The Final Journey Page #2

They regard each other a moment, then Immanna rises and walks

out bravely into the vast white field lying outside the camp.

Isha strains to run after Immanna but Nutcha holds her back.

5.

YOUNG ISHA:

Immanna! Immanna!

Immanna never looks back. She just keeps walking.

The crowd breaks up, but Isha remains with her family

watching Immanna leave. Nato finally turns and heads back.

Isha refuses to leave, so Nutcha lifts her gently and carries

her away.

YOUNG ISHA (CONT’D)

Immanna...

Isha’s young, strong hands cling tightly to Nutcha. Her eyes,

bobbing in Nutcha’s arms, remain on Immanna...

EXT. HUT - MANPICHU CAMP - DAY

...ISHA’S EYES, 86 now, bob up and down as well.

Isha sits on a log bench covered with a grass mat, hunched

over some animal skins she is trying to sew together into a

fur-lined blanket.

Beside her, three old women also work on skins:

JOKKA, 70, makes a pair of mukluk boots. INNTA, 70, a jacket.

YANTAVVA, 75, repairs a full-bodied undergarment.

Isha looks in pain as her gnarled hands work the materials.

Once strong, her hands are now calloused and damaged by years

of exposure to the elements. They also slightly shake despite

her attempts to control them.

Isha winces and drops her squirrel-bone needle. She rubs her

hand profusely, trying to hide her pain from the others.

Yantavva puts a questioning hand on Isha’s shoulder. Isha

shakes it off and continues working as if nothing is wrong.

The others exchange knowing looks before continuing with

their own work.

A HORN CALLS IN THE DISTANCE and the women stop working--

Isha thankfully. All four duck into the...

INT. HUT - CONTINUOUS

Divided four ways, Jokka and Innta run to the hut’s two

closest corners, Isha and Yantavva to the farthest two.

6.

They each grab wooden or clay bowls and run back out.

EXT. LARGE TENT IN THE CENTER OF THE VILLAGE - CONTINUOUS

Three ice-covered hunters unload two dead seals from a sled.

Isha and the others arrive and fall in with an excited crowd

of mostly women and a few stone-faced men.

Everyone raises their bowls and the hunters count them while

dancing children run up and touch the seals with delight.

A walrus-stomach sack with fresh water is brought from the

tent. The Hunters feed the water to the dead seals as

everyone nods and offers the seals words of thanks.

The hunters cut up the seals, first removing the heads and

setting them aside, followed by the skin and blubber.

When the hunters have taken the best parts for themselves,

they divide the rest into equal parts for everyone gathered.

INT. ISHA’S HUT - LATER

Isha drops her bowl to the floor in her corner, spilling her

family’s portion of meat and blubber.

Cursing, and rubbing her hands in pain, she gets on her knees

and gathers the spilled food back into the bowl.

She glances around cautiously at the hut’s other families

gathering around bowls of their own.

Nobody seems to have noticed her spill.

Until she notices Yantavva eyeing her suspiciously as

Yantavva cuts up her own portion of meat.

Isha grits her teeth and focuses on her cleanup.

When the meat is back in the bowl, Isha unrolls an animal

skin containing several knives and grabs a thin one.

She hovers with the knife over the meat, looking nervous

about how much her hand is shaking. She steels her resolve

and is about to cut the meat when her name is called:

CHOKO (O.S.)

Isha!

Isha looks at the entrance as her granddaughter CHOKO, 8,

rushes in, excited, and stares wide-eyed at their meat.

7.

CHOKO (CONT’D)

For us Grandma!?

Isha nods, then gets an idea. She holds out the knife.

ISHA:

Would you like to cut it up for the

family today?

Choko’s eyes grow even wider. She takes the knife and under

Isha’s guidance, cuts up the meat.

As they work, Isha glances at Yantavva who shakes her head

with disapproval.

INT. HUT - LATER THAT NIGHT

Isha lies under a fur blanket beside Choko, her son SONTO,

45, daughter-in-law NADDA, 35, brother ITO, 60, Ito’s wife

ATTIMA, 45, and Ito’s sons ATTO, 25 and UTOJAN, 27.

Other families lay in the hut’s other quarters, all beds

consisting of woven grass mats covered with caribou skin.

Everyone is asleep except Isha who stares at the roof,

rolling her wrist to work out the pain.

Sleep eluding her, she quietly gets up.

EXT. ISHA’S HUT - NIGHT

Isha exits wearing a parka and sets off for the edge of camp.

As she walks, she closes her eyes and savors the HOWLING WIND

rushing around her.

EDGE OF CAMP - MOMENTS LATER

Isha stares at the vast arctic field stretching into

darkness. The only things moving are flakes of snow, and

chips of ice, rolling along in the arms of the WIND.

The GHOSTLY FORM OF AN OLD WOMAN appears on the ice field.

She is followed by FOUR OTHER ELDERLY GHOST WOMEN.

All of them stare at Isha.

Then Immanna appears, a bright blue spirit in the night, and

ISHA IS A LITTLE GIRL AGAIN staring at her in awe.

8.

Immanna smiles at Young Isha and holds out an entreating arm

towards the arctic field.

The Ghostly Women behind Immanna do the same.

THE WIND PICKS UP INTENSITY and Isha’s joy turns to fear. She

shakes her head no. THE WIND RISES TO A GALE!

Isha beseeches Immanna with her eyes but Immanna shows no

emotion. The Women stare like accusing statues.

The WIND whips around Isha, rising to a frightening level.

Isha finally cannot take anymore.

YOUNG ISHA:

NO!

The WIND blows itself away across the ice field, taking with

it Immanna and the others ghosts.

ISHA IS HER OLD SELF AGAIN, alone and shaken up in the still

arctic night.

EXT. ISHA’S HUT - DAY

Isha sits on her bench lost in thought. She holds her blanket

but does not work on it.

The day is surprisingly warm and Jokka and Innta seem to

converse about it as they work on their skins.

Yantavva, however, watches Isha.

She elbows Jokka and points at Isha sitting idle. Jokka and

Innta shake their heads in disapproval.

Sensing their stares, Isha comes out of her thoughts.

She turns away from them and uses her palms to apply the

force needed to push her needle through the thick skins.

After a few of these difficult stitches, however, Isha throws

down the blanket in frustration and storms into the hut.

The others look at one another in knowing, busy-body fashion.

INT/EXT. LARGE TENT IN CENTER OF CAMP - NIGHT

A festival is under way INSIDE AND OUTSIDE the great tent.

Children run in and out of it, chasing dogs and laughing.

9.

Several drummers PLAY MUSIC ON HIDE DRUMS.

The entire camp is gathered, people either dancing, eating,

or walking about sharing and distributing food.

Isha is the only person not having fun. She sits with Sonto,

Nadda, Ito and Attima who LAUGH together, ignoring her.

Isha stares at another family listening with rapture to an

elderly grandmother tell a tale.

INT. IMMANNA’S HUT - FLASHBACK

During Immanna’s goodbye ceremony, young Isha watches Immanna

walk through the crowd as people stare at her with love and

respect, offering her their heartfelt farewells.

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