Treatment

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ACT 1

The Set-Up

1. INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE – DAY

SINTU (11)sits across the school PRINCIPAL (48)staring at him while he keeps straightening her report card, sitting back, checking his watch, folding his arms in a little agitation. They are waiting for Sintu’s parents to arrive but they are late and it is getting more and more usual these days for them to arrive late for meetings. The Principal taps his fingers on his desk and clears his throat. Sintu keeps staring at him unperturbed. She points out that the Principal knows that she will hand over the report card to her parents, she’s responsible unlike some people in this school so she can be trusted. The Principal refuses. Reports are given to parents, that’s policy. He shuts his mouth and pretends to be busy. There’s knock on the door, Sintu’s mother IMANI (36) walks in apologizing for being late. Sintu’s father GERT-JAN (40) follows. He apologizes to the principal and sits on the chair in front of the big desk. He states the one thing he’s not concerned about is Sintu’s academic performance, she’s always had excellent results. The principal notes the school tries to oversee the development of a learner on bigger scale than just academics, perhaps the fact that Sintu has not managed to have a single friend since she enrolled at the school should concern her parents. Imani says that not everyone is the same. She stresses that her Sintu operates well on her own. Sintu is stares blankly at the adults talking about her as if she is not there.

CALL TO ADVENTURE/ INCITING INCIDENT

2. EXT. SCHOOL YARD – DAY

Sintu walks ahead of her parents who walk together but not talking.  Gert-Jan says he needs to fly to South Africa. There is a large international art exhibition that has to attend so he won’t be able to watch over Sintu over the coming holidays. Imani flips. She works too and Gert-Jan could have told her this in advance. Get-Jan says this shoot is very importance for his career, it is for Vogue Magazines. It’s a huge for him. Imani and Gert-Jan start fighting. Sintu sees her schoolmates watching her parents arguing. She stops them. They’re embarrassing her. She reminds them that she is actually right here in front of them. They can’t speak over her. She walks away alone. 

3. EXT. PARK – DAY

Sintu paddles her bicycle over a bridge with flowing water under it. She sees a couple walking their dog talking and laughing, a happy family playing ball, children play and an elderly couple holding hands. She passes them all until she gets to a bench and parks next to it. She sits down listening to her headphones attached to her phone and people watch. A group of girls from her school come and stand in front of her. One tells her that they will be visiting her family’s beach house this summer holidays. The girls sarcastically says how sad she feels for Sintu because of course they saw her parents fought very loudly in public.  Sintu stands up, rides her bike away.

4. EXT. CITY ROAD – DAY

Imani walks out of the bakery and to their apartment building.

5. INT. CITY ROAD – DAY

Imani gets to their flat finding it dark. She calls for Sintu who doesn’t respond. She walks around checking and walks upstairs to Sintu’s room. 

6. INT. SINTU’S BEDROOM – DAY

The bedroom with everything in its place is empty when Imani opens the door. She closes it.

7. INT. CITY LOUNGE – DAY

We see Imani coming from the stairs to her bag on the sofa. She pulls out her cellphone calling Sintu’s number but her phone is off. She calls Gert-Jan.

8. INT. PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO – DAY

Click! Click! The door to the studio flings open. Gert- Jan turns around from facing the backdrop of the studio towards the door flinging open shouting “I thought I said clearly mentioned that when I work nobody disturbs!” The flashlight lands on his PERSONAL ASSISTANT’s (21) face. She’s blinded for a moment trying to protect her eyes. She apologises stating that the Missus is on the line and she is calling for the third time. Get-Jan said they fought earlier at their daughter’s school. He’s not in the mood for dealing with her now. He grabs his phone from his PA, switches it off and hands it over back to her.  Gerard instructs the MAKE-UP ARTIST (35) and HAIRSTYLIST (28) to finish with the one model left. He loves what they are doing on her face. The model gets up and joins three other models wearing clothing from the same designer. They strike poses. He is pleased as he takes snaps. He makes excited gestures as he does his works. 

9.  INT. STUDIO RECEPTION – NIGHT

The PA hands over Gert-Jan bags and his phone switched on. While he is busy preparing himself to leave, he listens to his voicemail. Imani doesn’t know where Sintu is! He rushes out. 

10. INT. SUNROOM – NIGHT

Gert-Jan walks in and finds Imani standing watching Sintu fast asleep in the sunroom of Imani’s laboratory. The CLEANER (60) who found her bids them goodbye and they thank him very much. He apologises for pouncing such important information on her earlier. He asks if they would not mind joining him on this trip to Africa. Sintu wakes when she hears the noise. She fell asleep lying against a giant plant. Imani sits down next to her explain how the large plant Sintu is leaning grows only in fertile rain-belt places in Africa. Gert-Jan asks Sintu if she won’t mind joining him, and hopefully her mom to Africa because the budget can cover everything. The shoot will be at the Cradle of Mankind in South Africa. There will be a lot of history to explore. Sintu likes that. She gets up hugging her parents and apologises for disappearing. When the family leaves, Imani tells Sintu that the plant that comfortably was her pillow with its giant leaves actually engulfs creatures when it turns dark. She switches of the light and the leaves of the plant immediately folds making a disturbing sound which shocks Sintu and Gert-Jan. Imani tells them that by the way, the plant she mentions by its scientific name is actually a carnivorous plant, it eats people and animals. Sintu and Gert-Jan are petrified.

11. INT. AIR FLIGHT – DAY

Sintu and Gert-Jan have fallen asleep on the flight. Imani, sitting in the middle looks at them looking. She shakes them awake. They are in South Africa. Sintu looks out the window while the pilot announces their welcome to the Rainbow Nation.

12. INT. AIRPORT RESTAURANT – DAY

Sitting in a table with Sintu, Imani is busy checking their itinerary on her laptop and Gert-Jan is busy calling his team. Sintu is busy eating. A man comes pushing a cart selling African curios. Something about his stature and regalia courses Sintu to get up from her seat and walk to him. Her parents are too busy to even see this. Sintu gets to ZIGI and says to her “So you have arrived?” Sintu asks if he knows about her. He tells her she hails from the land of the Dutch. Informing her path was pre-destined in timeless spaces. Sintu says he is right about her being Dutch but she’s at the airport, most likely he saw her arriving or something. Zigi says it’s fine if she thinks that way but she was sitting there lonely yet her parents are around because they are forever occupied with their jobs. He tells her that her life is lonely because she’s an only child yet she still struggles to make friends. Sintu finds him creepy. He knows so he tells her. He puts a beautiful necklace with emerald pendant in her hand. He asks her what she wants. She says “Freedom’ . Zigi smiles telling Sintu that the younger generation needs the older generation. He puts a necklace made of a simple leather strip in her hand. He tells her it’s a gift, if the rubs it once she will get a visit from someone so near yet so far. If she rubs it twice, she will visit a place so near yet so far. That’s it, another adult trying to relay another wisecracker! She turns walks away annoyed. Zigi shouts “I’m beyond an adult Sintu!” Sintu stops for a moment. Africa has creepy people who read people’s thoughts and she never told him her name. She rushes to sit close to her parents who are still pre-occupied with whatever. She looks back and sees that the cart and Zigi have disappeared.

13. INT. MOVING CAR – DAY

Gert- Jan drives in a rented car leaving the city Johannesburg behind approaching Sterkfontein. The family intently listen to SIRI guiding them to a lodge in the Bloukamp Valley. Sintu has fallen asleep. Her mother pets her gently waking her up. Sintu is amazed by the huge Baobab trees lining the road around them. Imani explains that only grow in southern parts of Africa. This is a beautiful, calm place with beautiful garden. She rubs the rock once. As her father drives, she sees a furry creature with intense looking eyes like a person watching the car. It walks upright like a human but looks like an ape. Sintu screams “ What is that?!” pointing at the creature. The HOMO NALEDI (15) sees her pointing at him and hides behind one of the huge baobab trees. Gert-Jan and Iman don’t see anything. Sintu says nothing. Imani says Sintu just woke up. The minds can do things to you when you’re half-awake. 

14. EXT. LODGE GARDEN – DAY

Naledi peeps showing his face from behind the tree watching the SUV drives past him. 

15. INT. MOVING CAR – DAY

Sintu sees the Naledi watching them. She knows for sure that she is not half asleep and that a fury creature has locked eyes with her. She sits back hiding from its sight.

16. EXT. LODGE RESTAURANT – NIGHT

Sintu’s family is served food by a young WAITOR(21)wearing an African print shirt and jeans. He recommends a traditional African dish.

17. INT. CHALET – NIGHT 

Sintu watches as the three of the members of her family go to different bedrooms individually for the night.

18. INT. SINTU’S ROOM – NIGHT

Sintu drops herself on the bed and falls asleep. She’s woken by something moving close to her feet. She opens her eyes and sees Naledi sitting at the edge of her bed. She screams! Get away! Naledi shouts… “You called me! I don’t know why you’re shouting!” He disappears. Imani and Gert-Jan come rushing through the door. Never stopped wanting adult attention long ago. They agree that they in a different place so they decide to sleep in their frightened daughter’s room.

19. EXT. LODGE PARKING LOT – DAY

Gert-Jan stretches his very stiff neck from the uncomfortable sleep the night before. He opens the car door for Sintu (IMPORTANT; carrying her backpack) who also didn’t really sleep to jump in. Imani comes wearing sunglasses, carrying her bag, her cellphone and jumps into the front passenger seat. Gert-Jan shuts their doors and gets inside. The car drives off.

20. INT. MOVING CAR – DAY

Imani busy with the itinerary again. She says today the family will visit the Rising Star Caves today. She talks about they can expect to find once they get there. Gert-Jan says that sounds very interesting. Sintu sits quiet at the back.

21. EXT. MAROPENG CAVES – DAY

Gert-Jan excitedly takes pictures of everything. Imani is busy checking vegetation. Sintu stands in the queue for the family to pay and enter.

22. INT. MAROPENG CAVES RECEPTION – DAY

The family stands along with other visitors listening to a TOUR GUIDE (30) who tells them of the amazing discoveries that were made in this place of pre-human species fossils that were discovered in the caves. He lets the visitors take a tour of the display of the recreations of the Homids whose fossils were discovers. The guide says the most interesting one discovered has been called the Homo Naledi, a young male that was found buried in a grave with 14 other members of his tribe. The caves where Homo Naledi was found is the Naledi Star Caves. The visitors are allowed to walk about and look for themselves. The Van Dijk family walk observing and commenting until they get to the statue of the Homo Naledi. Sintu screams when she sees him. Everybody turns around and checks what is going on. Imani and Gert- Jan hold Sintu who is busy clinging to her parents asking what is going on. Sintu says that’s him, the creature that was in her room last night. Her parents are speechless. Sintu says he was there at the lodge when they first arrived. He hid behind a baobab tree. The children touring with their parents are panicking. The tour guide sees this panic Sintu is coursing and rushes to the Van Dijks telling them that can’t Sintu here because, perhaps, she is not mature enough to watch simple artistic recreations that lived very long, looong ago and acts like she is seeing ghosts. Sintu’s parents flip, their child is very mature. She is the most mature in her class, they’ve got a report card to prove it. The tour guide says they don’t really work on report cards here unfortunately, they work on behaviour! He shuus them away, turn and apologizes to the rest of the visitors.

23. INT. MOVING CAR – DAY

The family drives in silence on the way back to the lodge. Imani is sitting right at the edge of her seat wide awake thinking about what just happened. Gert-Jan keeps brushing his hair back as if it’s disturbing his thinking when it flopping to the front. Sintu sits with her whole body on top of the back seat with her knees squeezed tightly against her chest. Her backpack is still on her back. She’s crying.

24.  EXT. LODGE PARKING LOT – DAY

As soon as the car stops at the parking lot, the back door flips open. Sintu jumps out and bangs the door shut. She runs towards the chalet the family is sleeping in. Imani and Gert-Jan jumps out and run after her.

25. INT. CHALET – DAY

Sintu runs into her room immediately followed by her parents. She bangs the door and locks it. Gert-Jan and Iman knock asking Sintu what is going on. Gert-Jan says Sintu has never behaved this way, like an immature child. If this trip carries way he might have to cancel a very, very important shoot. Iman says his job is not the important thing here. Gert-Jan sarcastically apologizes saying actually her job that got them here and makes their bright, highly mature daughter behaves like a crazy person. If you say she’s crazy is because she takes after her weird father when he gets behind the camera. Gert-Jan doesn’t like that. The exchange of words escalates.

1st ACT Climax

26. INT. SINTU’S BEDROOM – DAY

Sintu leans against the door listening to her parents fight. What hits her is when she hears her father say “It was the worst mistake I made to have a child with you!” From behind the door Sintu hears her mother say “Well, same here!”. So she was a mistake? That’s why things are not going well at home?” She walks to her dresser, opens the drawer takes out the necklace. She says she wants to go to place so far and yet so near. She rubs the soft, beautifully green stone twice. In a split second the forces of the past, the present and the future descend from the sky. 

27. EXT. CHALET - DAY

The forces interweave dancing around the chalet blowing leaves of trees. They dance and dance and descend into the chalet.

28. INT. CHALET – DAY

The forces continue dancing interweaving and breaking forming circles around Iman and Gert-Jan. They hold each other against such amazing power. They get lifted off to the air above and suddenly dropped back to the ground. The forces combine in their different colours and swiftly permeate into Sintu’s bedroom door.

29. INT. SINTU’S BEDROOM – DAY

Sintu scared. She leans against the wall fearing what’s happening. The forces form a circle around her moving faster and faster and ejecting her into the atmosphere. 

ACT 1 Climax

30. INT. CHALET LOUNGE – DAY 

Everything lifted by the forces of the past, the present and the future drops into place. The chalet goes dead quiet. Iman looks at Gert-Jan. Gert-Jan looks at Iman. What just happened?! Iman screams “Sintu?!” The door of Sintu’s room flings open. The couple rush in.

31. INT. SINTU’S BEDROOM – DAY

The room is upside down. The window is open and Sintu is gone. The parents panic.

ACT 2

32. EXT. AIR – ACROSS TIME

Sintu carried a fast running gulf of strong wind floats above the horizons. She floats over space and time, flying through centuries of existence. Sintu sees history being created in moments.

33. INT. CAVE – DAY

The carpet off wind that carried Sintu through time lands her gently on the ground. Her eyes are shut very tight. She’s scared to open them. When she does, she’s the darkest place she’s ever seen. She’s scared to look around but ahead she sees a light. She walks slowly avoiding to run in case something chases her. She hears one squeaking sound above her. Then she hears another, and another until the whole place is filled with more squeaking sounds. She runs towards the light. Flying things drop from the ceiling on to her. She screams and runs.

34. EXT. CAVE – DAY

As soon as she finds herself in the light, a hand grabs her wrapping her with a dark hide. The bats that were chasing her continue flying ahead. The Homo Naledi pulls down the hide around her asking her “What the hell were you doing in that dark cave?” Sintu just stares at the Homo Naledi shocked the ape-like looking boy is talking to her. She eventually answers that she just found herself there. Naledi tells her that those creatures are blood thirsty. They will suck you all your blood dry. He says they must run before they fly back to safety.

35. EXT. WATERFALL – DAY

Sintu and Naledi find themselves at the waterfall. Naledi stops and starts drinking gentle flowing water. Sintu asks her not to drink potentially unsafe water. Naledi laughs. Water has never been unsafe. As the two of them drink, a beautiful, rainbow coloured parrot descends from above. COUSCOUSasks what the name the Naledi’s new friend is. They start introducing one another. When the parrot says his name is Couscous, Sintu try to control a giggle but Couscous sees it. Sintu says Couscous is the name of a certain type of food where she comes from. He asks her where does she come from actually. Naledi explains that he saw where Sintu is come. It is a strange place. Sintu tells them the strange place is actually here. She finds herself talking to animals. When they ask her what animals are, she explains that she actually is a human being. The creatures explain that they actually never seen someone like her here. Naledi points out that Sintu changes what cover, explaining that when he come into her room she was covered differently. Siintu realizes that he is talking about clothes. She explains that these actual clothes. Human beings buy clothes and wear them. Couscous are lost at the concept of money and buying. This is earth, all creatures live here for free. Naledi informs them he needs to walk home. His family is eating their midday food. Couscous wants to join. The family always serves the best food. Sintu doesn’t know where she is so she cannot be left alone in a place she doesn’t know.

36. EXT. PATHWAY – DAY

Sintu watches as Naledi greets a herd of elephants, some bucks, zebras, giraffes and waves at lion sitting alone next to a rock which freaks her out. Naledi explains that animals get along well. Some ask Couscous who is in their company. He tells them she is human. A dear friend of his who changes her coat whenever she wants to. She also builds her own shelter. Sintu tells Couscous that she has never built shelter, she is actually a child where she comes from.

37. INT. HOME CAVE – DAY

Sintu sees a lot Homids that look like her friend Naledi. All generations are present. Women are busy preparing food and laying tables. Teenage boys walk in dropping more food on the side of the cave. Men sit typically discussing something nobody else understands. Girls fetch younger children who are busy play. Seeing all this business Couscous makes an announcement informing the homestead that he has brought them a new friend. Everybody stops and looks at Sintu. Somehow she doesn’t feel scared. She waves her hand greeting them. Naledi’s mother approaches and welcomes her. She asks to wash their faces, hands and feet. The tribe chants a prayer of gratitude. They sit down and eat. Learns that the tribe lives together. Basically everyone is connected. While they eat, Sintu informs Naledi that she thinks she has been transported to pre-historic times because many things are different. Naledi asks why did she call him to her time. Sintu says she didn’t but she understands who is behind her coming here. Naledi’s father gets up asking for silence in the tribe. He explains that the Chief, who is the father of the tribe is not well at his throne. He wants “The Soul” to be fectches and brought to the Home Cave by tomorrow. He wants somebody young and agile to fetch it. Naledi volunteers.