the dishes when she is done.

SISTER wakes up after a restful sleep, sun shining through the window on to her face. She gets out of bed and stretches. In slight pain, she rubs a scar on her left leg. She spends a moment looking at it, sat upright on the bed, her left leg stretched out, her right leg curled round beside her.
She sits in the same position on the pavement in a different time and place. A knife sticks out of her left leg, blue lights illuminating her face.

SISTER has showered and stands in her underwear, looking at herself in her mirror. She lightly prods her belly looking dejected.
She stands in the same position in a different time and place wearing a hospital gown, tenderly holding her stomach, shocked tears streaming.

Two fried duck eggs with vivid yellow yolks. Brown toast. Fried cherry tomatoes. In BROTHER’S kitchen, a picture of a cooked breakfast is served.

On a beach, beneath a rockface, SISTER stands, limbering up. Then she closes her eyes for a moment. BROTHER frames the shot on tripod mounted camera. When they are both ready, he starts filming and she begins to dance. Modern, fluid and balletic.

They are sat around his dinner table, finishing an Indian meal. Take away cartons are splayed over the table. BORTHER and SISTER look full, tired and happy.
BROTHER:            Told you it was good
SISTER nods in agreement.
BROTHER:            Place has changed. Bernie’s is a surf shop now.
SISTER:                                 I saw! Double Disc?
BROTHER:            Closed.
SISTER:                                 Aw!

It is a few hours later. The table is cleared. They drink herbal tea where spirits or wine would usually be drunk. Snatches of conversation. SISTER offering to pay to refusal, bits of their life, both personal and superfluous.

BROTHER drives her to the station. They get out of the car and hug. BROTHER insists on helping her on to the train. They both smile as he waits. She waves for him to go but he stays, smiling.


The End