The Debt Page #2

Still on David as the two men walk out from the darkness

into the street that services the run-down estate. David

follows as the agent moves ahead towards a larger road.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 6.

They cross a busy carriageway, and wait for a moment on the

central reservation for a break in the traffic.

Parked on the far side of the road, two identical cars,

their windows tinted.

The Agent moves to the leading car, opens the driver’s door

and gets in. David stops in the road, opens the rear

passenger door and throws his jacket inside.

He pauses for a moment and turns to look back at the second

car.

10 INT. CAR - CONTINUOUS 10

A MAN sits in the back of the car, silhouetted against the

brightness outside. This is OLDER Stephan, now 63.

He watches as David straightens up, hands on hips,

squinting up at the sun.

11 EXT. STREET. TEL AVIV SUBURB - CONTINUOUS 11

DAVID:

(Indistinctly)

Sorry.

The Agent turns.

YOUNG AGENT:

What, sir?

DAVID:

(Beat)

I - I think I...

He stands like that for a moment and then suddenly STEPS

OUT INTO THE ROAD in front of an on-coming TRUCK. The

impact sweeps him out of the frame.

The shocked Agent scrambles out of the vehicle as other

cars screech to a halt in front of David’s lifeless body.

TITLES END.

12 EXT. TERRACE. HOTEL NEAR TEL AVIV - NIGHT 12

A celebratory dinner for the book launch is in progress -

publishers, journalists, local dignitaries...

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 7.

Rachel is re-joining the table, taking her place beside her

daughter amidst the dinner party chatter. Sarah watches

her.

SARAH:

When are you going to stop?

RACHEL:

Stop what?

SARAH:

The smoking.

RACHEL:

Soon.

SARAH:

I hope so. Do it for your

grandson.

SARAH:

Are you sure you have to go back

home tomorrow?

RACHEL:

It’s all arranged, I’m afraid...

SARAH:

But we’ll have breakfast before

you go? I thought maybe we could

take a walk on the beach? (Trying

to sound casual) I’d like you to

see more of him.

A WAITER leans over with WINE for Rachel. She covers her

glass.

RACHEL:

(To Sarah, ill-at-ease)

Well, I’ll be back. We

can...maybe in the holidays or...

MIRIAM, a PUBLISHER appears at her shoulder with a copy of

Sarah’s book.

MIRIAM:

I’ve marked the place. I thought

perhaps from chapter eleven...?

RACHEL:

...Yes, thank you.

Rachel nods absently, flicking through the pages of the

book. Sarah realizes, with a small stab of pain, that she

has no idea what that means.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 8.

SARAH:

If you’d rather read something

else, mother.....

RACHEL:

No, that’s fine.

Rachel is barely listening. She is staring at a black and

white photograph in the book.

We see that the photograph is of a YOUNG MAN in NAZI

UNIFORM. It’s titled: DIETER VOGEL, “The Surgeon of

Birkenau.”

MIRIAM:

You must be very proud.

Rachel looks up at her, realizes what Miriam is talking

about.

RACHEL:

(A little automatic)

...It’s a wonderful achievement.

I’m very proud of her.

MIRIAM:

And I’m sure you were invaluable

in the research.

SARAH:

(Keeping it light)

Actually, my mother withstood all

interrogation. My father was the

talker. (Trying a joke) I’m the

only journalist in Israel she

won’t speak to.

Miriam laughs obligingly but Sarah instantly regrets the

remark.

There is a sudden excited MURMUR from the table. The women

look over to where Stephan approaches the table. He is in a

motorised WHEELCHAIR. The Mossad Agent attends discreetly

in the background.

Rachel’s face hardens.

RACHEL:

I thought he couldn’t come.

SARAH:

(Standing up, surprised)

So did I.

Several of the local POLITICOS have stood up to greet

Stephan, who is all smiles and handshakes.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 9.

STEPHAN:

(To the politicos)

Please, sit, sit. My God, it must

be election season.

There’s good-natured laughter from the table. Sarah joins

her father, kissing his cheek.

SARAH:

You came.

STEPHAN:

I came. So you’re the famous

author I’ve heard so much about?

Rachel watches as he takes a place at the table, picks up a

copy of the book and examines the cover photograph, holding

his glasses a little from his eyes to focus.

STEPHAN (CONT’D)

(Without looking)

Rachel.

RACHEL:

Stephan.

STEPHAN:

(To Sarah)

Now you’re the expert, maybe you

could tell me something.

(Pointing to himself) Who’s this

handsome devil on the cover?

More polite laughter from the table.

STEPHAN (CONT’D)

It went well?

SARAH’S HUSBAND

She was wonderful.

STEPHAN:

That’s good. Good, good. That’s

very good.

Rachel takes a sip of water and notices Stephen’s hands,

crumbling some bread - they’re SHAKING.

She looks up at his face, reads the hidden STRAIN there.

He senses her gaze and meets it, and for a second his smile

falters and SOMETHING LIKE PANIC flickers in his eyes.

Rachel stares back at him, disturbed. Miriam stands,

tapping her glass with her fork.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 10.

MIRIAM:

I just want thank you all for

coming to help us celebrate the

launch of this wonderful book.

I’m sure we’re all particularly

thrilled to have two of the

heroes of this story at the

table. And even more thrilled

that one of them has agreed to

read for us...

Applause. She gestures to Rachel who stands, still looking

at Stephan. The table quietens down. Rachel opens the book

at the marked place and hesitates, only now realising what

she is about to read. Then...

RACHEL:

(reading)

“On the evening of the 31st of

December, it began to rain more

heavily. So isolated had they

become from the outside world

that it was only when she looked

out of the window that Rachel

remembered it was New Year’s

Eve...

13 INT. KITCHEN. BERLIN SAFE HOUSE - NIGHT - THE PAST 13

Young Rachel stands in the small kitchen. Rain lashes on

the window. She stares out at some FIREWORKS exploding

nearby, then turns away and begins to gather three METAL

SAUCEPANS from the shelves.

We TRACK with her as she walks into the...

14 LIVING ROOM 14

And begins to place the pots on the floor to catch the

rainwater which is dripping through various points in the

ceiling.

As she positions the last pot we REVOLVE around her to get

our first view of the far wall. And there, tied to a

radiator, is DIETER VOGEL, now 50. He’s bound, his mouth

taped, apparently asleep.

Rachel doesn’t, of course, react to this sight. Instead

she begins to clear away some pieces of BROKEN GLASS BOWL

from the floor. We TRACK with her as she walks back down

the short hallway into the kitchen, drops the pieces of

bowl into the bin. From the living room comes the three

distinct PINGS of rainwater dripping in the pots.

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