THE CYPRUS AFFAIR (FINAL SCENES)
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EXT. CARS PARKED ON RISE NEAR HIGHWAY - NIGHT Susan and Charles sit in their car and watch as others climb
into their various cars parked near the highway. Ronit waves at them and gets into her friend’s car nearby. Ilene and Josh get into their family car parked in front of them. Susan gets into the back seat of the convertible. Charles stretches his large body out across the two front seats. Random explosions sound from across the pass. An abrupt spark discharges behind their car. CRACK! SNAP! BANG! Susan sits up and utters a loud SHRIEK. Charles remains stretched out on the front seats.
Susan sighs, clasps her hands together.
CRICKETS’ CHIRPS and Charles’ SNORES keep her awake.
She overhears a conversation between Ilene and her son Josh from the car parked in front of them.
Susan wipes tears from her eyes.
SUPER: “WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 1974”
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EXT. CARS PARKED ON RISE NEAR HIGHWAY - DAWN Susan turns the radio on at low volume.
Excited, Susan jumps up and tries to wake Charles. He grunts,
snores, and turns over. She looks around to see if others are stirring; all is quiet. No movement.
She stops a UN SOLDIER walking past.
The sun rises. People move about. Ronit joins them and gets
into the back seat of their car. Car engines start and cars move forward to form a convoy. |
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EXT. CYPRUS MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY - DAY Two UN armored scout cars and two Land Rovers lead the way to
steer cars clear of any explosives left along the road. More UN jeeps and armored cars follow in the rear. The convoy turns left onto the main highway and winds its way north, down the mountain pass to Kyrenia. Susan gazes sadly at the smoldering tree stumps and dead bodies visible off the highway. The lead UN vehicles drift back and forth, guiding cars around huge shell casings and unexploded devices (some over three feet long) scattered along the buckled, twisted road. KA-BOOM! POW! A powerful explosion sends shock waves through their bodies. Susan jumps. Ronit shrieks. Charles slams on the brakes. KA-BOOM! A car ignites and bursts into flames a few hundred feet off the road. HORNS BLAST. BRAKES SQUEAL as cars come to a screeching stop. A UN SOLDIER motions drivers to stay back. Dazed, Charles, Susan and Ronit sit in silence and watch the fiery combustion shoot skyward. LATER When the fire stops crackling and becomes embers, the UN soldier motions for cars to move forward. After a slow and bumpy ride with many zigs and zags, they reach the village of Kyrenia. |
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EXT. KYRENIA MAIN STREET - DAY Mouth open, Susan inhales in horror at missing corners,
walls, and rooftops of beautiful old villas. Gaping holes in buildings reveal burned out interiors. Scorched bodies litter the sidewalks. Susan covers her mouth and shakes her head. Ronit chokes back tears. Fragments of twisted vehicles lie scattered along the streets alongside lifeless bodies torn apart by bombs and bullets. When they near the corner where they would turn right to drive home, they see neighbors wave to them. The convoy travels through the town; now a twisted reality of death and destruction. They pass building after building punctuated with blackened holes, smashed windows and doors. Dead animals and humans lie scattered across the morbid landscape. Susan sits and stares in stunned disbelief; then weeps with convulsive gulps for air in a high-pitched wail. Charles and Ronit reach out and pat her. Susan sobs loud and long. Ronit gently strokes her shoulder. At the main intersection the convoy turns right and heads east, toward the Six Mile Beach. |
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EXT. SIX MILE BEACH - DAY Approaching the entrance to the “SIX MILE BEACH” road, the
convoy stops. A UN SOLDIER directs drivers to park their cars near a closed beachside restaurant. Charles parks the car. They get out and remove their small suitcases from the trunk. A UN soldier approaches.
Charles shrugs and looks at Susan.
Charles hands him the keys.
They join others waiting in the shade of a grape arbor covering the restaurant’s patio and help themselves to clusters of grapes hanging overhead. Refugees mingle and wait in line for helicopters to airlift them to the waiting ships. A TELEVISION CREW roam the area interviewing people. They move toward Susan.
The journalist motions for the cameramen to move in closer,
as he interviews her.
Susan wipes away tears.
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EXT. SIX MILE BEACH - FURTHER DOWN - DAY Refugees line up ready to board the evacuation helicopters.
A BRITISH ROYAL NAVAL OFFICER waves the women and children to the front of the line. Men stand towards the back.
Susan and Ronit wait in line and watch helicopters land and
lift off. WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP! Susan observes the whirling blades rotate. The British Royal Naval Officer motions Susan and Ronit to move to the front of the line. Susan turns to the UN SOLDIERS standing by.
The soldiers wipe tears from their eyes.
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EXT. SIX MILE BEACH FURTHER DOWN - HELICOPTER LANDING AREA - DAY A BRITISH ROYAL NAVAL OFFICER checks passports of the women and children in line.
Susan hands him her passport. A nervous Ronit smiles and holds up her hands.
He nods and motions her forward.
Ronit presses her hands against her chest.
They run, heads down, toward the huge helicopter.
WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP! The whirling blades chop fast overhead. In one swift swoop, sailors lift Susan and Ronit onto the helicopter, into a seat, and lock safety belts. The engine SCREAMS as the chopper lifts straight up off the ground. They look at each other and laugh out loud. As they soar above the blue Mediterranean Sea. Susan points to the Kyrenia Castle.
Ronit points to the beachside Zephyros Hotel. Half of it is
missing. |
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EXT. HMS HERMES SHIP - DECK - DAY The helicopter carrying Susan and Ronit drops straight down.
SAILORS rush forward to unfasten seat belts. One swoop lowers Susan and Ronit onto the deck. The sailors corral them with other refugees into a painted square.
In an instant, the platform plunges downward. With a THUNK,
they land in the belly of the enormous ship. |
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INT. HMS HERMES SHIP - LOUNGE - DAY A bevy of smiling SAILORS greets them.
ONE SAILOR hands them a HAPPY HERMES t-shirt and a boarding pass.
ANOTHER SAILOR offers English biscuits and tea.
Susan bursts into tears.
They sip tea and nibble on biscuits.
Ronit smiles.
Susan laughs.
Ronit hesitates.
Ronit smiles.
They listen to an announcement.
Ronit nudges Susan.
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INT. HMS HERMES SHIP - HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY A DOCTOR (40) puts drops into Susan’s eyes.
Susan goes quiet for a second.
Susan sighs.
Eyes wide open, The doctor looks at her, then nods in
agreement. MONTHS LATER SUPER: “OJAI, CALIFORNIA, SPRING 1975.” |
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EXT. OUTDOOR PATIO TABLE - DAY Susan sits in jeans and a t-shirt at an outdoor table in a
garden. She opens her sketchbook and a large portable watercolor palette, then dips a thin paintbrush first in water, then in a light blue color, and quickly sketches the Kyrenia Castle with its four Byzantine towers from her memory. INSERT - A sketch of Kyrenia Castle BACK TO SCENE With confidence, she dips the pointed brush tip into water and then dabs a variety of rich watercolors and finishes painting the castle rising above the intense blue hue of the Mediterranean Sea. She paints the reflection of a setting sun of gold and red and billowing white clouds with silver linings moving in from the sea. She stands and admires her memory of the majestic castle which stands guard over the Kyrenia harbor. INSERT - Finished painting of Kyrenia Castle. FADE OUT.
Susan - Cyprus
Damaged Interior
Beach Evacuation 1
Beach Evacuation 2
HMS Hermes
Kyrenia Castle
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