the snake that dances

8/3/2019 The Snake That Dances

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THE SNAKE THAT DANCES

Written by

Ester T. Roura

Phnom Penh (Cambodia) - Dublin (Ireland), January [email protected]



“THE SNAKE THAT DANCES”

FADE IN

EXT. PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA, RUSSIAN MARKET DISTRICT. DAWN

From the POV of the audience the wheels of an old bicycle motioning through the recently flooded streets of the RussianDistrict in Phnom Penh. Few rats crossing over its path. Onthe pavement all sort of debris, ragged cloths, and dirtypropaganda pamphlets showing a distorted face of a smilingPol Pot. The SOUND OF CROWS FIGHTING welcomes the day.Otherwise, the city is ghostly silent and empty of life.

The bicycle stops all of a sudden at the sight of a burningcommunist flag. A rubber sandaled foot dismounts from thebike and extinguishes the flame while producing a thin columnof black smoke. The cyclist takes out his sandal and motionsit towards his face smelling the burned rubber.

NEN is a 17 years old Cambodian boy. He is very slim andpleasant looking. He wears an old customized Chinese armyuniform and a red Khmer foulard. A Zenit photographic camerapending from his neck. On the background thick columns ofblack smoke produced by a recent explosion and crows fightingon the air.

Nen’s attention is suddenly captured by a snake trying tohide under the communist flag. Nen carefully dismounts thebicycle and crouches down with the precision of a cat whileholding the camera steady, getting ready for a shot.

NEN(Whispering in French,English subtitles)

Que j’ aime voir, chereindolente,De ton corps si beau,Comme une etoffe vacilante,Miroiter la peau!

(SUBTITLE)How I love to watch, dearindolence,Like a bright shimmer,

Of fabric the skin of yourelegantBody glimmer!

Nen’s Zenit CLICKS few times fading into the sound ofSQUEAKING METAL.



EXT. TUOL SLENG (S-21 INTERNMENT CAMP) MAIN GATE. DAWN.

Sound of SQUEAKING METAL.

Insert of a sign: “TUOL SLENG HIGH SCHOOL”

The main prison gate opens letting Nen and his bicycle in.Two teenage guards with red Khmer foulards give him a military salutation. He salutes back smiling. He enters thebarbed wired fenced premises. Then he walks the smalldistance which separates the gate from the first buildingblock on the right, leans the bicycle near the others andenters.

INT. TUOL SLENG RECEPTION ROOM. DAWN.

In the reception room a third GUARD, also a teenage, wearingthe same kind of foulard, waves at him without looking. He issitting behind a desk and tuning a radio. He is shiftingtraditional music to a jingle. Nen stops and listens as thenews bulletin starts:

RADIO SPEAKER (V.O.)

“Radio Phnom Penh. Today is 1st May 1977 and it is 6 am.Good morning. Last night, the enemies of the revolution hitagain the streets of the capital. Our party leaders suspectan intended coup d’etat organized by counterrevolutionarytraitors helped by a Vietnamese faction to destabilizeDemocratic Kampuchea...”

As the guard tunes back to the music Nen continues towardsthe next room.

INT. TUOL SLENG DOCUMENTATION DEPARTMENT. DAY.

The traditional music fading into the CLATTER OF TYPEWRITERS.The room is full of very young civil servants sitting indesks and organized in several straight lines. They type non

stop. There is a sign on the wall: “DOCUMENTATIONDEPARTMENT”.

Nen continues motioning towards a door at the end of theroom.

INT. TUOL SLENG CORRIDOR. DAY.

He enters now a long corridor and walks all the way down.Sound of his ECHOED STEPS HITTING THE PAVEMENT, mixing with

SOUND OF CHAINS in crescendo.

2.



His path encounters a line of all ages and genders bare-footed prisoners wearing civilian clothes and linked together with a chain shackled to their ankles. Their faces swollen.Two teenager guards guide them along the corridor.

Nen instinctively salutes the retinue with a vague smile.

Nobody answer him back. He continues walking but turning backhis head a couple of times. Eventually he reaches the door atthe end of the corridor and disappears behind SLAMMING it.

INT. TUOL SLENG MUG SHOTS ROOM. DAY.

From Nen’s POV: In a huge naked room, a never ending line ofprisoners of all ages, gender and complexion are sitting onthe floor along a wall with their hands over their heads. Fewteenage male guards, wearing Khmer red foulards, watch them.

Standing in the middle of the room, a teenage femaleHAIRDRESSER GUARD, also wearing a Khmer foulard, is workingin one of the prisoners seated on a stool.

She is shaving the prisoner’s hair. The prisoner is ateenager boy with some sort of mental disability, madeobvious by his odd body language and constant drooling. Thehairdresser struggles to keep his head steady.

HAIRDRESSER GUARD(to Nen but withoutlooking at him)

We got 156 today. I need newblades.

Nen motions towards the improvised photography studio set ina corner of the room. The set consists of a white piece ofpaper scotched to the wall and a stool. He attaches hiscamera to the tripod already in place and adjusts the lens.

Then he calls with the hand the prisoner that just got thehaircut and points to the stool.

The prisoner wanders confusedly towards the stool. He turnsaround few times seeking eye contact with the others. Thedrooling continues.

From Nen’s POV looking through the camera objective: theframed prisoner, after few failed attempts, sits on thestool. He looks around and then dedicates a drooling smile tothe objective.

From the audience POV Nen massages his frowned forehead andhis eyes. He bends again to look through the camera visor.

Nen’s POV: The framed prisoner starts moving in a messy way.

3.



NEN (O.S.)Sir, sir please...

The female hairdresser appears in the frame and shakesvigorously the prisoner with one hand while hitting him onthe head with the other.

The prisoner protects his head with his hands and eventuallystops his spasmodic motion. Then she leaves the frame. Theprisoner raises his head and briefly smiles to Nen. Nenquickly re-frames him and manages to take the picture. Thecamera CLICKS.

Insert of the stunned drooling face.

NEN (O.S.) (CONT’D)

(smiling in approval)Thank, thank you sir. Next!!

Still from Nen’s POV looking through the camera: MONTAGE ofdifferent inserted mug shots of the prisoners while thecamera keeps CLICKING. The numbers of the batches worn by theprisoners change along with the faces. The males head iscompletely shaved while the females wear a squared shortcutcovering the ears and fringe.

Change to the audience’s POV in the montage: we now see Nenchanging the film.

Back to nen’s POV and the faces montage.

Back to Nen changing again the film.

Back to the faces. The last picture shows a female prisoner with the number 156. END OF THE MONTAGE.

We now see Nen taking the camera out of the tripod andhanging it in his neck.

Close up of his hands introducing several films in a metalbox and covering it with a lid.

Nen then leaves the room from the opposite side where thehairdresser guard is now guiding the few last prisonersthrough another exit.

NEN (CONT’D)(to the hairdresser guard and without any special emphasis)

See you tomorrow

4.



No answer. One door closes after the hairdresser and theother after Nen. SILENCE.

INT. TUOL SLENG DARK ROOM. DUSK.

Nen is developing the films. Few pictures of the desertedstreets of Phnom Penh and the snake are peg hanging on acloth’s line . On the trays, and waiting for the chemicals toreact, more pictures. Nen manipulates with the tweezers oneof the pictures inside a container in order to evenlydistribute the developing liquid. An image starts to form. Itis one of the mug shots. He puts it then to the next traycontaining the fixing product and then under the running

water in the sink. When the picture under the water is donehe hangs it on the clothe’s line beside the snake.

Nen repeats the same operation few times, each time faster.

EXT. TUOL SLENG PATIO. DUSK

The group of prisoners recently photographed are standingagainst a wall in the patio forming a line. The teenagesoldiers watch them. Two more soldiers are passing a heavychain through the prisoners shackles.

When the operation is done another soldier appears with ahose and waters them. After the mass shower, the firstprisoner of the line is taken by a soldier and broughtthrough a door on the opposite side of the patio. Insert ofthe sign indicating: “INTERROGATION ROOM”

INT. TUOL SLENG DARK ROOM. NIGHT.

Several mug shots are hanging from the clothe’s line.

Nen finishes cleaning the workplace, dries his hands and

grabs the camera. He dedicates a last tracking glance to thehanging pictures’ display before exiting the room.

He stops at the picture of the mentally disabled boy whostares at him and sketches a drooling grotesque smile. Nencloses his eyes and shakes his head as to thrown away thesole thought. Then he looks back. The picture seems normalnow. The boy looks stunned like the other hundreds hangingfrom the cloth’s line.

Nen opens the door.

5.



INT. TUOL SLENG CORRIDOR. NIGHT

Nen closes and locks the dark room door giving us the back.CHAN approaches him from behind. Chan is a tall frighteninglooking Khmer. He is in his late forties and his face isdeformed by a collection of old scars.

CHANGoing home?

NEN(Turning around surprised by thesudden appearance of Chan)Sir, yes. Most of today’s mugs arethere. I need to get more chemicalsand paper from the warehouse.

CHAN

Get some rest boy. Tomorrow we areexpecting a shipment from theNorth.

NENYes, yes Dr. Chan.

CHAN(walking away)

By the way, director BUTCH told mehe is very happy with your work.The Chinese school I sent you todid a good job with you.

NENYes, professor. Thank you, sir.

INT. NEN’S HOUSE. NIGHT

Near a window, a blondish woman with long hair is sitting atthe table giving us the back. Nen enters in the room from the main door situated just opposite to the table were the womanis sitting.

NENHelene! Still awake? You scared me!

HELENE(In French with Englishsubtitles)C’est n’ est pas moi qui tedoit faire peur.

(SUBTITLES)It is not me you should bescared of.

NEN (CONT’D)

Please don’t start...

6.



Helene is a French woman in her mid thirties. She was writing when Nen arrived. She leaves the pen on the table now andstands up.

HELENEI left you the dinner in the

kitchen. Please don’t make too muchnoise, I am going to bed.

NENDon’t be like this! Come on! Can Isee what you have being writing?Please...

Helene slides her notebook over the table and Nen picks itup. He flips the pages reading quickly through.

NEN (CONT’D)

An itinerary? You are abandoningthe poetry to become a travelagent?

HELENE(standing)

No, I am leaving.

NENWhat for? I can take care of younow. I got a good job. You don’thave to worry. You are safe with me.

HELENENobody is safe.

NENToday professor Chan congratulated my work. The Party is very happy with me.

HELENE(whispering at Nen’s ear)

The Party? Your work? What is your

work?

NENYou know what is my work!

HELENE(Still whispering)

Oh yes? Say it then! Can’t you sayit?

He takes the camera hanging from his neck and gets ready to

take a picture.

7.



NEN

More than that I can show it! Lookat me, smile! I am taking a pictureof you! Come here!

Helene tries to escape from the camera running around thetable and covering her face with her hands. Nen goes afterher. She finally surrenders. Nen, triumphal, takes thepicture. The race releases the tension between them, bothlaugh. Then he approaches her. They are very close. She istaller than him and very white. He starts fixing her hair messed up by the small race and then he caresses her face,slowly. Eventually their mouths get very close but withouttouching. Then Nen steps back and bends his head down.

NEN (CONT’D)I am sorry...

HELENE(dry)

I don’t think that working at S-21is what your parents intended foryou to do.

She leaves the room. Nen sits and holds his head with thehands. The camera pivots towards the window and we see thedarkness of the night changing gradually to dawn.

EXT. PHNOM PENH RUSSIAN MARKET DISTRICT. DAWN

Again, the wheels of Nen’s bicycle racing about the emptyalley ways of his neighbourhood. He stops brusquely at thesudden UPROAR of motor engines approaching him. Two trucksovertake him covering all with a layer of reddish mud. Theback of the trucks are loaded with people.

MONTAGE. From Nen’s POV the going away faces of the people inthe trucks staring at him. From the POV of the faces: Nen andhis bicycle getting smaller and smaller on the distance.

He then cleans up the mud covering his Chinese outfit and thebicycle’s saddle with his foulard. Mounts again and getsready to continue but he has to stop at the sight of a snakecrossing before the front wheel.

NEN(Whispering in French,English subtitles)Tes yeux , ou rien ne sereveleDe doux ni d’ amer,Sont deux bijoux froids ou se

meleL’or avec le fer

(SUBTITLE)Your eyes, where nothing’srevealedeither acrid or sweet,Are two cold jewels wheresteelAnd gold both meet.

8.



EXT. TUOL SLENG (S-21 INTERNMENT CAMP) MAIN GATE. DAWN

ROAR of metal gates opening. Nen, coming from a lateralstreet, enters with his bicycle.

NEN

(to the teenager guards)Morning!

At this time the teenager guards don’t reply him. They keeptheir heads down and turn the back to Nen.

Nen walks towards the reception looking back at the guards.He leans the bicycle besides the others and enters the block.

INT. TUOL SLENG RECEPTION ROOM. DAWN

The same guard from the day before is tuning the radio.

RADIO SPEAKER (V.O.)Radio Phnom Penh. It is 6 am. Good morning...(fading)

NEN(to the guard)Morning!

GUARDDoctor Chan is waiting for you inhis office.

NEN(smiling)In his office?Thank you!!

GUARDYour’ not scared?

NENScared? What for?

He smiles and walks towards next room.

INT. TUOL SLENG DOCUMENTATION DEPARTMENT. DAY.

Like the day before he walks through the CLATTER OFTYPEWRITERS and the young typists. At this time instead goingtowards the corridor he knocks at Chan’s office door. Insertof the sign on the door: “DR. CHAN, HEAD OFFICER”

9.



INT. CHAN’S OFFICE. DAY.

Standing and giving his back to the audience Chan is revisingsome documents laid out on top of the huge desk.

CHAN

Come in!

NENProfessor Chan, I believe you wanted to see me?

CHANDon’t call me that, boy. I am not aprofessor anymore(pause)Come here, look at this...

Nen motions towards the desk and sees hundreds of prints of mug shots in it. All the faces are smiling. Some of them, infact having a laugh.

CHAN (CONT’D)Can you explain it? What’s thatfunny?

NENI don’t understand. Who’s picturesare they?

CHANWho’s pictures you are asking? They were hanging from the cloth’s linein the dark room. (pause)Director BUTCH asked me to bringhim the mug shots to include it inhis memoranda.(pause)Brother Number One is coming and wants to see the records.

NENI don’t understand. This is not mine... But the numbers... they

correspond to the monthly sequenceof admissions I took yesterday...

Then he starts nervously looking for a particular mug shot,the one of the smiling boy of the day before. He eventuallyfinds it and shows it to Chan.

NEN (CONT’D)I photographed these peopleyesterday, I remember this face!But they weren’t smiling I swear.

10.



INT. DIRECTOR’S BUTCH OFFICE. DAY.

Director Butch is seating behind his desk. Some of Nen’ssmiling mug shots are spread-out over the table. Butch is athin cold Khmer in his late thirties. Chan, standing on theopposite side of the desk.

BUTCHThe enemies of the revolution can’tsmile. The upper brothers wouldfeel insecure and we have enoughproblems. What about the boy?

CHANI know the boy since he was a babyand I knew well his parents...

BUTCH

People change. His mother wasFrench. Wasn’t she?

CHANHe is not a traitor. There issomething smelly in here...

BUTCHYou have 24 hours. I need properpictures.

INT. TUOL SLENG MUG SHOTS ROOM. DAY.

Like the day before. A line of prisoners are waiting fortheir turn to get a haircut and then a mug shot. The samefemale guard is cutting the hair and Nen is in position totake the shots. Chan is standing besides the stool on thephotography set and making sure nobody smiles.

NENNext!

One after the other the prisoners sit on the stool to gettheir mug shot. Their faces are stunned and some of them

froze at Chan’s glance.

Camera CLICKS. Chan pulls the prisoner off the stool andcalls a new one with his hand.

NEN (CONT’D)Next!

CLICK. The same operation again.

NEN (CONT’D)Next!

11.



EXT. CHOEUNG EK KILLING FIELD. DAY

An ox-cart axle brandishes against a grey sky.

MALE VOICE(O.S.)Next!

The ox-cart axle motions forward like falling on top of theaudience.

Sound of CRACKED BONES. Then silence. Then wind shaking thebranches of the trees producing a sound of CREAKING WOOD.

Emerging from the mist a line of shackled people, linkedtogether by the ankles with a chain. The line moves slowlyalong a track. We only see the bodies. The heads are off thescreen.

The bodies start falling one after the other into a hole dugin the field. The WIND continues.

INT. TUOL SLENG DARK ROOM. DUSK.

Nen contemplates satisfied the work of the day hanging from the cloths line. All seems in place. No smiling faces. Noteven Helene smiles in the picture he took the night before.Nen takes her picture down and puts it in the big pocket ofhis Chinese jacket. Then he gathers the rest of the picturesand introduces them in cardboard boxes and seals it. He putsthe boxes under his arms and exits the room.


Helene is tiding up the house. She sets up nen’s dinner inthe dinning. Then she produces a small envelope and a Gauloisand leaves it on the table.

Then she moves towards the entrance and covers up her hair with a Khmer scarf. She looks at her reflection on the mirror. It is a tired face, with premature wrinkles given bythe war. Then she switches off the lights, takes a suitcase

ready at the entrance, and exits the house.

Door closes after her.

INT. CHAN’S OFFICE. NIGHT

View of the office’s door from inside and opening to the restof the office. Chan is sitting behind the desk studying somedocuments. We see him from the back.

KNOCKS on the door.

CHANCome in!

12.



Nen enters with the boxes under his arms and hands them toChan.

Chan breaks off the seal and takes out a handful of mugshots. He flips it over. All seems normal. Then he seals backthe boxes and introduces them into a safe. They look at each

other and salute bending slightly the heads in accomplice andsilent approbation.


Nen enters his house.

NENHelene! Ou est tu? Aunt!

He sees the dinner ready on the table and sits to eat it.When is done he lights up the Gaulois and gives a puff. Onlythen he notices the envelope. He opens it and reads. Hestands up and motions towards Helene’s room with the note inhis hands.

INT. HELENE’S BEDROOM. NIGHT

The room is very tidy. Nen opens the closet and finds someempty cloth hangers. Then he starts tossing things about, heopens drawers, throws books, upsets the bed. Finally he sitson the bed, dejected, with both hands holding his head.

INT. NEN’S BEDROOM. NIGHT

Nen is sitting in the bed. He still wears the Khmer rougefoulard. His camera is besides him. A poster of a smiling PolPot is on the wall and a pamphlet with a picture of MaoZedong is in his bedside table. On the pamphlet and printedin capitals, this headline is inserted: “ON THE CORRECTHANDLING OF CONTRADICTIONS AMONG THE PEOPLE“.

Nen studies Helene’s note and the serious expression of herface in the portrait he took. Then he imitates her expressionand breaks laughing. Then he switches off the light andslides under the cover with his eyes in tears.

EXT. PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA, RUSSIAN MARKET DISTRICT. DAWN

Like every morning Nen is cycling to work. His race issuddenly interrupted by two military vehicles crossed on the

road and interrupting his path. Four teenage male soldiersdescent and without a word approach him.

13.



Nen is taken by two of them by the underarms and draggedtowards one of the cars while another hits his back with thebutt of his AK47 assault riffle. The fourth soldier stripshim of his camera and foulard. They drive away.

INT. MILITARY CAR. DAY

Nen, in a semi conscience state, is lying on the back seat ofthe car. He is handcuffed and muzzled with the Khmer foulard.

From Nen’s POV the city scape passes by the back window atthe speed of the car. His attention is caught by a huge muralcovering a building’s facade. The mural pictures a dancingsnake wearing a Khmer rouge foulard. A sentence in Frenchinserts printed over the illustration:

“A te voir marcher en cadence,belle d’ abandon, on dirait unserpent qui danse, au bout d’ unbaton.”(SUBTITLE)“Seeing your rhythmic advance,Your fine abandon,One might speak of a snake thatdancedAt the end of the branch it’s on.”

Nen continues contemplating the illustration from hisposition until it is out of sight.

Little by little the buildings disappear. Nen can see nowonly the blue sky, few trees and the blue mountains far away.

The car stops all of a sudden. A sign indicates where theyare: ”CHOEUNG EK”. Nen manages to sit and looks at what’sgoing on outside the car.

EXT. CHOEUNG EK KILLING FIELD, GUARD POST. DAY

From Nen’s POV, contemplating the scene from the rear seat of

the car. The vehicle is stopped before a barrier. The guardexits the sentry box and approaches the car. He interchangesfew unintelligible words with the driver who shows him a map.The guard then points down the road like giving directions.Then goes back to the post and opens the barrier. The windshakes the top of the trees producing that sound of CREAKINGWOOD.

EXT. CHOEUNG EK KILLING FIELD. DAY

From Nen’s POV. The car moves again in slow motion. The sound

of CREAKING WOOD continues and fades into an ONEIRIC WIND.They pass by the rice fields and lines of shackled people walking along the tracks.

14.



The car then passes by a pile of corpses. We can hear clearlythe BEAT of Nen’s heart when he recognizes among the corpsesthe disabled boy he took the mug shot. Close up of the deadboy’s face.

INT. MILITARY CAR. DAY

In tears and shaking, Nen closes his eyes and slowly slidesdown, negating with the head. The car continues. Morelandscape passing by. The light changes. Then the day becomesnight.

INT. PREY SO RICE FIELD, REEDUCATION CENTER. DAWN.

Insert of a Sign: “PREY SO REEDUCATION CENTER”. Nen is lying

on the pavement forming a line with other prisoners. His faceswollen. They are all dirty with blood and dust. They aresleep or unconscious. All wear batches with numbers.

KID SOLDIER (O.S.)All of you traitors, get up!

Nen sits up and realizes they are all linked and shackled tothe floor. He looks at the soldier and sees a small boy,about thirteen years old, standing with a rod made of twistedelectric wire.

KID SOLDIER (CONT’D)Why are you sleeping? It is nearlydawn! Don’t be lazy. Do someexercises!

NENWhy am I here? I am a photographerin S-21. I want to talk to doctorChan.

KID SOLDIERShut up! Exercise!

NENPlease, I am a Party member!

KID SOLDIER(Hitting Nen’s face with the rod)Shut up and exercise!

NENHow can I exercise brother?

KID SOLDIERHow stupid you are, you old coot!

Get the shit buckets, put them under the bars, and jump together!

15.



The whole line of prisoners follow his instructions. Theshackles and the metal buckets CLANK throughout the room. Nentries to jump a few times with the others but it is almostimpossible with one ankle fastened to the shackles and theother foot jumping.

INT. TUOL SLENG INTERROGATION ROOM. NIGHT

It is a dark room but for a strong beam of white light comingfrom a lamp and directed to the audience. In the middle ofthe room there is a table. Behind the table two silhouettessitting one besides the other one. Butch’s face appears allof a sudden from the shadows.

BUTCHDo you know why we arrested you?

Now we see the other side of the table. We see Helene withher hair short and her face swollen. Her eyes are closed,like glued with blood and dirt and her clothes are wet.

HELENE(Talking with great difficulty)I don’t know...

Butch smiles at her and signs with his eyes. A guard appearsfrom the shadows and puts a rod around her neck and tightensit. She coughs blood.

BUTCHNow. Lets try again. Do you know why we arrested you?

Helene negates with the head.

BUTCH (CONT’D)The organization isn’t stupid. Wenever catch people who aren’tguilty.(Pause)Now think again. What did you do

wrong?

HELENE

I...I tried, I wanted to gohome...?

Butch smiles and again signs with his eyes. Now we hearHelene SCREAMING of pain, off the screen.

BUTCHNow. Lets try again. Do you know

why we arrested you?

16.



HELENEI...I don’t know what you want meto say. I..I don’t know when I am correct...

Chan appears from the shadows and produces few of the mug

shots with the smiling faces.

CHANHelene, do you recognize thispictures?

HELENEProfessor Chan?

CHANWhat have you done with thispictures and who else is involved?

HELENE(Crying)

I..I can’t see...my eyes..

BUTCH(Very calm and to the soldier)Take her to the courtyard! She maysee clearly after a good wash.

HELENE(In desperation)

Professor Chan!!!

At the cry for help Chan disappears again into the shadows.

EXT. PREY SO RICE FIELD, REEDUCATION CENTER. DAY.

Nen is in a cage made with wooden sticks. He is eating a watery rice gruel garnished with banana leaves. The mosquitoes are attacking him and the blue bottles gather inthe wounds produced by the shackles.

Sound of STEPS approaching on the sandy soil.

NENChan! You came!

CHANI am doing all in my power to saveyou but BUTCH is convinced you arepart of a chain of traitors.

NENI don’t understand! It is because Iam taking bad pictures?

17.



CHANHe thinks your family and its westener connections have somethingto do with it.

NEN

Helene!

CHANShe’s being detained.

NENDetained! What happened?

CHANShe was caught trying to cross theborder and was brought to S-21.

NEN(Furious)Caught! What do you mean caught? Ididn’t know travelling was acriminal act!

CHANYou don’t understand. She isinvolved in the conspiracy...

NENWhich conspiracy? She only wants togo back to Europe!!

CHANNo Nen, she is involved in thebusiness with the pictures.

NENMy bad pictures? She never got nearany of them!!! She doesn’t knowanything about photography! Howcould she?

CHAN

She confessed her guilt, she evennamed other people involved. Shelet you out but Butch stillsuspects you. I am sorry...

Nen cries in frustration. Then, looking at Chan SHOUTS inhanger.

NENI need to get out of here!Are you with me, professor?

18.



INT. PREY SO RICE FIELD, REEDUCATION CENTER. DISCHARGEOFFICE.DAY.

Chan is in front a reception desk. Few civil servants type intheir machines behind the desk. Two guards with guns are inthe threshold of the entrance door. A standing CIVIL SERVANT

studies few documents.

CIVIL SERVANTYour credentials seem in orderDoctor Chan.

(to one of the guards)Bring 159 here!

After a while the guard appears with Nen.

CHAN(to Nen)

I have the order to bring you to S-21 .

Nen spits on him and gets hit by the guard.

INT. CHAN’S PICK UP. DAY.

Chan is driving the pick up and Nen is sitting besides him.

CHANthere was not need to be thatexplicit. You ruined my new jacket.

NEN(frowning the forehead)Don’t complaint. I got mypunishment, don’t you think?

Chan smiles for the first time, showing a golden tooth.

NEN (CONT’D)

(looking around)Wait a minute. Where are you going?

CHANI am bringing you to a safe place.

NEN(imperative)

No way Professor. Drive straight toS-21. We need to liberate Helene!

CHAN

She is not there anymore. They tookher away.

19.



NENWhere is she? You don’t understand.It was all my fault. She left me anote explaining her reasons.(excited)I can prove her innocence!!!

Nen searches in his pocket and founds the wrinkled note andthe picture. He unfolds both impatiently.

CHANIt won’t make a difference, believe me.

Nen is looking now at the picture. Helene is showing a sereneexpression and a wide smile. Nothing to do with the picturehe took of her. Nen looks at Chan in astonished and containedfury.

CHAN (CONT’D)I cannot help her but at least Ican save you... I only care aboutyou my boy...

NENChan?

CHANYes?

NENYou're a bloody bastard!!!!

Nen punches Chan all of a sudden. While Chan is trying toreject Nen’s attack the car loses control and goes off theroad. Nen manages to throw Chan out of the pick up andregains control. He stops the race. Then he goes where Chan’sbody is lying and starts punching him out of control. Nencries and YELLS. He doesn’t stops until Chan losesconsciousness. Then he goes back to the car and drives away.

EXT. CHOEUNG EK KILLING FIELD. NIGHT

Nen approaches the killing field with the lights of the pickup switched off. He leaves the vehicle and sneaks under thebarbed wired fence. He searches around the mass graves. He walks in between the corpses, the ragged cloths and the rats.On the background columns of smoke and the sound of CRACKINGWOOD. He turns over some of the bodies to see their faces. A snake appears from nowhere and hides back under a pile ofbodies. Nen then follows the snake and finds Helene’s corpseamong the others. He holds her in his arms, like in a Pieta

(Michelangelo), and cries in silence. The wind BLOWS and theSun rises.

20.



On the distance and against the rising Sun Nen’s silhouetteis carrying away Helene’s body. Then he pulls her body underthe barbed wired fence. He reaches the pick up, puts the bodyon the back, covers it with his Chinese jacket and drivesaway until he gets lost into the horizon.

FADE OUT.

THE END

21.

the snake that dances

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