WE ARE NOT THE FIRST TO SWIM

EXT. - OCEAN SHORE - DAY

The cold tide washes over ARI’s lifeless body.

DISSOLVE TO

EXT. - CURTAIN BACKDROP - DAY

A recorded video cuts into GUSTAV speaking calmly.

GUSTAV

A tale from long ago, tells the story of one who could withstand the sea. The one that remained unchanged from the same waters that can shape our earth. The one who knew not to fight against the wave, but to crash into it. It was the story of a cruel ocean, that in its faith, showed mercy and of a troubled soul, who in his confession, was reborn.

CUT TO

EXT. - OCEAN SHORE - DAY

Waves quietly roll in. Ari stands alone, holding their head tucked in between their knees. DAVEY runs in, sees ARI, and goes to comfort them. Davey sits with their hand on Ari’s back.

DAVEY

Hey, is everything okay? Just breathe.

Waves roll in and out.

ARI

(lifting head) I don’t know where I’m gonna go from here.

DAVEY

Relax, we’ll figure something out.

ARI

I don’t know, I don’t know. I’m gonna have to start with the car. My mom’s gonna kill- she’s not going to let me back into the house.

DAVEY

Then we start with the car. I can get it fixed up before anyone even knows it was messed up in the first place. It’s no big deal.

ARI

It is a big deal. Don’t say that man, it’s a big fucking deal.

DAVEY

Hey, it's okay, we can figure it out.

CUT TO

EXT. OCEAN SHORE - DAY

As the sun is setting, Ari abruptly stands up and walks towards the ocean to try and refocus their breath. Davey gets up and follows behind them. They stand, staring into the ocean blankly.

ARI

You can get the car fixed?

DAVEY

Yes, I will figure something out.

ARI

You’re not going to call insurance? Because this will stick on my name for a long time.

DAVEY

I’ve got it under control.

ARI

(face breaks) Okay (sniffles). Davey? I’m gonna need your help with something else.

DAVEY

Of course, yes. What is it?

ARI

I need you to promise you’re gonna help me.

DAVEY

I will.

ARI

No, I need you to promise me.

DAVEY

I promise.

ARI

It’s really bad, I know it’s really bad. (pause)

I need you to help me figure out what I’m going to do with my sister.

DAVEY

Kira?

ARI

I have to find somewhere to put her.

Ari begins to walk away, Davey is silent, attempting to process what they’ve just heard.

DAVEY

Ari-

ARI

We have to hide her well. I’m not going to get caught for this. I’m not going to let this stick on me forever. It was two seconds, she made me do it.

DAVEY

Ari. You didn’t tell me Kira was in the car. Is she-?

ARI

It’s not my fault. I told her to be quiet but she wouldn’t shut up. It happened in two seconds. Don’t look at me like that. You promised. You said you’d help me.

Davey stands, stunned and silent.

CONT’D

(Yelling) Davey.

DAVEY

This is just a lot right now.

ARI

I know it’s a lot, you don’t think I know that? (yelling)

CUT on Davey as Ari freaks out. Davey tears up.

DAVEY

Stop! Please, stop. I need you to stop, I need you to calm down.

Davey walks up to meet Ari in the water.

ARI

(breaking down) I can’t. I can’t calm down. I have to do something about it.

DAVEY

Not right now. We have to screw our heads on straight.

ARI

I can’t sit in it any second longer Dave. I can feel it crawling through me. I feel it at the back of my bones. (Grabbing Davey, Davey pushes him off) Tell me you don’t feel it there too. What are we gonna do about it?

DAVEY

We have to tell someone.

ARI

Are you crazy? We can’t tell anyone. Do you know what would happen to me?

DAVEY

Then nothing! There’s nothing else for us to do.

ARI

(screaming, like there’s bugs crawling at the back of their spine) We can’t do nothing, I can’t live with myself if we do nothing.

DAVEY

You’ve already done something and it’s been enough.

ARI peers over the ocean to take a longer look. They then get up and start walking towards the water.

DAVEY

What are you doing? Ari, let's be rational about this.

ARI at the tip of the tide and begins to scrub at their skin with the water.

CUT TO

EXT. OCEAN SHORE - CURTAIN BACKDROP - DAY

Starting to slowly zoom out now, GUSTAV sits in front of a curtain backdrop. Set up on the shore of the ocean. GUSTAV continues to look in front of him. However, now he also looks around as if he is speaking down to people near him.

GUSTAV

In the beginning, our world was separated into good and evil. Like yin and yang, the duality between opposing forces make up our universe. The good of the ocean works to balance the forces of evil in our world.

We come to the ocean to find peace of mind, a break from the heaviness of life on land. The ocean’s waters have the ability to replenish our evil spirits and is willing to forgive us. We can not continue to be blamed for the evils we are committed to. The universe must have some good. Without the chance for forgiveness, we would be consumed by chaos. The ocean will give us redemption. As long as we can confess and willingly jump to the sea, the water will catch us. We must all jump to the sea if we wish to ever be given a second chance.

CUT TO

EXT. OCEAN SHORE - DAY

ARI sits at the foot of the water, looking into the vast horizon.

ARI

I have to drown myself.

DAVEY

What the fuck?

ARI

It’s not right that I’m alive and she’s not. I can’t go on and do nothing.

CUT TO

EXT. OCEAN SHORE - CURTAIN BACKDROP - DAY

The camera continues to zoom out.

GUSTAV

Trust the water, as we are not the first to swim.

OVERLAP

EXT. OCEAN SHORE - DAY

Cont’d. DAVEY begins to grow concerned for ARI.

ARI

I don’t deserve it.

Ari looks up for some sort of reassurance from Davey. Davey says nothing. Ari gives them a bitter and sharp look. The two friends grow tense.

ARI

The world won’t keep me here unless I’m meant to be here.

DAVEY

The world already kept you here. You’re here right12 now. Don’t be crazy Ari.

ARI

(standing up, yelling to the ocean) What do you think? Am I worth it? Am I worth it or am I a dead beat murderer?

CUT TO

EXT. OCEAN SHORE - CURTAIN BACKDROP - DAY

The camera continues to zoom out.

GUSTAV

The one who withstood the ocean is one upon many of the troubled spirits. They are deserving of redemption. We are all deserving of redemption. Vast and scary as the ocean may be, it is there to cradle us. Jump into its arms and wake up reborn, clean of your crimes.

CUT TO

EXT. OCEAN SHORE - DAY

Ari runs into the cold waters, splashing as his legs trudge through. Davey follows not far behind in a state of shock.

ARI

Let’s test it.

DAVEY

(Grabbing Ari) Would you get it together? Ari, you’re not sane right now. Get back here. We can talk it out.

Walking further and further into the water, eventually Ari disappears beneath the surface. Panicked Davey goes in after them.

CUT TO

EXT. OCEAN SHORE - CURTAIN BACKDROP - DAY

The music builds. Gustav stays seated pensively, by now we see people standing around listening to his speech. They slowly ascend from their positions and walk to the ocean together. Quick, FLASH CUTS of the described action flicker in and out. The two stories begin to merge.

GUSTAV

Jump into its waters but do so willingly. For the ocean can be cruel. Confess your crimes (CUTS to Ari soundlessly screaming at the water) and the water will be merciful. But go in unwilling and be held to its natural laws. The ocean will not save those who cannot confess. (Davey reaches Ari. In a splashy blur, they drown each other to get a gasp of air.) The ones before us have tested the ocean. We know that we can be held. We have a chance for redemption. My people I ask you now to confess. Speak your sins to the waters. (CULT MEMBERS yell, creating a layer of noise) Speak now or have the water fill your lungs. Speak now to keep your breath. (Davey drowns) The ocean is willing to forgive you. Trust the water. Trust me, for I am the child of those who have swam before us. I am the child of the one who withstood the sea. Walk now. Trust the water, as we are not the first to swim.

CULT (all together)

We are not the first to swim. We are not the first to swim. We are not the first to swim. We are not the first to swim.

CUTS to the first shot, except it is now ARI’s eyes that are opening on the beach. The sounds of the waves slowly fade out.

THE END

*This was originally written in script formatting, but was changed due to the website*

https://vimeo.com/641770329

^ the short film we made for our story