1) James harasses Zarna on the street because of her ethnicity, grabbing her hijab and threatening her. 2) Zarna returns home distressed about the incident while James enters an abusive household. 3) Zarna considers leaving the country with a friend after constant harassment, feeling she has no other options.

1. Behind Closed Doors
written by
Tom Clark
Callum Wilson

2. EXT. ZARNA OUTSIDE LIBRARY - DAY
Zarna walks down out of a library and begins to walk down the
road.
CUT TO:
EXT. JAMES OUTSIDE HOME - DAY
Meanwhile James exits his house slamming his door and picks
up his mobile phone.
JAMES
Yo bruv what you saying
(pauses)
You coming out or what?
(another pause)
Safe cuz in a bit
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS
James and his mates loitering outside a corner shop listening
to music loudly, smoking and kicking rubbish about. James
notices Zarna along the street walking down the road.
JAMES
(shouts out loud)
Oi bruv you blown up any buildings
today?
James mates egg (encourages) him on as Zarna makes an attempt
to walk past and ignore him. James is agitated that he hasn't
got a response, he shouts again
JAMES (CONT’D)
(shouting again)
Did you fucking hear me? Fucking
illegal immigrant cuz
James's friends further encourage him by laughing. James then
picks up an empty drinks can and throws it forcefully at
Zarna's back. Infuriated, she then turns back around.
ZARNA
(in a sarcastic tone)
Trying to act hard and cool in
front of your mates are we? Trying
to be a big man? Just cause you got
a small dick doesn't mean you have
to compensate for it.

3. 2.
His friends then act in a way to provoke James even further
by making noises.
JAMES
(in a threatening manner)
Say that again
ZARNA
Oh so you're deaf as well as stupid
now? Are all Chavs completely
useless now?
Jame's friends grow silent
JAMES
(pushes her quite hard and
grabs her hair clamping
down on the hijab she is
wearing and speaks more
quietly and threatening)
What the fuck even is this? Why the
fuck are you wearing a carpet on
your head, you shouldn't even be in
this country
(grabs her even hijab
harder and is visibly
hurting Zarna)
One of James's mates notices that people who are walking by
are beginning to take notice of what is going on, and
attempts to get James to calm down
FRIEND
(puts hand on James's arm)
Thats enough bruv let her go
JAMES
Fuck should i do that for?
FRIEND
Look
(gestures with his head to
look around them)
Let her go James man. not worth it
James reluctantly let's go of Zarna, and she rushes off. An
awkward atmosphere remains with James as he lights a
cigarette
JAMES
Come on bruv lets move

4. 3.
James and his friends move away from the street to loiter
somewhere else.
CUT TO:
INT. JAMES HOUSE - AFTERNOON
James enters his house looking agitated and angry when a loud
voice of his father is heard. He sees his dad sitting with
one of his mates.
DAD
(shouting loudly and
aggressively)
Where the fuck have you been
JAMES
The fuck do you care for
DAD
Don't fucking talk to me like that
you little cunt
DADS FRIEND
Have some respect for your elders,
ungrateful little shit
JAMES
He doesn't deserve any respect
prick.
James dad grabs him by the scruff of the neck violently and
pulls him close
DAD
(whispers in threatening
tone) Listen here you
little prick A) you have
respect for my mates, and
B) don't you ever fuckin
talk to me like that
again, you're lucky I
even let you stay in this
house
JAMES
I can smell you're breath you
fucking alcoholic.
(Jokingly)
Cut down on the beers you might cut
down on that fat you have.

5. 4.
James breaks free and runs upstairs. He enters a dimly lit
room and slowly approaches a bed with someone in it.
JAMES (CONT’D)
(softly speaking)
How are you doing mum
MOTHER
(cough)
Its been a hard day. You're father
hasn't been much help as usual
(cough 3 times)
JAMES
Don't worry. I'll get us both outta
here soon. It'll be alright
James walks to and sits on the stairs and thinks. He enters a
blank state of thought. A short while after his is jolted
back to consciousness by his Dads loud laughter.He leans
round the corner to see an article on TV about the rising
amounts of refugees in the country.
DAD
(ranting to his mate)
They don't fucking learn do they?
They're not fucking welcome here
and they never will be.
(chuckles)
well not if I have anything to say
about it anyway.
DADS FRIEND
Government don't give a fuck though
do they, long as there sitting in
their country manors. If I had my
way they'd all be sent back to
fucking Syria or wherever the fuck
they come from.
James enters a thoughtful state of mind and thinks about what
he did..
CUT TO:
INT. ZARNA'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON
Zarna returns home looking roughed up and open the door to
the house to be greeted by her parents, who are unsuspecting
of what she has experienced once again.

6. 5.
FATHER
Welcome home dear
How's you're day been?
ZARNA
(nervously)been a long day
FATHER
(walks over to her)
Has it happened again?
ZARNA
(quietly and agitated)
What does it matter, its not like I
can do anything about it anymore.
FATHER
(puts hand on shoulder and
tries to reassure her)
Listen Zarna I've told you, you
can't let these people get to you,
you just have to get on with it and
pull through.
ZARNA
Its not like you understand, it
happens to me every week, I can't
just walk on and leave it anymore.
FATHER
Now Zarna you know....
ZARNA
(Cuts off her father)
No you know what, I'm done, I'm
going upstairs.
CUT TO:
INT. ZARNA'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - AFTERNOON
Zarna is on her computer suspiciously talking to a stranger
on a skype call, who seems to be comforting her.
ZARNA
(sounding agitated)
Its the third time this week
AMIR
Thats why i keep saying, come with
me man. Where i'm going we don't
treat people like dat.

7. 6.
ZARNA
I know, its just difficult with my family and that.
AMIR
Yeah but at the end of the day,
they dont know whats happening do
they, like, they dont understand
you like I do.
ZARNA
Well..........they might do, i just
cant tell anymore
AMIR
Then come with me like I've been
sayin! Aint nobody gonna be treatin
you like shit there.
ZARNA
I don't know what to do anymore.
AMIR
Make a decision, you can come with
me to a new better life, or stay
and be miserable.
Zarna sighs and holds her head.
Screen fades out to black. Cuts back to Zarnas hand and two
tickets fall lower down her hand. She walks towards a blurred
figure in the distance. They embrace then screen cuts to
black.