Left Where It Fell - Final

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left where it fell

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by Andrew P. Alderete

Andrew P. Alderete Box FZ-21 California Institute of the Arts

INT. CECILIA HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY

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A WALL

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is dark, rigid, and rough with hard-edged sunlit shadows. They create sharp squares against the surface.

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On the wall hangs vintage ballet art, one of which has a female dancer in a black decorated dress painted on the front.

A MANTLE

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There is an ornate gold frame around it.

holds many small framed pictures.

Stagnant. A PAINTING

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There is a thick layer of dust.

Some are in black & white.

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of ballet dancers by Edgar Degas hangs on the living room wall. One fixes her ballet shoe while the other massages her calves. Their faces are shadowed in darkness. A PICTURE

reflects light off the clean and spotless glass, a sharp contrast to all the others.

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The picture is of a mother and daughter. The daughter is young, in tights, with her hair in a bun. She kisses her mother on the cheek as they both smile.

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A DARK SHADOW suddenly covers the image.

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BEAT. A frail hand that holds a laced and worn handkerchief straightens the picture. It wipes the glass clean. THE DARK SHADOW is of CECILIA (80), the mother who kisses her daughter in the picture. She is now frail, has long white hair tied in a bun, and is hunched over. She holds a white handkerchief in front of her mouth.

2. 2

INT. RIYA HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY

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The living room is dark. Slivers of light from the window reflect on the walls, covered with framed art.

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There is a mantle with pictures over a fireplace, and a small mirror above. RIYA (42), dark hair in a ponytail, bag over her shoulder, walks to the mantle. A PICTURE

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rests on the mantle. It is of Riya and her mother - the same image on the wall of Cecilia’s home.

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Riya pivots herself on the mantle to fix her shoe with her other hand. Her hand touches the picture. As she pushes it out of place, it falls over. BEAT.

She ignores it, and walks out.

INT. CECILIA HOUSE - BATHROOM - DAY

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Water runs in the sink as Cecilia coughs then turns it off. She opens a bottle of pills and takes three.

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Cecilia puts on a sweater and looks in the mirror. Her eyes are tired, dark, and worn. She coughs into a handkerchief. BEAT.

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She positions a shawl over her shoulders, turns off the light and walks out.

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The sound of faint echoed music and distant conversation.

4

INT. DANCE STUDIO - HALLWAY - DAY A hallway.

Murky, dark and textured.

4 Leaves on the ground.

A door opens. Riya walks out in a beautiful, colorful dress with black pointe ballet shoes. Distant laughter grows louder.

3. 5

INT. DANCE STUDIO - DAY

5 Soft blue

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Two large windows with blue diffuse background. light spills into the room.

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Four DANCE STUDENTS (20’s-30’s) crowd the room. They talk amongst themselves. Some stretch in front of mirrored walls, others sit on the floor. Riya walks in, and the students form a single line and face forward.

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A RECORD PLAYER NEEDLE

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sits in a shadow in the corner of the room. Riya walks towards it, pulls a record off the shelf, and sets it to play. Piano etudes begin to play amidst the cracks and pops of the vinyl. RIYA

walks down the front row of students. raise their arms in sync with Riya.

They stand still, and

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Slow precise body movements. Riya studies the students. students follow suit. EXT. DANCE STUDIO - DAY

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She goes on pointe, and the

The muffled sound of piano.

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Cecilia walks up to a think window.

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Her arm shakes as she leans against her cane. hair out of its bun as she watches Riya.

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Wind blows her

INT. DANCE STUDIO - DAY

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Riya turns around and sees a shadow of Cecilia through the window. She dismisses it, then turns again.

Nothing.

BEAT. As she lifts her arm in a melodic swell, one student drops her arm. Riya moves to correct it.

4. The student quickly looks at her.

INT. CECILIA HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON Everything is stagnant and still.

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CUT TO:

INT. CECILIA HOUSE - BATHROOM - AFTERNOON

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A MIRROR

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shows the silhouette of Cecilia as she coughs into her handkerchief.

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BEAT.

Cecilia turns on the light and stares at herself in the mirror. Her eyes seem sunken in. Pale. Her hand trembles as she touches her face.

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BEAT.

INT. CECILIA HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON Cecilia walks in. uncoordinated.

Her movements are sluggish, somewhat

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A COUCH

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rests near her. Cecilia puts her cane down, sits, takes her sweater off, and lays down on it.

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She pulls a blanket over her.

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A PICTURE

of Riya on the wall. the Degas painting.

She looks similar to a dancer seen in

A PAINTING of a ballet dancer. of color.

Vibrant, graceful, and full

A SHADOW moves over the picture. frame. AN OPEN EYE

Long dark fingers reach across the

5. shutters. It is fixed on the open air. shadow is cast over Cecilia’s face.

Red.

Wet.

A dark

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A convex reflection of THE DARK SHADOW appears in the iris of her eye.

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BEAT.

The Dark Shadow is covered in a long, black cloth. It’s face is hidden, as long, dark fingers hold the same wooden cane that Cecilia used to walk.

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It stands over her. Cecilia is dead.

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The Dark Shadow softly touches Cecilia’s face, then disappears. INT. DANCE STUDIO - EVENING

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The Dark Shadow stands in the center of the empty studio. Soft blue light fills the room with a crisp blanket of shapes and shadows.

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The Dark Shadow pulls up its dark sleeve as it drops the cane. Its wrist is white and delicate. A sharp textured contrast to the black shroud that covers it. INT. DANCE STUDIO - HALLWAY - EVENING

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RIYA

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walks out of her office door. BEAT.

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She looks towards the studio entrance, as if something beckons her. Riya walks down a dark hallway. Leaves blow on the floor. The walls become lit with candlelight. Her eyes are fixed on the studio entrance that spills out soft blue light.

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INT. DANCE STUDIO - EVENING Riya looks in from the entrance.

13 The room is empty.

6. BEAT. Riya puts her

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She walks in, and stops. Piano music plays. belongings on the ground. A DARK CLOTH

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falls to the floor. Now uncovered, The Dark Figure is YOUNG CECILIA (20’s-30’s), the ghost of Riya’s mother. She walks behind Riya and gently touches her shoulder.

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BEAT.

The lights dim to darkness around them.

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Riya begins to dance Young Cecilia mirrors her movement. Light throws sharp shadows between them. HANDS

barely touch each other with flowing sync. ARMS

BODIES

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wrap around themselves like light cotton sheets in a breeze.

move parallel and planar to each other.

They move as one.

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When the music stops, Riya and the ghost of her mother face each other in a perfect mirror image. BEAT.

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Riya walks out of the room as Young Cecilia watches her grab her things. INT. DANCE STUDIO - HALLWAY - EVENING

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Riya walks down the hallway, puts on her coat and throws a purse over her shoulder. Young Cecilia watches behind her, then closes her eyes. BEAT.

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7. 16

INT. RIYA HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - EVENING

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THE MANTLE

THE WHITE HAND of Young Cecilia gently picks it up. the glass.

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holds the fallen picture of Riya and Cecilia.

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Diffuse blue light spills on an old couch and bookshelf.

There is a crack down

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The refracted reflection of Young Cecilia in the cracked glass.

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BEAT.

Young Cecilia’s head turns as she puts the picture back. A FRONT DOOR

opens. Blue light spills in from outside. Riya’s hair. She closes the door.

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BEAT.

INT. RIYA HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT

17 Light reflects in

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Shower mist comes from the bathroom door. the mist. 18

Wind pushes

INT. RIYA HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT

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A MIRROR is dense with condensation and mist.

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Riya wipes it off as she combs her hair. Through the water vapor, a mirage of the older Cecilia behind her. Her mother takes the comb and continues to brush her hair. Riya stares at herself in the mirror, motionless. BEAT. Riya snaps out of it. The Younger Cecilia stands behind her, and nearly caresses Riya’s hair when Riya turns around and leaves.

8. 19

INT. RIYA HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT

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A BED

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has warm color-toned sheets from the light of the nightstand lamp.

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RIYA

opens up the sheets and gets under them. A NIGHTSTAND

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faces Riya. It holds a bedside lamp, which is on. reaches to pull the lamp switch.

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She pauses.

Riya

To the right of the nightstand is the framed picture of Riya and her mother. It is the same picture she knocked down, and Young Cecilia held. There is a crack down the middle. BEAT.

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BLACK.

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Riya slowly pulls the light switch on the lamp.