Tyrant

DARKNESS. WE HEAR CHAOS: DISTANT GUNFIRE: ARABIC SHOUTS: THEN

FIVE GUNSHOTS:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! SMASH CUT TO -

INT. AL-FAHED RESIDENCE, BEDROOM - NIGHT

BARRY:
CLOSE: he’s 40, beaded with sweat, wide awake in his

bed, lying motionless on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

His wife, MOLLY, sleeps peacefully by his side with one arm

laying across him affectionately. Barry, finally having had

enough of being awake, sighs, gently sets her arm aside, and

reaches over to the end table and grabs his GLASSES -- as he

does so, we notice a SCAR on his hand. He sits up on the side

of the bed, puts the glasses on and checks the time -4:32 --

and reaches for A WEDDING INVITATION on the bedside table.

ON THE WEDDING INVITATION

It’s decorated in gold and green. Tacky but expensive. Those

of us who can’t read the elaborate ARABIC cursive on one side

of the invitation can read the ENGLISH on the mirror side:

“The Honorable General Jamal Al-Fahed requests your presence

at the wedding of his son, Major Ahmed...”

ON BARRY:

As he sighs at the infernal invitation and gets out of bed.

INT. AL-FAHED RESIDENCE, HALLWAY - NIGHT

Barry, now dressed for a jog, quietly closes the bedroom door

behind him. He holds running shoes in his hands.

He walks past a door with a POSTER OF NICKI MINAJ on it, and

a homemade stenciled-spray-painted sign that reads: A WOMAN

WITHOUT A MAN IS LIKE A FISH WITHOUT A BICYCLE. He smiles.

He cracks the door slightly and peeks in and sees:

INT. EMMA’S ROOM - NIGHT

Books everywhere. A poster of LADY GAGA and under it, on the

bed, EMMA, 17, zaftig but cute, wrapped in a blanket, asleep.

A copy of “VAGINA” by Naomi Wolf on her pillow, her hipster

glasses half off her face. Barry walks over, gently takes off

her glasses, sets the book aside, covers her; takes a moment

to look at her with appreciation for her willful spirit --

11-27-12 2.

INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Barry quietly shuts the door: and walks over to a door on the

other side. He opens the door and looks in and sees -

INT. SAMMY’S ROOM - NIGHT

A total jock’s room. Posters of athletes, and evidence of an

athletic life strewn everywhere. A single sized bed against

the wall. On it, SAMMY, 15, handsome, well-built, with his

father’s olive skin, sleeps naked under the sheets. Barry

walks to the bed and squats down close to Sammy’s face.

BARRY:

Sammy. Wanna go for a run?

Sammy opens his eyes: like his Mom’s: blue. A heartbreaker.

SAMMY:

...huh?

BARRY:

I’m going out for a run. Wondered

if maybe you wanted to come with.

SAMMY:

...what TIME is it?

BARRY:

A little after five.

SAMMY:

Are you crazy?

Sammy turns onto his other side. OFF BARRY: AH WELL.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Barry sits on a chair and finishes lacing up his sneakers. He

gets up to leave and as he does he magnets the INVITATION to

the fridge. He stares at it balefully, as if it’s trapping

him, crushing him, and WE PUSH IN ON BARRY -- SMASH CUT TO -

EXT. ASIMA STREET - DAY [FLASHBACK, 1979]

A brown Mercedes Benz parked at the entrance to a three story

building. Two military jeeps park on either side of it. It’s

a convoy. SIX ARMED GUARDS stand by the vehicles.

11-27-12 3.

Across the street TWO MEN are busy painting a 50 foot

portrait of President Hassan Al-Fahed on the entire side of a

building. They’ve completed his strong featured face, his

wise narrow eyes, his mustache -- his hair is JET BLACK.

SUPER:
ASIMA, 1979.

INT. EYE DOCTOR CLINIC, ASIMA - DAY [FLASHBACK]

BASSAM (11) is slightly chubby, nerdy, squints out the 3rd

floor window. SUPER: ASIMA, 1979. Then, we see what he sees -

HIS POV:

Across the street TWO MEN are are busy painting a 50 foot

portrait of President Hassan Al-Fahed on the entire side of a

building. Bassam’s slightly blurred vision resolves the

image:
the men have completed the leader’s strong-featured

face, wide narrow eyes, mustache - and JET BLACK hair.

ON BASSAM as he looks up at his father, HASSAN AL-FAHED, 40,

who is also looking out the window, studying his portrait.

He’s handsome enough, but that portrait across the street is

clearly a glamour shot. He turns to the mirror and looks --

his hair is GREY.

DOCTOR (O.S.)

Second row from the bottom.

Hassan turns to see what’s going on which brings us into -- A

WIDE ANGLE revealing we are in an optometrist's office. The

doctor covers the eye of Bassam’s older brother, JAMAL (13),

who wears a military uniform; in contrast to Bassam, he is

athletic, confident.

JAMAL:

Nine, three, two, five, six.

DOCTOR:

Great. Now the bottom...?

JAMAL:

Three, one, nine, eight, seven.

HASSAN:

Perfect.

DOCTOR:

(after a smile at Jamal)

And now Bassam...

11-27-12 4.

As Jamal takes a lollipop from a jar, Bassam ambles toward

the doctor. Sits before the chart. The doctor covers Bassam’s

left eye.

DOCTOR (CONT’D)

Top row.

Bassam’s POV:
every single number is blurry. EVERYTHING.

ON BASSAM:
squinting. Really, he’s just guessing.

BASSAM:

Three?

Hassan stares at the chart with scorn. It’s the wrong number.

HASSAN:

Five.

BASSAM:

Sorry.

Hassan sighs in disappointment. Bassam starts to tear up.

DOCTOR:

That’s fine. Take your time.

HASSAN:

Sit up straight.

Bassam straightens up. He wipes a tear from his eye. He

stares at the chart. The doctor points at a number.

BASSAM:

Eight...?

Hassan sighs again. OFF BASSAM: SCARED AND ASHAMED.

INT. EYE DOCTOR CLINIC, WAITING ROOM - DAY [FLASHBACK]

The door opens. Hassan leads the way, followed by Jamal,

sucking a lollipop. Bassam is next, wearing thick glasses,

eyes red from crying, and the Doctor follows them out.

DOCTOR:

Bassam! You forgot yours!

The doctor plucks a red lollipop from a bowl. Bassam smiles,

runs back and retrieves it, hurries back to Hassan’s side.

HASSAN:

You think you deserve a reward?

11-27-12 5.

Bassam looks up at his father -- and then slowly shakes his

head. He hands the lollipop to Jamal who takes it willingly,

and gives Bassam a cruel teasing smile. OFF BASSAM: SAD/MAD.

EXT. ASIMA STREET - DAY [FLASHBACK]

Hassan, the boys and the bodyguards exit toward the brown

Mercedes Benz parked out front, a pair of military jeeps

parked on either side of it. A column of ARMED SOLDIERS stand

by the vehicles, keeping the gathering crowd at a distance.

Hassan waves and smiles at the curious crowd gathered. Jamal

imitates his father and waves as well. The crowd cheers.

Bassam seems a little ill at ease with the attention. He

tries the tiniest wave, not even lifting his arm above his

waist; walks on.

A 35-year-old SHIITE with a beard and no mustache jumps out

of the crowd, runs towards Hassan -- the guards yell -

GUARDS:

STOP! STOP HIM!

-- but he raises his hand which we now see, is attached to a

WIRE. The bodyguards scramble for their weapons -

GUARDS (CONT’D)SHIITE

STOP HIM! Death to the tyrant!

He presses the button --EXPLOSION. Blinding light. Falling

clouds of debris -- blood in the air -- dust. Then SILENCE.

Then:
CRIES OF AGONY: and we gradually FADE IN ON -

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