227. The River - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• EXT. STREETS OF ASUNCION, PARAGUAY - DAY


• Hundreds of people march along the streets of Asuncion, carry buckets and large gallon containers.


• FATHER DE LA MORA leads the column, the slums of Villa Laurelty behind them, the Paraguay River in front of them.


• ARACELI holds AIMEE, her twin sister's, hand.


• AIMEE
• I'm scared.


• ARACELI squeezes her hand.


• ARACELI
• We have to show the world; they have to see that they can't take away our water and sell it to those who can afford it. We are dying, and no one sees. Now they will.


• AIMEE
• I know, it doesn't stop the fear though.


• ARACELI
• Yeah.


• They continue to the edge of the city and stream towards the river.


• SOLDIERS and corporate MERCENARIES employed by AquaSera stand by their humvees, watching the defiant slum-dwellers approach.


• The priest steps to the edge of the water.


• A corporate official by the humvees raises a bullhorn to his mouth.


• CORPORATE OFFICIAL
• Step away from the water! You are not authorized for water collection; this river is the property of AquaSera.


• The priest, silent, raises his gallon jug and lowers it into the water.


• The crowd follows him.


• The soldiers rush in, pushing some into the water as they begin beating them with batons.


• FATHER DE LA MORA
• Don't fight back!


• The soldiers tire and fall back, leaving hundreds of bloodied peasants on the shoreline.


• Araceli and Aime huddle together.


• AIMEE
• I don't see any cameras, I don't see anyone from the news? How will the world see.


• Araceli looks for the news crews, her face falling as she sees they are absent.


• The corporate official nods and then gets into his humvee and drives away in a cloud of dust.


• The soldiers ready their guns and a soldier mounts a 50mm gun at the top of an armored humvee.


• Araceli cradles Aimee's bloody face, afraid.


• ARACELI
• I don't know, darling. But I believe that if just one person sees it is enough. And I believe one person will see. Today, we are Ghandi.


• From far above the river, the explosion of small arms gunfire is muted, the flames belching from the large gun strangely beautiful, and the hundreds of peasants falling to the ground, gently surreal.


• FADE TO BLACK.