Father's Day

Father’s Day (screenplay)


CAST LIST

Natsumi: quiet and mature 9 year-old

Dad: stalwart single parent, dockworker

Newsreader: suited NHK newsreader

Teacher #1: Natsumi’s strict but loving teacher

Teacher #2: another class’s teacher

Soldier #1: American airman

Soldier #2: militant American sergeant

Soldier #3: American infantryman

SDF Member: caring Japanese Self-Defense Force trooper

Natsumi’s classmates

Other American soldiers

Drowning men: male dockworkers

Other Japanese troops

Townspeople: dominantly women, children and elderly people



NOTE: THE DIALOGUE IN THIS STORY IS SPOKEN IN JAPANESE AND SUBTITLED IN ENGLISH UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED.

FADE IN


INT. HOUSE IN OKINAWA. NIGHT.

NATSUMI and DAD are watching Japanese news on the television. The scene on the TV cuts to NEWSREADER.

NEWSREADER
In National news, talks broke down between the United States of America and Japan. The Japanese prime minister met with the American president regarding the uprising in Okinawa two months ago. The American president demanded an apology and the restoration of the American military presence in Okinawa. The Japanese prime minister refused and stated his support for the rebellion.

On the TV, the news shows footage of the uprising. Dad is one of the rebels shown.

NEWSREADER (CONT’D, V.O.)
Locals in Okinawa raided the American military bases, taking their weapons and forcing them to leave. Since this time, Japanese and American relationships have been severely ―

Dad quickly stands up and turns off the television.

DAD
It’s getting late now. Get to bed.

Natsumi turns to Dad.
NATSUMI
Yeah, I know. You know, Dad…?
(pause)


DAD
What?

NATSUMI
Tomorrow’s Father’s Day.

DAD
Oh yeah! I forgot. I’m surprised you keep track. Your mum was like that, you know. She never forgot anniversaries. You take after her like that.

NATSUMI
Maybe. I don’t know. Would you be home for dinner? I’ll cook your favorite. Gyoza.

DAD
Oh, that’s great. Thanks, can’t wait.
(pause)
You cooked it for me last year too, didn’t you? I can’t believe it’s been a year already since then.

NATSUMI
You promise you’ll come home straight after work? Pinky swear?

Natsumi holds out her pinky finger at Dad.

NATSUMI
I don’t wanna eat all by myself, you know? Promise?

Dad hooks his pinky finger in Natsumi’s and shakes it.

DAD
Sure! Pinky swear.



INT. PRIMARY-SCHOOL CLASSROOM. LATE AFTERNOON.

The school sits on the cliff-side of a small harbour. The town’s dock is across the harbour. TEACHER #1 stands at front of the class. Students are making Father’s Day cards amongst scattered art supplies on the floor. Natsumi sits by a window looking out towards the dock.

TEACHER #1

Natsumi!

Frightened, Natsumi turns to face her.

TEACHER #1 (CONT’D)
Is there anything that you want to share with the class? You have been staring down at the dock for quite a long while.

NATSUMI
No, there’s nothing. I'm sorry. I was just seeing if I could see my dad. He works at the dock, you know.

Teacher #1 walks over to Natsumi and picks up her blank card. She holds it and points at it.


TEACHER #1
Speaking of your father, your thoughts should be expressed here, Natsumi. That's what we are doing now, creating heart-felt Father’s Day cards. Do you understand?


NATSUMI
Yes, I understand. Sorry.


LATER

Classmates are intently making their cards. Natsumi looks over to the dock. The sky is clear with few clouds. The sea is calm. The sun shines on Natsumi.

Natsumi notices a small ship leaving the dock and follows it with her eyes. Inspired, she grabs a crayon and hastily draws on the card. On the top of the card, she writes ‘Thank you for taking care of me, Dad. Lots of love, Natsumi’. She looks at the card and smiles. She slowly puts it into an envelope, writes ‘To Dad’ on it, tucks it into her back pocket and taps it for good luck.

A SECOND LATER

A high-yield EMP bomb explodes over the sea. A blinding flash of light erupts outside of the window and Natsumi notices it out of the corner of her eye. She turns, looks out the window, and sees a tidal wave. The wave crashes into the dock and continues moving towards the school. Natsumi stands and turns to warn the class. The card falls from her pocket. As she inhales to yell, a sonic boom breaks the windows and the ground shakes.

A MOMENT LATER

The tidal wave crashes against the cliff and water splashes into the classroom. The children scream. Teacher #1 points at the students’ desks.

TEACHER #1
Get under your desks!

The teacher waits for the students to go under their desks then Teacher #1 gets under her desk. The students hold the legs of their desks tightly. The students look at each other. They cry and whisper to each other.

The ground stops shaking.

TEACHER #2 throws open the door, gasping for air, with a mobile phone in her hand. Everyone in the classroom turns to her.

TEACHER #2
Mobile phones won’t work!

The students, except for Natsumi, murmur their shock and disbelief. Teacher #1 stands up and shakes her head.

TEACHER #1
No!

Natsumi looks confused. She notices her Father’s Day card on the ground. She crawls over to it and picks it up. She stands and looks out of the window towards the dock and sees that it is destroyed.

TEACHER #2
There’s no power to the TV! Lights won’t turn on!

TEACHER #1
(confused)
No? Why?

Teacher #2 points at the phone on the wall.

TEACHER #2
The phone won’t even work!

TEACHER #1
What?

Classmates whisper at each other in fear.

Natsumi turns around and rushes through the classroom straight to the door, heedlessly stepping on the scattered supplies and broken glass.

Some classmates closer to Natsumi spot Natsumi moving around and call out to her. CLASSMATE #4 reaches her hand to catch Natsumi’s arm.

CLASSMATE #4
Natsumi, where’re you going?

All the classmates and teachers turn to Natsumi and they call out to her.

TEACHER #1
Natsumi!

TEACHER #2
Natsumi! Come back!


EXT. SUBURBS. LATE AFTERNOON.

Natsumi rushes out of her school. She stops at the sight of the destruction and stands still, out of breath. It is cloudy and smoky. Natsumi sees destroyed houses and shops.

Natsumi covers her mouth in fear.

NATSUMI
(confused)
What’s this…?
(pause)

Natsumi swallows her breath. She clenches her eyes tightly, overcoming the fear. She starts running again to the dock.

A MOMENT LATER

Natsumi hears the distant sounds of gunshots and sees dislocated residents, mostly women carrying small children and the elderly, mulling around in confusion. She slows down.

NATSUMI
(confused)
Why…?

The sound of a helicopter approaches. Natsumi and the residents look up. SOLDIER #1 speaks through the speaker from above.

SOLDIER #1
(In Japanese with and American accent)

Go back to your houses! We’re looking for the armed rebels. If you’re hiding them, turn them in right now. Otherwise, your houses’ll be searched.

NATSUMI runs towards the dock.


EXT. ON THE STREET LEADING TO THE DOCK. LATE AFTERNOON.

Turning onto the street, she sees three American soldiers searching houses. She stops. SOLDIER #2 points a gun at the door of a house.

SOLDIER #2
(in English)
This’s it. Fire!

Other soldiers shoot at the door. Soldier #2 kicks open the broken door and enters.

SOLDIER #2
(in English)
Check inside.

Natsumi quickly takes a few steps back, finds a parked car and hides behind it. She stares ahead vacantly, feeling panicked. She raises her head slowly to check the situation but pulls it down when she hears gunshots. She raises her head to check again. There are no soldiers on the street in sight. She checks all around herself then runs down the street.


INT. JAPANESE HOUSE. A SHORT TIME LATER.

SOLDIER #3 (O.S.)
All clear.

SOLDIER #2
Copy that.

Soldier #2 looks out of the window and spots Natsumi running down the street. He leaves the house in pursuit.


EXT. DOCK. LATER AFTERNOON.

There are ruined houses with smoke rising and cracked ground with broken concrete lying around.

Running, Natsumi stops at the start of the pier and gasps for air. She looks around. She jogs towards the end. She hears the sound of the rough waves and turns to them. She sees the waves pushing the remains of cargo ships, sinking cargo and people seeking help in the water. Frightened at the sight, she widens her eyes and rushes to the end of the concrete pier. She shouts.

NATSUMI
Can you hear me? Wait there! I’ll get some help!

Natsumi looks down and looks the jagged edge of the dock. She instantly looks around and shouts out to sea.

NATSUMI
Dad!
(pause)
Dad! Can you hear me? Where are you?

Natsumi looks around her.

NATSUMI
Dad!
(pause)
Dad?
(in frustration)
Where are you?
(pause)
Dad…!

Natsumi watches rough waves crash onto the drowning men. She clenches her hand and shrieks.

NATSUMI
Noooo!

Natsumi starts to wail.

NATSUMI
Dad…!

She looks around her.

NATSUMI
Dad…

Natsumi collapses to her knees, wailing. She stares at the ground. Her tears start to stream down her face. A tear lands on the card on the ground still clenched in her hand. She lifts her chin up to sniffle.

NATSUMI
Dad!

Natsumi wails loudly. A shadow approaches her from behind. Natsumi sees the shadow on the ground growing closer. Soldier #2 approaches her with a gun in his hand.

SOLDIER #2
(in English)
Hands up!
(pause)
(in Japanese)
Hands up!

Natsumi jumps in fright, turns around and puts her hands up, holding the card. She sees the gun pointed at her head. She stares at it without blinking. Her tears stream down. She clenches her eyes tightly with her chin down. A moment later, a gun shot goes off. SOLDIER #2 throws his hands in the air and falls to the ground. Natsumi opens her eyes and lifts her head. Behind the soldier, Natsumi finds Dad stand, holding a gun. Natsumi squints.

NATSUMI
Dad?

Dad rushes to Natsumi. The gun slips from his hand.


DAD
Natsumi!

They put their arms around each other and hold tightly, clenching their eyes in relief. Natsumi wails.

NATSUMI
I thought I’d never see you again…
(pause)

DAD
Are you alright?
(pause)
You’re safe now.
(pause)

I’m here.

They embrace.

Natsumi’s wailing turns into a sob. Dad looks up and over to the sea where there are drowning men.

DAD
We gotta help them somehow.

Natsumi releases Dad enough to face him.

NATSUMI
We can’t call 119. Phones won’t work. No electricity, the teachers said.

DAD
What? That’s weird.

NATSUMI
Didn’t you notice?

DAD
No, not really.

Dad looks back and forth from the end of the pier to the sea to check the distance between the edge and the drowning men.

DAD
Natsumi, you stay here, alright? I’m gonna help them out.

Natsumi holds onto Dad’s T-shirt.

NATSUMI
You can’t just leave me here alone.

DAD
I’ll come back. I’ll promise.

NATSUMI
No!

Natsumi shakes her head frantically.

NATSUMI
Don’t go.

DAD
I’ll come back. I promise.

NATSUMI
No! You can’t go.

Natsumi starts to cry. She clenches his T-shirt tightly.

NATSUMI
No!
(pause)
No! You can’t go. Don’t go, please!

Dad holds Natsumi’s shoulders.

DAD
Listen.

Dad points at the drowning men.

DAD
I gotta help those people out there. They have families too, right?

Natsumi nods, sobbing.

DAD
You don’t want people to lose their families, right? You know how it feels, don’t you?

Natsumi nods.

DAD
Now, you go hide over there. You can do that. Right?

Dad points at some overturned shipping containers. Natsumi nods.

DAD
Don’t go anywhere else. You wait there for me, got it?

Natsumi nods. Dad hugs Natsumi tightly. He closes his eyes for a moment and lets her go. He dives into the rough sea. Natsumi stands still, watching her father swim towards the people. She clenches her eyes and fists, turns around and runs towards the shipping containers.


EXT. DOCK. LATER AFTERNOON.

Japanese Self-Defense Force helicopters approach the dock. Natsumi hears them and looks over the shipping containers to see. The helicopters land. Japanese troops rush out to the end of the pier and dive into the sea, carrying life jackets. Natsumi watches, standing still. SDF MEMBER runs to her.

SDF MEMBER
Are you okay, sweetie?

NATSUMI
Yeah, I’m okay. But my dad’s down there.

Natsumi points to the sea.

SDF MEMBER
You’re safe now. You stay here. We’ll get your dad, alright?

Natsumi watches the Japanese troops and Dad rescue the drowning men. Natsumi claps her hands.

A MOMENT LATER

Dad comes ashore. Natsumi smiles and cries, rushes to him and holds him tightly.

NATSUMI
Dad!

Dad is out of breath. He pats Natsumi’s head.

DAD
Good girl. We’re all fine now.

Natsumi stops crying and holds more tightly onto him, clenching her eyes.

NATSUMI
You’re so brave.

Dad holds her.
DAD
So are you.
(Pause)
We’re safe.

Natsumi continues smiling in her father’s arms while he caresses her head and back.

DAD
We’re safe now. We’re safe now.

Natsumi’s starts crying. She opens her eyes and notices the crumpled envelope in her hand around her father’s shoulder.

NATSUMI
Dad…?

Natsumi and Dad release each other.

DAD
What’s wrong?

Natsumi holds the card out to him.

NATSUMI
Here…
(pause)
I made it for you today at school.

Dad looks at the envelope.

Natsumi tries to smile at him.

NATSUMI
Happy Father’s Day.

FADE OUT.


THE END