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Pride of Karma, a brief screenplay
Jul. 7th, 2018 11:09 amThis was inspired by the news item about rhino poachers being killed and eaten by lions in South Africa. And also by a comment on that story in which someone said they wished the lions had been able to eat the poacher's customers instead.
Pride of Karma
(pilot for a series)
1. Dawn in South Africa, the wildlife preserve. Stunning landscapes, idyllic views of elephants, springbok, lions, etc.
2. A dead rhinoceros, its horn chopped off. Flies buzzing, the air shimmering with heat.
3. A pride of lions - a dozen lionesses, three males, and cubs of various ages – stroll towards a shady tree. As they near the tree, they come across the rhino. The lionesses sniff the corpse, then back away.
4. Under the tree. The cubs and males nap. The lionesses sit awake, looking at the rhino, looking at each other. A decision is made. Four of the lionesses stand, touch noses with their sisters, with the males, with the cubs, then lope away.
5. Beside a narrow road, an elephant matriarch stares down the lionesses, ears and tail tense. Behind her, her sisters and children stand in a defensive circle. Finally the matriarch relaxes, whuffles to her family, and the elephants walk into the road.
6. A farmer driving his truck of produce comes to a halt. He watches the elephants sedately cross the road, a dreamy look on his face. The lionesses silently jump into the back of his truck.
7. The elephants clear the road, and the farmer resumes driving.
8. The sun sets behind the lionesses as the truck takes them away from their home, to wider and busier roads, finally to a big city.
9. A market in the city at night. The farmer opens the tailgate of his truck, then yells and falls backward as the lionesses jump over him and run into the night.
10. Night at the city’s airport. Workers on break smoke and talk beside a cargo jet. They don’t see the four lion-shaped shadows jump into the open cargo bay doors.
11. Daylight, the jet flies high in the sky. The logo on its fuselage reads “Hong Kong Freight, Ltd.”
12. Inside, two lionesses nap, and two wander, sniffing the pallets curiously.
12. Hong Kong airport at night, all is hustle and bustle, except…
13. For the echoing hanger piled high with pallets and crates where two men, a smuggler and a pharmacist, haggle in Cantonese. On the table between them, a rhinoceros horn wrapped in clear plastic. They agree on a price. The pharmacist hands over a wad of cash and takes the horn. Neither notices the lionesses in the shadows.
14. The pharmacist leaves the hanger. Holding the wad of cash, the smuggler takes out his wallet. Suddenly a lioness leaps on his back! He crashes to the floor and the wallet and money go flying!
15. On the wallet, as the smuggler’s cries suddenly stop, and then nothing but tearing fabric and the sound of lions eating.
16. Outside the hanger, a deserted part of the airport. Holding the horn, the pharmacist unlocks his car. But before he can open the door, a lioness leaps across the hood, her paws smashing into his chest, her teeth sinking into his face!
17. On the horn, spattered with blood, as the pharmacist’s cries end in a gurgle. Again the sound of tearing cloth and tearing flesh. Fade to black.
18. A lioness, her muzzle caked with blood, sniffs the horn, then picks up the bag in her teeth.
19. Daylight again, as the same cargo jet flies the other way.
20. Inside, the lionesses, sleek and well-fed, lick the blood off of each other’s faces. On the floor nearby, the rhino horn in its bag.
21. Back in South Africa. A lioness drops the bag with the horn beside the rhino’s body, then walks away.
22. Roll credits over the lionesses rejoining their family.
Pride of Karma
(pilot for a series)
1. Dawn in South Africa, the wildlife preserve. Stunning landscapes, idyllic views of elephants, springbok, lions, etc.
2. A dead rhinoceros, its horn chopped off. Flies buzzing, the air shimmering with heat.
3. A pride of lions - a dozen lionesses, three males, and cubs of various ages – stroll towards a shady tree. As they near the tree, they come across the rhino. The lionesses sniff the corpse, then back away.
4. Under the tree. The cubs and males nap. The lionesses sit awake, looking at the rhino, looking at each other. A decision is made. Four of the lionesses stand, touch noses with their sisters, with the males, with the cubs, then lope away.
5. Beside a narrow road, an elephant matriarch stares down the lionesses, ears and tail tense. Behind her, her sisters and children stand in a defensive circle. Finally the matriarch relaxes, whuffles to her family, and the elephants walk into the road.
6. A farmer driving his truck of produce comes to a halt. He watches the elephants sedately cross the road, a dreamy look on his face. The lionesses silently jump into the back of his truck.
7. The elephants clear the road, and the farmer resumes driving.
8. The sun sets behind the lionesses as the truck takes them away from their home, to wider and busier roads, finally to a big city.
9. A market in the city at night. The farmer opens the tailgate of his truck, then yells and falls backward as the lionesses jump over him and run into the night.
10. Night at the city’s airport. Workers on break smoke and talk beside a cargo jet. They don’t see the four lion-shaped shadows jump into the open cargo bay doors.
11. Daylight, the jet flies high in the sky. The logo on its fuselage reads “Hong Kong Freight, Ltd.”
12. Inside, two lionesses nap, and two wander, sniffing the pallets curiously.
12. Hong Kong airport at night, all is hustle and bustle, except…
13. For the echoing hanger piled high with pallets and crates where two men, a smuggler and a pharmacist, haggle in Cantonese. On the table between them, a rhinoceros horn wrapped in clear plastic. They agree on a price. The pharmacist hands over a wad of cash and takes the horn. Neither notices the lionesses in the shadows.
14. The pharmacist leaves the hanger. Holding the wad of cash, the smuggler takes out his wallet. Suddenly a lioness leaps on his back! He crashes to the floor and the wallet and money go flying!
15. On the wallet, as the smuggler’s cries suddenly stop, and then nothing but tearing fabric and the sound of lions eating.
16. Outside the hanger, a deserted part of the airport. Holding the horn, the pharmacist unlocks his car. But before he can open the door, a lioness leaps across the hood, her paws smashing into his chest, her teeth sinking into his face!
17. On the horn, spattered with blood, as the pharmacist’s cries end in a gurgle. Again the sound of tearing cloth and tearing flesh. Fade to black.
18. A lioness, her muzzle caked with blood, sniffs the horn, then picks up the bag in her teeth.
19. Daylight again, as the same cargo jet flies the other way.
20. Inside, the lionesses, sleek and well-fed, lick the blood off of each other’s faces. On the floor nearby, the rhino horn in its bag.
21. Back in South Africa. A lioness drops the bag with the horn beside the rhino’s body, then walks away.
22. Roll credits over the lionesses rejoining their family.
