Script: SPROUTS OF INNOCENCE

SCENE 1

SHOT OF MS AUYONG WALKING ALONG A PATHWAY LEADING TO THE

SCHOOL WHERE AT THE SIDE LAY SOME INDIAN LABOURERS WHO ARE
TAKING A REST, SHE FROWNS IN DISAPPORVAL AND EXAGGERATES HER
MOVEMENT WHEN SHE WALKS PAST THEM, AS IF SHE WERE CROSSING A
MINE FIELD. SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF HER IS THE BACK OF NAIDU AND
HIS BROTHER WHO IS WALKING HIM TO SCHOOL. MS AUYONG ROLLS HER
EYES, SIGHING AND SHAKING HER HEAD IN DISBELIEF AT THE DARK
COLOURED PEOPLE SHE HAS BEEN ENCOUNTERING.

NANDI STOPS SUDDENLY WHEN HE STEPS ON HIS LACES THAT HAVE BEEN
UNDONE. HE LOOKS DOWN REMARKS

NANDI

Bhaaee , my laces are out.

SISTER STOOPS DOWN TO TIE NANDIS LACES.A FROWN CROSSES MS

AUYONGS FACE AS SHE TRIES TO WALK PAST THEM WHEN A PAIR OF
INDIAN NATIONALS ARE PASSING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SHE
FROWNS HER DISAPPROVAL AND MAKES CLICKING NOISES WITH HER
TONGUE AS SHE SQUEEZES PASS ALL OF THEM. HER FACE IS CONTORTED
WITH DISGUST.

SCENE 2

NANDI LOOKS UP TO THE VOCALIZATION AND AN ACKNOWLEDGED LOOK OF

FAMILIARITY PASSES HIS FACE. HE CALLS OUT TO MS AUYONG

NANDI

Ms Auyong! Ms Auyong!

MS AUYONG WALKS AHEAD AND IGNORES NANDI. NANDIS SISTER STANDS

UP AFTER THE LACE IS TIED AND NAIDU EXPLAINS TO THE BROTHER
 NANDI

That was my form teacher last year!

NANTHINI

She doesnt seem very friendly huh.

NANDI BEARS A LOOK OF SADNESS AND SHRUGS AND THE PAIR

CONTINUES WALKING.

SCENE 3

A SHOT OF THE BLACKBOARD WITH THE WORDS MS DCRUZ ON ONE

CORNERAND MY WISH WRITTEN HUGELY IN THE MIDDLE. MS DCRUZ IS
STANDING IN FRONT OF THE BOARD SEEMINGLY ADDRESSING THE CLASS

DCRUZ

Since it is the beginning of the New Year,

I would like you to illustrate something

that you would like to have this year.

AS NANDI BEGINS TO DRAW A NEW CIRCLE

NANDI (V.O.)

Ms Auyong has a kind face

She is nice to some of the classmates,

But not to some of us

I wish that Ms Auyong will be nice to me

NANDI DOTS THE EYES AND DRAWS A SMILE.THEN HE PLACES HIS

CRAYON DOWN WITH A FACE BEARING A FROWN. PICKING UP HIS CRAYON
AGAIN, HE STARES AT THE WRITING ON THE BOARD (SHOWS BOARD FROM
NANDIS POINT OF VIEW FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND REVERT BACK TO
NANDI CONTINUING HIS DRAWING) NANDIS MOOD CHANGES AS HE
CONTINUES TO DRAWS MS AUYONGS HAND THEREAFTER LINKS ANOTHER
HAND TO HERS. HE THEN PROCEEDS TO COLOUR THE HANDS, ONE
YELLOW, THE OTHER BROWN.

SCENE 4

IT IS THE END OF THE LESSON (BELL RINGS)A GLIMPSES OF THE

MATERIAL WISHES OF THE PUPILS.CATS, DOGS, BICYCLES, PSP.

MS DCRUZ IS ALSO CAPTURED PASSING AND WRITING ENCOURAGING

FEEDBACK TO THE STUDENTS OR ON THEIR DRAWINGS LIKE GOOD
EFFORT! OR NICE COLOURING!

SCENE 5

IT IS NANDIS TURN AND THE ART TEACHER PAUSES TO STUDY HIS

DRAWING.CAMERA CAPTURES DRAWING EXPRESSED IN A MANNER OF A
GROUP OF PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT COLOURED SKINS HOLDING HANDS IN A
CIRCLE WITH SMILING FACES. HE HAS WRITTEN MS AUYONG BELOW
ONE OF THE DRAWN CHARACTERS.MS DCRUZ LOOKS AT HIM
BENEVOLENTLY.

DCRUZ

Thats a very nice drawing you composed

NAIDUS FACE BRIGHTENS

NANDI

It is? (QUESTIONING IN AN INNOCENT MANNER)

AND THE SMILE FALLS AS NANDI LOOKS DOWN, ALMOST SULKINGLYTHE

BOY CARRIES ON PACKING SEEMINGLY AGONIZED BY A THOUGHT AND
LETS AN AUDIBLE SIGHMS DCRUZ GENTLY PATS HIS ARM AND GESTURES
TO THE DRAWING
 DCRUZ

Are you going to give this to someone?

THE YOUNG BOY GAZES AT HIS ART TEACHER AND THEN BREAKS INTO A
SMILE OF CONFIDENCE

NANDI

Yesss! HE CHIRPS

SCENE 6

NANDI MAKES HIS WAY OUT OF THE SCHOOL AND NOTICES MS AUYONG
STROLLING AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD

NANDI

Ms Auyong! (CALLS OUT TO HER)

AND THEN URGENTLY SWINGS HIS BAG OVER THE FRONT TO FISH OUT
THE DRAWING

Ms Auyong!(CALLS AGAIN)

BUT SHE GLANCES AT HIM, AND FEIGNS IGNORANCE.NANDI CALLS OUT

FOR THE FINAL TIME BEFORE HE MAKES AND ATTEMPT TO DASH ACROSS
THE ROAD OBLIVIOUS TO THE ONCOMING VEHICLETHERE IS LOUD AND
PROLONGED SOUND OF THE HORN

ATTENTION IS DRAWN, BUT IT IS TOO LATE,A DULL BANG.

A THUD A LIMP BEING ON THE ROAD. A HAND LOOSENING ITS CLASP
ONTO A PIENCE OF PAPER THAT IS CAUGHT BY THE WIND. BLOOD,
SEEPING FROM WOUNDS UNKNOWN

SCENE 7

MS AUYONG STANDS, DAZED, STARING AT A PIECE OF PAPER THAT IS

GENTLY HOVERING ABOUT THE GROUND AND WATCHES ITS SUBTLE
LANDING NEAR HER FEET.MS DCRUZ COMES BY HER SIDE. SHE CATCHES
MS AUYONGS GAZE AND APPROACHES THE PAPER, PICKING IT UP.
 DCRUZ

He would have wanted you to have it.

SCENE 8

TAKING THE BLOOD STAINDED AND ROAD GRITTED PAPER FROM MS

DCRUZ; MS AUYONG STUDIES THE DRAWING

THE CAMERA DEPICTS MS AUYONGS POV AS THE BLOOD IS DILUTED

WITH CLEAR DROPS OF LIQUID.

THE SCENE FADES

SCENE 9

SCENE BEGINS WITH TWO PAIRS OF LEGS (DARK BLUE TROUSERS AND
BLACK SHOES) LIFTING A STRETCHER.

THE SIDE PROFILE OF AN UNCONSCIOUS NAIDE IS CAUGHT.

THE IMAGE FADES

WORDS APPEAR IN BLACK BACKGROUND

How many more deaths; how many more will have to shed their
blood; till we realize that the bloodied sea, is but a single
colour.

~ Audrey Heyzer

SCENE 10

SCHOOL IS SHOWN AND THE CAMERA PENS TO HDB BLOCKS NEARBY.

NANDI IS ON CRUTCHES WITH A LEG IMMOBILIZER ACCOMPAINED BY

MS AUYONG.

THEY ARE HAVING A PLEASANT CONVERSATION.

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