Tyrant Page #6

BARRY:

I suppose... I don’t see the harm

in meeting with the Brotherhood.

JAMAL:

Yes, there’s the American way! Hug

it out! “It’s all good!” Right...?

Jamal LAUGHS, looking around for support.

JAMAL (CONT’D)

Just like Obama! “It’s all good!”

Hassan raises his hand. Jamal shuts it. Hassan keeps looking

at Barry, unblinking.

11-27-12 29.

HASSAN:

And tell me what meeting them would

accomplish.

Again, Barry hesitates, but Hassan’s look bids him continue --

and everyone’s watching -- Barry has to say SOMETHING.

BARRY:

It might take away their incentive

to riot. At least until the wedding

is over...?

A tense beat. Hassan turns to Jamal, who is OBVIOUSLY LIVID.

HASSAN:

Set up a meeting.

JAMAL:

Father -

HASSAN:

And take your brother.

JAMAL:

As you wish.

Jamal glares at Barry. OFF BARRY: HATING ALL THIS A LOT.

INT. PRESIDENTIAL PALACE - HALLWAY - DAY

Barry exits the office. He rubs his eyes as the door slams

behind him. He turns to see Jamal charging at him.

JAMAL:

You think I don’t know what you did

in there? You want to play games?

Jamal grabs him hard and slams him against the wall.

JAMAL (CONT’D)

You made a fool out of me!

BARRY:

I didn’t mean --

JAMAL:

Bullshit!

BARRY:

He asked me a question! I answered!

11-27-12 30.

JAMAL:

But you have no idea what’s going

on here, Bassam! No idea!

BARRY:

I know! I’m sorry.

Jamal loosens his grip and lets Barry slide down the wall. He

smiles. Warm. Creepy. He pats Barry on the shoulder.

JAMAL:

Good. Welcome home.

And with that Jamal walks back into the office and slams the

door behind him. OFF BARRY: SHAKEN.

EXT. PRESIDENTIAL PALACE - POOL - DAY

Barry walks out of the palace, STILL SHAKEN, out to the

extravagant round pool overlooking the dusty, busy city.

Sammy stands under AN ORNATE FAKE WATERFALL in a BATHING

SUIT. OTHER WHITE KIDS, younger, play in the pool near him.

SAMMY:

Why did you ever leave this place?

(after a dunk)

It’s paradise!

Barry goes to Molly, who sits with her legs in the water,

sipping iced tea beside another white woman --DANA, 35,

blond, English. Emma sits on a chaise lounge behind her,

reading a book, sitting beside her chubby COUSIN RANYA, 13.

BARRY:

We should go check in.

SAMMY:

Dad, we just got here!

MOLLY:

(having fun)

We can stay a little bit, can’t we?

(re:
Dana)

This is Dana, she’s a cultural

attache at the American Embassy.

(checking with Dana)

...right?

DANA:

I mostly plan parties, but my

husband and I are big supporters of

your father.

11-27-12 31.

BARRY:

Nice to meet you.

(to Sammy)

Out of the pool!

MOLLY:

Barry -

BARRY:

(to Dana)

SAMMY! LET’S GO! NOW!

OFF MOLLY:
smiling a wifely smile at Dana. It’s all good.

INT. PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, OFFICE - DAY

POV FROM ABOVE:
Barry ushers his family from the pool area.

IN A WINDOW, HASSAN

Watches Barry as the junta of men behind him keep arguing.

OFF HASSAN, CLOSE: he obviously has something in mind.

INT. EMMA AND SAMMY’S HOTEL ROOM - DAY

A standard hotel room. Nothing fancy about it. Molly and

Barry dump the kids’ bags onto the beds.

MOLLY:

You guys’ll be in here.

BARRY:

And we’ll be right next door.

Sammy flops onto the bad and looks at the room, GROSSED OUT.

SAMMY:

(sarcastic)

Yay! This is SO much better than

the palace. Look, Em! A mini bar!

EMMA:

Do I have to go to this thing?

MOLLY:

It’s a henna ceremony. We’ll get

our hands and feet painted. It’s

kind of a bachelorette party.

11-27-12 32.

SAMMY:

So the thing we’re going to is like

a bachelor party?

BARRY:

Yeah. Without the strippers.

Hearing this, Sammy gives Emma a mischievous, salacious look.

SAMMY:

Bummer.

MOLLY:

We’ll meet you guys in the lobby,

‘kay? Half an hour.

Barry and Molly exit. Emma turns to Sammy, who’s looking sly.

EMMA:

(a sincere warning)

Sammy, this isn’t America.

SAMMY:

Don’t worry, I’m not gonna sit on

anyone’s COCK. Not an purpose,

anyway.

OFF EMMA, as she starts to unpack. She worries about Sammy.

INT. CELEBRATION HALL - NIGHT

An ARAB WOMAN seductively sings the famous “Inta Omri” (You

are my love) a cappella. It’s hypnotizing.

AN OLD SCARY VEILED WOMAN looks directly into camera.

OLD SCARY WOMAN:

Give me your hand.

WIDE ANGLE:
a beautifully arched hall lit by thousands of

candles. Emma and Molly, both dressed in ornate caftans sit

on the floor in front of the OLD WOMAN in a traditional dress

and a golden hijab. The woman is asking for Emma’s hand.

EMMA:

(to Molly, very unsure)

Show me yours again...?

Molly displays her painted palms. Emma decides to endure it.

EMMA (CONT’D)

Okay.

11-27-12 33.

The old woman moves over and starts to work on Emma. Molly

looks over at Hiam who is talking to Leila. Leila wears a

simple black dress. Emma clocks Molly looking at Leila.

EMMA (CONT’D)

You’re as pretty as her.

MOLLY:

(piqued)

Why would you say that?

EMMA:

Because. She and Dad were a thing.

MOLLY:

Who told you that?

EMMA:

Ranya. At the pool. When they were

teenagers. You didn’t know that...?

Molly smiles at her daughter -- and looks back at Leila. HUH.

INT. TURKISH BATH - NIGHT

The hot room in a Turkish bath is... Hot. Really hot.

Unrelenting steam pours into the room. The dome decorated

with small glass windows creates a beautiful half light.

AHMED AL-FAHED, 18, the groom, is seated on the “Gbek”, the

circular marble stone at the center of the room. Thick

shaving cream on his face. All the dozen men in the room have

nothing on but white towels. Barry holds Ahmed’s head back

and brings a razor up to the bottom of his neck.

JAMAL:

Are you sure you can see okay

without your glasses? It would be

unfortunate if my brother killed my

son right before his wedding.

Everyone LAUGHS. Barry smiles, sheepishly.

BARRY:

I see fine. Now -- where is he?

This gets a BIGGER LAUGH, which Jamal jealously clocks. Barry

wraps Ahmed’s face in a HOT TOWEL. Sammy’s gaze moves from

Barry to the beautiful DARK YOUNG MAN who is standing nearby.

The Dark Young Man notices Sammy’s look and stares back.

11-27-12 34.

JAMAL:

(to Sammy)

You okay in this heat? You’re not

going to faint or anything?

Sammy realizes that Jamal is talking to him and quickly

SAMMY:

No, I’m great. Thanks.

Jamal smiles, playing the good uncle, and looks away. Sammy

looks back at the man who is still looking at him. Hmmm.

JAMAL:

Bassam! Come with me.

Sammy clocks Jamal’s authoritarian tone with Barry with

admiration as Jamal walks away from the group. Barry follows.

The two walk through a corridor towards an adjacent hot room.

BARRY:

Where are we going?

JAMAL:

(with an edge)

The meeting you wanted to have.

BARRY:

With the Brotherhood?

JAMAL:

Yes.

BARRY:

Here? Now?

JAMAL:

Yes. And try not to speak this

time. Listen.

INT. TURKISH BATH, HOT ROOM #2 - NIGHT

This room is even hotter than the other one. It’s hard to see

through the thick steam. Barry and Jamal walk through steam

until they are standing in front of -

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote