Seas the Day

a Filipino Heist Movie

ALAN NAFZGER’s Seas the Day

Pecan Street Press – Seas the Day

Seas the Day – Lubbock ● Austin ● Fort Worth

Seas the Day is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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Copyright © 2014 Alan Nafzger

All rights reserved.

ISBN:

BANG A GONG

or

SEAS THE DAY

(Filippino Heist Movie)

Written by

Alan Nafzger

Copyright 2014

PH: 214-875-1305

alan.nafzger@gmail.com

FADE IN

SUPER: 1945 – West Philippine Sea – 10 miles from Recto Bank

Underwater sounds. The camera is 30 meters deep pointing up to an embattled World War II submarine. The Japanese submarine is being sunk. Explosions. The debris passes the camera on its way down, then the entire sub passes all the while imploding. As it passes the camera tilts to follow it down. It impacts on the sand/rocks below. It rests on the ledge of an abyss.

BEGIN PRIMARY TITLES

UNDER: West Philippine Sea – Recto Bank

SUPER: 2022 – West Philippine Sea – 10 miles from Recto Bank

Contemporary underwater scene. Not-so-modern divers pass the camera on their way to the bottom. The camera pulls back and we see the sunken Japanese sub, still on the ledge of the abyss.

It is an utterly unsophisticated salvage operation; in fact, it’s being conducted by simple Filipino fishermen. Heavy bags of booty from the submarine are extracted and jerry-rigged truck tire tubes are inflated to bring the bags to the surface.

Most “dive” movies have dialogue conducted between divers with $800 “Buddy Phones” or more expensive underwater communication radio systems. These divers are doing it the old fashion way, with hand signals. This should set the tone/theme for the entire movie (David vs Goliath) poor Filipino fishermen vs. The Communist Party of China.

The divers enter and exit the sub via an open hatch.

END PRIMARY TITLES

EXT: DECK OF THE BOY DAVID – DAY

The Boy David is a Filipino wooden-hulled fishing banca owned and operated by BAYANI B. ALBARACIN (78). It is 15 meters (50 ft) in length with a beam of 2.8 meters (9.1 ft).

It is unclear what is in the canvas bags until they are hoisted up on the deck of a simple and relatively small Filipino fishing trawler. The bags are opened. Only now do we fully realize that it was a Japanese sub because we might recognize the memorabilia – pistols, rifles, a sword, as well as some ceremonial knives. The booty is all hosed down on the deck with a water hose.

The last items to be taken from the bags are a relatively small amount (3) of gold bars (ingots) are laid out on the deck. The atmosphere on the boat thickens.

INT: WHEEL HOUSE OF THE BOY DAVID

Bayani Albaracin is a crusty old Filipino Fisherman. He is head of the family and captain of the boat.

JAMES DELA TORRE (28) is young, former Philippine Special Forces. He is a relatively new employee but a trusted lieutenant to Bayani.

There is a pot of coffee brewing in the background.

James

There are three solid gold bars laying out on the deck and at least $10,000 worth of World War II memorabilia. Can’t we just be satisfied?

Bayani 

Chicken scratch.

James

But we can’t sit here all day. The Chinese.

Bayani 

This is Filipino water they can’t touch us.

(beat)

We stay until the job is done.

EXT: DECK OF THE BOY DAVID – DAY

Bayani walks out onto the deck and speaks with a family friend, CORAZON LITIATCO (18) who has rigged a diving mask so she can see underwater from aboard the boat. She is making notes of what is happening above and below.

Two divers, JOHN BAYANI ALBARACIN (Bayani’s grandson) and an unnamed EMPLOYEE are at a breach in the submarine.

CorAzon

Any sign of the Chinese?

Bayani 

We are clear, but there’s that one last item.

(beat)

Any sign of the box?

CorAzon

No.

Corazon has an architectural drawing (map) of the Japanese submarine and has marked off almost all the compartments with a red x.

CorAzon

There’s just one more compartment for them to check.

UNDER: West Philippine Sea

The submarine shifts and ordinance falls from racks inside the submarine. It’s a dangerous situation. The two divers look at one another with uncertainty. One diver signals that he will enter the sub again, but without the scuba gear. It’s too tight a fit otherwise.

Even still, it’s a problem and he must contort himself to enter the sub through the breach.

EXT: DECK OF THE BOY DAVID

Corazon from the fishing trawler looks down through the mask.

CorAzon

The ledge seems to be deteriorating. It’s shifted maybe…

She shows Bayani the before and after angles with a hand gesture.

CorAzon

The entire sub can slip off with John B. in it.

Bayani 

He’s a good kid. But he’s not a kid anymore… he’s 20.

CorAzon

He’s taking his gear off.

Bayani 

Lord, why?

CorAzon

The breach is the only way in. We tried the hatch that leads to this compartment but it’s rusted solid.

Bayani 

I couldn’t have asked for a braver grandson.

UNDER: West Philippine Sea

John B enters the sub. The employee peers inside. We see all the ordnance and potential trouble as he precedes deeper into the sub. He’s eventually out of view.

EXT: DECK OF THE BOY DAVID

Bayani 

How long has he been in?

CorAzon

Two minutes.

Grandfather bends over Corazon’s map, he points to the map.

Bayani 

How long will it take him?

CorAzon

This is the last compartment. In and out. No time.

Bayani 

He’s okay?

CorAzon

He’s not going anywhere but here.

She puts her finger on the map pointing to the final compartment without a red X.

CorAzon

So long as the map is right he should be in and out.

Submarine shifts again and more armaments fall and partially cover the breach; it will be difficult to exit.

Long beat.

There is a catastrophic failure of the ledge. The rocks crumble and collapse; the submarine slips off into the abyss.

Corazon looks worried… she can’t hide that. She might have to give Bayani the bad news… but she looks down again to confirm.

Bayani 

What is it?

Long beat.

John B swims out of the abyss with a box corroded jewlery box, but he’s desperate for air.

CorAzon

The sub… they’re both okay…

After John B’s oxygenated… they put the metal box in a canvas bag. The two divers slowly begin to make their way to the surface.

Corazon points out to Bayani that John B has something. She gestures “a small box” to Bayani. She signals to him it’s about 12 by 8.

Bayani 

You think that’s it?

CorAzon

If it’s not we’ve lost it because the submarine is well; it’s gone.

Bayani 

What?

CorAzon

It slipped into the abyss.

Bayani 

Far too deep for us to get it. Try again?

CorAzon

I think this is it. He’s coming up. He’s got a small box… and he’s signaling thumbs up.

INT: WHEEL HOUSE OF THE BOY DAVID

Bayani goes into the cabin; he pours out his coffee cup, and pulls out some coconut vodka and five glasses.

EXT: DECK OF THE BOY DAVID

When John B. surfaces, we clearly see the thumbs-up. He boards the boat takes off his diving mask and we see a giant confident smile. The grandson hands the canvas bag to his grandfather, Bayani.

Bayani opens the bag and pulls out a corroded metal box. The outside of the box is corroded but he rubs and the Japanese inscription is clearly visible.

SUB: Deliver to Hisako Yamashita –  Nagano, Japan

Bayani pours coconut vodka for the family and crew.

James exits the wheelhouse; he’s not surprised to see the Chinese. He saw them coming.

In the distance, we see two Chinese Destroyers full speed coming directly at the fishing boat. Also, there is a Chinese helicopter that will reach them in a matter of seconds, a few minutes before the destroyers arrive.

CUT back to the deck and the booty… two gold bars remain on the deck.

Bayani 

Throw it overboard. We’ll come back for it later.

But the crew is frozen in fear. James produces a bright yellow bag dumps out the medical and water safety equipment. He places the two gold bars in the bag and he adds a high-tech homing device (with a flashing light). And he hesitates but finally adds the metal box.

Through a loudspeaker on the helicopter, they are warned.

helicopter

This is the Chinese navy. You are in Chinese territorial waters. You will raise your hands in the air and submit to inspection.

James moves with the bag to the railing. A sniper on the helo expertly places a bullet into deck only inches from Jame’s feet. He stops.

CORAzon

This is not their water.

Bayani 

I’m an old man and my grandfather fished here. They never saw Chinese out here.

JAMES

No. Historically it’s ours but we seem to be outgunned.

helicopter

Raise your hands and step away from the contraband. Prepare to be boarded.

John B.

How does he know it’s contraband?

Bayani 

We are Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea and they are Chinese so everything we own is contraband.

INT. MUSEUM – HONG KONG CULTURAL CENTER – DAY