The Growling
2022
Short Film Screenplay
INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY
From the other side of the ceiling, a drill hacks loudly at concrete. CLARK (68) closes his eyes. His left foot, swung over the right, beats against the ground. TAP. TAP.
He gets up, walks over to the sliding doors, and PULLS them open. He steps outside onto the veranda. For a moment, there is silence.
But then, vehicles of all kinds pollute the streets with noise. BEEP! A car, swerving to avoid a collision, slams on the horn. Clark sighs, and turns back to the living room.
DING DING! Clark rushes to the door. It opens. A package is passed through.
In the package is a brand new pair of noise-cancelling headphones – of the highest quality. Expensive, too. Clark puts them over his ears and enjoys the silence at last.
But then THE GROWLING, a low rumbling noise, begins. The ground vibrates. His foot vibrates. His leg. His arm. The corners of his mouth twitch.
Down beneath the surface, the source of the Growling. A cross-section of the underground – water rushes through pipelines. A rat pauses in one of many underground tunnels and sniffs at the air. A brightly lit train speeds past.
The Growling builds up into a massive amalgam of raucous sound – the rushing of water, the whistle-like screeching of a train, an earthquake-like grumbling, all layered on top of one another.
TITLE: THE GROWLING
INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR – EVENING
A dimly lit corridor. Most students have long since left the building. Glow from the lights swirls in circles. The corridor seems to stretch on forever. The sound of the Growling lurks unnervingly in the background.
Clark limps along the corridor. He wears the green overalls of a janitor and holds a bucket-mop robot in his hands. Apart from him, there are only two students in sight.
Just as he is about to take another step, he STUMBLES, and slumps against the wall.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS
POV from Clark, as he leans against the wall and slowly collapses onto the ground.
Circles of black and white form psychedelic patterns in his vision, accompanied by a steady pulsing from within his head.
In the background, the Growling grows LOUDER.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS
A passing student runs over to Clark and offers to help him up.
Clark shakes his head and pushes the student away. He pulls himself up from the ground with much effort. The student walks away.
Clark stumbles along the corridor, one hand on the wall, until he is out of view.
The Growling RECEDES gradually.
INT. JANITOR ROOM – MOMENTS LATER
Tall shelves hold pails and bottles of chemicals and various cleaning robots. Many of the robots VIBRATE noisily – some of them with bright flashing lights. Walking space is narrow. The Growling is, of course, ever-present.
Clark slumps down onto a small stool in the middle of the walkway, his head in his hands. ELEANOR (56), also a janitor, stands behind him, sorting out the shelves.
ELEANOR
Headache again?
Clark nods.
CLARK
I think – the e-doctor said. It’s the Growling. It’s driving me crazy.
Beat. Eleanor turns around to look at Clark.
ELEANOR
I hear there’s a Citizen Satisfaction Centre now. Government set up. You should go there, see what they can do.
Clark PERKS UP. He shakes his head, then flinches from the pain it causes him.
CLARK
There’s nothing they can do about the Growling. It’s down there–
(he motions at the ground)
Way, way below.
ELEANOR
But it’s worth a shot.
Clark shakes his head.
CLARK
No. You know that I’m old. You know what they’re like. They won’t–
JUMP CUT TO:
EXT. OUTSIDE THE CITIZEN SATISFACTION CENTRE – DAY
Clark stands in a T-shirt and khakis, staring up at the Complaint Centre – a new, shiny building that seems to scrape the skies. Other buildings around it are similarly tall and modern, cementing Singapore’s position as a leading metropolis of the new age.
INT. CITIZEN SATISFACTION CENTRE – CONTINUOUS
Large doors OPEN automatically to let Clark through. A crowd of suit-wearing office workers brisk-walk past him in the opposite direction. He manoeuvres through them.
Inside there is a long and capacious hall. Modern-looking glass furnishings hang from the high ceiling. Counters manned by androids are positioned at regular intervals on either side of the hall. Behind each of them are similar sets of huge glass doors.
In the middle of the hall are medium-sized Guide-bots equipped with graphic screens directing visitors based on the nature of their complaints.
The hall is noisy with busy conversation and the sound of mechanical whirring coming from the various robots.
ANNOUNCER (O.S.)
Welcome to the Citizen Satisfaction Centre. Here, we aim to resolve all of your queries to the best of our abilities. In Singapore, Asia’s leading metropolis of 2075, nobody is left behind. If you have a query, please consult one of our Guide-bots for–
Clark stands still, taken aback. He walks over to one of the Guide-bots.
CLARK
Hello – hi, my name is Clark Liong. I’m here to complain about…
CUT TO:
INT. CITIZEN SATISFACTION CENTRE, CUBICLE 37 – MOMENTS LATER
In comparison to the hall, the cubicles are small. Dividers between cubicles extend nearly to the ceiling.
It is relatively silent, although the Growling is ever-present in the background.
Clark squirms uncomfortably in a small chair. Before him, JOHANN (38) sits behind a big computer monitor. He peers over the monitor.
JOHANN
You’re here to complain about… the noise and the Growling. That’s what it says here.
Clark NODS. Johann SIGHS.
JOHANN
There’s not much we can do about that. Look, if it’s your neighbours, you can tell us where you live and we can request that they cut down on the noise but – the Growling? Nada.
CLARK
Oh.
(beat)
Nothing? Nothing at all?
Johann shakes his head.
JOHANN
It’s difficult – the Growling comes from so many sources put together, most of which are underground. So… there’s no real solution for it. I’m sorry.
CLARK
(getting up to leave)
No – I expected this.
Just as he is about to leave, he suddenly COLLAPSES. In the background, the Growling gets louder.
Johann BOLTS up and walks over.
JOHANN
Sir, take a seat. Come, your hand.
He grabs Clark’s hand and hoists him onto the chair. A beat as Clark recovers his breath.
CLARK
I– I’m sorry, it’s the headaches. The Growling, I don’t know, it’s doing something to me.
JOHANN
It’s because of the Growling?
Clark NODS. Johann thinks for a moment.
JOHANN
Come with me.
EXT. OUTSIDE THE CITIZEN SATISFACTION CENTRE – MOMENTS LATER
The large doors OPEN. Johann fast-walks out. The traffic light turns green–he crosses the street. Clark struggles to keep up.
CLARK
(out of breath)
Where are we going?
Johann puts a hand to his ear.
JOHANN
Sorry? Oh! Where we’re going? I think we’ll stop by the library first.
CLARK
Oh, the library.
(beat)
Why?
They successfully cross the road. Johann slows down and turns to look at him.
JOHANN
I pride myself in doing my best to resolve every complaint. Nobody is left behind. I’m gonna help you find silence.
CLARK
(breathless)
Thank you.
JOHANN
I had parents around your age. I know… I can sympathise with your– your headaches.
He stops and glances around. A green sign reads ‘LIBRARY – 500M’.
CUT TO:
INT. LIBRARY – MOMENTS LATER
They enter the library. The inside is vast and illuminated by light passing through the glass walls and ceilings. Rather than books, spherical containers hold small chips.
At the gantry, Clark and Johann collect tablet screens that they can insert the chips into to read.
As they move into the library, areas of entertainment are revealed. A room with a ball pit surrounded by screens portraying the landscape of a park. A maze enclosure where people wearing VR headsets attempt to find their way out.
The sound of chattering and laughing.
JOHANN
(whispering)
The Antiquities section. It’s quieter there.
They make their way to a dimly lit corridor in one corner. Stairs lead them downwards.
INT. ANTIQUITIES ROOM – CONTINUOUS
Johann opens a wooden door. They enter a small room with traditional furnishings – wooden cupboards and shelves lined with books, chandeliers emitting a yellow glow. There is a thick layer of dust on everything.
The door closes behind them. Silence.
A sign on the door they have just walked past reads ‘ANTIQUITIES: FREE TO TAKE, NO RETURNS’.
JOHANN
(whispering)
Nobody takes them.
Clark steps forward while Johann watches. He walks through one aisle and runs his hand along the book spines.
CLARK
(softly)
They got left behind.
He picks a book from a shelf. Its title is obscured by dust. Maybe he’s read it before.
JOHANN
You want it?
CLARK
No– maybe.
(beat)
Wow. It’s quiet. My head is clear and, and–
JOHANN
(smiling)
That’s great, isn’t it? You’ve found yourself a place – YOUR place. Silence. Maybe we can’t stop the noise. But it’s about adapting, isn’t it?
CUT TO:
INT. UNDERGROUND – CONTINUOUS
In the distance, the headlights of a train turn a corner. A slight Growling far away.
CUT TO:
INT. ANTIQUITIES ROOM – CONTINUOUS
Clark nods.
CLARK
Yeah.
CUT TO:
INT. UNDERGROUND – CONTINUOUS
The train is metres away. The Growling is louder.
CUT TO:
INT. ANTIQUITIES ROOM – CONTINUOUS
CLARK
It is.
Beat.
CUT TO:
INT. UNDERGROUND – CONTINUOUS
The train speeds past, lights swirling and the Growling roaring immensely. Suddenly, the lights merge and FLASH across the screen.
MATCH CUT TO:
INT. ANTIQUITIES ROOM – CONTINUOUS
The FLASH of light disappears. The Growling swells in the background. Clark stumbles forward and collapses on the ground. The book falls from his hands onto the ground.
Screams of agony. He writhes on the ground.
Johann dashes over and manoeuvres him onto his back.
JOHANN
Clark – breathe.
Limbs flailing. Clark’s hand hits Johann across the face.
JOHANN
Breathe, Clark! Breathe!
Clark’s movements become slower. His arms tremble and fall limp against the floor. The Growling subsides.
JOHANN
That’s good. Calm down. It’s gone. The Growling’s gone.
Clark’s legs now go limp as well.
JOHANN
(quietly)
Good. Let’s go.
He hoists Clark up, one arm over his shoulder. Together they walk out of the Antiquities Room.
On the floor, the book lies closed, its cover still obscured by a layer of dust.
INT. LIBRARY – MOMENTS LATER
Clark and Johann come out of the dimly lit corridor, into the bustling library outside. They come to a stop and Johann sets Clark down on the ground.
CLARK
… I’m sorry.
JOHANN
Things normally don’t work out first try.
CLARK
I hit you.
JOHANN
It doesn’t hurt.
They stare at a teenager standing at a VR console. She plays a city-building game that appears on a monitor.
CLARK
I wish– I wish it would all go away. The Growling. The noise. I wish we could go back to how it was before.
The teenager levels up and builds a large skyscraper in the middle of the screen. She pumps the air excitedly.
JOHANN
I disagree.
Clark looks up, surprised.
JOHANN
I think– let me show you something.
CUT TO:
INT. LIBRARY – MOMENTS LATER
They come to a stop before a set of large, heavy metal doors. They are some way down a dim corridor, a distance from the entertainment areas and the laughter. In the background the Growling is subtle.
JOHANN
In the past few years the library has been repurposed.
He takes out a key card from his pocket and taps it against a keypad beside the doors. It BEEPS and the doors slowly slide open.
JOHANN (O.S.)
It used to be just a hub of information. Now it also provides entertainment, and recreation, and most importantly–
INT. GENERATOR ROOM – CONTINUOUS
The doors open to reveal a bright room with a large vibrating generator in the center, behind glass and bars and metal railings. In each of these layers, several uniformed people carry out various types of maintenance on the generator.
JOHANN (O.S.)
It powers the whole city.
A beat as Clark stares, astounded by the generator that seems to exude energy.
JOHANN
See, Clark? This is what we have done. As a people.
Johann speaks pridefully and with brio. Clark is surprised.
JOHANN
The Growling is the sound of progress. And progress is for the future. For the children.
CLARK
But I thought you said– you said you had parents, and they–
JOHANN
Yes, I did. But you know, they’re gone now. And one day you’ll go, and I’ll go as well. And then who will be left but the children?
All of a sudden the Growling swells, louder than it has ever been before. The generator vibrates incredibly powerfully. Clark collapses, but Johann is too entranced to notice.
JOHANN
What right do we have to impede the passage of progress? Who are we to distort the future for the sake of the past?
CLARK
(screaming)
Shut it down! Do something! Help!
CUT TO:
INT. GENERATOR ROOM – CONTINUOUS
POV from Clark. Vision is blurry, and SHAKES vigorously. The world is sideways, then upside down. The ground undulates violently.
JOHANN (O.S.)
(slow, distorted)
Maybe it’s about keeping up, Clark. Not getting left behind.
The Growling is horrible, and incessant.
CUT TO:
INT. GENERATOR ROOM – CONTINUOUS
Still on the ground, Clark GRABS at Johann’s ankle.
CLARK
(garbled)
Get me out. Get me away from this–
Johann looks down at Clark and comes to his senses. He is shocked. He takes Clark under the arms and DRAGS him out of the Generator Room.
INT. LIBRARY – MOMENTS LATER
Clark lies on the ground in the dark corridor. Johann crouches beside him.
JOHANN
I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I don’t know what came over me.
CLARK
(panting)
No… no, it’s alright. I’m fine.
Beat.
JOHANN
But you get it, right?
Clark stops panting. He holds still, listening.
JOHANN
The Growling… I don’t think it’s something you can escape. It runs everything. It’s not just part of the city.
(beat)
The Growling IS the city.
Clark closes his eyes. Though distant now, the Growling is still present. He WINCES.
CLARK
Yeah. Yeah, I understand that now. There’s no way to get rid of it. There’s no way to run away from it.
JOHANN
(hesitant)
… Do you want to continue trying?
Clark SITS up and shakes his head.
CLARK
No. I know what I have to do. But thank you, sir, for trying to help me.
He stands up and slowly walks away.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. AIRPLANE – DAY
Clark steps through the airplane door. He finds his seat and sits down.
THUVA (70) sits down beside him.
Suddenly the Growling gets slightly louder. Both Clark and Thuva FLINCH. Thuva turns to look at Clark.
THUVA
You too?
Clark nods.
CLARK
It’s been like this for the past few years. But now–
Clark looks forward, hopefully.
CLARK
It’s time to go.
THUVA
It gets better when you’re up in the sky. And apparently when you’re on the ground, it’s a whole new feeling.
CLARK
How do you know?
Thuva smiles.
THUVA
My friends told me. They went over to Vietnam a few months ago. Joined the rural farming communities there – it’s what we all do. I had to settle some things so I’m only heading over now.
Clark turns around, surprised.
CLARK
Your friends, too?
Thuva laughs and leans back into his seat.
THUVA
It happens to everybody old enough to remember reading books. It’s because we didn’t grow up with the noise. And so, eventually, everyone makes the move.
Beat. Speakers CRACKLE.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT (O.S.)
Ladies and gentlemen, this is Andrew and I’m your chief flight attendant. On behalf of Captain Yeo and the rest of the crew…
The voice becomes softer, fading into the background. Clark checks that the window is open and his seatbelt is fastened. He leans back into his seat.
CLARK
Are you sad to leave?
Thuva frowns.
THUVA
A little bit. You?
Clark closes his eyes.
CLARK
Of course I’m sad.
(beat)
You know, Singapore was my home.
CUT TO:
EXT. OUTSIDE THE CITIZEN SATISFACTION CENTRE – DAY
It is bustling. Hurried adults walk in and out of the Citizen Satisfaction Centre. Cars drive past.
INT. CITIZEN SATISFACTION CENTRE – CONTINUOUS
The Citizen Satisfaction Centre is, as per usual, busy and crowded. In the middle of the hall, Guidebots are hard at work directing people based on their queries.
ANNOUNCER (O.S.)
Welcome to the Citizen Satisfaction Centre.
INT. CITIZEN SATISFACTION CENTRE, CUBICLE 37 – DAY
Johann sits at his table, listening to an elderly man lament. He smiles, painfully.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Here, we aim to resolve all of your queries to the best of our abilities. In Singapore, Asia’s leading metropolis of 2075…
INT. AIRPLANE – DAY
Clark sits patiently, eyes closed. There is noticeably no sound at all.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Nobody is left behind.
Through the window: the sky moves past. Singapore gets further and further away.
CUT TO BLACK.