Roach Tango

7/27/2019 Roach Tango

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ROACH TANGO

by

Rick Barretto

Contact Information:

+55 81 92616400



ROACH TANGO

FADE IN:

Tango music fills the airwaves.Inspiración by Sans Souci Orquestra. A distant light at the end of a long dark tunnel.As we wind our way to it, it gets louder.At the other side of the tunnel...

INT. DANCE STUDIO - NIGHT

Feet swirl by. Turning, stepping, to the sound of thecommanding VOICE of the instructor, Eduardo, tango professorextraordinaire.

EDUARDO (O.S.)One, two, voleo! Three, four, sacada!Giro!

We are looking through the POV of a cockroach. Low-angle.Very low-angle.

No faces. Just feet. Moving, beautifully fast.We try stepping into the room.A couple almost run over us!

EDUARDO (O.S.) (CONT'D)Castigada! Five, six, seven and

The music comes to a dramatic close.

EDUARDO (O.S.) (CONT'D)Eight!

The dancers stop in diver 'pegadas' or poses, such as theadagio, holding their ladies up. We hear the slightest hintof a sigh from our roach selves.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)Beautiful! That's beautiful! That-'s it for today ladies and gents. Icannot tell how proud I am of thisgroup. Viva el Tango!

Hands clap at the end. The natural commotion of studentsleaving the room ensues. Eduardo's partner, the beautifulGRAZIELLA, is the last to exit.

EDUARDO (O.S.) (CONT'D)I'll wait downstairs.

GRAZIELLA (O.S.)Be right there, hon.



2.

Everyone heads down the stairs, while Graziella stays, pickingout CDs to take with her, quietly humming.

We can't resist any longer.Saunter into the room.What a magical moment.A little 'giro' first.Graziella turns.Screams. Runs for life. Back into the hole.Feet rush back up the stairs.

EDUARDO (O.S.)What was that?

GRAZIELLAA cockroach.

Eduardo Laughs. Other students follow suit.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)Not funny. Good thing she didn'tattack me.

EDUARDOIt was probably too scared.

INSIDE THE PROTECTIVE HOLE

Roach overhears the last bit of conversation.

EDUARDO(O.S.) (CONT'D)

If you see it again, don't scream,call me, and I'll giver it my best'castigada'.

The insect mopes.Drops its little antennae.Light goes off. They leave.Silence.

INT. DANCE STUDIO - NEXT EVENING

Libertango plays.Feet are moving fast. Too fast. Professional.

Eduardo and Graziella on the dance floor only.A private training session. It is a festival of enrosques with voleos and sacadas and anunending series of ganchos.Cockroach watches. Mesmerized. Smitten.Rooting at every turn. Analyzing.

The music comes to its apogee.Graziella poises beautifully.



3.

Cockroach sighs from its hidden corner.It takes a second of silence, and Grazi falls apart.Despondent. Walks away to a corner.

EDUARDOWhat? What?

GRAZIELLAI don't know. It's just... somethingis missing.

EDUARDOIt's the same we did last year.Everyone loves it.

GRAZIELLAI know. It's just that... there areno surprises... We need something...unexpected... something that youwould never thought you would see...

and yet... it's there... and makesperfect sense. Magic.

Cockroach almost swoons. Gobsmacked.

EDUARDOMagic? Ok. While you look for'magic', I'm going downstairs tounwind and get a drink. Just let meknow if you see something.

He leaves in a huff. Graziella sits.Stares at a CD cover. Silent.

Cockroach watches from across the room.Grazi starts mindlessly switching from one song to the next.Then something strikes her.She goes back one tune and hears the soundtrack.Closes her eyes, and starts daydreaming. Cockroach enters.Walks right to the center of the room.Starts doing a series of rulos with voleos and ganchos.But it's not your typical voleo. It's a quadruple, four-armed voleo. Followed by an impossible 360-degree rulo, anda series of two-armed sacadas.

Graziella slowly opens her eyes. Notices. Slack-jawed.Not noticing it is being observed, cockroach continues.Graziella takes a tentative step forward. Oh my God. Cockroach does a final turn and ends up facing Graziella.Graziella opens her mouth to scream. Covers it.Cockroach does a tiny cockroach panic sound. Runs.Graziella chases.



4.

GRAZIELLAStop!

Cockroach senses her pleading voice and stops.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)I am not going to hurt you.

Cockroach turns slowly, two feet away from the safe zone.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)Was that a... voleo?

Cockroach shrugs its topmost legs.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)Could you... do that again?

Cockroach does a magnificent and perfectly-balanced four-legged voleo.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)Oh My God.

(she thinks a moment)Voleo.

(cockroach obeys herevery command)

Sacada. Rulo. Enrosque con rulo.Enrosque completo with voleos and sacadas.

EDUARDO (O.S.)A cockroach!

Panic. Cockroach runs for the safe zone.Too late. His foot is already there.

GRAZIELLANo!

Cockroach tries climbing up the wall. He hits hard, missingit by half-inch, leaving a footprint.

EDUARDODon't worry, honey. You're safe!I'm going to smack it off the face

of the earth!

Cockroach climbs the sound rack.He smashes it, dropping several Cds on the floor.

GRAZIELLANo! Stop it!

EDUARDOYou little sucker, you're mine!



5.

He almost knocks the coffee pot to the ground. Grabs it.

GRAZIELLASTOOOOOP IT!

He is taken by surprise and interrupts his pursuit ascockroach finally manages to enter the safe zone.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)That cockroach... can tango.

Silence.Eduardo suddenly erupts in laughter. It grows louder,contagious. Graziella scowls. He comforts her.

EDUARDOListen, I know it's been verystressful, we've been working toohard. The world meet is just aroundthe corner. There's too much in

your mind right. I say we take abreak tomorrow, ok? Relax, dosomething different. It will helpclear out our minds.

Eduardo walks away.

GRAZIELLAIt's true. She can do the mostamazing series of voleos and sacadas,you should have seen her do the rulos.

EDUARDO

She!? How do you know it's a she!?

GRAZIELLANo man can possibly do a voleo likethat!

EDUARDOApparently no woman either!

He turns to leave. Angry. Turns back.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)I'm sorry. Listen. You're right.

I'll call pest control tomorrow.We'll pulverize this whole place,ok? There'll be nothing left.

(condescending)And about that tango dancingcockroach. Why don't we... uh...keep that to ourselves?

And leaves.Graziella sits on a bench.



6.

Cockroach, trembling, watches from her hole-in-the-wall.

GRAZIELLAYou can come out now.

Cockroach steps out and speeds straight to her.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)Not too close. After all, you'restill a... cockroach. I'm disgusted.Sorry.

Cockroaches understands the command, climbs up the bench,but stays a good three-feet apart. Beat.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)What are we going to do?

Cockroach imitates her thinking pose. Both a little sad.Graziella has an idea. Cringes at the very thought of it.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)The only solution would be to...ugh... take you home with me.

Cockroach perks up.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)(dead serious)

And none of that flying-stuff.

Cockroach nods. Swear-crosses all legs.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Graziella walks hurriedly through the streets.Cockroach tags along, always two steps behind.Happily roach-humming tango classics and doing voleos andsacadas and turns. Falling on and off the sidewalk. Graziella turns and sees.

GRAZIELLAWould you cut it out? You'reattracting attention.

Graziella continues, smiling awkwardly at the passers-by.

INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT

Small. Drab. City lights outside.

GRAZIELLAYou're a phenomenon. Do you thinkyou can teach me?



7.

Cockroach shrugs her top legs. It's possible.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)Ok, here's the deal. I let you stay.You teach me. And my room is off-limits.

Cockroaches bends reverentially at the suggestion.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)I'll show you your room.

She steps into the kitchen. Roach follows.

INT. DANCE STUDIO - DAY

Several couples in the dance floor.

EDUARDOOk. Listen to the music. Dance.

Don't worry about the steps. Lookat your partner. Feel the cadenza.

Graziella enters hurriedly, late. Eduardo scowls.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)Graziella, you dance with Fernando.

She quickly drops her bag on the bench and heads to thestudent. La Racha plays.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)Dance!

The students begin with the basic step, and quickly moveinto more complex material, with voleos and half-moons.We focus on Graziella, on an elegant MONTAGE OF A SERIES OFGRAZIELLA STEPS. ..She does a voleo, only this time she lets go of her partnerand doubles the movement with her corresponding arm...An impossible double-turn, follows right through with alapiz....Other couples start staring at her....Eduardo observes, curious, stoic....Another Giro, breathtaking, her arms choreograph the

movement. The music stops, almost as an afterthought, Graziella,beautifully interlaces her arms and legs in a complexsituation around her partner.Everyone's eyes are on her.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)All right. Class dismissed.



8.

From a corner, cockroach watches, claps her tiny antennae.Watches as all the students congratulate Graziella on theway out. "That was amazing" " Where did you learn that?""Congratulations, you look so beautiful" and so on... Graziella starts heading out. Eduardo stops her.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)So, now you've decided to train withsomeone else.

GRAZIELLAI though you were the one who toldme to take a 'day off?'

EDUARDOAnd who might this 'person' be?

GRAZIELLAYou're not ready.

And she walks out. Cockroach enjoys this with a couple ofair punches. Yes, revenge.

Saludos plays beautifully through the next montage sequence.

INT. GRAZIELLA'S APARTMENT - DAY

...Cockroach, poised, teaches Graziella the right way to doa triple gancho. Graziella tries, errs. Roach does it again,corrects her.


...the dance floor. Graziella explodes in a beautiful gancho,arms and legs operating in unison. Eduardo nods, impressed.

INT. GRAZIELLA'S APARTMENT - DAY

...Cockroach does a 720-degree lapiz, ends in a castigada.


...HIGH-ANGLE. From the POV of the cockroach, dangling highon a curtain, we see Graziella gracefully reproduce the lapizand the castigada.

...Eduardo frustrated, changing Cds.

INT. GRAZIELLA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

...Graziella and Cockroach, lounging around on the sofa.She places a mound of molded cheese in front of her on thecoffee table. Having a great time.



9.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

...Graziella happily dancing and twirling her way throughthe streets, greeting the passers-by, who applaud.


...Graziella ends in the most beautiful adagio.

...Eduardo forcibly presses STOP on the music rack. Theclass erupts in applause.

EDUARDOOk. Class dismissed.

Students start to leave. Graziella walks past Eduardo.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)Who is teaching you? I have to know.

GRAZIELLAI'm sorry. I'm afraid that is notpossible.

EDUARDOPlease.

Graziella senses his pain.

GRAZIELLAAre you sure you're not going topanic? Throw a fit?

EDUARDOI'm going to honor and revere thisperson for the rest of my life.

INT. GRAZIELLA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The door creeps open slowly, Graziella turns on the light.Eduardo steps in.

She turns on the kitchen lights.Cockroach steps our of her hole-in-the-wall bedroom, allhappy and perky, rushing towards her.

EDUARDOA Cockroach!

Eduardo panics and steps forward, grabs the first pan hesees and viciously attacks the insect, misses, but breaks afew glasses in the process.

GRAZIELLANo!



10.

He then proceeds to try to stomp it with his foot, thrice ina row, missing by an inch every time.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)Stop it!

EDUARDODon't worry, honey! You're safe!

He swirls, chasing her furiously, grabs a huge cooking book,lifts it high, as he starts to descend...

GRAZIELLADON'T KILL IT! VOLEO!

Cockroach immediately does a magnificent voleo. Eduardohesitates in mid-air.

GRAZIELLA (CONT'D)VOLEO! SACADA! GANCHO! LAPIZ!

Cockroach executes all the movement with incredible precisionand speed, dancing for dear life.

EDUARDOOh my God. Oh my -- God. It can...it can...

GRAZIELLAShe is the best tango dancer I haveever seen.

Cockroach folds her arms, tired, but cocky.

EDUARDOOh my. Voleo. Gancho. Ochoadelante.

Cockroach gracefully reproduces those directions.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)Oh my God. Do you think it, she,can teach me?

Cockroach immediately turns her back. Eduardo quickly hidsthe book he was still holding in mid-air.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)I wasn't reeealy going to kill you.

GRAZIELLADo you promise never to attack heragain? Do you promise to be niceand listen to me?



11.

EDUARDOYes on both counts.

GRAZIELLA(to the cockroach)

For the tango.

The cockroach acquiesces with a nod.

EDUARDOBut -- if she is a, uh, roach, whois she going to dance with?

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

INT. DANCE HALL - DAY

TANGO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - BUENOS AIRES

Loud applause. Eduardo and Graziella wait on a corridor fortheir turn to go to the dance floor.

From outside we hear the distant voice of their names beingcalled.

CROONER (O.S.)Eduardo Ayres and Graziella Ariezzo.

Eduardo turns to her.

EDUARDO

May I have the honor of this dance?

As they walk out, we pan down, a couple of antennae pop outof Eduardo's folded hem, followed by cockroach's head, lookingout into the crowded dance hall. She almost swoons out ofsheer joy.

Eduardo and Graziella step out onto the dance floor, alongsidedozens of other couples. Smile. Their 'secret weapon' climbsout of Eduardo's hem to the dance floor.

Amorando plays full galore. They start their routine.

...he pushes forward, giro to the left, takes her back, backocho, half-moon, while in the half moon, he leads thecockroach into a voleo, unbeknownst to anyone else, he leadsboth Graziella and Cockroach on the floor.

...they spin, a dazzling sequence of voleos and sacadas.The public applauds.

...Cockroaches steps out of the choreography. Shows up to acompeting couple. The woman screams and loses balance.



12.

A judge walks into the floor and rips their number off.

JUDGEYou're out.

...Roach smiles happily. Returns to the choreography. Doesa very complicated lapiz, in the middle of their enrosquecon voleo y sacadas.

...Eduardo very careful not to step on the roach, who stepsout of the choreography, scares another couple, who almostfall. The judge walks up to them and repeats the gesture.

JUDGE (CONT'D)Disqualified.

In a quick MONTAGE of transition fades, couples are beingeliminated until there are only two remaining couples.Graziella and Eduardo elicit many oohs and aaahs from thepublic in the hall.

Then, for their final trick, they do a series of turns withtriple sacadas and voleos, which includes arms and legs in aseries of multi-member ganchos.

CROONER (O.S.)Ladies and gentleman, give us a loudcheer because tonight, Tango hassoared to unprecedented new heights.

The audience goes wild.

CROONER (CONT'D)

Let us hear for the new Tango WorldChampions, Eduardo Ayres and GraziellaAriezzo.

Eduardo and Graziella step up to receive their award to abarrage of flashes. He looks down, searches for the roach,she is not there! He exchange worried looks with Graziella.

The MAIN JUDGE hands them their award.

EDUARDOThank you so much, it is an honor tobe here tonight representing my

country, and --

Unbeknownst to them, cockroach continues dancing in the middleof the dance floor, humming to herself.

Someone spots her.

EVENT OFFICAL-- Cockroach!



13.

EVENT OFFICAL 2Kill it!

Three or four officers immediately converge on the cockroach,who runs for dear life, as they try to stomp her.

EDUARDONo!

He hands back the award and rushes back to the floor.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)Don't touch it!

The office is about to smash the dancing roach into roadkill.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)DON'T TOUCH THAT COCKROACH!

EVENT OFFICALWhy?

EDUARDOShe is the best tango dancer I haveever seen.

Silence. Beat.The crowd goes wild. So do the judges and everyone else inthe dance hall. Laughing derisively.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)Voleo.

The roach does a voleo.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)Sacada.

The roach does a triple sacada. A cameraman quicklyapproaches. The image shows up on a large screen on thestadium. There is a group sigh and commotion.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)

Rulo with enrosque and sacada for both.

Roach does the most perfect execution of tango possible.The judges are impressed. Eduardo gets the award, places iton the floor, next to the roach.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)I don't deserve this award.

(MORE)



14.

EDUARDO (CONT'D)If I have become what I am today,and if I were able to dance for youtoday, it is because of thiscockroach. For this tiny insect Iowe this award. She is the realworld-champion.

The public is shocked. So are the judges and everyone else.

EVENT OFFICALBut... she is a cockroach. Who isshe going to dance with?

From behind the stands, and old cockroach overhears, stepsinto the dance floor and heads straight to her, mesmerized.

The public notices first. Goes ooh.

The bigger and older roach finds the opportunity he has been

waiting for for many, many years. He gracefully extends hishand to her, who almost teary accepts.

GRAZIELLAGive us some music, please!

One judge official motions to the other, and then to thesound person, who starts a version of El Amanecer, with theOrquesta El Caburé.

Old roach and Cockroach start dancing the most amazing featof Tango ever seen to this day. Double, triple and quadruplevoleos, unending rulos and castigadas, followed by an amazing

series of triple ganchos as we...

FADE OUT to the dance studio.


Where they continue their routine to the watchful eye ofdozens of students, and stop.

Cockroach nods to Eduardo, who presses play. Song repeats.

The students grab their partners and start the routine. Aswe pan across the room, we notice they are not alone, behind

the teachers there are dozens of roach couples, of all agesand sizes in an embrace eager to learn the Tango.

Cockroaches and Humans together, the very top and bottom ofthe food chain, united for one universal goal:

Tango.

As the music plays, couples start dancing and we creep backinto the same hole-in-the-wall we started.



15.

The hole closes.

FADE OUT:

THE END

Roach Tango

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