First They Killed My Father Page #3

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As far as Loung can see, there are people marching in the

roads while huts stand empty and rice field are left

unattended. (See some areas affected by bombing - possibly

one or two plate shots)

EXT. ROADSIDE - MAGIC HOUR

The sun is setting. The masses silhouetted as they continue

along the road.

EXT. ROADSIDE - NIGHT

Hours later - the truck pulls over.

The fields are lit up with small fires illuminating the faces

of the women squatting near them, preparing meals. Loung

looks around. In the darkness she can still make out

thousands of people milling around, or walking to unknown

destinations. Others, like them have stopped to rest for the

night along the roadside.

Later -

Ma and Keav prepare the meal from the food Ma had packed.

Chou is brushing Geak’s hair, being careful not to pull it.

They squat in the darkness eating their food. (discuss Ma

trading jewels for items or food)

OMITTED:

10.

EXT. ROADSIDE - NIGHT

Loung is tucked in by Ma in the back of the truck. While Ma

Loung, Chou and Geak sleep in the bed of the truck, the older

kids sleep on the ground with Pa. It’s a warm breezy night,

the kind that requires no blankets.

Loung can’t sleep. She looks up at the vastness of the sky.

The dark sky is full of shining bright stars. Some blink at

her. She winks back and closes her eyes.

EXT. ROADSIDE - MORNING

Loung opens her eyes to find her family is already packing

up. They look tired with their hair sticking out in all

directions.

Someone is yelling. Loung looks around. A group of Khmer

Rouge soldiers are yelling at everyone to keep moving. Loung

stares at their guns.

Meng helps her up and gives her comfort.

The KR soldier signals for Pa to move away from the truck.

Pa steps out.

ROAD BLOCK KR:

You comrade! The Angkar needs your

truck. You no longer will need it.

Loung looks to Pa for his response. He simply lowers his

eyes and nods.

PA:

(softly to his family)

Everyone grab what you can carry.

Loung watches as her siblings begin to pack.

KHMER ROUGE SOLDIER ROADSIDE

Comrade! Angkar needs your watch!

PA:

Certainly.

Loung watches as Pa’s shoulders bend forward in submission.

He takes the watch off his wrist. Pa does not look the

soldier in the eyes as he hands over the watch.

Loung watches as a YOUNG KR walks up to Meng and Khouy. He

smiles at them. A strange smile as he takes their watches.

He gives Keav a look.

10A.

The soldiers look at Pa’s watch with suspicion.

KHMER ROUGE SOLDIER ROADSIDE

This is very nice. Who are you to

have such a nice watch?

PA:

It was a gift from my boss.

KHMER ROUGE SOLDIER ROADSIDE KHMER ROUGE SOLDIER ROADSIDE.

Tu travailles pour le You work for the government?

gouvernment?

He walks towards Pa with the barrel of the gun pointing at

his mid section. Loung stares at the gun. It is right at her

eye level. She can hardly breathe. He speaks the phrase

again and watches Pa’s reaction.

After a very tense moment, Pa seems to pass the test and the

family is suddenly moved on.

As they walk on Loung notices some men with long hair who

seem to have been selected and are being held. Ma also

notices.

OMITTED:

Content from Scene 42 and 43 merged into Scene 45.

Content from Scene 44 merged into Scene 41.

11.

EXT. ROAD - DAY

The sun is hot on Loung’s back. It burns through her black

hair. She looks at Chou and sees beads of sweat collect

along her hair line and upper lip.

Everywhere they go people are walking in all directions

carrying their belongings. Soldiers with guns move them

along.

They walk from the break of day until the dark of the

evening. Loung Looks at her fingers and holds up one finger

then two.

EXT. ROADSIDE - EVENING

Ma and Pa guides the children to an area roadside where they

sit in silence and eat the dried fish they had packed. Ma has

a small pot of sugar (OR BUYS IT FROM A FAMILY) They all have

a taste of it. Loung rolls it in her fingers and licks every

last bit.

Later - Ma is cutting off Khouy’s long hair.

12.

Loung sees her father walking off on his own. She follows him

with her eyes. He finds a secret place in the shade, behind a

tree, and goes to his knees.

Loung moves closer. She sees he is digging a hole. A moment

later he pulls his ID cards and his work ties and buries

them.

She doesn’t understand and moves quickly back so he doesn’t

see her.

Gone is the air of mystery and excitement; now Luong is

simply afraid.

OMITTED:

EXT. ROAD - MORNING

Along the road, the bombed buildings, the scars of war.

It’s the third day on the road. Loung walks with a little

more bounce in her step. She looks at her fingers and holds

up two then three. She makes her way up to Pa.

LOUNG:

Pa, the soldiers said we can return

home after three days.

Loung tugs at Pa’s trousers.

PA:

No, Loung.

LOUNG:

But it’s the third day.

PA:

(sadly)

We have to keep walking.

LOUNG:

Pa, I’m hungry and my feet hurt.

Loung stops walking. She stands still on the road and lets go

of the rice pot to wipe the dirt and tears from her cheeks.

LOUNG (CONT’D)

Let’s go home. I just want to go

home.

13.

The red dust from the road and the sweat on her little body

have mixed to create a layer of mud on her skin, making it

dry and itchy.

Pa walks over to Keav and takes a ball of sticky rice out of

the pot she is carrying. He walks back to Loung and hands her

the food. Her eyes look down at the ground in shame but she

takes the food anyway. Silently, he strokes her hair while

she eats the rice between the chocking sobs.

Pa bends down and looks Loung in the eyes.

PA:

We cannot go home tonight.

LOUNG:

But they said three days.

PA:

We have to keep walking.

Reluctantly, Loung does what Pa tells her. Everybody has to

carry something, so she pick the smallest item in the pile,

the rice pot.

As she walks, the pot becomes heavier and heavier in her

hands as the sun climbs higher and higher in the sky. The

metal handle digs and burns the palms of her hands. Sometimes

she carries it with two hands in front of her, other times

she switches the pot from her right to her left arm, but it

seems no matter how she carries it the pot painfully bangs

into some part of her leg.

Later- Loung is losing hope that they can go home tonight.

Tired and hungry, she drags her feet, taking smaller and

smaller steps until she is far behind everyone else.

Pa gently walks over and cleans her face with his hand. He

then takes the rice pot and carries it for her.

With Geak on her hip, Ma walks over to Loung and wraps a

scarf around her head to protect her from the sun. As she

walks on Loung watches Geak in her arms. He feet dangling off

Ma’s hip. Loung wishes she was a baby and could be carried.

She sees many people around her that are worse off than

herself.

Hours later-

As the hot sun beats down on them, the family continues to

walk.

-for the landscape : On the road from Phnom Penh to Kam

Baul, there is very little forest.

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