LANDMINED

(SHOOTING SCRIPT)

Yousef Assabahi

Yusuf.Alsabahi@gmail.com
(510)544-9690
1 EXT. MOUNTAIN/DESERT - MORNING 1

Two hands are digging a hole in the ground.

It is comfortably quiet.

The hands reach for a landmine. They bury it gently and cover
the hole.

The whizzing of bullets and the blasting of gunfire

interrupts the silence. A flower grows next to the landmine.

LEGEND: In 2015 the Houthi rebels took over Taiz province and
enforced a blockade around the city's borders. The countrymen
must undergo deadly situations to smuggle food and water
through the mountains. They, sometimes, get kidnapped or
killed by the Houthi rebels.

The sound of a man heavily breathing gets closer and closer.

Two running feet step on the tiny flower, too close to the
buried landmine.

TITLE

2 EXT. STEEP HILL - DAY 2

OMAR(20) carries two 2-liter bottles and a cardboard box as

he climbs the hill.

3 EXT. ROCKY HILL - CONTINUOUS 3

Omar is climbing. He struggles to climb while holding the box

and the bottles. In order to climb, he needs to put his stuff
up first.

Omar successfully gets the bottles up the rock. He releases

the box from his back, and tries to lift it up the rock--

--And he succeeds. When Omar climbs up, he sees another rock.

Omar climbs carrying the stuff until he reaches the other

rock. He gets the bottles up, successfully. Omar, exhausted,
lifts the box--

Shoot! A sniper’s bullet hits the rock.

The box falls down.

 2.

The box breaks: Tomatoes, eggs and other groceries burst out.

Omar peaks out to look at the box.

Shoot.

The sniper hits the rock, again, but it comes so close to

hitting Omar. He is enraged.

Omar pulls his bottles and takes a different route.

4 EXT. DESERT - DAY 4

A MAN is escaping bullets. This is ALI(28), and he is running

as fast as he can. He is holding an AK47.

5 EXT. DESERT - LATER 5

Omar is walking cautiously as he observes the flat desert.

Ali keeps running until the sound of bullets is almost gone,

but Omar spots Ali running towards him.

Omar hides behind the bushes.

Ali jumps into the trench to catch his breath.

Trying to move slowly, Omar steps on the bushes.

Ali hears something. He cocks the AK and starts walking

towards the bush.

Omar hears Ali approaching him--

He jumps from behind the bushes and head-butts Ali who falls
on the ground, as blood runs down his nose.

Omar takes the AK47 and points it on Ali's face.

ALI
Please. Please. I am running from
combat. I swear. I was running. I
beg you.

Omar's face becomes red. The Ak47 gets closer to Ali's face,
as he continues to beg.

Omar moves the weapon. Ali is relieved, but his nose

continues to bleed.

Omar spits on the floor and walks.

 3.

Omar keeps the Ak47 and walks towards the bushes.

With trembling hands, he carries his bottles.

OMAR
I take this path, you take another.
You follow me, I'll shoot you in
the neck.

Omar walks past Ali. Now that Ali can't see him, Omar's face
changes from anger to fear.

Ali looks around him; he is lonely.

5A EXT. ANOTHER TRENCH - LATER 5A

Omar is still walking, carrying the water and the AK47. He

never ceases to look around him.

Ali appears through a trench. Omar hears him and turns

around.

ALI
(approaching Omar)
Would you give me some water at
least? Please.

Omar points the weapon towards Ali.

OMAR
Move one step closer and I'll shoot
you in the neck.

ALI
Brother, I am

OMAR
(interrupting)
Call me brother one more time.

ALI
I was forced to fight for them.

Omar walks away. A part of him wants to believe Ali, but his
paranoia dominates.

ALI (CONT'D)
Why don’t you believe me?

Omar turns back. This is too personal for him.

 4.

OMAR
Believe you? Trust me, you don’t
want to know.

ALI
Look. I understand..

OMAR
DO YOU? Because if you understand,
and you’re still here, I’ll shoot
you.

ALI
I am fucking lost, man. I AM LOST.
Look at this place. Look at me.
I have no idea where I am. I have
been running for hours, and...

OMAR
And I’ve been walking for hours,
carrying this water. What makes
think I’ll waste it on you?

ALI
(walking towards Omar)
I don’t know. Do I have another
option?
(beat)
I don’t.

Omar is conflicted. Ali approaches him.

ALI (CONT'D)
(off to the Ak, then to
the bottles)
But you do. TWO.

Omar cocks the AK, as he walks backwards.

OMAR
Don’t come any closer. Back away.

Ali’s face is as cold as a dead person. Numb. Nothingness in

his face.

ALI
You can give me the bullet or the
water. Both will help me.

Ali is so close to Omar.

Omar is terrified. His finger on the trigger.

 5.

OMAR ALI (CONT'D)

Back away. SHOOT ME!

Ali, in an invisible speed, runs towards Omar, throws him on

the floor and chokes him.

ALI (CONT'D)
Listen to me...

Omar tries to reach for the AK. It’s too far.

ALI (CONT'D)
LISTEN TO ME. I can kill you at any
second if I want. I AM RUNNING. I
WANNA GO HOME. Do you understand?

Beat.

Ali releases his hands.

Omar breaks down in tears.

6 EXT. MOUNTAIN - LATER 6

Omar pours water for Ali, as Ali washes his face and drinks.

Omar and Ali walk up the mountain, as they share the load.

7 EXT. CAVE - NIGHT 7

Worn-out sandals. Fire.

Ali is cleaning his Ak47 while smoking a cigarette.

Omar lies down resting his head on one of the bottles, as he

holds the Ak47's magazines.

ALI
You are holding the rifle behind
three barricades. Abu Al-Hassan is
motivating you from afar.
(holding the trigger)
And you're just searching for the
bullet that'll hit you.

Ali presses the trigger of the empty rifle. The sound scares
Omar.

Ali takes out his wallet. He pulls out a photo of his

fiancee.
 6.

OMAR
Don't fear the sound of bullets,
because you'll never hear the one
that kills you. They teach you
that, right?

ALI
What if it doesn't? What if it
paralyzes you? What if it blinds
you?

Beat.

Omar's phone vibrates. He takes it and the screen reads;

"Failed to send" a message to his mom that reads "I'll be
back tomorrow. I am fine".

ALI (CONT'D)
Play something for us.

Omar plays AbuBaker Salem's Ya Moraweh Beladek (Returning

Home). Ali is moved by the song. He starts singing
passionately.

OMAR
The last time all of my family
gathered around one table we
listened to this. That day I left
the dinner to play dominos with
friends. I took that moment for
granted. When I returned, no songs
can be heard, and no laughter.
(beat)
Those moments will never come
back.. We will never go back to who
we were.
(pointing to his brain)
This is fucked.

Ali lights another cigarette. He doesn’t find anything to

say. He hands Omar the Ak47.

ALI
Put the magazines back. We'll take
shifts. I'll cover the first half
of the night, and you cover the
rest.

Omar puts the magazines back. Ali reaches for the Ak47 but
Omar refuses to hand it to him.
 7.

OMAR
I'm not sleeping.

ALI
Get some rest. I got the first
half.

OMAR
Don't worry about me. You wanna
sleep go ahead.

ALI
Omar. Let's talk like grown-ups. I
can aim, and shoot, I can
protect...

OMAR
(interrupting)
Don't even try. You're not gonna
have it.

ALI
Omar, use your fuckin' mind for a
second. Why would I wait until the
morning to kill or kidnap you or
whatever the fuck is in your mind?

Omar stares at Ali with no response. Omar keeps the Ak47.

Ali rests his back against the mountain and stares at the
sky.

The blasting of gunfire starts building up. Ali stares at the

bullets flying in the sky like stars. An "at least I'm not
there" feeling reflects on Ali's face.

Omar sits on duty-mode.

8 EXT. CAVE - DUSK 8

Ali is asleep.

Omar is fighting sleep. Every time he blinks, he hears a

scary sound or sees Ali approaching him.

This time, Omar sees Ali running towards him. Ali hits Omar
with the Ak.

CUT TO BLACK.

FADE IN:
 8.

9 INT. ROOM - DAY 9

Omar wakes up to this small room. Hands tied together, eye is

black, and the bottles are gone.

Before he panics, Omar hears Ali’s voice coming from outside.

ALI (O.S.)
Abu Al-Hasan! How are you?

Omar stands up and walks to the window. He sees Ali.

10 EXT. OUTSIDE OF THE ROOM - CONTINUOUS 10

Ali wears a nice clean thawb, and a janbiah. He stands by the

room, and a cardboard box is sitting on top of the bottles,
next to Ali.

Omar yells, but he is voiceless. His mouth is moving but we

can only hear Ali’s phone conversation.

ALI
If they want him, they are going to
have to release our prisoners.

11 INT. ROOM - CONTINUOUS 11

As Omar tries to untie his hands, something beneath him

moves.

Omar looks down:

A LANDMINE. A bunch of them. The room is full of landmines.

If Omar lifts his foot, the game is over.

Omar lifts foot--

And--

Boom!

12 EXT. CAVE - MORNING 12

Omar wakes up. The explosion sound carries on.

He looks around him. Ali is asleep. The bottles are there.

But there’s a sound of gunfire.

 9.

The gunfire escalates and gets closer. Omar wakes Ali up.

Ali listens carefully.

ALI
The battle is very close.

The sound escalates. Men are cheering.

Intermittent gunfire.

Three bullets are shot.

Silence.

Men cheering.

ALI (CONT'D)
The rebels took over. We gotta get
going before they start sweeping
the area.

Omar gets anxious. He turns around to pick up the bottles--

But he feels dizzy. His vision is blurry, and time becomes

extremely slow. All sounds fade out, and we only hear Omar’s
heartbeats and breath.

Omar turns and looks at Ali who is trying to talk to him.

Omar’s POV: Ali’s mouth is moving, but only Omar’s breath is

audible.

Omar snaps back to reality. His phone rings.

ALI (CONT'D)
Omar, did you hear me? C’mon let’s
go.

OMAR
Don’t touch me. Back away.

Omar spirals down a horrifying panic mode.

OMAR (CONT'D)
You planned this!

ALI
(approaching Omar)
Keep your voice down.
 10.

Omar cocks the Ak and aims at Ali’s face.

OMAR
(yelling)
You planned this!

ALI
This isn’t the time Omar. You’ll
get us both killed.

OMAR
Back away from me.

Ali backs away.

Omar reaches for the phone, but--

Ali jumps on Omar and takes the Ak. The phone falls from
Omar's hand. They press the trigger.

The Ak misfires.

Ali runs.

Omar's phone continues to vibrate. He doesn't know what to

do.

BOOM-Ali steps on a landmine.

The phone continues to ring, but no one is in the cave.

13 EXT. MOUNTAIN/DESERT - CONTINUOUS 13

Omar runs to the opposite side--

To right where the rebels are placing their check-point.

A rebel who's putting their flag in the check-point sees

Omar.

Gunshots start firing. Omar throws the bottles as he runs.

A SNIPER spots Omar. He, very confidently, puts his rifle on

a box, and aims. Omar seems far, but the Sniper can see him.

The Sniper aims.

Shoots.

Omar falls.