This screenplay is an action-adventure of the mind with a slight twist.
This is a story about a former merchant marine, whom goes on to become the president of Liberia. After a ten-year war created by the previous corrupt administration, he attempts to clean up corruption and reestablish peace, as he seek help from his veteran marine buddies, whom he sailed with twenty years earlier. However, they were now living throughout Central America and the United States. With his every move carefully being monitored by the opposing political parties, and his one safe way out of the country, to reach and reestablishing these contacts, without being discovered, was to disguise himself in women’s clothing and travel across to Sierra Leon and further abroad by boat.
This is the story of three young men of diverse racial, cultural and political backgrounds, their struggle and courage at sea during their young age, their early years as merchant seaman and their unbroken spirit to conquer the bigotry and ignorance encountered via their ship’s commanding officers. The development of a brotherhood, which would enabled them to overcome racial superiority, that’ll therefore lead them into romance, adventure and unity on the high seas, while still maintaining their spiritual and moral values.
It is about three young merchant marines from different countries and cultural backgrounds. How they struggle to get along and overcome their differences, and together accomplish successful careers at sea. How they dealt with the bigotry, ignorance and cruel nature of their ship’s captain for almost a year, until on a New Year’s Eve night, when their ship caught fire, perishing everyone aboard, but them. The three of them we’re rescued out of the waters two days later by a UN sponsored paramilitary outfit, maneuvering around international waters near the coast of Panama and Costa Rica. As trained mariners, they been invited to join the outfit, and in two years became trained commandos in amphibious, tactical military peacekeeping and warfare operations.
Separated from each other for almost twenty years, now reunited for a worthy cause, pledged back during their youth; after being discharged years earlier and deciding upon career changes, were one went on to become a clinical social worker. His work involved aiding, protecting, defending, and rehabilitating Latin American abandoned children in Honduras, who’s lives, are being threatened by gangs, drug lords and corrupt politicians. The other becomes a cop in New Haven Connecticut, and the third one goes into politics and becomes the leader of his small West African country, but after a ten-year war created by the previous administration, he attempts to clean up corruption and reestablish peace. However, finding himself with both hands tied, he finally decides to seek help from his veteran marine buddies, whom he’d sailed with twenty years earlier. They now lived in Central America and the United States. To reestablish contact with them, without being discovered, he must disguise himself as a woman and then smuggled out at night.
This is the story of three young men, their struggle, courage and spirit at sea during their early years. And the development of a brotherhood, which enabled them to aid in the conquering and pacification of a war, ravaged nation and peacefully quell the anger and violence, carried for so long in the hearts and soul of its people. This story deals with romance, adventure, action and unity on the high seas, and shines the light on third world countries political corruption.
(This fictional piece is a 135 page manuscript that draw unrelenting facts and brings forth negative stereotypes and real life encounters that American and foreign merchant marines endured on board nonunionized, foreign registered vessels working in and out of American waters. The story also depicts the adventurous life styles of the seventies carefree mariners, prior to the turbulent AIDS epidemic).
Sabas Whittaker © Copyright 1996
