MOTHERHOOD

By
Taha Akra

FADE IN:
EXT. IMPERIAL PARK DAY
Rustling of leaves is heard, birds chirping, leaves blow in the air
(winter weather)
FADE IN TO:
CLAIR is sitting on a park bench, rocking a baby in her arms. She is
cooing at her child but the child is not seen, the camera will be at a
fairly large distance from her (in between her and the camera, a fountain
will be seen) and only cloths wrapped around the child will be seen in
her arms.
She is wearing clothes appropriate for the winter (a thick woollen coat,
a scarf etc.)
Close up to the face of CLAIR who is obviously very blissful
CLAIR
There, there Ela
(Pause)
(Giggles)
Look at the pretty flowers
CLAIR is pointing at a bed of flowers near the park bench on which she is
sitting, whilst holding the baby in her other arm. She is facing the baby
towards the flowers; the camera will be behind the baby, so that only the
back of the baby and CLAIR is seen.
THE FLOWER BED
Jump to an extreme close up of the flowers, CLAIR is heard making baby
noises and other various noises that a mother would to a child, whilst
the camera is still focused on the flowers.
CLAIR (O.S)
What was that sweet heart?
(Playfully laughs)
Do you love mummy? Yes you do
(Playfully laughs)
EXT. (LOCATION) - DAY
BRIGHT FADE IN TO:
FLASHBACK:
Extreme close up to a doll face left on the side of the street, damaged
and dirty, we hear footsteps and see female shoes walk up to the doll.
The camera scene changes to just a close up (not as extreme), only the
dolls head and upper half of its body and the small area of concrete
behind it is seen.

The feet stop just behind the doll and we see two hands reach down to
pick up the doll.
INT. (LOCATION) DAY
BRIGHT FADE IN TO:
PRESENT DAY:
CLAIR is mixing ingredients in a bowl; the camera is looking at her from
the side, she is wearing an apron. She speaks to Rose in a motherly,
friendly voice whilst walking over to the edge of a counter top (the
camera follows her)
CLAIR
Careful dear, youll fall off the
edge, we dont want you to get
hurt on your birthday do we?
We very quickly see an ambiguous
gets in the way (not enough time
She picks up the child and walks
in a seat with its back turned

glimpse of the child before CLAIRS body

to distinguish features of the child).
over to a table where she puts the child
towards the camera

She returns to mixing the ingredients. The scene will be composed of a

few of the key parts of the cake making process (mixing, pouring into a
tray etc. these will be filmed with the chair in which the child is in
the background) she walks, with the tray, to the table (and across the
camera), revealing the doll (Ela) in a chair, she sets the tray down on
the table, in front of the doll. She picks up the doll and sits it next
to the tray
CLAIR
Lets have a taste!
She forcefully submerges the dolls head in the cake mixture and pulls it
back out, in a way that suggest she doesnt know that what she is doing
is very odd.
CLAIR
Youre a messy eater arent you?
(Laughs)
One second, let me clean you up
She walks away to get a towel, whilst she walks away the doll sinks into
the cake (CLAIR leaves the doll partly in the tray, enough so that it
would seem natural when the doll falls in) and when CLAIR returns, she
gets angry at the doll.

CLAIR
Honestly!
She picks the doll out of the mixture and begins to wipe it vigorously.
After every time she speaks and pauses to wait for a response, the camera
may briefly switch between the face of the still doll (that will be
facing slightly away from the camera) to the face of the angry, yet
concerned mother
CLAIR
I just bought this for you,
at the state of it! I cant
you to keep anything clean
(Pause)
Well? Dont look at me like
apologize!
(Pause)
Look at me when Im talking
you!

look
trust
that,
to

She gets clearly frustrated and harshly moves the doll to face her. She
says the next line in a slightly concerned way
CLAIR
Ela!
After waiting for a response yet again, she suddenly grabs the doll and
puts the whole thing into the cake mixture and forcefully puts it into
the oven (all whilst speaking words of frustration and disappointment)
and slams the oven door (by the time she has finished speaking she is
nearly in tears). The screen blacks out at the same time at which the
door slams.
CLAIR
Thats it! You need to think about
what you have done! Really now! I
took you in and this is how you
repay me?
(Her voice slightly breaks and
she is tearing up)
A whole year!

INT. (LOCATION) DAY

SLOW FADE IN TO:
We hear a smoke alarm, and the scene fades on to the oven, which is open,
the camera then slowly travels downwards, where we see parts of burnt
cake mixture, we follow a trail that eventually leads up to a half melted
doll, a tray half full with cake mixture (with finger marks in it) and
ultimately a broken down CLAIR in the corner, she is crying (we hear this
more and more as the trail gets closer to her) and has her head in her
knees, with her hands wrapped around her head. The next lines are badly

sung (due to her crying); she often stops to make indistinguishable

noises before continuing.
CLAIR
Happy birthday too you
(She pauses and cries)
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Ela, happy
birthday to you
She angrily and suddenly kicks at the tray, as soon as she kicks the tray
the screen suddenly blacks out and the title appears over the black
screen. Moaning/crying of CLAIR is heard. Crying of teenaged girl is
heard, along with the banging on a door.