A Dry White Season Page #3

Jonathan and Wellington are running with a group. In the

distance the sound of an AMBULANCE SIREN. A Jeep cuts

off their escape, they turn back running as SHOTS are

FIRED towards them, a little girl drops, shot in the

back. Jonathan shouts to Wellington who is ahead of him.

JONATHAN:

Wellington! Wellington!

Wellington looks back, sees Jonathan trying to help the

little girl. He runs back to help. Another girl, aged

about 17 years, is also trying to help.

Two policemen suddenly appear from behind a house, they

are about 18 years old.

The girl straightens up and confronts the two policemen

shouting hysterically.

GIRL:

Shoot me! Come on, shoot me!

Shoot me!

(CONTINUED)

11.

CONTINUED:

She slumps to the ground crying.

Jonathan, Wellington and the Girl are hustled into a

crowded van amid punches and kicks from the police. The

van drives off leaving the injured Girl on the road,

neighbors run to assist the Girl.

As the van is passing, see a burning car, in the distance

a building on fire; another AMBULANCE SIREN.

CUT TO:

MONTAGE:

A) EXT. AFRIKAANER SCHOOL

B) The screams, the laughter of white kids playing at

their school, massed in conviviality, Johan one.

C) Behind, aboard a mower, motors Gordon, in the blue

overall of a groundsman, intent in his task.

OVER this white pacifist content, hear...

... GUNSHOTS, SCREAMS, TERROR.

D) EXT. SOWETO -AFTERNOON

The carnage, the dead, the wounded. The stunned

bewilderment of blacks and police alike... even the

latter unnerved by their own brutality.

END MONTAGE.

EXT. JOHANNESBURG SUBURB -LATE AFTERNOON

Soweto train rushing through suburb of Johannesburg.

REVERSE SHOT FROM train.

INT. SOWETO TRAIN CARRIAGE -LATE AFTERNOON

The third-class carriage is crowded with African

commuters returning to Soweto. The passengers represent

all the social and economic strata of Soweto: laborers,

factory workers, domestic servants, clerk secretaries,

the unemployed, etc. In the carriage, Gordon, returning

from work, standing.

A LARGE middle-aged WOMAN is standing in the crowded

aisle at one end of the carriage. She suddenly shouts:

(CONTINUED)

12.

CONTINUED:

LARGE WOMAN:

(to man in front of

her)

Careful with your bag. Can't you

see where it's touching?

MAN #1

(standing half-way

down carriage)

Can I see where it's touching?

LARGE WOMAN:

Men of today only like looking.

Laughter in the carriage. Gordon is also enjoying the

joke.

MAN #2

(standing by a door)

It's the electricity.

MAN IN KHAKI UNIFORM

What has electricity to do with

it?

A few voices also ask same question.

MAN #2

Today with the electricity they

say:

(in an affected

voice)

'Darling let's not switch off

the light.'

Laughter and voice saying "that's true."

WOMAN #1

(standing very near

Gordon)

I hope you have electricity with

those thick glasses of yours.

With your eyes you couldn't find

anything.

More laughter.

MAN #3

Tell us, does your wife also wear

thick glasses?

MAN #2

(quickly)

You should know, she's your

sister.

(CONTINUED)

13.

CONTINUED:

There is more laughter.

Suddenly a MAN jumps on his seat waving his arms --he's

about 40 years old --in BLUE OVERALLS. He cannot take

it any more.

MAN IN BLUE OVERALLS

Quiet! Thulani! Thulani!

The noise goes down.

MAN IN BLUE OVERALLS

They are killing our children

and you are making jokes...

VOICE (O.S.)

They say hundreds of children have

died and Soweto is burning.

CLOSEUP -GORDON AND WOMAN

talking about the information.

SMARTLY-DRESSED MAN

The white people, they will pay,

and soon.

YOUNG WOMAN:

'They will pay, they will pay.' Since

when have they been killing us, putting

us in jails, starving our children to

death, taking our land? Hundreds of

years. And what have you men done?

Only talk, talk, talk. You are not

men. Sis. (Sh*t.)

The conversations in the carriage become muted and serious.

The train enters Soweto, there is smoke hanging over several

parts of the township, and official buildings are on

fire.

Suddenly, the passengers are gripped by the seriousness of

the situation.

There are snatches of conversation such as:

"That's the superintendent's office

on fire."

"I hope the children are home."

"We have to dodge bullets tonight."

"Vorster must hang for this."

"I hope the world hears about this."

14.

INT. GORDON'S HOUSE -EVENING

Silence.

A small three-room Soweto brick house --The living room

is modestly furnished.

EMILY, Gordon's 40-year-old wife, is sitting on a narrow

iron bedstead against the wall, clutching her youngest

2-year-old son --Her mind is preoccupied. Sitting next

to her is a ten-year-old daughter.

Gordon is sitting on a chair at the table with his second

eldest son, Robert --aged 14 years --standing by the

side of the table --sitting on an old easy chair is a

Soweto resident with his 15-year-old DAUGHTER standing

beside him.

GORDON:

(to girl)

Are you sure it was Jonathan

they took away?

The girl glances at her father. He coaxes her to talk.

GIRL (DAUGHTER)

Yes, baba, with Wellington.

INT. SOWETO POLICE STATION -DAY

Black parents, waiting. At the counter with Gordon, a

large black man, STANLEY, a friend --his big easy smile

is working hard on a white policeman, the station SERGEANT

VAN ZYL, about to run out of patience.

STANLEY:

No, no, I understand, Baas, but is

that all the names? There's no

other list somewhere?

SERGEANT VAN ZYL

I'm telling you. He's not in

custody. Have you tried the

hospital? Have you tried the

mortuary?

Gordon sucks in his breath audibly.

SERGEANT VAN ZYL

I'm only suggesting the

possibilities.

STANLEY:

But, what about John Voster

Square?

(CONTINUED)

15.

CONTINUED:

SERGEANT VAN ZYL

Look, I've tried to help you.

STANLEY:

Thank you.

Stanley walks up to a WOMAN.

STANLEY:

You're here too, sis Paulina, who

are you looking for?

WOMAN:

They picked up my girl --13-yearold

girl!

STANLEY:

(comforting her)

We are all searching.

The policeman calls her --she hurries to the counter.

CUT TO:

INT. BARAGWANATH MORTUARY -DAY

A white-uniformed assistant leads a line of African

parents, reeking of sadness, into a cool room where metal

drawers open from the walls.

Stanley and JULIUS their black lawyer --the two men seem

to be very well-known, people shake hands with them,

salute them -

Gordon and Emily's sadness is tinged with anger --they

have dignity, defiance, bowed with grief as they are.

Stanley's large hand is placed gently on Emily's shoulder

as they examine the dead faces before them.

They belong to children, some in torn, dirty clothes,

others naked, some mutilated, others whole and seemingly

unharmed, as if asleep, until the small, neat hole in

temple or chest and the small crust of blood is brought

to our attention.

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