Screenplay
Screenplay, 10 DAYS IN SEPTEMBER, explores themes of ‘truth’ through the eyes of Detective Francesca Salucci. Step inside the writing room for a sneak peek of the draft copy. This is the story before the movie.
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10 DAYS IN SEPTEMBER
A screenplay by Toni Grant
DATE: 2 September 2023
TITLE SEQUENCE IN SILENCE
1 EXT. BIRDS EYE VIEW SYDNEY CBD – 2012 – DARK
Sydney’s iconic sights through open window of Police helicopter. Low flight path goes high after circle back over Opera House and follow the Parramatta River upstream. Rotor blades beat steady like a heart.
Chopper peels to stage right and disappears into the night.
2 EXT. WOOL SHED, PARRAMATTA RIVER, SYDNEY – CONTINUOUS- DARK
An abandoned timber and iron wool shed dockside speaks of another time on an eerie, crescent moonlit night. A light blue lantern discreetly glows, hanging from an iron hook.
Armed ARES OMCG spotters patrol building entry / exit points.
3 EXT. WOOL SHED – DARK
NSW POLICE SWAT officers peel from the darkness, in formation to surround the shed. Hide. Wait.
4 INT. WOOL SHED, MEZZANINE FLOOR – DARK
Detective Sergeants FRANCESCA SALUCCI (29 y.o codename Movie Star) and JONATHAN MCCRAE (39 y.o code name Alpha 9) scope mezzanine floor in full police kit. Hand signals communicate.
Salucci proceeds stage right. McCrae takes stage left overhead bridge.
5 INT. WOOL SHED TOWARDS GROUND FLOOR – CONTINUING – DIMLY LIT
Birds eye view. Lights focused on the activity in right side, to rear of shed. A light blue lantern shines at small office space. Sealed cardboard boxes and 20kg bags of coffee beans carried from a small shipping container.
Open boxes contents spill onto the floor … stainless steel cooking equipment … hand guns … boxes of ammo are at stages of re-packing.
CHI YOU CHINESE TRIAD operatives stand aside, at attention and following subtle cues from their DRAGON HEAD, LI WEI (63), who watches, listens and scans the surrounds. Ever alert and unnervingly calm.
FRANCESCA (OVER CLOSED COMMS)
Eyes on COLE THE MOLE (45) and BILLY KIDD (56). Ares by 5. Two loaded vans.
Eyes on Li Wei and ….
seven operatives at perimeter.
Copy.
SWAT COMMANDER (OVER CLOSED COMMS)
Copy that.
FRANCESCA (OVER CLOSED COMMS)
Standby.
SWAT COMMANDER (OVER CLOSED COMMS)
Standing by.
6 INT. WOOL SHED, CONTINUING – DIMLY LIT
COLE THE MOLE
(clearly unsettled by the presence of Li Wei)
Come on ya cunts. Hurry up.
Stack them legit ones ‘round ‘em.
Make sure ya chock up the back.
7 INT. WOOL SHED, SMALL OFFICE WITH WINDOWS INTO THE SHED – LAMP LIT
View from outside of the room. Billy Kidd, ARES SERGEANT AT ARMS and Chi You COUNTERPART seated opposite each other at a small table in office.
Hear the sound of boxes being loaded into the vans. Eerily quiet.
8 INT. WOOL SHED MEZZANINE FLOOR – CONTINUING – DARK
Salucci crouches on the upper deck … opposite the van … nervous and sweating … glances in the direction of McCrae … pauses to gather herself. We hear her breathing.
An enormous hook and pulley system with dusty steel chain hanging from lofted ceiling to concrete ground floor. The walkway is narrow here … treacherous with metal bars protruding from the wall at shin, hip and forehead height.
(View from looking over her shoulder) Salucci eyes her options. To move forward means stepping close to the edge. She eyes the rat poo covered handrail. Dislodged rat poo will attract attention.
A glimpse of something in a second room above the office catches her attention. She stills, peering into the room’s dark interior.
9 INT. WOOL SHED, SMALL OFFICE WITH WINDOWS INTO THE SHED – LAMP LIT
Hear a metal chair scrape noisily across the concrete floor. It cracks through the rhythmic noise of the boxes being loaded into the van.
Salucci still. Through the internal office window she sees the two deputies rise. OMCG Sergeant at Arms and Chi you shake hands in agreement.
They walk out to the vans.
FRANCESCA (OVER CLOSED COMMS)
Rats in the race. All units are go 3,2,1
10 EXT. WOOL SHED – DARK
SWAT COMMANDER (OVER CLOSED COMMS)
(motioning forward)
We are go. Go! Go! Go!
11 INT. WOOL SHED AT VANS ON GROUND FLOOR – DIMLY LIT
SERGEANT AT ARMS
(silently nods at Cole)
COLE THE MOLE
Yea boss. All good. Nice and tight like a virgin’s …
12 EXT/INT. WOOL SHED CONTINUING
SWAT units pour into the building. shouting and chaos.
SWAT COMMANDER
Police! Don’t move!
13 INT. WOOL SHED, GROUND FLOOR
Li Wei makes eye contact with Salucci on mezzanine level.
14 INT. WOOL SHED, MEZZANINE LEVEL – DARK
Salucci runs towards stairs to head him off. Attention caught by a MALE OMCG OPERATIVE BODY slumped in a corner of upstairs room.
BOY (12 yo) stands in dark doorway. He has a mysterious smile and death in his eyes.
FRANCESCA
Stop! Police!
15 INT. WOOLSHED, MEZZANINE LEVEL, SMALL ROOM – DARK
Boy flicks a prayer card towards her. The card falling in slow motion from the ceiling to land at her feet. Moments of silence as outside chaos noise dims.
Chopper hovering overhead. Spotlight beam shines through small holes in roof into dusty small room. Room is now empty besides Salucci and dead body.
JOHNNO (VOICE OVER FRANCESCA ACTION)
Movie Star do you copy?
(Beat)
Movie Star on channel?
(Beat)
Movie Star, do you copy?
(Beat)
Fuck!
FRANCESCA
(Slowly picks up card… recognises it as Italian mafia calling card … turns it over in hands … looks around the room … shoves card in her pocket … rejoins operation)
Alpha 9. In pursuit. Rear stairwell.
JOHNNO
Hold for support.
FRANCESCA
Fuck no! I’ve almost got him.
JOHNNO
Wait for backup Salucci!
FRANCESCA
(runs through open door into the back yard of warehouse)
Alright. Alright. He’s fucking gone anyway.
16 EXT. POLICE HEADQUARTERS – MORNING
Salucci walking through police car park. People making eye contact and nodding. Others look away as she catches their eye.
POLICE OFFICER 1
(walking towards her on his way to parked police car)
Welcome back Salucci!
FRANCESCA
Thanks. Nice to be back.
POLICE OFFICER 1
We’re all sorry for your loss. It’s a shitty thing to lose a loved one.
FRANCESCA
(bows her head slightly and fakes a smile)
Thanks. I appreciate it.
(She straightens her shoulders and keeps walking towards the office. She hears behind her …)
POLICE OFFICER 2
Hey, Salucci! Nice ops yesterday. Like clockwork. Bodies in docks … Congratulations.
FRANCESCA
(smiles)
Thank you! Was a team effort.
(Kitted up 4WD utility speeds into the car park, music blaring from the sound system. Salucci stops to let it pass … it pulls into the vacant park close to where she’s standing.)
FRANCESCA(laughing warmly)
You’re such a fricking ringer McCrae. The real deal. Ginger Megs in cowboy boots!
JOHNNO
Movie Star! Good fucking morning to you!
(They walk slowly towards the police building)
JOHNNO
What happened to you last night?
FRANCESCA
After drinks? I went home, had a shower and …
JOHNNO
During the ops. You took a long time to respond.
FRANCESCA
When?
JOHNNO
When you were up in that room. I radioed three times.
FRANCESCA
Three times? I responded.
JOHNNO
You took your own sweet Mary time about it …
FRANCESCA
I was chasing a perp!
JOHNNO
Wei got away.
FRANCESCA
I know. I’m fucking pissed about that. Why’d you call me back?
JOHNNO
I saw the look he gave you.
FRANCESCA
God it was like staring cold death in the face. I nearly shit myself.
I almost had him.
If it wasn’t for that upstairs room …
JOHNNO
Policing 101. Dead bodies don’t move.
FRANCESCA
Well, I didn’t know he was dead, did I?
(They pause at the entrance to the police building.)
JOHNNO
Wei knew you were there the whole time. Then he miraculously disappeared.
FRANCESCA
What do you wanna say Johnno?
JOHNNO
I’m just telling you what I saw, in the sequence I saw it.
People don’t know you like I do … some might think you’re in with the pricks.
FRANCESCA
Now you wait a fucking minute. This was my op, based on my intel. We’ve been planning it before dad (swallows hard) … waiting for the right moment. Why the fuck would I let the main perp get away?
JOHNNO
Just saying that’s all.
(serious tone)
Don’t fuck me over Francesca. I stuck my neck out for you last time. Nearly got myself charged for the pleasure. I’d hate to think you’re holding out on me now so you can take all the glory.
FRANCESCA
You’re an arsehole you know that.
(Salucci marches towards the police building, leaving him standing by the ute.)
JOHNNO
Salucci!
You did great yesterday.
(She raises her hand … gives him the middle finger without turning back.)
JOHNNO
Oh, come on Salucci, that’s no way to treat your favourite brother in law!
FRANCESCA
Fuck off Johnno!
17 INT. POLICE HEADQUARTERS, INSPECTOR GORDON GOODWOOD’S (65) OFFICE – DAY
Goodwood’s office is an odd combination of framed police awards, certificates and commendations neatly displayed on the wall adjacent the god awful mess that is his desk.
Salucci enters, eyeing a family photograph of three golden haired angels propped up by pottery blob glazed in mud green, marked ‘Pa’.
FRANCESCA
You wanted to see me boss?
GOODWOOD
(looks up from signing paperwork and over the rim of his silver framed glasses)
Come in detective and shut the door. Take a seat.
FRANCESCA
Yes Sir.
GOODWOOD
Welcome back Salucci. How are you?
FRANCESCA
Good thanks Sir. I think yesterday was a good test. I handled it pretty well, I think.
GOODWOOD
Wei got away.
FRANCESCA
Yes Sir. He did.
GOODWOOD
Francesca, I want to tell you again how sorry I was that you lost your father in such a horrendous way. The department is keen for you to know that any further support you may need, is available to you.
FRANCESCA
Thank you Sir. I feel I’m ready to get back to work. But I’ll keep it in mind. I appreciate everyone’s concern.
GOODWOOD
Good. I want you to take extended leave.
FRANCESCA
Excuse me Sir? Is this because Wei escaped? Sir, I …
GOODWOOD
DPP are letting SILVIO DELARNO (76yo) go. I thought you should hear it from me.
FRANCESCA
Why would they do that?
GOODWOOD
Not enough evidence to make the charges stick.
FRANCESCA
Excuse me?
GOODWOOD
His age and bad health have contributed.
Also claims he didn’t know CASTELLO (76yo) was holding your FATHER (STEFANO SALUCCI (68yo) hostage on the property.
FRANCESCA
That’s bullshit and you know it!
