Jennifer Crocker-Villegas
601-953-3808
Shades of Survival
JCVillegas2016@gmail.com
1(601)953-3808
Logline
Escaping abuse, sex trafficking, and death Maria, Priya, and Nasim are forced to leave their countries of El Salvador, Iraq, and India for life in the United States. Their lives collide in this powerful story of survival, love, and self-discovery.
Synopsis
In this powerful and emotional drama, we follow three people on their differing and complex journeys to the United States. These unforgettable characters experience abuse, trauma, the struggle for survival, and the search for self-love and acceptance.
Maria, 19-year-old El Salvadorian woman, is fleeing gang violence and human trafficking in El Salvador after her brother is murdered for avenging her rape.
Priya, 22-year-old Indian woman, in an unwanted marriage, is forced by her newlywed husband to move to the United States and leave her family and friends behind to live in this new country where she is isolated by her abuser.
Nasim, 19-year-old man, is an Iraqi refugee who must flee his home country to escape abuse and certain death, because his secret of being a gay man is revealed to his father who had rather have a dead child than a gay one.
All three of these people experience life threatening and traumatizing events as they attempt to seek safety, better lives, and navigate their journeys to self-discovery. In the end all three of their lives collide in an impactful way.
From El Salvador to India to Iraq, these three people will learn how to be survivors, as well as the sufferings life can bring, and how having the right people in your life can make all the difference in the battle for survival.
Cast of Characters
Maria: Maria is a 19-year-old El Salvadorian woman who is escaping gang violence in El Salvador. She embodies strength, but she also has a lot of distrust due to her repeated trauma. Her father and her brother are both murdered by the gang. She is repeatedly raped and abused by the Mara Salvatrucha gang who has a heavy presence in El Salvador. She fears for her life and has always heard that the U.S. is a land of opportunity and safety.
Priya: Priya is a 22-year-old Indian woman. She was raised with Indian traditions that she cherishes. However, she does not want to be forced or pressured to marry. She has always been independent and dreamed of becoming a medical doctor. The pressure from her parents and society leads her to marry Samir. Soon she finds herself being forced to leave everything she knows behind and move to the U.S. with a man she is slowly learning is controlling and abusive.
Nasim: Nasim is a 19-year-old Iraqi male struggling with his identity and how his ultra-conservative society clashes with the fact he is gay. He is repetitively abused and brutally beaten by his father since his father heard rumors of his son’s sexuality. Nasim is raped and tortured by policemen who were ordered to kill him. In that moment Nasim decides it is time for him to find a way to escape and flee to the United States.
Luis: Luis is a 20-year-old slightly cocky, compassionate, Honduran male fleeing his country, who finds himself on the same trek to the USA as Maria.
Aracely: Aracely is a 13-year-old pregnant, Honduran girl fleeing her country. She is an innocent, sweet, and loving girl who dreams of living in the USA. She too finds herself on the same trek as Maria.
Carmen: Carmen is a 72-year-old Honduran woman who is fleeing her country. She arranges her, Luis’, and Aracely’s escape for their safety. She is grandmotherly, caring, and affectionate. She also finds herself on the same trek as Maria.
Samir: Samir is 25-year-old self-indulging, controlling, and abusive, Indian male who is marrying Priya. He marries her, not out of love, but because of her family’s prestige in the community. He lands a job in the U.S., the place he has always dreamed of living.
Daniel: Daniel is a 21-year-old male born in the U.S. He is more comfortable with himself and his sexuality. Daniel falls in love with Nasim and helps him navigate coming out and being comfortable in his own skin.
Film Treatment
SHADES OF SURVIVAL
ACT I
We see flashing scenes of a rushing river fading in and out with people crossing to the United States trying to find refuge on the other side. One woman is swept down river by the rushing currents, while the others struggle to stay upright holding on to a frail rope.
We flashback to MARIA a 19-year-old El Salvadorian woman who comes home traumatized and tattered after being raped, once again, by the gang, Mara Salvatruchas, who has a strong hold in the area. Maria’s bother, SANTIAGO, realizes what has happened, and he can no longer sit on the sidelines, even though seeking retaliation will likely mean his death.
Santiago returns home covered in blood. He has been shot. Maria holds her brother while he dies in her arms on their couch. She is later threatened by a gang member outside her home, as she is on her knees watching her brother’s body being driven away by the coroner. Despite her devastation she knows she must escape at nightfall.
We leave Maria as her motorcycle is zooming in and out of traffic on the outskirts of San Salvador.
PRIYA is a 22-year-old Indian woman who is at her large engagement celebration with both the bride and groom’s families present to celebrate this union of two prestigious families.
Priya is trying to pull herself together as she looks in the bathroom mirror. She exits back into the party. Dancing and celebration surround her. SAMIR, 25-year-old, is her husband to be. He tightly grips her wrist and tells her to smile.
One evening at dinner with Samir’s parents, Priya is blindsided by the news Samir got a job in the U.S., and that they will be moving there in just a few short weeks. She later expresses to her parents that she is adamantly opposed to this move, but they push her to do what is best for her new husband and their marriage
We leave Priya in her room packing boxes with her mother assuring her that she will learn to love being a housewife.
NASIM’s story opens flashing forward to him sitting in a circle at a group therapy session. He nervously rubs his bandaged wrist while he introduces himself, “Hi, I am Nasim. I am an Iraqi refugee and . . . and I'm gay.”
Nasim is a 19-year-old Iraqi male who has been outed in his community and with his father who becomes horribly abusive towards his son, orchestrating a hit on his life by way of the local police who have a reputation for targeting LGBTQ individuals. Nasim knows he must flee to save his own life.
Nasim is in the U.S. as he gets an entry examination in a sterile examination room. The nurse devoid of emotion as the BUZZING of the florescent light fills the room.
Nasim is living in a shelter for immigrants. He often feels afraid and unsafe. He struggles to find work, going from restaurant to restaurant, each time ending with a door being closed in his face. Nasim struggles with culture shock and the loud noises trigger his PTSD.
Nasim’s luck seems to turn around when a diner owner decides to give Nasim a shot as a dishwasher.
ACT II
Maria continues her long trek to the U.S. when her motorcycle runs out of gas outside a small gang-run town. She is picked up by a man in a pickup truck heading north to Mexico. At first it seems this man might just be there to help, but later we learn that his help comes with expectations.
One evening after several drinks the truck driver starts making unwanted advances on Maria in the truck. He becomes increasingly more aggressive to the point Maria must retaliate and then jumps from the moving vehicle.
She finds herself at the home of JOSE and TERESA a kind couple in their early 70s’ who own a crop farm in Mexico. They offer Maria to stay the night and to help her get to the United States.
After an overnight stay at their home José drives Maria to meet with a coyote taking a truck load of people to the U.S. border crossing. This is where Maria is introduced to LUIS, CARMAN, and ARACELY.
On the long journey to the border Maria and Luis get off to a rough start with his cocky, flirty behavior towards Maria. She bonds quickly with Carmen and Aracely.
They run into many obstacles on their trek to the border. The coyote’s truck breaks down and they are forced to walk to a train referred to as La Bestia (The Beast). It was given its name by immigrants who use it to travel to the U.S. border due to how dangerous it is.
We see the group bonding on their journey as they all suffer from hunger, thirst, and the fear of being caught and sent back to the lives they are fleeing.
One day on the train Maria and Aracely are talking while sitting on the edge of the train car. This is when Maria learns that Aracely was kidnapped and raped by a gang member. This is how she became pregnant and why her parents sent her to find safety in the United States.
Just then they hear screams from the front as a body is swept under the train dismembering it. Maria quickly covers Aracely’s eyes. They go deep into the train car and lay in Carmen’s lap with tears in their eyes. Carmen rubs their heads and sings them an old Honduran folk song.
Days later they arrive near the border and must jump from the moving train before it arrives at the station. When jumping Carmen lands roughly spraining her ankle. They still have a long walk ahead of them. They all hope she can make it.
The group finally makes it to the border, but they must camp there until it’s safe to cross. The town is crumbling and is an immigrant tent city with a backdrop of military men carrying machine guns standing in the distance at the border.
Priya and Samir arrive in the U.S. to a loud chaotic international airport with rude immigration officers. Priya looks overwhelmed and sad, but Samir looks thrilled. He shows no regard or insight for Priya or her feelings as he states, “Isn’t this great?”
Priya lives with a man who is becoming increasingly colder and more abusive. She is a strong independent woman who desires to be a doctor, but she finds herself living a 1950s’ style housewife life. Her daily life consists of sitting at the house alone, cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking. She is very isolated and slowly losing herself in this life she never wanted.
One evening Priya and Samir have an Indian couple, from a few towns over, come to dinner. The husband, RAMESH, and wife, FATIMA, get a small peek into the abuse that is going on in the household through how rude and abrupt Samir speaks to Priya, as well as never allowing her to answer questions directed towards her.
Samir often forces Priya to have sex trying to impregnate her. She lies there nightly with tears in her eyes as he thrusts himself on her. One evening she brings up that she believes they should wait on children. This leads to a huge argument, which ends with Samir violently slamming Priya up against a wall by her throat. We see dark, vacant eyes when looking at Samir as he is choking the life out of her. He suddenly let go and storms away. Priya slides down the wall into a ball on the floor and silently sobs while shaking.
The next day Priya goes to the doctor to find a birth control option that can be hidden from Samir. She ends up finding someone she is able to confide in and find inspiration from, DR. MANGAL, an intelligent, caring, and successful Indian woman.
Priya’s parents come to visit and sees the treatment she receives from Samir. After her parents are back home in India Priya calls and speaks to her father. He gives her his approval to live her own life.
Nasim is now living in a small cinderblock room in the basement of the diner where he was hired. He is a dishwasher who works extra hours to be able to earn his stay.
At night Nasim often runs errands for the diner or walks to get himself dinner or groceries. He frequently passes a bar with a large rainbow flag proudly flying above the door. This door peeks Nasim’s curiosity, but he is afraid to go in.
One night he walks to the door placing his hand on the door handle. He has a flashback to his days in Iraq. He is dancing with a man in an underground gay bar in Bagdad. He walks off to the restroom and turns to give a flirty smile. While in the bathroom there is a deafening blast. As he exits the bathroom through smoke and dust, he sees bodies lying on the ground, everything is in disarray as people are running frantically for their lives. He is brought back to the present bysomeone trying to get past him to go into the bar. He quickly turns and leaves.
One night Nasim is lying in his small cinderblock room that has one tiny window. He is watching the ominous shadows dance on the celling. He suddenly jumps up, throws on clothes, and heads out the door.
Nasim goes to the bar that wears its pride. He hesitantly enters. There are men dancing on platforms, colorful strobe lights, and techno music blaring. He looks around, overwhelmed, and walks to the bar. A young, tall, thin, blond guy, DANIEL, walks over to him at the bar and orders them shots. He is very flirty with Nasim. They end up dancing all night until the guy leans in and kisses Nasim. Nasim freaks out and flees, but later, as he is thinking of Daniel, a smile is brought to his face as he dances while washing dishes alone with the radio on at the diner.
As Nasim and Daniel’s relationship progresses, Nasim’s fear of being gay bares itself. One night while in Nasim’s room the two were lying in bed when Daniel questions Nasim why he always leaves his pants on during sex. Nasim gets visibly uncomfortable. It leads Nasim to tell Daniel about his scarred legs from his father’s brutal beatings. He pulls his pants off to reveal himself to Daniel. For the first time Daniel tells Nasim he loves him as Nasim stands there bearing it all.
The following morning Nasim begins to withdraw from Daniel. He becomes short and dismissive when questioned about the change in his behavior, gets angry and then tells Daniel to leave.
Days later Daniel convinces Nasim to meet up with him at a park. Nasim is trying to push Daniel away emotionally. He breaks up with Daniel then leaves. He is upset and grows more emotionally distraught. We cut between a flashback of police chasing Nasim down and raping him in Iraq and the present where Nasim steadily increases his pace as he is physically trying to run from his inner demons and crying in the rain.
ACT III
We are at the border as Maria, Carmen, Luis, and Aracely begin their trek through the desert towards the crossing point. The trip is a brutal several-day walk. It is hard for Carmen to walk and to keep pace with the coyotes due to her injured ankle. Maria and Luis help her.
Aracely begins to struggle as well. She is about to give birth. They try to help her make it to the border, but she gives birth in the desert. She hemorrhages a great deal and slowly passes away there in the desert. Maria takes her baby with her, as they are forced to leave Aracely’s body behind.
We are back at the river crossing. The men and women are separated for unknown reasons. Carmen is entering the river grabbing onto the frail rope. The rushing river sweeps her shoe off her foot as her ankle gives way and the water washes her down river. Maria must move on carrying the baby across the border to safety. Once across she is reunited with Luis in an embrace.
Priya is in the kitchen cooking. Samir arrives home from work. At dinner she informs him that she is leaving him. Samir then attacks Priya as she goes for the packed bag she has in the closet. As Priya is lying on her back being choked by Samir the doorbell rings. Nasim goes to the door. It is a police officer and Dr. Mangal. Priya walks past Nasim and tells him it’s over. He is left standing staring at a closed door with the look of shock and devastation.
Daniel has tried to get in contact with Nasim all day since the park. His worry leads him to go to the dinner. Mr. Giovanni lets Daniel know he has not seen Nasim. Daniel runs down to the tiny apartment with Mr. Giovanni following. When there was no answer Daniel burst down the door to find Nasim unconscious with his wrists deeply cut and broken, bloody glass beside him.
Nasim wakes up in the hospital to Daniel holding his hand. The doctor comes into talk to Nasim alone to ensure he is ok, and counsels him to get into a group therapy program her friend runs.
As he is being discharged with Daniel by his side, the doctor comes to talk to him. We see her face for the first time, and it is Priya who followed her dreams to be an M.D.
We are back at the group counseling. Nasim nervously rubs his bandaged wrist while he introduces himself, “Hi, I am Nasim. I am an Iraqi refugee and . . . and I'm gay.” “Welcome Nasim. I am glad you are here.” The camera pans to the group leader. “I am Maria.”
The final shot is in Luis and Maria’s backyard for their daughter’s 10th birthday. Her name is Aracely named after her mother. Priya, Nasim, and Daniel are all there to celebrate this special day with their family they created.