"Bringing out the dead" (Dramadoc script)

EXT - SOMEWHERE IN THE SPANISH COUNTRYSIDE – DAY

From above: Flying close over a thick grove of oak trees. The following text is superimposed as the camera slowly PANS DOWN into the ground:

Over seventy years ago, the military uprising backed by conservative political forces and the Roman Catholic Church against the democratically elected government of the Spanish Second Republic escalated into a bloody Civil War. Effectively the first battle of the Second World War, the conflict would last three years (1936-1939), and lead to the death of an estimated 500,000 people while serving a long-lasting, devastating blow to the human, economic and political landscapes of the country: General Franco's fascist dictatorship would span over four decades (1939-1975) defined by hunger, indiscriminate state violence and terror, killing thousands of Spaniards and sending many more to labour camps.

However, conversations about the innumerable crimes, summary executions, mass graves and concentration camps under Franco's regime never took place after the death of the dictator and Spain's transition to democracy. Instead, a legally institutionalized amnesia following the amnesty to free the many political prisoners still in jail in 1977 would be used in favour of those who actively worked for the Franquismo (thus avoiding truth commissions and prosecution for their crimes) crippling any efforts by the families of the victims to seek reparations or locate the bodies of some of the thousands "disappeared" during and after the Civil War.

In November 2007, after fifteen months of heated debate, a "Law for the Recovery of the Historical Memory" was finally submitted to the country's Congress for ratification. Thirty years late, and for the first time, the Spanish Parliament has finally condemned the regime of General Franco and backed initiatives to uphold the memory of the victims of both the Civil War and the Francoist repression, including the exhumation of the common graves of over 50,000 people , most thought to be Republican. The exhumation of this buried legacy - both in its metaphorical and tangible sense - is the subject of this film.

This film is a dramatization of real events.

INT/EXT – LOCAL TAVERNA – DAY

Crowds gather at a local, noisy bar. We learn from news updates on TV that, after a heated debate in Parliament, the 'Law of Historical Memory' has now been approved, formally denouncing Franco's rule and ordering the removal of all Franco-era statues and symbols from streets and buildings, and backing of initiatives to uphold the memory of the victims of the Civil War, including the exhumation of mass graves. The locals react to the news.

(The characters Speak in Spanish, sub-titled in English)

FRANCISCO

C’mon. You know, leave things be, it's not an issue any more, I mean people on the street are not worried about these things any more.

MANUEL

Yeah right, tell that to the families of those murdered and buried like dogs in the old oak grove...

CARMELA

If you spoke once, you never spoke it again, Paco. That was terror. See how they went on about Yugoslavia, Chile, Argentina on the telly... they should ask us, we've suffered much more, and longer...

MANUEL

That’s right. It was about time we set the record straight and make sure things like this never happen again.

Excerpts of news footage on the television set establish that the town Mayor has been seeking to stop a dig in the village where an international team of forensic archaeologists has been working on.

Also in the bar, two members from the team are having an argument.

(In English)

MOIRA

Bloody ridiculous! Half those muppets walking all over the site and three solid weeks of work gone because of your marvellous Mayor’s input.

ROBERTO

Well, there’s nothing more he can do now. The whole village wants the dig to go on. Please, Moira.

EXT – MASS GRAVE DIG – LATE AFTERNOON

The oak grove outside the village. A week has passed since the team was allowed back in the site. It is the end of shift for the archaeologists. Onlookers and archaeologists start to leave. Only one old woman dressed in black remains, ANA. She sits by an old foot-bridge in the shade of the trees, her gaze fixed on the dig, where MOIRA perseveres with her work.

Dirt sticks to the sweat on MOIRA’s face as she works alone in the still searingly hot, Spanish sunshine. Her older, senior colleague ROBERTO walks past with two other workers.

ROBERTO

Keen?

MOIRA

(both clinically and ironically)

May as well get as much done before that bloody mayor decides to stop the dig again…

ROBERTO

That cannot happen now. Will you stay on? In Spain?

MOIRA

I already told you. Not if I can find something

more...

Moira finds a small piece of fabric, maybe a ragged piece of clothing, and examines it closely. She looks across at ANA.

MOIRA (CONT’D)

Who is that old girl? She’s been here all bloody day...

ROBERTO

Not quite sure… See you tomorrow?

Moira pauses, then heads towards Ana in her matter-of-fact way, still holding the piece of fabric.

MOIRA

Hola, buenas dias.

ANA

(silently nods acknowledging her presence)

MOIRA sits with ANA and looks down on the dig. CARMEN arrives.

CARMEN

(politely)

Buenos dias.

MOIRA

(to both)

Ah.. buenos.. Do you speak

English?

CARMEN

Yes, I, a little. My grandmother, no.

MOIRA

Look, I’ve been wondering.. why does she come here? Every day?

Carmen looks at her grandmother and translates Moira’s words into Spanish. Ana stares at the material in Moira’s grasp, but Moira is oblivious.

CARMEN

Es una promesa...

CARMEN (CONT’D)

(to Moira)

It is a ... promise.

MOIRA

A promise?

Ana speaks only in Spanish, sub-titled on screen.

ANA

Seventy years ago, I made a promise to my mother. Now, I keep that promise.

Moira shakes her head impatiently as Ana takes a scrap of paper from her pocket, smooths it carefully on her lap and beckons Moira closer.

CLOSE UP OF OLD HAND-DRAWN MAP

Ana’s wizened finger points to an area of the faded map as she speaks.

ANA (CONT’D)

Here, is where I watched.

She points across to the dig, then back to the map.

ANA (CONT’D)

And here, this is where they had fallen.

Moira looks at Carmen, confused but curious.

MOIRA

She saw THIS… ?

CARMEN

Yes, her father was murdered by

the nacionales here. Many men from the village, betrayed when they surrendered… long story. It’s really late now and she is rather frail. I have to take her home.

MOIRA

Please - the promise? What was it your grandmother promised?

CARMEN

That before she died, she would see his bones laid to rest with her mother’s.

As CARMEN and ANA leave, ANA stops briefly to squeeze Moira’s hand. MOIRA, deep in thought, stays behind looking down at the dig.

(beat)

EXT – MASS GRAVE DIG – MIDMORNING

It is the second week of the dig. The ground under the oak grove is now a trench two meters deep where the archaeologists and some volunteers are working diligently.

MOIRA is brushing at the earth with her bare hands, the site starting to reveal some familiar patterns as if it was a book with pages of earth and words written with letters of buttons, buckles, clothes and bullet shells. She looks across at the footbridge, from which ANA and CARMEN are watching. ANA nods, perhaps in approval.

Some timid raindrops start to fall on the dusty earth. We hear a thunderstorm as the raindrops turn into a torrential shower.

MOIRA

(to herself)

What the fuck. Not this now.

The volunteers and archaeologists look at each other expectantly under the heavy rain. ROBERTO jumps into the trench to help MOIRA carefully secure a tarpaulin over the remains half-protruding from the muddy ditch.

ROBERTO

Okay, looks like we are going to have to stop this for today. Chaps, let’s call it a day ‘til it clears.

The team leaves. Across the site, CARMEN shelters ANA home as she looks wistfully at the departing crew. MOIRA, soaking wet, runs after the two women.

MOIRA

I just wanted to say sorry… Lo siento…

Moira’s mobile phone rings.

MOIRA (CONT’D)

Hiya… yeah, nearly done, sure… Oh I don’t know, the usual, I guess… Your order for me… See you in a bit…

CARMEN

Have you eaten?

MOIRA

(embarrassed)

No.

INT – ANA’S HOME – DAY

A humble housing state flat for the working classes in the outskirts of the village. ANA, CARMEN and MOIRA (her hair still wet) are drinking coffee in the kitchen. As ANA talks CARMEN translates.

ANA

Soliamos venir todas. Consuelo vino durante muchos anos – pero desde que murio, sus hijos han estado muy ocupados… Dolores se tuvo que mudar a Sevilla. Maria no ha podido venir desde que la operaron de la cadera. Josefa murio el ano pasado. Soledad y Juana tambien.

CARMEN

They all used to come. Consuelo came for many years – but since she died her sons have been too busy. Dolores had to move to Seville. Maria came until her hip operation last year. Josefa died last year. And Soledad and Juana too.

MOIRA

(to Carmen)

El mapa… That map your grandmother showed me… Could I see it again?

Ana draws out the small, ancient piece of well-worn paper from her pocket. Moira examines it and struggles to locate the right Spanish words, resorting to miming to help her communicate across the chasm of age, nationality and experience.

MOIRA (CONT’D)

Did you draw this?

Moira draws in the air, then points at the old woman. Ana nods.

MOIRA

Cuantos anos tenia?

Moira raises her hand up and down, as if guessing the height of a child. Ana holds up eight fingers.

ANA

Ocho.

Moira produces her daily grid sketch of the trench in which she has been outlining where the bodies may be found. Ana’s map is almost identical – but with the added horror of being hand-drawn by a child.

The three women look at each other. MOIRA squeezes ANA’s hand.

MOIRA

Just a little longer.

(beat)

EXT – MASS GRAVE DIG – DAY

Week three. The team of forensic archaeologists and volunteers continues with their work, now brushing at the earth with paintbrushes and delicate instruments. Some workers are laying new grids for yet another dig nearby. Some seven sites nearby are now in sight, all being excavated. A small crowd of locals has gathered around them, fanning themselves in the heat, some standing a few feet away in the shade of the trees. The archaeologists list the artefacts found in the sites: mauser bullet shells, hand gun shells, shoes, pencils, glasses, watches, rings... The work has been crawling along all morning meticulously; when some of those recognisable artifact emerged, the onlookers would gather, clucking and murmuring amongst themselves. A collective sigh goes up as a skull emerges, shattered by a bullet hole; two bony feet are still wearing boots. Moira cleans the sweat from her forehead as she gazes across at where ANA and CARMEN normally sit. No one is sitting on the footbridge.

ROBERTO

We have about 50 men shot and buried here...

MOIRA

Have you seen ANA?

ROBERTO

... the youngest may have been about 18, the oldest was in his sixties...

MOIRA

Have you SEEN ANA?

ROBERTO

No, I haven’t. What’s the matter

...

Moira leaves in a rush, her forensic gear still on.

MOIRA

(to ROBERTO and handing him her mask back)

Something is wrong. I need to check something urgently.

EXT – HOUSING STATE – LATE AFTERNOON

MOIRA enters the empty, sad and dead silent housing state backyard.

From above: the camera flies over the building closing on Moira, who is looking up. She is aimlessly running around. The quietness of the yard broken by her shouting of ANA’s and CARMEN’s name.

(beat)

An elderly neighbour opens the blinds of her window.

NEIGHBOUR

(In Spanish)

ANA fell on the floor this morning. She had a stroke. We called an ambulance. She has been taken to the hospital.

INT – HOSPITAL – LATE AFTERNOON

There is no dialogue for this scene. The only soundtrack is provided by the rhythmic beeping of ANA’s life support machine. The whole scene is exclusively constructed by the juxtaposition of the following shots in sequence:

CLOSE UP OF CARMEN LOOKING AT HER GRANDMOTHER.

EXTREME CLOSE UP OF ANA’S DRIP.

EXTREME CLOSE UP OF ANA’S HAND ON DRIP.

MEDIUM SHOT OF CARMEN FROM ANA’S P.O.V. (THE HOSPITAL SAD CORRIDOR CAN BE SEEN BEHIND HER)

REVERSE MEDIUM SHOT OF ANA FROM CARMEN’S P.O.V.

EXTREME CLOSE UP OF ANA’S SUPPORT MACHINE BEAT RATE MONITOR.

MEDIUM SHOT OF CARMEN FROM ANA’S P.O.V. WITH THE CORRIDOR BEHIND HER.

In the background, we see MOIRA arrive and walk hurriedly towards CARMEN. Both women embrace.

MEDIUM SHOT OF ANA IN HOSPITAL BED, SHE IS WEARING AN OXYGEN MASK, HER EYES ARE OPEN AND LOOKING IN MOIRA’S DIRECTION.

CLOSE UP OF MOIRA THROUGH THE GLASS.

Tears fall from MOIRA’s eyes. She nods at ANA with a smile.

REVERSE CLOSE UP ON ANA’s FACE.

ANA nods back at MOIRA with a peaceful smile.

(A silent beat)

The beeping stops.

EXT – SITE OF MASS GRAVE – EARLY MORNING

The morning light bathes the thick grove of oak trees. Colours stand out, and the site looks vibrant and alive. People gather. The excavation finished last year, the remains taken for identification and an honorable burial elsewhere. Today relatives and neighbours from the village and nearby towns get together to remember and honor the victims.

CARMEN looks across at the footbridge. MOIRA is sitting there. Both women smile.

END AND CREDITS.

“Bringing out the dead”, © Jose Velazquez December 2007