The Debt Page #20

DAVID *

Have you met anyone else? *

Rachel stares at him. How can he even ask this? *

RACHEL:

No. Thank you for asking. There *

was someone...but he left. And I *

never heard from him again. *

(beat, hard) *

What are you doing here, David? *

DAVID *

I wrote you letters. *

RACHEL:

Pity you didn’t send any of them *

DAVID *

Rachel... *

RACHEL *

(overlapping) *

What is it? Thirty years...? *

She’s suddenly so angry, she starts to gather her things to *

go. *

DAVID *

I wanted to see you... *

RACHEL *

(overlapping) *

All that time...Not a single *

word? *

DAVID *

Don’t go. *

She stops. *

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 101.

DAVID:

I was ill for a while, Rachel. *

(A beat) *

I spent some time in ... in a *

kind of hospital *

RACHEL:

Where? *

DAVID *

Mexico *

RACHEL *

What were you doing in Mexico? *

DAVID *

Different jobs. Some teaching. *

Whatever I could get. *

Beat. *

DAVID *

I travelled a lot. The States. *

Most of South America. North *

Africa.... I kept moving *

(beat) *

Looking for him *

RACHEL:

Who..? *

He doesn’t answer and she looks up, suddenly realising who *

he means. She feels a sudden, instinctive rush of fear. *

RACHEL (CONT’D) *

Why? *

(beat) *

What would you have done if you *

had found him..? *

He’s watching her intently *

DAVID *

I would have told the truth. I *

would have gone to the newspaper, *

and said “this is the Surgeon of *

Birkenau.” I could have finally *

seen him face trial. *

Rachel listens to this, mesmerised. *

RACHEL *

And what would have happened to *

us? *

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09

101A.

DAVID *

We’d be free. Whatever happened *

to us, it seemed to me we’d be *

free. *

Rachel stares at him without answering *

DAVID *

Don’t you agree? Aren’t you tired *

of lying? Isn’t that what you *

would have done - if you’d found *

him? *

RACHEL *

But it isn’t just us. (Beat) It’s *

Sarah... *

Beat. Something changes in David’s face, something fading *

away. He sits slowly back *

RACHEL (CONT’D) *

She hasn’t done anything wrong. *

DAVID *

(Quietly) *

No. *

RACHEL *

If the truth had come out she *

would be destroyed. (Beat) *

So...no, I wouldn’t have told the *

truth. *

(A long beat) *

But you never found him *

She looks at him, waiting for him to contradict this. *

DAVID *

No I never did. *

The LECTURER appears at the doors to the auditorium. *

LECTURER *

Ms Singer? *

RACHEL *

(Relieved) *

Yes. Thank you... *

She stands up again, the spell is broken. *

RACHEL(CONT’D) *

There’s a car for me....(Putting *

on her coat) Did you hear about *

Sarah’s book...? *

After a moment, David nods. *

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09

101B.

RACHEL *

The launch is tomorrow. Perhaps *

you could come? I don’t know if *

Stephan will be there or not, *

but... *

DAVID:

(suddenly) *

If we could go back... if I’d *

waited for you...if you’d *

come...would it have been *

different...? *

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 102.

A beat.

RACHEL:

We can’t go back.

*

*

DAVID:

I’m sorry.

RACHEL:

Come tomorrow. We’ll talk then?

*

*

David gives a smile that might be an assent. Or might not.

Rachel nods, walks quickly out of the auditorium. David

sits as the light banks above switch off one at a time,

watches the line of shadow moving towards him.

HARD CUT TO:

*

*

*

*

204A EXT. ROAD. UKRAINE - DAY - THE PRESENT 204A

A car roars past and is gone, revealing Rachel standing

amongst the trees beside her car, a cigarette forgotten in

her hand, absorbing what it was David was asking her.

Finally she drops the cigarette and climbs back into her

car.

205 INT. CAR - DAY 205

CLOSE ON RACHEL:

...driving, lost in thought. She drives into somegrounds...

RACHEL’S P.O.V THROUGH WINDSCREEN

The BABENKO HOSPITAL - a huge, imposing building stands in

wintry grounds. A long drive leads up to the car park and

the entrance.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 103.

206 OMITTED 206

207 I/E. CAR - CONTINUOUS 207

Rachel stares up at the building as she drives towards it.

208 INT. BABENKO HOSPITAL - RECEPTION. CONTINUOUS. 208

The large lobby area, vast pillars. A few stairs lead up

from this to a waiting area, separated from the corridors

beyond by BARS AND LOCKED GATES.

Rachel approaches a young male REGISTRAR at RECEPTION.

RACHEL:

(Russian)

Good morning. I’m here to visit

Mr. Schevchuk?

The man squints at her, checks his register an squints at

her again.

REGISTRAR:

You’re from the newspaper?

Because I have a man’s name

here...

RACHEL:

Oh, no, no. I’m Mr Schevchuk’s

niece. Anna Barova. I’ve been

before, do you remember?

A moment’s scrutiny, then a shrug.

REGISTRAR:

Well, our visiting hours haven’t

changed, I’m afraid. Eleven till

one.

He points to a PLAQUE that reads:

VISITING HOURS:
11:00am - 1:00am, 5:00pm - 8:00pm

Sarah glances at her watch. It’s 10.25.

REGISTRAR (CONT’D)

Take a seat?

He points to a waiting area.

Rachel walks up the few stairs past a large PILLAR and

takes a seat, trying to think of her next step.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 104.

She glances to her left, through the bars, and sees an OLD

WOMAN in a patient’s gown staring blankly at her from the

far end of the corridor. A DOCTOR appears and leads the Old

Woman away, still staring.

Rachel looks away, unnerved.

Someone has just walked in and is talking to the

Receptionist. Rachel’s view is obscured by the pillar and

she leans slightly to see who it is.

RACHEL’S P.O.V - YURI stands showing his press card to the

Registrar.

AT RECEPTION:

The Registrar passes the press card back.

REGISTRAR:

Mr. Schevchuk is in room 414.

Visiting time starts at eleven

o’clock. You can take a seat over

there.

Yuri walks across the lobby, towards where Rachel is

waiting, but as he clears the pillar we see her seat is

EMPTY.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PILLAR

...Rachel waits for Yuri to pass and then slips back out of

the lobby.

209 EXT. BABENKO HOSPITAL - CONTINUOUS. 209

Rachel emerges - panicking. Time is almost up. What can she

do?

210 EXT/INT. CAR. REAR OF HOSPITAL - MOMENTS LATER 210

Rachel’s car is speeding down a narrow road that runs

behind the hospital. Two stone arches frame the road, where

the building meets the hillside.

RACHEL’S P.O.V - high fences - the forbidding facade of the

hospital - rows of barred windows.

Rachel is scanning the building, looking for some way in.

211 EXT/INT. CAR/REAR ENTRANCE - MOMENTS LATER 211

Suddenly we pass a central arched entrance. A man is

opening large double METAL DOORS for A LAUNDRY VAN to leave

the hospital.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 105.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote