Culture Shock - Feature Screenplay

INT. STEVE’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY

STEVE HASHE enters his small apartment, carrying a large flat parcel.

He’s in his late 20s, thin build, from Xhosa ethnicity in South Africa.

On his shelves, books on African kings and queens sit next to Dostoevsky and Anton Chekov.

Steve beams as he opens the parcel. It’s a framed diploma, awarding him a PhD from Georgetown University.

Steve looks at his wall, filled with framed photos of friends and family in South Africa, as well as traditional masks.

No room to hang up the diploma.

He leaves it on the floor and leaves the apartment.

EXT. AFRICAN NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

Steve makes his way through this small Washington D.C. neighborhood, with a mix of apartments and rowhouses. African flags of various countries decorate homes.

EXT. DOCTOR MABELE'S HOME - DAY

Steve knocks on one rowhouse’s door.

DR. MABELE comes to the door. He’s a Xhosa man in his 60s.

Both men speak in Xhosa with English subtitles.

DR. MABELE

Yes?

STEVE

You said you wanted to see us when we graduated.

DR. MABELE

Steve.

STEVE

I never got a call from you. I wanted to wait, but I just got my diploma framed, so, it's been some weeks.

Dr. Mabele pinches at the bridge of his nose.

DR. MABELE

I thought I made this clear. I wanted to see the students that followed the right path.

STEVE

I came here, worked hard, graduated college, got a doctorate degree.

DR. MABELE

I sponsor students to come here to make a career, not to play pretend!

Dr. Mabele calms himself down.

DR. MABELE

Take your degree. I don't want to see you back here begging for a second chance.

He shuts the door in Steve’s face. Steve stands there before giving up and leaving.

EXT. JEWELRY STORE - ALLEY - NIGHT

In the alley behind a lane of stores, a panel van rolls up and parks.

The driver, LUIS, hops out and opens the back door, with EFRAIN coming out. Efrain takes a suitcase and a small black satchel with him.

Both men are Mexican in their early 20s. They wear dark jackets, with Efrain’s unzipped to reveal a Goku t-shirt.

Luis keeps a lookout as Efrain goes to the door with a lockpick kit.

Both men speak in Spanish with English subtitles.

EFRAIN

Is there a camera behind the door?

LUIS

No, the guy said it’s clear.

Efrain undoes the lock and opens the door. Luis looks around one last time before heading inside, putting on gloves.

INT. JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

Luis shines a flashlight around the jewelry store.

LUIS

Let’s go.

EXT. HANGOUT BLOCK - NIGHT

A group of African immigrants sit outdoors at a cluster of three businesses – an Eritrean restaurant, a hookah bar, and a sports bar.

Steve leaves the restaurant with food in a take-home case, but one of the men – LEX – waves him to their table. Lex sits with CHEGE, both men sipping beers.

Lex is Xhosa, a few years older than Steve. Chege is a Kikuyu man around Lex’s age, wearing a Hachimura Wizards jersey.

LEX

(in Xhosa; subtitled)

Oh oh! Steve! Haven’t seen you in ages!

STEVE

(in Xhosa; subtitled)

I’ve been busy lately.

CHEGE

C’mon, Lex, don’t just speak Xhosa with each other while I’m here. Sounding like a metronome.

When they speak English, they have a slight African accent.

LEX

I forgot, Kenyans always have to join in and be chatty.

CHEGE

I can’t help being friendly.

STEVE

Good to see you too, Chege.

CHEGE

How many languages you speak, Steve?

STEVE

Six. Xhosa, Zulu, English, Afrikaans, a little Russian-

Steve opens up his take-home case and starts eating.

CHEGE

Russian? You’re still doing that?

LEX

What’d you get?

STEVE

Spicy hamli, birsen.

LEX

No lamb? You quit eating meat?

STEVE

It uses up so much water. You know what happened back in Cape Town.

LEX

Okay, okay. So you decided to come out of hiding and eat out?

CHEGE

Or you just wanted to see those cute Eritrean girls.

Lex and Chege laugh. Steve keeps eating.

STEVE

I’m celebrating.

LEX

Celebrating what?

Chege looks over his shoulder.

CHEGE

Ah shit.

Four Nigerian young men in suits with gold jewelry stop at the hookah bar and go to their table instead.

Lex rolls his eyes. JOHN gets out front, leaning in close.

LEX

Can’t have a good time without some Nigerians flashing and flossing.

JOHN

Ey, we’re just having a good night out, smoking, dressing nice. Besides, you had a watch like this, you wouldn’t wear it?

CHEGE

We’re having a good time too, John. Our boy Steve here’s celebrating.

JOHN

Looks like one sad celebration.

STEVE

My degree came in the mail. I paid a little extra to get it framed.

LEX

(in Xhosa; subtitled)

You graduated? Hey, congratulations.

STEVE

(in Xhosa; subtitled)

Thank you.

LEX

Did you switch classes or-

JOHN

Yeah, you said you’re celebrating, I’ll buy you a shot. What’d you get your degree in?

A small crowd has formed as people on the block chat and visit, drawn to John and Lex’s loud personalities.

STEVE

Russian literature.

There’s a pause as they look at him in surprise and then erupt in laughter.

To read more of this screenplay, contact Michael Papich.