REMOTE CLOSEUPS, Scene 1

 
FADE IN:

EXTERIOR. CHARACTER’S HOME — OUTSIDE AREA — EARLY DAY

The balcony and the living room are connected through large sliding glass doors. The garden wall muffles the TRAFFIC noise coming from the street.

A 37-year-old woman with long, flowing hair that slightly covers her face is sitting in a metal chair, holding a large ceramic cup of black coffee. She wears a colorful robe. A white lace tablecloth covers the glass table.

CLOSEUP — LACE TABLECLOTH

                WOMAN (smiling and running her hands across the tablecloth)

Incredible trip… talented artisans…

On the table are also a bowl with fruits, a small plate of fresh cheese, and a basket of bread. Hot steam is coming out of the coffee pot.

CLOSEUP — BREAKFAST TABLE PLACE SETTINGS

CLOSE SHOT — WOMAN

CLOSEUP — WOMAN’S HANDS, STEAMING COFFEE MUG

INSERT — THE DECK, THE POOL, AND THE WALL

She looks at the wooden deck. Ipê wood. She remembers her architect friend and the way the project came together.

                WOMAN

Expensive…

She REMOVES her sandals to feel the wood against her feet and spends some time LOOKING AT the contrast between her skin and the reddish wood.

CLOSEUP — WOMAN’S FEET AND THE WOODEN DECK

Her cell RINGS. She GETS UP to fetch it from the kitchen. She WALKS barefoot across the wooden floor, which extends from the terrace to the edge of the pool, covering the entire interior floor of the living room and also the dining room. She WALKS towards the kitchen past a glass coffee table, on which there is an ashtray, a book about photography — Sebastião Salgado’s Amazônia — and a wicker basket.

CLOSEUP — THE OBJECTS OF THE GLASS TABLE

                WOMAN (smiling)

The feeling of the wood texture on my feet…

KITCHEN. She GRABS her cell phone, OPENS the kitchen cabinetry, and SEARCHES for a small silver spoon. She has a hard time closing the drawer.

CLOSEUP — DRAWER, SILVERWARE

                WOMAN (pondering)

Annoying cheap drawer… pine or eucalyptus? Can’t quite remember.

She LOOKS BACK at the flooring. The shadows from the tree canopy outside project onto her floor, dancing bits of warm sunlight.

CLOSEUP — PHONE STOPS RINGING

LIVING ROOM. The TV is ON the morning news. She GLANCES quickly at the TV screen.

                MAPUCHE WOMAN on TV

“…we are running out of water because of the pines. This industry is predating the water and our land. We are fighting for…”

                WOMAN (sighing and shaking her head)

This world is hopeless.

                EXPERT on TV

“…the thing is that these plantations are not their forest, eucalyptus monocrops are endangering the Mapuche people’s ecosystem and threatening their livelihoods…”

She LISTENS TO the news.

                WOMAN

You can’t start a good day watching bad news.

She TURNS OFF the TV, SIGHS, and WALKS towards the porch.

                WOMAN

Let me enjoy my coffee in peace.

The silver spoon she was carrying from the kitchen CLATTERS to the wood floor. She BENDS DOWN to pick it up and SEES a small chip in the wood flooring.

CLOSEUP — WOMAN’S HANDS, SILVER SPOON, AND WOODEN FLOORS

CLOSEUP — WOODGRAIN
She TOUCHES the wooden floor and SIGHS.

She GETS UP, CROSSES the glass door that separates the living room from the balcony and SITS back in the metal chair, quickly returning her attention to her coffee.

CLOSEUP — She TAKES the cup to her mouth and SIPS the coffee. WOMAN CLOSES her eyes.

FADE OUT