100% Pure New Zealand Presents

Your Big Break

Judged by: Peter Jackson
Produced by: Barrie Osborne
Wirtten & Directed by: You
Location: New Zealand

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A Lamb's Tale

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By: Hywel Morgan

Submitted: 2010.1.15
Country: United Kingdom

Tags: boats History Landcape Maori Rugby Scots settlers sheep

The Script

EXT. DAY. rowing boat, 19th Century

On a boat rowing towards a deserted shore. The passengers are early Scottish SETTLERS - lean, hardy pioneers, grimy from travel. Two WOMEN search the shoreline anxiously and a LITTLE GIRL is calmly singing quietly to a LAMB that she is cradling. Two men are rowing the boat, another (the LEADER) is at the prow.

EXT. DAY. cont.

The SETTLERS P.O.V. of the land from the boat. It is pastoral and fertile, ripe for farming.

ext. woods overlooking the shore. DAY. cont.

We observe the SETTLERS nearing the shorethrough some large ferns a little further up the shoreline.

EXT. SHORE. DAY. cont.

The prow of the boat hits the shore. Feet land in the water and begin to heave the boat ashore.

EXT. WOODS OVERLOOKING THE SHORE. DAY. cont.

Still from behind the ferns we see the SETTLERS unloading. The women carry clothing bundles ashore, the men offload an ewe in a wooden cage. The women negotiate with the LITTLE GIRL to put the LAMB in the cage with its mother.

ext. shore. DAY. cont.

A male SETTLER dumps a grain sack onshore and joins the LEADER's to look at the view inland. Journey's end. A new beginning.

EXT. WOODS OVERLOOKING THE SHORE. DAY. cont.

From the ferns we see the LEADER and the SETTLER scanning the land. The other settlers continue behind them.

EXT. SHORE. DAY. cont.

SETTLER claps the LEADER on the back.

settler

Looks like home.

A proud moment. Suddenly, there is a scuffle and a yell goes up from one of the women.

EXT. WOODS OVERLOOKING THE SHORE. DAY. cont.

We follow the action from the ferns. The two MEN whip around to see what's happened. The WOMEN are sruggling to contain the ewe in the cage.

EXT. SHORE. day. cont.

The MEN bolt to help the WOMEN but something bundles past their legs nearly knocking them over. The LEADER spins around to see what but twists his ankle on the uneven shore. He lands heavily to see the LAMB disappearing off up the shoreline pursued by the LITTLE GIRL.

EXT. WOODS OVERLOOKING THE SHORE. cont.

From behind the ferns we see the LAMB running down the shore towards us, pursued by the LITTLE GIRL.

ext. shore. DAY. cont.

The LEADER, heart in mouth as his LITTLE GIRL runs down the uneven shoreline with the pointed cage pin in her hand.

LEADER

ISLA!

The LEADER'S WIFE hears the cry and turns from the cage to see the situation.

EXT. FURTHER DOWN THE SHORE. DAY. cont.

The LAMB is getting further away. The LITTLE GIRL looks as if she could stumble. The point of the cage pin looks lethal.

ext. shore by the boat. DAY. cont.

The LEADER'S WIFE rushes to her husband but sees he cannot move. She turns back up the shore and shouts commandingly.

leader's wife

ISLA! STOP...RIGHT...THERE!

EXT. FURTHER DOWN THE SHORE. DAY. cont.

The LITTLE GIRL slows to a stop, still watching the LAMB.

ext. woods overlooking the shore. DAY. cont.

The LAMB slows down to a stop and turns to face the LITTLE GIRL.

EXT. FURTHER DOWN THE SHORE. DAY. cont.

The LITTLE GIRL and the LAMB face off. Who will move first?

EXT. SHORE BY THE BOAT. DAY. cont.

The SETTLERS hold their breath.

EXT. WOODS OVERLOOKING THE SHORE. DAY. cont.

From the ferns, we see the LAMB and the LITTLE GIRL almost in profile. Our POV slowly creeps closer, almost to the edge of the cover then stops.

EXT. SHORE BY THE BOAT. DAY. cont.

The SETLLERS P.O.V. of the YOUNG GIRL and the LAMB from down the shore.

EXT. FURTHER DOWN THE SHORE. DAY. cont.

The LAMB foreground, the other SETTLERS in the background, the LITTLE GIRL, poised betwen them. Stillness. The Young girl slowly transfers the peg to the other hand and slowly reaches out towards the LAMB when-

BAM! Something flies out of the undergrowth, grabs the LAMB and rolls away. The LITTLE GIRL stares in amazement but holds her ground.

EXT. SHORE BY THE BOAT. DAY. cont.

The LEADER'S WIFE instinctively lunges towards her daughter but her husband holds her back. The other SETTLERS frozen with fear.

EXT. FURTHER DOWN THE SHORE. DAY. cont.

Over its tattoed shoulder, the LITTLE GIRL watches as the figure unrolls itself to it full height, towering over her. It is a MAORI, holding the bleating lamb. His huge hands make the LAMB seem tiny. He looks up from the LAMB to the LITTLE GIRL. A beat, then the MAORI slowly offers the LAMB to her in one hand. Another beat. The LITTLE GIRL takes his empty hand and leads him back down the shore towards the boat.

EXT. SHORE BY THE BOAT. DAY. cont.

The SETTLERS watch the approach of this odd couple for a moment then rise cautiously to their feet as get closer. The MAORI is huge, even towering above the LEADER. The LITTLE GIRL calmly leads him past the settlers to the cage and opens the door for him. The Ewe cowers and the MAORI kneels to place the lamb inside. The LITTLE GIRL uses the peg to lock the cage door, sighs and turns to smile at the MAORI who is now face to face with her. A beat and he returns the smile with a huge beaming smile of his own, then leans forward and presses his nose against hers. As he does so, he passes the triple twist greenstone necklace he is wearing over his head onto her.

MAORI

Haere Mai.

The other SETTLERS take this in from a distance, still wary. The MAORI stands and begins to retreat. The SETTLERS watch transfixed for a moment until the LEADER has an idea.

LEADER

HEY!

The MAORI turns. The LEADER gestures to the Third SETTLER, who grabs an oval object from the boat and, (in a slick sequence of passes that would do the All Blacks proud) they pass a Haggis to the LEADER who lofts it to the MAORI.

LEADER

Here.

The Maori instinctively catches the object in one hand above his head. It is a great reaction catch. He brings it down to his face slowly to examine it. He rotates the item, sniffs it and recoils a bit. He looks back at the LEADER, confused by it.

leader

's a Haggis....You...

He realises language alone won't work, so he mimes as well.

LEADER

You eat it.

The MAORI recognises the gesture, smiles and beckons to them to follow him. The SETTLERS rush to gather their belongings and follow him. The LITTLE GIRL is back stroking the LAMB in the cage.

SETTLER'S WIFE

Time to go Isla...ISLA-

CUT to:

int. otago settlers museum. Day.

The LITTLE GIRL's face BCU, daydreaming. We pull back to see reveal she is in modern clothes and staring at a sepia picture of the LAMB in a cage. Her GRANDMOTHER approaches.

GRANDMOTHER

Come on Isla, it's stopped raining.

They begin to leave. The Girl looks back over her shoulder and we see the receding image of the LAMB.

ISLA

I wish I could've seen what it was like back then.

On the way out, they pass the MAORI, ageless but who could be wearing modern clothes. He smiles at the GRANDMOTHER, she smiles back.

GRANDMOTHER

Well...it hasn't changed that much.

The GRANDMOTHER touches the greenstone pendant around her neck as we crane up and out into the sky to see New Zealand in all it's glory.

END title sequence

TITLE:

1% imagination

TITLE:

99% exhilaration

TITLE:

100% NEW ZEALAND

TITLE:

THE YOUNGEST COUNTRY ON EARTH.

=======================================

About Me:

Hello there, I'm Hywel from Wales and I wan to be a Film Director. I've been telling stories for the last 17 years as an actor and I've finally admitted to myself that I really want to get back behind the camera and tell stories as well.

I've probably left it too late at 37 to retrain but I'm saving up and I'm going to try to get on to the BBC Director's course but without a track record I need a huge bit of luck. That's why this competition really would be such a big break for me if I got into the final five.

I'm no good at drawing so I've edited a moving storyboard together for the first 1'30" of the film but then ran out of time and won't let me upload it! Hopefully the script is clear enough. I wanted to write something that capture all the things that make New Zealand great for me, the landscape, the sense of adventure and the proximity to nature and show the kernels of the rich mix of Maori and Pakeha, Rugby and of course Sheep.

I hope you like it. I hope to get there one day.

All the Best,

Hywel