Fade in: A big limousine appears. Five SECRET SERVICE AGENTS in dark suites and sunglasses come out, two of them unpack metal detectors and start to examine the area. The others build a rostrum just outside of the "apartment".
KAREN sits in a chair, there is another woman (SELMA) sitting on the sand and treating Karen's foot with a pedicure. Both women look after the men without any interest. KAREN reads in a glossy magazine.
KAREN: It's incredible, Liz Taylor lost 20 pounds in
two weeks. She looks incredible. Its so important to find a proper
diet.
SELMA: My friend uses a carbohydrate diet, a Doctor Simmer's.
KAREN: I don't know that one.
SELMA: You eat only vegetables, noodles and bread.
KAREN: Noodles are kind of heavy. I like beans and rice.
Give you proteins.
SELMA: I think one should stay with one chosen diet.
KAREN: Right. How much weigh did your friend lose?
SELMA: She didn't lose anything. I think she's cheating.
KAREN: It's horrible.
SELMA: Yes it is. (laughing) She must eat cake in secret.
I think she even gained weight. At least 5 pounds.
The AGENTS attach a big seal to the rostrum. It is the seal of the president of the USA. WES is sleeping again. Another man appears, also in dark suit and sunglasses. He carries a leather briefcase. He puts a chair at the bed's side, and wakes WES.
HARRY: (smiling and reaching his hand) Good morning! Harry Whites.
WES hesitating gives him his hand.
HARRY: IRS.
WES lies back with a "Oh my God" expression on his face. HARRY pulls his hand so that WES has to sit up. He looks quite unhappy. HARRY changes his glasses and unpack some papers.
HARRY: Do you mind I ask you some questions?
WES: No. Go ahead.
HARRY: Is this your tax return for the last year?
WES: (looking at it) Looks like it.
HARRY: Are you sure?
WES: May I see?
HARRY shows him some papers.
WES: (looking at them) Yes...
HARRY: Sure?
WES: Yes. It's mine.
HARRY: Did you make any mistakes?
WES: I don't think so. But you think so...
HARRY: (taking the papers back) What I think is what I
think. (picking up his briefcase) Would you kneel down and kiss
my briefcase?
WES gets out of the bed, kisses the briefcase.
HARRY: You swear to tell the truth, only the truth and
the whole truth?
WES: I swear.
WES goes back under the blanket. He looks quite annoyed and
scared at the same time.
The next dialog is full of financial terminology so I was not
able to figure it out. HARRY seems to have fun with his job...
HARRY: Did you enter line 31 at the end of line 5?
WES: (hesitating) I don't know. Did I?
HARRY: (not so friendly anymore) Are you asking me?
The papers lay spread over the blanket just in front of Harry's face.
WES: (reaching for the papers) Would you let me see...
HARRY: Absolutely not!!
Cut to the women again. SELMA is putting polish on Karen's fingernails. One of the agents in the background is checking the sand around them, then he goes to the refrigerators. He finds something, digs out an old metal can, throws it away.
SELMA: I'm so fed up with him. I'm tired of it. He never
understood me. He even didn't try. After the wedding I wanted
to go to the Disneyland. Have some fun... see Mickey Mouse.
KAREN: I love Minnie Mouse.
SELMA: Minnie is just great! He says: No. We have to be
alone, walking on the beach. So we go to this motel next to San
Diego. It was horrible! Remember? It was the one at the end of
Pacific Drive.
KAREN: How could I forget. Mosquitoes had a feast.
SELMA: Simon wanted to see me naked, make love to me. I
wanted it too, he attracted me... but not all the time. It got
boring after a while. But since I met Jeff... (she smiles dreamy)
my life became a dream. It's fantastic! I'm so in love. It's so
good to have a lover.
The agents walk around securing the area.
SELMA: (cont.) When I get close to him my skin is like...
electrified, lights up.
KAREN: (wondering) How do you manage it? Do you still seep
with your husband?
SELMA: (smiling sadly) I have to. I'm his wife.
KAREN: But isn't your body refusing it?
SELMA: I close my eyes and think of Jeff. About how better
he is.
The PRESIDENT comes out of the car and approaches the rostrum escorted by two agents. He says Hello to the women as he passes by. The agents are very nervous. KAREN waves back looking after him.
The BLACK MAN from the beginning appears again, hiding beyond the refrigerators. He has a Molotov's Cocktail in his hand. The PRESIDENT puts his glasses on.
PRESIDENT: On the way here I was looking into the distance and I saw all this people. Good citizens, laboring and resting, working and having fun in their homes, offices and factories. I saw them all. And I had a one thought -- that what is connecting us is the labor and rest.
The BLACK MAN lights the rag at his bottle, runs to the rostrum and throws it at it. The fire is immediately killed by one of the agents, the others run after the BLACK MAN and throw him to the ground.
AGENT: (to the president) Let's get out of here.
PRESIDENT: I want to end my speech. (looking at his manuscript
again) ... Let's labor and rest. Struggle and enjoy ourselves,
but in a gentle, kind way. Let's create.
The women are hearing the speech now. Somewhere else the agents "pacify" the BLACK MAN.
PRESIDENT: (cont.) Let's unite and make us a better nation. Let's forget about the past and heal our wounds. Let's us look into the future. There is a light. A tender ray, the hope for better days and good future for us all.
The agents are done with their victim.
PRESIDENT: (cot.) To illustrate my point I want to show you something. Something very dear to my heart. An example of what I just said.
He takes his cowboy boot off and shows it. Cut to the women's faces. They are still watching the president.
KAREN: What if the sand gets in? What do you do?
SELMA: I try not to think about the pain.
KAREN: (with tears suddenly filling her eyes) I tried too,
but it hurts so much.
SELMA: (smiling) Not so much when you have a new lover.
PRESIDENT: (cont.) This is my boot. I've just taken it
from my foot. It's good leather. It's a good name. It fits me
perfectly. You think it is American made? No. This boot is made
in China. I've got it as a present visiting the country.
WES and HARRY sit on the bed. WES listens skeptically playing with his golf-club again, HARRY seems to be deep in his thoughts.
PRESIDENT: (cont.) And it is proof that people in the whole world can make the same things, they have the same goals. Thank you.
He puts his boot on.
HARRY: (to WES) Do you know why the yellow envelope
is called Manila?
WES: (looking at him) No, I don't know.
HARRY: (lying his hand around WES' shoulders.) Don't worry.
Neither do I.
Fade out.
Photos ©Propaganda Film
| << BACK |
|