Character List
Me - Male 24 years old now, 26 years old 2 years later, narrator of the first person account.
Dad - Father of the narrator
Protestors:
P1-P5 : Anonymous people, of any gender,
PG- Photographer with a local newspaper
Mother - A protester, who has shown up with her infant
Lady- A woman in her late 30s.
Crowd - Any large section of the gathering
Enforcement:
Officer 1- Man, Guarding the most forward barricade
Officer 2 - Woman, guarding the town hall stairs
Police - Collective Noun for the unit deployed
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[An old studio, Mumbai , 2 years later. ]
Me: THROUGH THE WINDOW OF MY STUDIO EVERY DAY
I SEE A WHITE STRIP STRETCH ACROSS THE STREET
AND PEOPLE WHO PLAY HOP WITH IT
I HAVE TRIED A FEW TIMES TO GO STAND ON IT
BUT THE SEPARATION SEEMS THE SAME
FROM THE STREET AND FROM MY CHAIR
------------------------------------------------------------------
[Bogota city. Airport. Now. I just land in the city to find nothing but Empty streets , the city appears to be under some kind of curfew. No activity or commotion. 2 people sit outside the airport with large bags and are drinking beer. ]
Me: What does one do here, on a day like this ?
P1: Protest
Me: Can I have a cigarette ?
P1: Sure buddy.... here.... they kill! okay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
[Bogota city. Streets. Now. I walk behind the 2 people I found at the airport,]
Phone rings.....
Me: Hello..
Dad: Hey, have you reached Bogota ?
Me : Yup
-
-
-
Dad: I was watching the news, it does not look safe.
Me: Well, it is okay here.
Dad: Be safe.
-
Dad: Did you take your medication ?
-
-
Crowd: "OUR VOICES ARE OUR VOICES"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City. Town Hall. Now. A large gathering of people starting from the bottom of the steps that lead to the town hall. Barricades have been placed on the steps and local police has qua-droned off the town hall. There are booths for food , first aid and emergency care. ]
Crowd: "WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU YOU ARE NOT JUST ANOTHER ONE ?"
Announcement: Please move away from the stairs
Lady: I have stood here for 32 hours straight I am not moving.
Officer 1: Madam they will pull out the canons.
Lady: "WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU YOU ARE NOT JUST ANOTHER ONE ?" /
CROWD: "OUR VOICES ARE OUR VOICES"
Announcement: Please move away from the stairs
Lady: Our voices , are our voices......Our voices are our voices
Officer 1: Yes madam and they will be heard.
Lady: Our voices , are our voices/
CROWD: "OUR VOICES ARE OUR VOICES"
[Water Cannons start shooting]
[AT THE BACK OF THE GATHERING]
P1: Oi , here. We have a dozen cans, let's move to the front
P2: And I have all the grease we require
P1: excellante! all right so lets do this again, Brushes...
P3 : Here !
P1 : Boards
P4: Here!
P1 : Grease
P2: Here
P1: Nails and rods !
P5: Here
Me: Where are you headed ?
P1: To the front, we be building a shed okay right in front.
P2: Alright lads
P3/P5: WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU .."/
P1-P5: "YOU ARE NOT JUST ANOTHER ONE ?"
Me: Then you'd be fucking lying
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[An old studio, Mumbai , 2 years later. ]
Me: IN ALL OF MY TIME, I HAVE NEVER SEEN A LIFE
WHO CARED WHERE IT STRETCHED FROM
AND WHERE IT STRETCHED TO
THE TIMBER PANE AND MY CREAKY CHAIR
HAVE BEEN VERY VANE TO SHOW ME ITS EXTENT
SO I SIP ON MY WINE , AND SCREAM AT THE WORLD TO CARE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Town Hall, Now. A temporary shed, an open platform of sorts has been erected for protesters to sit outside the range of water cannons]
Crowd: " GO GO GO, WE ARE NOT GONNA FUCKING GO"
[Water Cannon keeps pushing the the frontline back, and people slowly climb on to the temporary shed made]
P1: Give brushes to people, they are angry. Let them draw./
Crowd: "OUR VOICES ARE OUR VOICES"
P1: No one goes to the barricades!/
Crowd: "OUR VOICES ARE OUR VOICES"
[An officer slips on the steps and falls to the other side of the barricade right in front of P1]
P1: Oi, circle here
Officer 2: Oi here
P1: Don't worry we will get you there.
Officer 2: I have children
P1: No for real....
P1: Oi, you lads, make sure no steps falls to the middle, madam here has kids to look after.
P1: Madam just keep to the centre....
[to others]
To the barricades !
[To P2 and P3]
No one else moves to the barricades.... We are just here to talk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Town Hall, Now. On the top of the platform]
P2: We are not mute
P3: They are not deaf
Crowd: We cant just.... keep the pretense
P2: We are not mute
Me: Nothings ever going to change, nothing ever has to change/
P3: They are not deaf
PG: It already has/
Crowd: We cant just.... keep the pretense
Me: How?
PG: They are listening
Me: But what's the point ?
PG: To be heard...
P2: We are not mute
P3: They are not deaf
Crowd: We cant just.... keep the pretense
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Town Hall, Now. On the top of the platform]
[Phone rings .......]
Me: Hello!
Dad: I have heard that there are riots.
Me: No.
Dad: Whats all that noise behind you ?
Me Nothing
Dad: Are you going to be safe ?
Me: What's the point ?
[Water guns blaze from all sides, people run to shed for Cover, 20 Odd people sitting on the platform, try to pull as many people as they can onto the shed]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Town Hall, Now.]
Police 1: Open Barricades
Officer: Madam move in.
P1 : Push onwards sir!
PG : Step down, you will die man
P4: Move back, make way!
P1: Onwards!
PG: Move back, mate!
Me: Aaaah... !
-
-
-
[ Bangalore, Now, My living room, with my Dad watching the TV]
Sound of TV: 35 people die in crossfire between police and protesters in front of town hall. Unruly crowd brought down a platform, which crushed all on top of it. Curfew across Bogota as the violent protests continue.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[An old studio, Mumbai , 2 years later. ]
Me: THROUGH THE WINDOW OF MY STUDIO EVERY DAY
I SEE A MERIDIAN STRETCH ACROSS THE STREET
BUT NOT A SOUL, WHO CARED WHERE IT STRETCHED FROM, AND WHERE IT ......STRETCHED TO
EVERYDAY, THE SUN BORROWS ITS COLOR
AND THE NEW RAINS THREATEN ITS PERPETUITY
I HAVE TO RUN, RUN FAR, AS FAR AS I NEED TO, TO KNOW IT.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Inside the Town Hall Basement, where protesters have been refuged. Now.]
Me: Isn't that the dude, who built the shed ?
PG: Ya, he didn't make it, but this police officer you see in the middle, I saw her in the loby.
Me: Wow ! And is that...
PG: That sparrow, is drinking water from the same pipe , that seconds later killed 35 people
Me: Wow, it looks like that lady opened the tap for the sparrow to drink the water
PG: That's what photography is all about , right place and time .
Me: So that is what you are here for, the right place and time.
PG: You could say that
[ PG Turns to a breast feeding mother, and talks to her. After a while he takes his camera out and starts clicking pictures. The mother continues talking unperturbed]
Mother: I have seen days in our nation's history which were far more bloody.
PG: Why did you get your kid with you ?
Mother: So he can take pride he stood up too
PG: Did you ever worry about your safety ?
Mother : No.
Me: Changing the world is an absurd proposition
PG: Okay
Me: Because, the purpose of life is to die, and then nothing matters , does it ?
PG: It doesn't , look at it this way probably , the certainty of death is useful, keeps you away from predicting it likelihood. Helps you look at life. Might help.
Crowd: Hoo- Ya , Hoo- Ya, Hoo-Ya
PG: What's happening there ?
[PG rushes towards the noise, I run with him]
Officer 1: Kids; 35 of them
PG: Where ?
Mother: Oh lord! can't even make them out.
Me: Not here, anymore
Announcement: People are requested to report to security officers to safely evacuate the building.
Officer 2: Oh lord, there that boy!
Announcement: Bodies be moved to the council hall.
Officer 1: Oh lord ! Only I heard you.
PG: He didn't make it after all !
Me: What death does to a man.
PG: His picture is worth something now!
Me: Even, more than his life.
I guess right place at the right time time, huh.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Phone rings..... ]
[Cut....]
[Phone Rings .....]
[Cut ....]
[Pho....]
[Cut....]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Me - Male 24 years old now, 26 years old 2 years later, narrator of the first person account.
Dad - Father of the narrator
Protestors:
P1-P5 : Anonymous people, of any gender,
PG- Photographer with a local newspaper
Mother - A protester, who has shown up with her infant
Lady- A woman in her late 30s.
Crowd - Any large section of the gathering
Enforcement:
Officer 1- Man, Guarding the most forward barricade
Officer 2 - Woman, guarding the town hall stairs
Police - Collective Noun for the unit deployed
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[An old studio, Mumbai , 2 years later. ]
Me: THROUGH THE WINDOW OF MY STUDIO EVERY DAY
I SEE A WHITE STRIP STRETCH ACROSS THE STREET
AND PEOPLE WHO PLAY HOP WITH IT
I HAVE TRIED A FEW TIMES TO GO STAND ON IT
BUT THE SEPARATION SEEMS THE SAME
FROM THE STREET AND FROM MY CHAIR
------------------------------------------------------------------
[Bogota city. Airport. Now. I just land in the city to find nothing but Empty streets , the city appears to be under some kind of curfew. No activity or commotion. 2 people sit outside the airport with large bags and are drinking beer. ]
Me: What does one do here, on a day like this ?
P1: Protest
Me: Can I have a cigarette ?
P1: Sure buddy.... here.... they kill! okay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
[Bogota city. Streets. Now. I walk behind the 2 people I found at the airport,]
Phone rings.....
Me: Hello..
Dad: Hey, have you reached Bogota ?
Me : Yup
-
-
-
Dad: I was watching the news, it does not look safe.
Me: Well, it is okay here.
Dad: Be safe.
-
Dad: Did you take your medication ?
-
-
Crowd: "OUR VOICES ARE OUR VOICES"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City. Town Hall. Now. A large gathering of people starting from the bottom of the steps that lead to the town hall. Barricades have been placed on the steps and local police has qua-droned off the town hall. There are booths for food , first aid and emergency care. ]
Crowd: "WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU YOU ARE NOT JUST ANOTHER ONE ?"
Announcement: Please move away from the stairs
Lady: I have stood here for 32 hours straight I am not moving.
Officer 1: Madam they will pull out the canons.
Lady: "WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU YOU ARE NOT JUST ANOTHER ONE ?" /
CROWD: "OUR VOICES ARE OUR VOICES"
Announcement: Please move away from the stairs
Lady: Our voices , are our voices......Our voices are our voices
Officer 1: Yes madam and they will be heard.
Lady: Our voices , are our voices/
CROWD: "OUR VOICES ARE OUR VOICES"
[Water Cannons start shooting]
[AT THE BACK OF THE GATHERING]
P1: Oi , here. We have a dozen cans, let's move to the front
P2: And I have all the grease we require
P1: excellante! all right so lets do this again, Brushes...
P3 : Here !
P1 : Boards
P4: Here!
P1 : Grease
P2: Here
P1: Nails and rods !
P5: Here
Me: Where are you headed ?
P1: To the front, we be building a shed okay right in front.
P2: Alright lads
P3/P5: WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU .."/
P1-P5: "YOU ARE NOT JUST ANOTHER ONE ?"
Me: Then you'd be fucking lying
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[An old studio, Mumbai , 2 years later. ]
Me: IN ALL OF MY TIME, I HAVE NEVER SEEN A LIFE
WHO CARED WHERE IT STRETCHED FROM
AND WHERE IT STRETCHED TO
THE TIMBER PANE AND MY CREAKY CHAIR
HAVE BEEN VERY VANE TO SHOW ME ITS EXTENT
SO I SIP ON MY WINE , AND SCREAM AT THE WORLD TO CARE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Town Hall, Now. A temporary shed, an open platform of sorts has been erected for protesters to sit outside the range of water cannons]
Crowd: " GO GO GO, WE ARE NOT GONNA FUCKING GO"
[Water Cannon keeps pushing the the frontline back, and people slowly climb on to the temporary shed made]
P1: Give brushes to people, they are angry. Let them draw./
Crowd: "OUR VOICES ARE OUR VOICES"
P1: No one goes to the barricades!/
Crowd: "OUR VOICES ARE OUR VOICES"
[An officer slips on the steps and falls to the other side of the barricade right in front of P1]
P1: Oi, circle here
Officer 2: Oi here
P1: Don't worry we will get you there.
Officer 2: I have children
P1: No for real....
P1: Oi, you lads, make sure no steps falls to the middle, madam here has kids to look after.
P1: Madam just keep to the centre....
[to others]
To the barricades !
[To P2 and P3]
No one else moves to the barricades.... We are just here to talk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Town Hall, Now. On the top of the platform]
P2: We are not mute
P3: They are not deaf
Crowd: We cant just.... keep the pretense
P2: We are not mute
Me: Nothings ever going to change, nothing ever has to change/
P3: They are not deaf
PG: It already has/
Crowd: We cant just.... keep the pretense
Me: How?
PG: They are listening
Me: But what's the point ?
PG: To be heard...
P2: We are not mute
P3: They are not deaf
Crowd: We cant just.... keep the pretense
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Town Hall, Now. On the top of the platform]
[Phone rings .......]
Me: Hello!
Dad: I have heard that there are riots.
Me: No.
Dad: Whats all that noise behind you ?
Me Nothing
Dad: Are you going to be safe ?
Me: What's the point ?
[Water guns blaze from all sides, people run to shed for Cover, 20 Odd people sitting on the platform, try to pull as many people as they can onto the shed]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Town Hall, Now.]
Police 1: Open Barricades
Officer: Madam move in.
P1 : Push onwards sir!
PG : Step down, you will die man
P4: Move back, make way!
P1: Onwards!
PG: Move back, mate!
Me: Aaaah... !
-
-
-
[ Bangalore, Now, My living room, with my Dad watching the TV]
Sound of TV: 35 people die in crossfire between police and protesters in front of town hall. Unruly crowd brought down a platform, which crushed all on top of it. Curfew across Bogota as the violent protests continue.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[An old studio, Mumbai , 2 years later. ]
Me: THROUGH THE WINDOW OF MY STUDIO EVERY DAY
I SEE A MERIDIAN STRETCH ACROSS THE STREET
BUT NOT A SOUL, WHO CARED WHERE IT STRETCHED FROM, AND WHERE IT ......STRETCHED TO
EVERYDAY, THE SUN BORROWS ITS COLOR
AND THE NEW RAINS THREATEN ITS PERPETUITY
I HAVE TO RUN, RUN FAR, AS FAR AS I NEED TO, TO KNOW IT.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Inside the Town Hall Basement, where protesters have been refuged. Now.]
Me: Isn't that the dude, who built the shed ?
PG: Ya, he didn't make it, but this police officer you see in the middle, I saw her in the loby.
Me: Wow ! And is that...
PG: That sparrow, is drinking water from the same pipe , that seconds later killed 35 people
Me: Wow, it looks like that lady opened the tap for the sparrow to drink the water
PG: That's what photography is all about , right place and time .
Me: So that is what you are here for, the right place and time.
PG: You could say that
[ PG Turns to a breast feeding mother, and talks to her. After a while he takes his camera out and starts clicking pictures. The mother continues talking unperturbed]
Mother: I have seen days in our nation's history which were far more bloody.
PG: Why did you get your kid with you ?
Mother: So he can take pride he stood up too
PG: Did you ever worry about your safety ?
Mother : No.
Me: Changing the world is an absurd proposition
PG: Okay
Me: Because, the purpose of life is to die, and then nothing matters , does it ?
PG: It doesn't , look at it this way probably , the certainty of death is useful, keeps you away from predicting it likelihood. Helps you look at life. Might help.
Crowd: Hoo- Ya , Hoo- Ya, Hoo-Ya
PG: What's happening there ?
[PG rushes towards the noise, I run with him]
Officer 1: Kids; 35 of them
PG: Where ?
Mother: Oh lord! can't even make them out.
Me: Not here, anymore
Announcement: People are requested to report to security officers to safely evacuate the building.
Officer 2: Oh lord, there that boy!
Announcement: Bodies be moved to the council hall.
Officer 1: Oh lord ! Only I heard you.
PG: He didn't make it after all !
Me: What death does to a man.
PG: His picture is worth something now!
Me: Even, more than his life.
I guess right place at the right time time, huh.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Phone rings..... ]
[Cut....]
[Phone Rings .....]
[Cut ....]
[Pho....]
[Cut....]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bogota City, Inside the Town Hall , Next to the council hall, looking at P1's body through a window]
PG: Why did you come here?
Me: Doesn't matter
PG: Everything matters
Me: We think we do, he thought he did
PG: You seem like a man consumed by death. But how will you die.
That little , minute speck in the puddle of all the noise, that we call our voice, that's what what decides how we live and how did we die
History as we know is created by salesmen.
You can make it a little or lot hard for it be sold. If it dosen't matter, then how do you even die ?
Your voice, that sound through all the noise, make sure it is there.
Announcement: Non- Colombian nationals please report to west wing, evacuation for non-Colombian nationals through the West wing.
PG: That's you.
Me: What are you going to do with pictures of people who survived ?
PG: I am working on a project that shows the Human side of protest. I take a few snaps that sell on the way too.
Me: What else have you clicked ?
PG: Oh my bag must have left it back in the basement
Announcement: Non- Colombian nationals please report to west wing, evacuation for non-Colombian nationals through the West wing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Bangalore, 7 months later, Study]
[Google : " Human Side of Protest" + "Colombian" + "Photographer"}
[Bombay 1 year later, Studio]
[Google: "Photographer" + "COLOMBIA" + "Bogota" + "Protest" + "Mother feeding her Child"]
[Facebook:" Does anyone know photographers who have worked to cover the Colobian Coup ? PMIT"]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[An old studio, Mumbai , 2 years later. ]
Me: AT END OF MY RUN, I FOUND MYSELF ON MY CHAIR
STILL LOOKING AT IT THROUGH THE WINDOW
AND THATS WHEN I KNEW THAT I WAS A LINE PARALLEL TO IT, DOOMED TO NEVER INTERSECT.
Me: AT END OF MY RUN, I FOUND MYSELF ON MY CHAIR
STILL LOOKING AT IT THROUGH THE WINDOW
AND THATS WHEN I KNEW THAT I WAS A LINE PARALLEL TO IT, DOOMED TO NEVER INTERSECT.
