Screenplay NEA

1. SKYLARK
By
EDITH COOPER

2. OPEN ON:
BLACK SCREEN
Quote is displayed.
‘Silence is safe’ – Wilkie Collins
FADE IN:
EXT. A LAKE. EARLY MORNING
Cumbria, 2040, a lake surrounded by trees. The sun is low in
the sky.
Three skylarks suddenly rise up from a tree. Footsteps in the
gravel.
A woman, ANYA, walks towards the lake, a large satchel over
her right shoulder, a violin case in one hand, and a leather
radio in the other. She pauses, looks out at the water. She
reaches out to shield her eyes from the sun. Over the shoulder
shot of the lake.
ANYA (V.O)
That was the last summer we all
spent together.
She looks over her left shoulder, seemingly at nothing,
squinting in the sunlight.
ANYA (V.O) (CONT’D)
There were five of us in total.
CUT TO:
EXT. COUNTRY LANE. EARLY MORNING
ANYA walks up the lane, swinging her violin as she does.
ANYA (V.O)
All of us running from the same
thing.
Screams of joy. As ANYA walks up the path, the camera pans to
the right. The exterior of a farmhouse with a young man,
ARTHUR, and woman, EMILIA, stood outside.
They hug in greeting.
ANYA (V.O) (CONT’D)
All of us hoping that by the
next time we met, there’d be no
reason to run at all.

3. CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN. DAY
A busy kitchen. Wine glasses stacked upside down next to the
sink. Open bottles, half eaten bread, water glasses litter a
central wooden table.
There is a smart speaker on the counter with a flashing green
light. EMILIA unplugs it and shoves it in a drawer before
sitting on the countertop.
Another young woman, IMOGEN, goes to open the fridge.
ARTHUR is sat at the table, a half-finished plate of food in
front of him.
ARTHUR
You’re paranoid.
ANYA sits at the other end of the table. She is trying to fix
her radio. It is old-fashioned, out of place.
A man, CHARLIE, sits opposite ARTHUR. He sketches as he talks.
CHARLIE
Did Alice say she was coming?
IMOGEN
She said she’d try. Something
about work.
IMOGEN takes a bottle out of the fridge and goes to lean on
the counter next to EMILIA.
IMOGEN (CONT’D)
I wasn’t really listening to be
honest.
EMILIA
Do you even know what she does?
IMOGEN
Well not specifically.
CHARLIE
So, no.
IMOGEN
As if you know, Charlie.

4. ARTHUR stands up and goes to put his now empty plate by the
sink.
ARTHUR
She has a point.
CHARLIE
I’m going to say it’s something
Anya’s morally against.
ANYA
I don’t think that narrows it
down.
As she says this, the radio starts working.
PRESENTER 1 (ON RADIO)
We are still waiting to hear
back from the Home Secretary on
what she hopes the effect of
this new bill will be, but in
the meantime, what are your
thoughts on the -
A loud, high-pitched noise. Then static.
EMILIA
Thank God. If I have to hear
another word from the Home
Secretary –
ARTHUR
She’s not that bad.
EMILIA
You say that now.
IMOGEN
You’re not going to make that
work here. I don’t even know why
you brought it.
ANYA plays with the radio before giving up.
ANYA
I’m waiting for something. News.

5. CHARLIE
I doubt you’ll hear anything.
How old is that thing?
CHARLIE puts his sketchbook down on the table and reaches over
to take the radio.
ANYA leans over to look at his drawing. The beginnings of a
portrait.
ANYA
Who is that?
CHARLIE
Not sure.
CHARLIE turns a dial on the radio causing the high-pitched
noise to come back. They all shout in protest.
CUT TO:
INT. ANYA’S BEDROOM. MID-AFTERNOON.
ANYA sits cross legged on a pristinely made bed. Opposite her
is a large chest of drawers with a round mirror on top of it.
ANYA stands and picks up her violin. She begins tentatively to
play.
‘The Lark Ascending’ Ralph Vaughan Williams.
She stops abruptly. Looks at her reflection in the mirror.
From outside the open window, we can hear the laughter of the
others. The curtains flap in the breeze.
ANYA goes to the window.
Outside, EMILIA and IMOGEN are dancing hand in hand, laughing
as they do.
CHARLIE sits on stone steps, his sketchbook abandoned at his
side. Watching.
ARTHUR circles the women, camera pointed at them. He looks up
at the window, sees ANYA, and stops.
He waves. She waves back.
Slowly, ARTHUR brings his camera back up to his face, pointing
it at ANYA. She smiles softly.
By now, the others have noticed her.

6. EMILIA
Come down and play for us. It’s
not nearly as fun when you’re
hiding away up there.
ANYA
Do you promise to dance?
EMILIA
For you? Always.
EMILIA grins up at her. ANYA shakes her head but turns to join
them.
CUT TO:
EXT. GARDEN. NIGHT.
They sit in a circle around a lit fire with thick coats and
blankets.
ANYA leans her head against CHARLIE’s shoulder. Her violin
case lies on the grass beside her.
IMOGEN lies with her head on EMILIA’s outstretched legs. She
looks up at the stars.
ARTHUR is wrapped in a blanket, his knees pulled up to his
chest.
It is quiet. Easy. They are not used to it.
IMOGEN
There are so many stars here.
ARTHUR
That’s only because we’re in the
middle of nowhere.
ARTHUR takes a drink from a bottle of wine
before passing on to ANYA. She drinks.
ARTHUR (CONT’D)
There’s nowhere else in Britain
you can see that many stars.
ANYA
I remember there being stars.
Stars in London even.

7. EMILIA
You say that as if they vanished
completely.
EMILIA reaches out her hand. ANYA hands her the bottle. She
goes back to leaning against CHARLIE and closes her eyes.
EMILIA (CONT’D)
They’re still out there
somewhere.
IMOGEN
They’re still here at least.
Look at them. They’re gorgeous.
IMOGEN and CHARLIE look to the sky. ARTHUR remains staring
into the fire. ANYA keeps her eyes closed.
EMILIA looks at ANYA.
ANYA opens her eyes, and they look at each other. A moment of
understanding. Wistful almost.
They turn to the stars.
CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN. MORNING.
ANYA sits at the kitchen table with a notebook and a fountain
pen. She is writing.
The door to the back garden is wide open. There is birdsong in
the distance. Next to her is a mug of coffee and the radio.
PRIME MINISTER (ON RADIO)
It is undeniable that this
technology is extraordinary, and
I am thrilled to be a part of
its expansion.
PRESENTER 2 (ON RADIO)
There seem to be some who are
opposed to advancing technology,
particularly regarding its place
in art and culture. I’d love to
hear your thoughts.
ANYA looks up at this. She taps the end of her pen against the
table.

8. PRIME MINISTER (ON RADIO)
There are indeed. And it is
extremely concerning. With any
great improvements, some people
will have to suffer. It is high
time that those protesting learn
to accept this fact.
ARTHUR enters. He stops to listen.
PRIME MINISTER (ON RADIO)
Advancing technologies must be
our priority, no matter the
cost. Perhaps it is time to
admit that some people are
simply replaceable. We cannot
move forward without -
Static.
Beat.
IMOGEN enters. Her hair is wet.
IMOGEN
Are you still trying to make
that thing work?
IMOGEN stops at the look on ANYA’s face.
ARTHUR
Without what? We cannot move
forward without what?
ANYA
I don’t know.
ANYA grabs the radio and frantically tries to turn it back on.
Nothing.
ANYA (CONT’D)
You’re the one who said they
weren’t so bad.
ARTHUR
What does this mean? For us,
what does this mean?
ANYA
I told you I don’t know.

9. ANYA suddenly leaves the room. Her coffee and notebook remain
on the table. ARTHUR turns but doesn’t follow.
IMOGEN (CONT’D)
What happened?
Beat.
IMOGEN (CONT’D)
Arthur, what happened?
ARTHUR shakes his head and sits down. Defeated.
IMOGEN stands behind him. She rests her hands on his
shoulders. Then hugs him. They don’t speak.
CUT TO:
EXT. GARDEN. EVENING. BEGIN MONTAGE
The kitchen table has been dragged into the garden. It is
laden with food. They all sit around it.
They are talking. Laughing. But we cannot hear the words.
ANYA (V.O)
The radio was banned after that.
IMOGEN pours everyone a glass of wine, then raises hers. A
toast.
ANYA (V.O) (CONT’D)
Sometimes it is better to live
in blissful ignorance than to
know the truth.
CROSSFADE:
INT. KITCHEN. DAY.
The table has been pushed to one side of the kitchen. Sat at
it are CHARLIE, sketching, and EMILIA, painting her nails.
IMOGEN is sat on the floor in front of a large canvas and
surrounded by paints and sketchbooks.
ANYA (V.O) (CONT’D)
By day we painted, wrote,
danced. The house was never
silent. And we didn’t want it to
be.
CROSSFADE:

10. EXT. GARDEN. DAY
They are all stood on the grass. EMILIA throws a ball which
ARTHUR fails to catch. He falls dramatically to the ground,
grinning.
A skylark lands on a branch.
CROSSFADE:
INT. ANYA’S BEDROOM. DAY.
ANYA stands in front of the mirror. She brings her violin up
to her chin and begins to play.
‘The Lark Ascending’ Ralph Vaughan Williams.
ANYA (V.O) (CONT’D)
We had grown too used to silence
over the years, and I’d be
damned if I had to get used to
it here.
CROSSFADE:
EXT. GARDEN. NIGHT
They are again sat around a fire and passing around a bottle.
EMILIA and ANYA are sat shoulder to shoulder, holding hands.
They are all watching CHARLIE with rapt attention as he tells
a story.
The music continues.
ANYA (V.O)
By night we drank and talked and
watched the stars.
CROSSFADE:
EXT. GARDEN NIGHT
ANYA plays her violin as EMILIA and IMOGEN dance together in
an approximation of a waltz.
CHARLIE and ARTHUR cheer them on.
ANYA (V.O) (CONT’D)
We sang terrible harmonies to
terrible songs that we didn’t
know the words to. We did
everything we dreamed we would.
IMOGEN and EMILIA bow dramatically as the music comes to an
end.
END MONTAGE

11. FADE TO:
INT. ANYA’S ROOM. MORNING
ANYA stands at the chest of drawers. She is putting the violin
back in its case. Next to her is her packed satchel and the
radio.
EMILIA appears at the open door. She knocks lightly on the
frame.
EMILIA
I’m heading off now. You’ll be
the last one here.
ANYA
Do you know where you’re going?
EMILIA
Not yet. I don’t know if I can
face London again.
They hug. Neither one wants to let go. EMILIA is the first to
pull away.
She tucks a strand of ANYA’s hair behind her ear, studying her
face. Then nods, and leaves.
ANYA turns back to the mirror. She looks at her reflection.
Then puts her satchel over her shoulder, picks up her violin
and her radio, and smiles.
CUT TO:
INT. A LONDON FLAT. EVENING.
There are paintings covering the walls, all in bright colours.
A violin case is leant against a desk, on which stands a
typewriter, many notebooks, and the radio.
Outside is the sound of traffic. Bright lights. The sounds of
a busy city.
Next to an ajar window is a bookshelf. Completely full. On the
bookshelf is a framed picture. A drawing of ANYA at the
window.
On the picture, it reads ‘Anya – Love C x’.
ANYA enters, and sits down at her desk. She begins to write.
Stops. Looks out of the window.
She turns on the radio.
‘The Lark Ascending’ Ralph Vaughan Williams.
FADE OUT.