A Dry White Season Page #2

... Suddenly disturbed by... Gordon and Jonathan standing

uncertain at the far side of the garden; Gordon's hat

pressed flat against his chest, Jonathan defiant.

Susan looks up --as do each in turn --curious at the

intrusion... then the black nanny --and finally Ben.

After a moment, Ben walks up to Gordon.

BEN:

Gordon! What are you doing here?

INT. BEN'S KITCHEN -DAY

Six cuts, like six knife gashes, revealed on the bloodstained

buttocks of Gordon's son, who stands in painful,

truculent embarrassment.

Ben is shocked by the severity of the canning.

GORDON:

That's not why I'm complaining,

Mister Ben, sir. If he did wrong,

I'd beat him myself. But he

didn't.

(CONTINUED)

6.

CONTINUED:

GORDON:

He did nothing and they wouldn't

listen. They wouldn't believe

him.

BEN:

I'm sorry, Gordon. But there

must be a reason.

GORDON:

He says he wasn't doing anything

wrong, Mister Ben, sir. And I

believe him, I know my son! It's

an injustice!

BEN:

What about the court? Didn't he

state his case?

GORDON:

What does he know about court?

Before he knew, it was all over.

BEN:

I don't think there is anything we

can do about it now.

Outside, peering through the half-opened door, is Johan,

shocked at what he sees. Ben tapes Jonathan on the head,

he pulls up his shorts painfully, yet fiercely, anxious

to cover himself up again.

GORDON:

We can get a lawyer to appeal.

BEN:

A lawyer? That won't heal

Jonathan's buttocks.

Susan appears at the door.

SUSAN:

Ben!

BEN:

I'll be out in a minute.

She nods, ushering Johan away from the door back outside.

GORDON:

You don't understand, Mister Ben,

sir. I don't want him to have a

police record.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

7.

CONTINUED:

GORDON (CONT'D)

It will be there for the rest of

his life and make it difficult for

him to get a job in the future.

BEN:

Don't worry, Gordon. I'm sure

there'll be no record, it's such

a minor case. Please don't worry.

Ben calls Johan from the outside.

BEN:

Johan, get some iodine from the

cupboard.

Johan rushes in the house.

GORDON:

I'm not worried about the wounds.

They'll heal in time, Mister Ben,

sir. It's the wounds here.

(slaps his chest)

I worry about. Injustice... it

festers.

Johan comes back with a small bottle of medicine.

BEN:

(to Gordon)

Rub it on the wounds and it will

help.

EXT. BEN'S GATE -DAY

Ben watches the black man and his son trudge down the

long drive, the father's arm on the son's shouldre. At

the foot of the drive the nose of an exotic Soweto cab

can be seen waiting... a large butterfly painted on the

hood.

EXT. BEN'S GARDEN -DAY

Ben takes his place at the table. Susan brings a piece

of boerwors and a mug of beer.

SUSAN:

Trouble?

BEN:

Jonathan has been caned, by the

police.

She places the boerwors and the beer before him.

(CONTINUED)

8.

CONTINUED:

SUSAN:

He probably deserved it.

EXT. SOWETO SCHOOL -SOWETO UPRISING -MORNING

School grounds of the Orlando Secondary School. Students

are milling around in high spirits. One group is putting

finishing touches to a banner reading: "no to aparhteid

education."

There are two other banners being carried around the

school yard, followed by the younger children. They

read:

"No to the Oppressor's language"

"Bantu education is slave

education."

A BOY, one of the eldest, aged about 18 years calls for

silence. The STUDENTS immediately obey.

STUDENT LEADER (BOY)

You all know why we are going to

march.

The crowd shouts:

STUDENTS:

'No to Bantu education'

'No to apartheid'

'Freedom Now'...

STUDENT LEADER:

There must be discipline. We

start marching from here and we'll

join up with the others at the

main road. Please take care of

the younger ones. Let's go.

The Students start marching led by one of the banners,

singing a freedom song.

Amongst them is Jonathan and Wellington. They are singing.

The march turns round one of the streets.

CROSSROAD:

Several groups of students marchers converge to join the

march that has already started, including Jonathan's

group. There are several banners condeming Bantu

education, apartheid, etc.

(CONTINUED)

9.

CONTINUED:

Examples:
"EQUAL EDUCATION NOW"

"ONE MAN ONE VOTE"

"FREE OUT LEADERS"

"NO TO THE AFRIKAANS LANGUAGE"

There are chants of slogans as they march:

STUDENTS:

'If we learn Afrikaans vorster

must learn Zulu.' 'Bantu

education! Stinks! Stinks!

Stinks!' 'Equal education! Now!

Now! Now!'

They also start singing a freedom song.

FURTHER UP STREET

Three police Jeeps block the route of the march. A

little distance behind are police troops carriers

('hippos'). About six police-dog-handlers in camouflage

uniforms stand across the road waiting for the march to

approach.

As the march gets closer the students' singing increases

in volume.

The Soweto police COMMANDANT steps forward with a loudspeaker

in hand. He confronts the lead of the march. He

signals for them to stop. The dogs are straining at their

leashes and their handlers taunt the leading group.

COMMANDANT:

Now listen to me, this is an

illegal demonstration. I order

you to disperse immediately.

The Students start singing the African national anthem

'Nkosi Sikelele.'

Children of 8, 9, 10 years singing lustily with their

fists clenched as everyone else.

Jonathan and Wellington singing.

Camouflauged police scrambling out of Jeeps with guns and

tear gas grenades. They stand with the rifles pointing

at the marchers. The singing continues.

The Commandant confers with a junior officer who hurries

to the group of policemen and gives them instructions.

The ones carrying tear gas move towards front. The

police start donning gas masks.

(CONTINUED)

10.

CONTINUED:

COMMANDANT:

This is the last warning.

Disperse immediately or I will

take action.

A voice in the crowd shouts "Banutu education..."

The crowd shouts back "Stinks, Stinks, Stinks."

The Commandant gives a hand signal.

Tear gas canisters are thrown into the crowd, the dog-

handlers attack. There is panic with Students running in

all directions, several choking.

Some of the students start throwing stones at the police,

hitting one in the face; he is helped away by a black

policeman.

Without warning, SHOOTING STARTS.

Children drop, wounded; friends trying to help the dying

and seriously wounded, others helped away.

Some boys appear with dustbin lids as protection and they

pelt the police with stones.

The police in the 'hippos' are jumping off and pursuing

Students, some SHOOTING.

Woman grabs two of the running children age about 9/10

and hustles them into house.

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