Finished Script for Purposes of Treatment File.

EXT – ROAD – MIDDAY

The area is lit by a cyan light emanating from between the hexagonal pillars that line the road. The light is coming from the weird bio-luminescent flora and fungi that thrive between the pillars unseen. Particles of pollen from the plants beneath fall to the ground. The entire landscape is a game between light and shadow.

We join our characters standing before a sign on a wide road. It could comfortably fit a merchant and his cart. This large road however now forks off into 2 smaller roads. On the fork there is an old wooden sign jammed into the road tilted and rotting. It reads “Tanah Air”. Underneath the sign are 2 arrows pointing in opposite directions. Tanah Air could be in either direction they don’t know.

They regard the sign in confusion and weariness. Their journey has been long and they have got lost or held up many times along the way. Now all they want to do is return home.

The SON begins to walk down the road to the right but is stopped by his FATHER who grabs him by the hood of his robe. Father half drags Son toward the left road. Only for SON to struggle free from his vice like grip.

They look at each other disgruntled. They’re stuck. They have been by each other’s side for such a long time that it doesn’t occur to them that they could conceivably split up.

FATHER gets an idea. Being an excitable man he retrieves a coin from his pocket. He showcases it for his son. He shows him tails and points toward the left road. He shows him the heads side and points towards the right road. There’s a grin of self-satisfaction across his face. Nothing gives him greater pleasure then coming up with a viable solution.

He flips the coin. It hangs in the air for a moment they let it fall to the ground. It’s tails. FATHER has won. FATHER is bent over the coin, their heads are level. He smirks at his son. He relishes in the small victory over his son. SON looks at his father in impatience. He pretends to drop the issue as if it never really mattered which side it came up anyway. He walks down the road he originally chose with conviction. FATHER takes a breath of air to call after him but realises both paths eventually lead to the same place and it doesn’t really matter which way they travel. Though because they are still as stubborn as each other, (even if father doesn’t show it) he makes his way down the left path the one he had chosen.

They are now separated from each other by a thick forest of rock and flora.

EXT – SMALLER ROAD – DAY

SON now on his own walks the path with little interest in his surroundings or in actually getting to their destination quickly. He has his head down to the ground. He looks up once to notice that he has approached the same fork in the road for a second time. In disbelief, he makes sure the sign is the same sign and comes across his father’s coin still lying on the ground. He returns to the path, fobbing it off thinking he must have taken a wrong turn in his absent mindedness.

There’s a moment where nothing is happening on screen. The boy yet again approaches the fork for a 3^rd time. He doesn’t hesitate this time he just heads down the road to the right. He looks worried.

EXT – CLEARING – EVENING

FATHER is standing in the clearing where the road emerges from the thicket of pillars. Behind him is a wide expanse of plain and the faint outline of a village, which is presumably “Tanah Air”. He looks at the sun setting in the west then to the village then back to the roads. He’s unsure of where his son is or even which road he could take if he were to back track. He decides it better to check if his son has already reached home. After all, he didn’t seem inclined to stop and wait for his father any longer.

EXT – ROAD – NIGHT

SON is now more relaxed about looping around. He is too stubborn to believe his father is right. He believes his choice is the only way. At times during this sequence there are 2 or 3 variants of SON on screen at the same time each one doing slightly varying movements, gestures or interactions.

EXT – ROAD – WINTERTIME – DAY

It’s colder. SON gathers robes around him to shield himself from the bitter air. The pollen has been falling consistently since he started through the area and has now began to gather in little piles.

EXT – ROAD – SPRINGTIME – DAY

The pollen is being blown down the road by a harsh wind. The wind is blowing against SON making it difficult for him to continue forward.

EXT – TANAH AIR STREET – SPRINGTIME - DAY

FATHER is sitting on a bench outside what could be their home. He looks up and down the road expectantly. The streets are quiet. A mother walks past with her 4 young children.

EXT – ROAD – DAY

SON has come to the same fork again. He’s lost count of how many times he’s come to it. He stops for a moment and looks down the left road. The road his father had chosen. He inches towards it, but shakes off the idea of changing course and whips back to his original path with even more conviction than he did all those months ago. In doing so he kicks up the coin that had been buried in dust and dirt over the months. He doesn’t notice it.

EXT – TANAH AIR STREET – DAY

FATHER has his back turned. He’s working on something unseen. Yet he still glances up and down the road searching for his son.

EXT – ROAD – DAY

SON approaches the fork yet again, nothing unusual until he notices the coin protruding from the earth. He picks it up and turns it in his hand. He’s exhausted. A year has now passed since he’s last seen anyone. He misses home and his father. With a sigh he takes his first steps on the path his father walked all those months ago.

EXT – CLEARING – EVENING

Son passes the same spot his father stood worrying for his safety

EXT – TANAH AIR STREET – DUSK

SON walks to his father’s bench. He is visibly older in spirit and age. His body has slightly filled out and now fits perfectly into his robes. He sits beside his father who is still waiting. Neither acknowledges the other much.

FATHER turns to look at his son in relief and tiredness. The past year has been nothing but stress without him. Son is looking ahead of him. FATHER puts his arm around SON and rests it there. FATHER fades. His spirit awaited the return of his son. Once he has completely faded, SON looks up at where his father’s face was. He picks himself up from the low bench and walks off screen.