GISA

1. Gisa is a bright faced 12-year-old boy with an emaciated frame. His curious eyes dart side-ways from time to time. When he grins, his front teeth which are slightly brown protrude from his lower lip. His short unkempt hair shows white traces of lice eggs. He scratches his head as often as he blinks. This is a story of his life. It is story of survival, death, war and hope stolen from young Rwandans by war, genocide and AIDS. Gisa symbolizes the plight of his generation. Lost but yet fights to hold on.
2. This documentary will use archival footage that will show the root of the Rwandan crisis. From the days of the Belgian colonization of Rwanda to the upheavals of the late 1950’s into which thousands of people from the minority Tutsi were brutally massacred. This was followed by a mass exodus by the survivors of these massacres to neighboring countries. My archival footage comes from the British Broadcasting Corporation. As the film opens we see a group of traditional dancers as they entertain the King at his court in Nyanza province. We see heads of cattle as they graze on a hill side next to women who till the land.
3. The voice of the narrator and the sound track

INYENZI

FADE IN:
EXT. TROPICAL TERRAIN-DAY
The land along the edge of the town rises up like a gigantic, threatening tidal wave. It is dominated by riotous vegetation that is so dark green as to appear almost black. KANA runs fast as she tries to dodge the vegetation and away from her male pursuer. She trips and almost falls, gains her balance and speeds off. He draws closer to her because of his longer and stronger strides. She turns looks at him and shouts and he pounces on her.
They roll in the grass shrieking with laughter as MUGABO tickles her endlessly. They move to the edge of the small hill and gaze at the sky as the golden rays of the sun sets on the town. They are a picture of contentment. Two lovers,young and inseparable.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CITY HIGHWAY-DAY.
ABIGAIL RYAN also known as ABBY looks nervous and restless as she peers through the cab window at the heavy traffic ahead of her, she shifts uneasily in her seat causing her linen suit to crease. The cab driver, an old man of middle-eastern descent turns and reassures her in a deep Arabic accent .She doesn’t look convinced.
The cab veers to the right as it narrowly misses the exit marked La Guardia Airport. Abby jerks forward and hits her head on the front seat almost breaking her black rimmed glasses. She winces in pain and tightly grips the head rest of the front seat. She adjusts her glasses and moves to the middle of the back seat. The driver turns to apologize but she motions to him to accelerate.
DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. HIGHWAY-DAY
A convoy of military jeeps speeds down the Mutara highway. COLONEL BAGASI dressed in dark green military uniform is seated next to the driver. He holds a walkie-talkie in his hands. His forty year old face looks craggy from a long scar mark that runs down from below his right eye to his chin. It gives him gives him the appearance of a male gorilla in heat, its no wonder he comes from that part of the country well known for its primate population. His forehead has tribal scars on account of an initiation rite gone bad.
His convoy stops at a small gas station in the town of Kibira. The residents of the small shanty town scamper into their huts with fear. Col. Bagasi steps out of his jeep his show glittering from the heavy polish. He walks towards one of the shops next to the gas station. His escorts spread out and take positions around the houses. It is a routine they are trained to carry out at every stop.
Col. Bagasi stops to speak in the walkie-talkie; he speaks with a deep commanding voice. There is something brittle in his reticence that suggests a temper easily lost and a strong will. He looks like he has a low threshold for patience and doesn’t like to wait on anything. His mood changes instantly as he learns from the radio messages that the attack by the rebels in the north of the country, had run down his troops. He turns angrily and smashes his radio on the wall.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT.SMALL SHANTY TOWN-DAY
SHINGO operates the only gas station and shop in Kibira. He sells a few household commodities which in his town were nothing more than a few packets of cigarettes, salt, sugar for those few who can afford it and local beer. He has just opened his shop when he sees the military convoy pull up. He decides to keep it open out of defiance. He recognizes Colonel Bagasi as he walks towards his shop, it wasn’t the first time he had passed in their town.
Shingo opens a side drawer his hand slightly shaking and takes out his medication. An expression of pain and inward concentration alter the pale contours of his face. He is a nervous wreck who by now is not sure if it is from malaria or the panic from the apparent presence of a killer coming into his shop.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT.SHOP-DAY
Colonel Bagasi enters the shop and looks around. He motions to Shingo for cigarettes which he snatches from his hands as soon as he gets them, lights one and drags on it contentedly with a half grin. He turns to walk out of the shop. Shingo begins smile to himself, he knows the worst is over. All of a sudden Colonel Bagasi whips out his gun and aims to Shingo’s his head and pulls the trigger. Blood splatters over the counter tops and the walls.

DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.FIELD-DAY
Mugabo is a twenty two year old man with a tall and athletic frame. He runs the last stretch of the hundred meters sprint at the head of the group. The crowd of The National university students cheers on as their champion pants with exhaustion. His sweat drenched body glistens from the sun, as he stands next to the coach who pats his back with pride. He walks away slowly and heads to the dressing room. As he opens his locker, he realizes that it is half-way open. He slowly pulls the locker door and inside it is a piece of paper. The writing in bold red letters reads- LEAVE THE GIRL, YOU COCKROACH OR YOU DIE. He slams his locker and quickly starts to dress up. On the floor among his books is a flight schedule, he had to be there in an hour.

DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.BUILDING-DAY
Exterior of a huge three flat building standing in the middle of a small overcrowded town. ARMED GUARDS dressed in blue uniforms stand at the gates. Others offload sacks of rice from truck with words U.N imprinted at their sides. CAMERA CLOSES IN to the interior of a spacious office on the third floor. A tall middle-aged white man dressed in a neat uniform is seated at his desk.
GENERAL DANIEL PONTZ is the commander of the U.N. mission to Rwanda otherwise known as UNAMIR. He revels in the warmth and security of his expansive mahogany-paneled office. From his office he has a clear view of the airport, perhaps one of the other reasons why he chose this floor. He reads the morning reports from his field officers. On his desk a Bible lays on top of the other books.
As he is about to pick up the phone, the door opens and Captain Moran enters salutes and recounts gives him an envelope. The classified mail reads; TOP SECRET. He dismisses him and opens the envelope and reads the contents.
General Pontz picks up the phone and dials the number to the number to the Ministry of defense. He has a combined look of irritation and shock.

DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.AIRPORT-DAY.
A frail looking Cessna appears in the sky. Abby closes her eyes as it descends and touches the gravel on the old runway with a bump.
Mugabo as he waits in the arrival lounge with a look of anticipation. Aside from the regular emails, they have not yet met in person but had a slight clue that she was the beautiful looking lady dismounting the Cessna. As she struggles with her heavy bags, she spots a man holding a piece of paper with her name written across it. She smiles and excitedly waves at him. Mugabo approaches her and before he introduces himself she nearly shouts “You must be Mugabo”. They hug like they have known each other for a lifetime. Mugabo helps her with the bags as they head to the parking lot.
FADE OUT: GREEN VAN ON HIGWAY-DAY.
CAMERA PANS AS IT CLOSES IN on interior of the van. Mugabo and Abby chat excitedly as they speed on the highway from the airport. Littered on the back seat are copies of “The Butarean”. The Campus paper he works for as editor. Abby picks a copy and reads it. She looks impressed.

DISSOLVE TO:
INT.HOUSE-DAY.
Kana stands in front the mirror propped against the window sill, she straightens her hair and tears roll down her face. Her parents calmly enter the room and stand next to her. Kana waves her arms more in frustration than resignation. A picture of Mugabo hangs defiantly on the wall above her bed. Her parents slowly walk out of her room. Her father looks angry, her mother sobs silently.
Kana applies on a light make up, puts on her favorite black shirt and goes out through the back door.

DISSOLVE TO:
INT.OFFICE-DAY.
Mugabo waits impatiently outside the dean’s office as he a small folder in his hands. The office door opens and Abby walks out and sees him.She smiles as they exchange greetings. He enters the dean’s office shakes his hand and gives him the folder before he takes a seat. He is the only campus official Mugabo can trust.

DISSOLVE TO:
INT.ROOM-DAY
The loud knock wakes Mugabo up who walks to the door and opens it. Kana enters and they embrace. She takes off her coat and seats on the bed.
He moves towards the window and looks outside with a somewhat grim look on his well chiseled face. The patches of the blue sky and beautiful weather outside greatly contrasted his inner turmoil. There is a sense of suspense as he awaits her response. A small blue box with a diamond ring half exposed lies on the window sill.
Kana moves up to him. She pulls him by the shoulder and looks tenderly deep into his eyes. ‘I will…’.They fall into each others arms and kiss.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT.CLASSROOM-DAY
Mugabo seats in class of about ten students. He is day dreaming when the bellowing voice of the dean startles him. The old man is wears his same old brown suit, his bald head glitters as sunrays reflect on it. He stands in front of class as he introduces Abby to the students of the journalism class.
Mugabo impatiently taps his pen on the side of his seat. The whole class looks attentive with interest. Others marvel admiringly at the beautiful woman as they exchange boyish looks.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. MILITIA CAMP-DAY
An OVER HEAD SHOT of a training camp, men dressed in military looking fatigues run around the camp as they perform military drills.
A group of more than a half men dressed in soiled jungle-camouflage fatigue with scuffed boots and a mixture of red and green berets stand around a roasting pig head. All of them have A-K 47 rifles hung over their shoulders or within arms reach for those who are pulling on the roast pork. They look more like a bunch of juvenile delinquents than an organized militia.
A green land rover speeds down the dusty path towards the camp and stops at the gate. Col. Bagasi steps out of the truck, his escorts take positions around the camp. The camp commander CAPTAIN ZUBAIRI, salutes Colonel Bagasi and shakes his hand respectfully. They quickly step inside the house.

DISSOLVE TO
EXT. FACULTY BUILDINGS-DAY.
Kana and Mugabo relax outside their classroom as they await their teacher. They hold hands and look at each other as they smile playfully. Mugabo shows her a final draft of a story he is to print in “The Butarean”. She shakes with laughter after she reads the heading. “STUDENT LEADER CAUGHT WITH PANTS DOWN”.
Ahead of them Abby approaches them hurriedly. She waves at them and enters class.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT.MAIN STREET-NIGHT
Abby walks aside Mugabo who holds Kana’s hand exit a small restaurant. They enter a busy street which leads to the main campus. As they near the police post, they notice in the shadows are a handful of militia between the arches of an old town hall. Armed with A-K 47 rifles hapharzdly slung over their shoulders. They argue between themselves in loud voices. Smoke cigarettes which are part of their weekly allowance and swig from bottles of the local potent-PRIMUS. Some lean aimlessly on the broken wall while others play cards.
As they tensely walk past the militia. The MILITIA COMMANDER shouts at them.. “Hey you three...where do you think you are going”. Abby nearly runs out of her skin.They turn and slowly approach the militia. “I need to see your papers...” Mugabo reaches in his pocket and takes out his college identity card. Abby takes out her American passport and hands it to the commander. “You American... huh?”. Abby nods her head. Mugabo tries to intervene and explain but he is silenced by a gun butt to his jaw.His lower lip starts to bleed.
The other militiamen have started to gain interest, not with two ladies around. They start to prance around like hungry vultures over dead carcass.Kana starts to cry.The militia commander takes their papers and disappears in an shack nearby.Fear and uncertainty registers on the three captives.A few moments later the man who has their papers reappears. He messes around with them and finally hands them their papers.They turn and walk away, not sure they will make it.



DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.HOUSE-NIGHT.
The RECTOR’S house stands by itself in the midst of a small forested area on the outskirts of the town. It is enveloped in vines and wild roots of vegetation giving it a creepy look of an abandoned Adams family mansion. Cars pull up slowly to the gate and are let in by a lone guard. CAMERA CLOSES IN to the interior of the house. A man arranges files in a small conference room the as men dressed in suites enter and take positions around the long table. Colonel Bagasi comes in and sits at the head of the table. The bright fluorescent lights in the room make him squint. His appearance is greatly enhanced; dark hair, dark skin and dark eyes.
The dean comes in last. He is edgy and looks around the room as if to gain more justification from his friends. Their faces remain expressionless as he takes a sit and places a small folder on the table. The priest stands up and leads with a prayer. The meeting to finalize the genocide begins.
DISSOLVE TO:

INT.OFFICE-NIGHT
CLOSE-UP on computer screen then key board as hands tap very hard and fast on the key board. Abby and Mugabo are type-set the final draft of “The Butarean” for tomorrow’s publication. CLOSE UP ON Abby’s face, she has a distressed and disturbed look. Mugabo on the other hand has a calmer demeanor. The file lies on her desk, Mugabo looks calm. Abby stands up and pulls the window shutters; she sensed a shadow outside her office. Kana opens he door without knocking, she carries a box of doughnuts and coffee, it will be a long night. Mugabo looks more confident, he knows that if the U.N reads his file, they will rescue his people. They cannot just watch as people die.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.CROWDED TAXI PARK.
Abby stands among a crowd of local travelers. Her white skin easily spotted from afar. Her attempt at blending involved her putting on a black skirt which doesn’t do much to serve that purpose. She exits the taxi park and heads towards the U.N offices.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT.HOUSE-NIGHT
CLOSE-UP ON faucet water runs continues. Kana stands at the sink and washes the last plate. She takes the left over food and covers it with a polythene paper. She slides it into the small refrigerator. Mugabo sits in the background with a book in his hands deeply concentrated.Kana wipes her hands on a hand towel and glances over at the clock above the sink.
Mugabo gets ready to escort Kana to her house. As she steps back she notices that his ironed blue shorts were torn at the pocket and was otherwise barefooted, she playfully chides him. He turns back to look for shoes. Kana gets restless as she hears the unmistakable sound of a gun shot.She pulls him by the arm and they step into the chilly darkness outside.

DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.U.N OFFICES COMPOUND-NIGHT
General Pontz is addresses his troops about the rules of engagement. His voice pierces the air as his strong voice bellows to the attentive soldiers about the impending “tribal blood bath”. His chief of staff whispers something in his ear, he looks worried and dismisses his troops.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.MILITIA ON CAMPUS-NIGHT
The militia reach Mugabo’s apartment a few minutes after he leaves. They knock down, break his door and start towards his bed. They vandalize his house when they realize that he wasn’t home.
Mugabo walks back to his house, the thick darkness seems to give him the security that light takes away. As he approaches his house he can see that his door has been knocked down. He turns on his heels and runs towards his friend’s house. He needed a hiding place. CLOSE UP on his knuckles Mugabo frantically knocks on a door. A man about his age opens the door and lets him in.
Mugabo is seated in his friend’s room with a group of campus students. They are listening intently to the radio. A broadcaster comes on the air with some special announcement; the country’s president is dead, he says and continues to call on all Hutus to “take revenge on the “cockroaches”. Mugabo looks worried, he paces around the room. They put on jackets and leave into the darkness.They ran towards a village known for its large Tutsi population.They had to transport people out of Butare.

DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.STADIUM-DAY.
CAMERA OVERHEAD SHOT of the Butare stadium shows hundreds of armed villagers. The mainly Hutu population is gathered into the stadium.
A university student representative stands on the podium. He addresses the people and calls on them to kill the “enemy”. The crowd roars, Colonel Bagasi ,the mayor and other local leaders convoy roll into the stadium in a convoy.The crowd claps and shrieks in a frenzy. Bagasi gets to the podium embraces the student and turns to the crowd. He yells “The enemy must die”.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.RESIDENTIAL AREA-DAY.
Mugabo runs to Abby’s house. His friend leaves him and runs to find Kana. Abby opens the door in her bathrobe. She doesn’t ask any questions, his look says it. She invites him in and makes him a cup of coffee. She looks in her bag and finds the number to General Pontz’s home number.

DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.EDGES OF FOREST-DAY
Kana and Mugabo meet in the forest near the faculty of Agriculture building. They look sad and distraught. Kana falls into his arms. The sculpted intricacies of the trees around them lend to the sense of gloom and uncertainty. Mugabo tries to console her as he runs his hands in her hair. There was an eerie silence.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT.VILLAGE-DAY.
THE MILITIA begin their raids on villages. They burn and massacre their helpless victims without regard. Wailing mothers cradle their children to save them from death. SIMULTENOUS ACTION. In the taxi park, minibuses are transporting Tutsi’s out to the Muhazi airstrip about 40 miles away. Mugabo and a group of his friends help the local people. They have only two minibuses left and it’s almost getting dark.Women, children and old people are huddled into the cramped minivans. CAMERA CUTS to General Pontz seated in his office looking outside his window. He sees the unmistakable rising wisp of smoke from a village nearby A cut-crystal glass of imported whiskey balances on his seat. He shudders involuntarily and picks it up.
OVERHEAD SHOT of Tutsi students at campus. Hands tied behind their backs being taunted and tortured. They are gunned down. The militia moves on.
CLOSE-UP ON Colonel Bagasi’s face as he stands akimbo with his gun drawn. In his eyes we see the reflection of the carnage. His soldiers and militia massacre the remnants of the village. CAMERA MOVES back to Mugabo as he continues to command the rescue effort.
CLOSEUP of helpless Tutsi as they crowd outside the U.N offices. They plead for help in vain. Moments later U.N trucks start rolling out.CAMERA PANS as they move.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.TAXI PARK-DAY.
Two minivans fill beyond capacity and speed away. Mugabo gets ready to board the last taxi a woman holding a wounded child comes running towards him.He faces the dilemma of leaving these people to die or loose his seat in the last taxi. The militia is closer now.Shots are being fired at him.
Kana pleads with him to get into the taxi, he looks at her and takes of his pendant and puts it around her neck. He helps the woman to board and tells the driver to leave immediately. As he turns to run, bullet pierces through his left arm. He falls.
FADE IN:
EXT.FLAT GRASSY AREA-DAY
CAMERA TO CLOSE UP on Mugabo as he drags himself to a tree. He takes out a gun and starts to shoot back at the militia who want to stop the minibus. The militia turn their attention at a group of Tutsi boys who are in flight.
Colonel Bagasi continues to run towards Mugabo his gun clasped tightly in his right hand. Mugabo stands and props himself to the tree. The distance between the two has narrowed to a few meters.
As Bagasi raises his gun to aim the final shot.Their eyes meet for the first time both full of fury and anger.
Mugabo lunges at him with all his energy and knocks him down.Both their guns fall to the ground in a distance where both their hands can’t reach. Colonel Bagasi fights to recover his gun but Mugabo tackles him.They roll in the dust fighting like hungry lions for a piece of valued carcass.
Colonel Bagasi has the advantage of both arms he is on top of Mugabo and continuously slams his head to the ground. As he prepares for the final blow Mugabo closes in on his gun picks it and aims. Colonel Bagasi’s lifeless body falls to the ground. Mugabo stands up and runs.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT.AIRSTRIP-DAY.
Abby flies into the MUHAZI AIRSTRIP in a UN helicopter, below her charred remains of bodies litter the compound, as the helicopter lands. Kana exits from the half burnt house near the airstrip, she looks exhausted and beaten, tears roll down her eyes, in her hands she has a half burnt photo of Mugabo. Abby gets it that the worst has happened. She breaks down and sobs in frustration and anguish. Abby embraces Kana tightly. They both turn and walk towards the helicopter.
The few survivors board with the help of a UN soldier. Some are seriously wounded and in critical condition.
The helicopter ascends. Kana ambles over and throws up. Abby can tell that she is pregnant.
From the helicopter Abby looks absent-mindedly below.Her face brightens as a lone figure runs to the airstrip. She recognizes Mugabo as he runs to the empty airstrip. Kana also sees him and screams with excitement. She motions to the pilot to turn back and land.
The pilot hesitantly turns back .A wounded Mugabo limps the towards the helicopter.