CONVOY OF HOPE

Episode 1 - “KLIMOV”
By Keaton Wares

Concept:

Convoy of Hope is a tragic War/Drama, influenced by films such as Come and See(1985), Dances
with Wolves(1990) and Paths of Glory(1957). We follow a lonely middle-aged man, a former U.S
army chef by the name of SLATER MAYHEW. At this point in his life, SLATER has nothing.
(Prologue) He comes to the UK to try and start a new life after the death of his daughter. Whilst at a
job interview at a local paper, he overhears a young reporter - WINONA - speaking to her editor
about a convoy heading to Croatia (post Yugoslav conflict) to drop off supplies. SLATER speaks to
WINONA about the convoy and agrees to volunteer. (Where we pick up) A few months later, the
convoy travels through Croatia. It is SLATER’s birthday. He is travelling with five others -
WINONA, ACE, CONNER, WINSTON and THE DRIVER, and doesn’t seem to get along with any
of them. After delivering supplies to a town, repeating the process hour after hour, on their way to
the next stop, Klimov, the truck stops. They get out to enquire as to what’s happened, and THE
DRIVER explains that the trucks have unearthed a landmine. As their truck is at the back of the
queue, and the road is too narrow to evade, the occupants of the truck have no other choice but to
take an alternate route. They head further south in an attempt to get to Klimov on schedule, but the
south is substantially more dangerous than the rest of Croatia as some conflict is still raging post-
war.
Around nine miles away from the town, the truck runs out of fuel. They all get out to fill the tank up
with diesel when a patrol of Serbian soldiers draws nearer. THE DRIVER tries to reason with them
before they are told to line up and wait for a secondary patrol to pick them up and take them back to
camp. The moment they have their backs turned, the group separates and escapes into the woods,
neither one of them knowing if the rest are safe. We follow SLATER as he treks through the country
and contemplates his next move (where we end). The rest of the series follows SLATER as he tries
to regroup and get the supplies to Klimov.

THEMES:

Convoy of Hope is, above all else, about hope, redemption, the importance of unity, morality and the
question that sums up the entire series: Is conflict sometimes necessary?

The redemption arc that SLATER goes through is the backbone of the series; his personal loss and
how his grief, eventually turning into hope, affects him and his personal views and subsequently,
how it affects the narrative. (MORE ON PAGE 2)

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” - Edmund
Burke, John Stuart Mill

Characters:

SLATER MAYHEW - A retired U.S Army Chef, fresh out of rehab after he unintentionally backed
over his four-year-old daughter with a truck whilst under the influence, granting his wife a divorce
and moving to the UK shortly after, is a troubled man. He has a very pessimistic view on the world
as a result of his depression. He longs for an opportunity to arise that will redeem him. His ‘bill-to-
bill’ attitude results in him not feeling fulfilled, and causes his life to go nowhere, until he hears
about Croatia.

WINONA JACKSON - A sweet, youthful, talented reporter. She lives in her own world somewhat,
feeling very restrained. She always puts others before herself, which has left her feeling alone, a
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factor that has affected past relationships. She wants to help people above all else, which is why she
pushes to have the opportunity to go with the Convoy.

WINSTON HUGHS - An athletic, wise gentleman. He has a love for literature and a talent for
writing. His tumultuous upbringing in North London left him wanting to escape. He sees an
opportunity for a novel in Croatia and decides to volunteer.

ACE CHAPMAN - A rude, unethical, hotheaded brat. He decides to go to Croatia purely to fuel his
own ego and to make him look good towards future employers. He carries a small silicone ball to
help him manage his short temper.

CONNER O’BRIEN - An early twenties university student. Extremely thick Irish accent. Quiet,
awkward, crude. He decides to go to Croatia to base his dissertation on the conflict. He sees a
good grade in it.

THE DRIVER - A very minor character. Also the translator for the convoy, he is purely a device to
get the plot moving.

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