Dancing With Wolves
“DANCING WITH
WOLVES”
A 5 MINUTE EXCERPT FROM “DESTINY”– A SCREENPLAY
BY DAYO ADEFILA
EXT Dense jungle growth
POV of viewer as dense jungle growth is hurriedly parted at a
stumbling pace in the dark.
SFX: Laboured breathing accompany sounds of twigs snapping underfoot
EXT Wide shot of a well dressed man and a woman in army fatigues threading their way, urgently, yet gingerly through a dried swamp with very dense bushes.
CLOSE UP on THE WOMAN moving surefooted in her army battle fatigues and a white t-shirt with the legend: No Justice, NO PEACE. Blazoned at the back of the t-shirt is a red skulls and bone insignia.
THE MAN, looking out of place in his fitted white Senegalese outfit stumbles on, mopping sweat from his bald pate while clutching a briefcase to his chest as if to ward off some danger when…SNAP!(SFX)
He jumps nervously, almost running his portly 5”7 frame into her as she halts motioning for him to keep still while she cocks her head, listening for sounds coming around them. She points ahead in calm silence through a break in the leaves…
Sweeping slowly past, a few dozen metres to their right in the creeks is a motorboat carrying eight men in balaclavas, camouflaged flak jackets, and brandishing Kalashnikov assault rifles. Farther beyond the motorboat can be seen silhouettes of an abandoned oil installation in the shadows of the mangroves
EXT Man and woman continuing their hurried journey through the swamp
POV of the man behind the woman when suddenly she disappears! He hurries after her in panic, cursing when suddenly he bursts out beside her…disoriented to a small clearing barely lit by Moonlight. A gritty voice seemingly from all around them challenges in Pidgin:
Unidentified voice
Wey the bird dey fly… before him die?
The woman nods her head in acknowledgment and answers:
Two by two
Melting out of the dark gloom, gunmen dressed in black balaclavas
and camouflage flak jackets armed with assault rifles emerge from
the surrounding bush. One of them, sporting a white handkerchief
around his wrist beckons to THE WOMAN.
She joins her fellow militant for a quick dialogue in a Niger Delta language.
"You have what he seeks?" demands the one with white handkerchief directing the question at THE MAN who nods his head quickly, clutching ever tighter to his chest the briefcase he had.
“Then come. He will see you” the militant leader orders turning and leading the way into the bush
SFX: ADVENTURE MUSIC PLAYS.
The small group moves away from the clearing and soon reach an almost impenetrable wall of jungle. THE MAN is disoriented again, finding he is alone. Instinctively, hands trembling he leans forward to part aside some of the dense foliage ahead.
THE MAN (in a trembling whisper)
In God’s name…Where are we?
* * *
INT: Luxury car
His hand jerks back and we see THE MAN coming out of a FLASHBACK drawing his hand away from reaching for the mist covered windows and leans back against his seat. He is the sole occupant in the back seat of a heavily tinted Peugeot 607.
VFX: Film Title dissolves in and out with THE ADVENTURE MUSIC.
He shifts his weight a little, heaving the black leather briefcase closer to his chest. He suddenly tries to unlock the briefcase, starts rolling the combinations, stopping at the last moment as he catches the puzzled eyes of his driver looking through the rear mirror and shaking his head at the unusual behaviour of his boss.
DRIVER
Oga Umar, no cause for alarm. Your security reports have
never failed us. Dey say no militants in the area today. No shaking sir.
UMAR still looking flustered and sweating in the heavily air-conditioned car mutters an acknowledgment whilst gripping the briefcase even tighter.
The driver adjusts the car radio to a news station:
RADIO BROADCASTER
"Little is known about THE Niger Delta Patriots but what is disturbing is their threat of a Final Solution if the latest rounds of talks between delegates from the Niger Delta and the Federal Government fail to lead to a significant shift in the governments stand on their demands. The situation in the
Voice fades to background as camera catches UMAR deep in thought.
EXT DESERTED HIGHWAY
The sleek black Peugeot 607 speeds down the roughly hewn highway towards a private sea port ahead in the distance.
CUT AWAY to a luxury yacht draped with garish banners proclaiming a first ever world cruise. On board at the bow are gaily dressed men and women, blacks and expatriates having a private cocktail.
* * * *
EXT Near the party yacht tethered at the private port.
VIEWERS POV as someone walks toward the boarding plank then stops and scans the people (pausing briefly on 2 separate expatriates) on the yacht. Hands move up to check the time. 4pm. A phone rings. Our view swivels around the person as the phone continues to ring. It’s UMAR receiving the call a few yards from the yacht. He’s dressed in polo top and jeans, looks refreshed though with a worried look.
CLOSE UP on UMAR as he answers the call on his phone:
HELLO
The caller’s is breezy; American. Party music is in the background
Umar. I see you. Walk straight to the empty table at the far end of the party canopy. I’ll join you.
Umar’s POV-scanning the top deck. Spots the table just described to him and heads there.
DISSOLVE TO UMAR and the American (George Fallon) sitting at the table laid out with bottles of wine and peppered snacks
UMAR is not comfortable and leans forward to speak to George opposite him.
I don’t like this meeting place George. Too public.
GEORGE is unperturbed as his gaze wanders over two beautiful ladies in evening dress walking slowly past their table.
It’s the best I could do on such short notice and besides… He winks at Umar as the ladies sashay slowly past them.it should be a great party.
UMAR is scandalized.
Can’t you understand what is about to happen? The whole
If these current talks with the Federal Government fail, those mad men will unleash unprecedented terror on Nigerians. (Whispers harshly) You’ve got to stop them!
GEORGE
I thought with the release last year of their leader, Dokubo...I thought your colleagues in the Senate assured us the violence would not escalate.
UMAR
Well it has. It’s bigger than Dokubo. YOUR people at SHELL should know better. He leans back with a half smirk. Only last month one of their oil installations was destroyed.
It is George’s turn to lean forward and say in a firm tone
The American government will act quickly in alliance with the Nigerian government once it is confirmed that the
UMAR (speaking softly)
They just did. I delivered it to them as planned; an hour ago.
FLASHBACK
The laughter from the party on the deck blends into another kind of laughter as we are transported back to the creeks where we see Umar, an hour earlier meeting with the dreaded leader of the Niger Delta Patriots.
* *
The leader sits on a modern executive swivel chair with a picture of a forgotten Niger Delta hero in the background, he is well built. Wearing a white tank t shirt his broad hands rest atop the gleaming mahogany table littered with toy soldiers in military formation. He is flanked by armed men from his militia. He is laughing in a gentle mocking way at Umar.
“They said you almost wet your pants when you saw how armed my men are eh? (His tone changes slightly) Were you expecting to see a few youths wearing slippers with chewing stick and some pistols? No. That was in the past. He leans forward. Tell me, (he gets up from behind the desk and walks round it towards Umar. A metre away from Umar is the woman who led him here.
“Have you been to Oporoza and Egbema…recently? Drank some of the greenish water they, my people are forced to drink!”
He moves closer to UMAR till they are almost eye to eye.
Why do you assist us?
He smirks at UMAR, looking him over “I smell no fervour in you, no song for justice will burst for joy from your throat…And even though you bring us that which will bring us our greatest victory yet… (He steps back a little, releasing Umar’s hand which he had gripped in his excitement. His voice is tinged with a little sadness) your destiny is…money
He spins around abruptly and walks off into the darkened entrance of his inner chamber. Hold view on the darkened door frame…
* * *
EXT. Door frame comes into focus…behind GEORGE who leans forward in excitement (fade out sounds of the party)
More importantly Umar, the remote disabling device, you have that right?
UMAR relaxing for the first time leans back in his cane chair.
Of course, and without it they cannot really arm the bomb and detonate it.
Fools! You are right. They can be stopped. George, my payment is due…
GEORGE
Next week Tuesday. Which account? Cayman?
At Umar’s nod, George reaches over for a bottle of wine and fills a glass for each of them, then makes a…”To Success!”
EXT WIDE SHOT OF HOTEL AND NEARBY BUILDINGS SHOWING NIGHTTIME.
Dissolve to hotel corridor, track to door with room Number 212 and a
DO NOT DISTURB SIGN
INT POSH HOTEL ROOM.
GEORGE IS BY THE BEDROOM WINDOW… ON THE PHONE
Tell your master that it went as planned. I know the exact location of the remote disabling device… for the bomb.
THE END OF “DANCING WITH WOLVES”
– AN EXCERPT FROM DAYO ADEFILA’S SCREENPLAY – “DESTINY” AS SUBMITTED FOR GOETHE INSTITUTE AND WOMEN FILMAKERS OF ZIMBABWE 2007 SCREENWRITING COMPETITION FOR “KILLING AFRICA. HEALING
When I read about the bombing of the Atlas Cove Jetty in Lagos I knew I had to share this story with the world. Help stop the war. Stop the cheating.
ReplyDeleteWord...the cheating is eating deep and more harm is been done, the earlier they realize the need for unity and selflessness the better.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this piece..
Keep up the good work.
Joseph.