| EXT BEACH. DAY
Richard walks along a narrow wooden pontoon, his rucksack on
his back.
He stops about half way along at a small narrow wooden boat with
an outboard motor.
He looks down into it.
Etienne and Francoise walk past him along the pontoon without
stopping and disappear from view.
RICHARD (V.O.)
OK, let's face it. There is no such thing as a local fisherman
anymore. There really isn't the demand for them. If you want to
catch fish you put down a hundred kilometer drag net.
Richard walks away along the pontoon.
RICHARD (V.O.)
(continuing)
And if you want to go somewhere - you get a taxi.
EXT. SEA.. DAY.
Richard, Francoise and Etiene sit at the back of a small powerful
motor launch which skims across the surface of the sea with great
noise and speed.
EXT. BEACH. DAY.
The motor launch idles gently as it drifts into the shallows
of a small deserted bay.
Richard Francoise, and Etienne jump from the boat into the shallows.
EXT. BEACH. NIGHT.
As the sun sets they sit in silence, each shovelling down forkloads
of noodles.
EXT. BEACH. NIGHT.
The only sounds are those of crickets and the waves gently breaking
on the shore.
Richard is lying asleep on the sand.
He is woken by someone rummaging through the rucksack beside
him. It is Francoise, removing clothes, books, souvenirs. Eventually
she finds her camera, a mini-tripod and a cable-release.
She places them on an unfolded T-shirt on the sand.
RICHARD
Francoise -
FRANCOISE
Sshh. Etienne will be angry if I wake him. He thinks I waste
film taking photographs of the sky.
Richard wakes up and works out what she is doing.
RICHARD
I think so too.
FRANCOISE
One night I will get the perfect photograph.
She presses the cable release.
FRANCOISE
(continuing)
Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six.
She lets the shutter close.
FRANCOISE
(continuing)
Take a look.
Richard leans over and squints down the viewfinder.
The sky is framed. Francoise leans into the frame.
Richard draws back.
RICHARD
You realize that in the eternity of space, there is a planet,
just like this one, where you are photographing back towards us.
You're photographing yourself.
FRANCOISE
Incredible
RICHARD
There are infinite worlds out there, where anything that can
happen does happen.
FRANCOISE
So on one you are rich, on another poor. On one you are a murderer,
on another the victim.
RICHARD
Exactly
FRANCOISE
Richard, you know something -
She hands him the cable release while she adjusts the camera.
FRANCOISE
(continuing)
That is just the kind of pretentious bullshit that Englishmen
and Americans always say to French girls so that they can sleep
with them.
RICHARD
Sorry. I thought I was doing quite well.
FRANCOISE
It's just the sky, Richard.
She presses his thumb down on the cable release, her hand around
his.
FRANCOISE
(continuing)
Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept…
EXT. NIGHT. SKY.
Francoise voice fades away over an image of the night sky.
Time lapse: the sky rapidly changes to day.
RICHARD (V.O.)
When you develop an infatuation for someone, you always find
a reason to believe that this is exactly the person for you. It
doesn't need to be a good reason, a bad one will do just as well.
Taking photographs of the night sky, for example: in the long run
that's just the kind of dumb irritating habit that would cause you
to split up. But at the time - it's the charming eccentricity you've
been searching for all these years.
EXT. BEACH. DAY.
From a different beach they look towards their target: the island.
It is 1-2 kilometers away.
Richard, Etienne, and Francoise stand on the beach looking towards
it. Each is in their swimwear and a T-shirt, and carries a plastic
bag, inflated and tied, in which they carry their valuables and
some rations.
ETIENNE
One kilometer
FRANCOISE
Two.
ETIENNE
Richard?
RICHARD
I don't know - I'm American.
ETIENNE
So?
RICHARD
We think in miles, not kilometers.
ETIENNE
So how many miles do you think it is?
RICHARD
I have no idea but it looks like a long way.
FRANCOISE.
Too far?
RICHARD
If it's too far, then we'll drwon. But if we don't' try then
we'll never know.
Richard wades into the water.,
RICHARD
So, let's go.
RICHARD (V.O.)
You have to enjoy a moment like that. You just don't know, you
see; it may never happen again.
Once more.
RICHARD
SO, let's go.
RICHARD (V.O.)
I am such a fucking hero. "Let's go". I felt like I'd
waited all my life just to say something like that. So I replayed
it a couple of times, taking it from different perspectives.
EXT. BEACH. DAY.
Multiple repeats of Richard's moment from various perspectives
and speeds.
RICHARD
So: let's go.
RICHARD (V.O.)
You have to enjoy a moment like that. You just don't know, you
see: it may never happen again.
Once more.
RICHARD
So: let's go.
He dives in and begins swimming.
EXT. SEA. DAY.
They are far out to sea now, several hundred meters from the
shore.
Richard swims at the front, the other two about five meters behind.
RICHARD
Everyone ok?
ETIENNE
We're ok.
RICHARD
I think we're about half way.
A few strokes later.
ETIENNE
Richard - I saw a fin!
RICHARD
What!
ETIENNE
A fin!
They all stop and tread water.
RICHARD
A shark fin?
ETIENNE
I don't know, just a fin. Over there. About a hundred meters.
RICHARD
Big?
ETIENNE.
Yes.
RICHARD
Well what the fuck do you expect me to do about it.
ETIENNE
Nothing. I just thought you ought to know.
RICHARD
Well to be honest, Etienne, I would rather have not known about
it.
ETIENNE
I'm sorry.
RICHARD
A bit fucking late.
He starts swimming again.
A few strokes later he hears a short sharp scream from Francoise.
ETIENNE
Francoise! Francoise!
Richard turns around. Francoise is gone. Her plastic bag bobs
on the surface. Etienne is frantic, hysterical.
ETIENNE
(continuing)
She is gone!
RICHARD
What happened?
Etienne submerges briefly and resurfaces.
ETIENNE
She just went under the water. She was pulled under. Oh God,
I don't see her.
RICHARD
Was there a shark? Did you see a shark?
They both start looking down at their feet and circling frantically
in the water.
ETIENNE
I don't know! I don't know! Oh God.
Suddenly Richard screams.
Francoise surfaces, pulling up his ankle.
She and Etienne laugh at Richard.
RICHARD
Very funny. You Europeans, you have ssuch a playful sense of
humor. No wonder your comedy has conquered the world.
He swims on.
ETIENNE
What about Moliere?
RICHARD
Fuck off.
He swims on without looking round.
EXT. BEACH. DAY.
One by one the three swimmers emerge from the sea and collapse
on the beach. They are absolutely exhausted and lie there on the
sand, unable to speak.
Eventually, they tear open their plastic bags, drink some water
and eat some chocolate.
Richard has a little water left in his bottle. He notices Francoise
and Etienne eyeing it enviously.
He holds the bottle out towards them, then snatches it back and
swigs down the last of the water.
EXT. FOREST. DAY.
Richard, Francoise, and Etienne walk through the forest behind
the beach.
EXT. FOREST. DAY
They scramble up a steep slope through dense foliage.
Richard, at the front, pauses to let the other two pass him,
then he follows.
EXT. TOP OF SLOPE/CLEARING. DAY.
Richard reaches the top of the slope and follows the other two
through a gap in the foliage.
He joins Etienne and Francoise who are standing in awe at the
edge of a large clearing filled with cannabis plants.
ETIENNE
Nice Island.
They smile and examine the plants.
Richard wanders a short distance away.
Something glinting on the ground catches Richard's eye. He leans
down and picks it up. It is an empty brass cartridge from a rifle.
Richard looks around.
Just ahead he sees the remains of an extinguished campfire, and
beyond that, protruding from the undergrowth, a pair of male legs
and beyond them, the butt of a rifle.
CLOSE IN on the nest in the undergrowth. The legs and gun belong
to a Farmer. He is asleep. His physique is strong and his skin weathered.
Richard turns back to Etienne and Francoise. They are still strolling
amongst the plants.
Richard begins to back away.
The Farmer wakes.
He lifts his gun and stands up to look out over the dope field.
EXT. FIELD. DAY.
There is no one there.
EXT. FIELD. DAY.
The farmer looks around, sees nobody. His attention is attracted
by a whistle.
He looks over. A group of three more, similarly armed Farmers
emerge from the forest at the other side.
He waves at them. They beckon him across.
He sets off through the field.
EXT. AMONG PLANTS. DAY.
The three inturders continue to crawl along the ground between
the plants
Suddenly Richard stops. The farmer's footsteps come closer.
His feet pass in the gap between Richard and Francoise. He pauses.
They lie frozen in place. He lights a cigarette and drops the match.
He moves on.
They breath again.
EXT. EDGE OF FIELD. DAY.
Richard, Etienne, and Francoise reach the far edge of the field
and enter the forest again.
FRANCOISE
My God, what are we doing here?
ETIENNE
Shit. This was not on the map, Richard.
RICHARD
I didn't draw the map, Etienne.
ETIENNE
It's a fucking mess.
RICHARD
I didn't force you to come, so don't blame me.
FRANCOISE
We should go back. It's too dangerous. We shouldn't be here.
RICHARD
Go back? How? Swim perhaps? Great idea. Back in the water? Well
fuck that. You swim back if you want to. Both of you. I'm not.
ETIENNE
Richard - she is frightened. So am I.
Richard looks at them. They await his lead.
RICHARD
Well, we're not going back.
Richard smiles. The other two are still nervous.
RICHARD (V.O)
Once again, I think you'll agree. A moment worth savoring.
|
