An Indian elder encounters a bear in the forest that submits to him. He later walks through a northern town, ignoring a logging accident. A security guard watches him enter a rehab center where he encounters Jake Hudson, a former police officer now in rehab. The elder rips open Jake's gown and places his hand on Jake's chest, causing a tornado-like wind to form around them. The elder then transforms into a large white bird and flies away, leaving Jake determined to find out what happened.

1. SHAMAN
Written by
Stephen Roloff
- WRITING SAMPLE -

2. EXT. FOREST - DAY
An INDIAN ELDER strides purposefully through the bush, his
red plaid shirt flashing in shafts of sunlight.
His footfalls make no sound, and birds twitter undisturbed.
Breaking out into a clearing, he draws the attention of a
huge BROWN BEAR. A GRIZZLY.
It rears with a DEEP-THROATED GROWL.
The elder doesn’t break stride, walks straight toward the
towering beast.
As he approaches, the bear drops to all fours and lowers its
head submissively.
The elder passes safely, the wrinkles of his leathery face
bunching into a frown.
ELDER
(In Ojibway)
The end times have come. That is
why.
The bear growls plaintively as the elder’s back recedes in
the distance.
EXT. EDGE OF NORTHERN TOWN - DAY
The elder waits for a fully loaded LOGGING TRUCK to pass,
shaking his head at the distasteful sight.
As he crosses the road, behind him the truck’s RESTRAINING
CABLES SNAP, and
A full load of TREES SLIDES OFF THE TRUCK and TUMBLES ACROSS
THE HIGHWAY.
The elder is indifferent to the mayhem behind him. He
strides down the main street, past the TOWN SIGN.
A BEEPING SOUND chimes.
The elder stops, and pulls up a leg of his jeans to reveal
an ANKLE MONITOR. A light on it is FLASHING.
He drops the pant leg in disgust.
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3. EXT. MAIN STREET, OUTSIDE TERRA MINING BUILDING - DAY
An ARMED SECURITY GUARD stomps out of the building and stands
with arms crossed, expecting trouble.
The elder pays him no heed and sweeps past, just as he did
with the bear.
The guard holds up a cell phone and speaks into it as he
watches the elder move on.
INT. POLICE CAR - DAY
A UNIFORMED COP puts down his cell phone and hits the gas.
EXT. MAIN STREET - INTERSECTION - DAY
The elder is moving towards an intersection.
Down the cross-street, the police car races toward the same
intersection.
He’s going to arrive in time to intercept the elder.
INT. POLICE CAR - DAY
The cop squeals to a stop as a GUST OF WIND blasts dust past
his windshield.
He squints in the SUDDEN GLARE of a hot sun.
COP POV:
No sign of the elder, up and down the street.
EXT. STREET - SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD REHAB CENTER - DAY
The elder moves up the steps of the imposing building.
INT. REHAB - LOBBY
GUS (Genevieve to her parents) MARTEL, a uniformed MOUNTIE
SERGEANT in her 30’s, sits in the waiting area.
Gus is a restrained beauty, and she’s ignoring two male PUNK
KIDS as they tear apart magazines to assemble a lewd collage
on a bulletin board.
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4. One of the punks saunters over to Gus and stands in front of
her, gyrating his hips suggestively. She stands.
Gus steps forward, eye-to-eye with the leering punk. To his
surprise, she casually reaches out and takes his hand.
Gus’ fingers pinch hard between the punk’s thumb and
forefinger - a Martial arts pressure point. He drops to the
floor in pain.
The elder glides past behind the punk, and Gus notices. So
does a REHAB ORDERLY who races down the corridor in pursuit.
INTO. REHAB - JAKE’S ROOM
JAKE HUDSON, 27, wearing a hospital dressing gown, sits bolt
upright in bed. He looks like the veteran of two wars: a
public one, and a private one.
Perched on the edge of the bed is his sister MADDIE, a pretty
teenage girl with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
Maddie’s words tumble out in a torrent.
MADDIE
Gus’s outside, but she wanted me to
be the one to tell you.
(beat)
They’re going to let you back on
the force! You just need to keep
clean and I know that’s not a
problem now everything’s sorted and
that means you can be my guardian
again and--
JAKE
(cuts her off)
Maddie. I’m not going back to the
force.
MADDIE
You’ve gotta go back! It’s
everything you ever wanted, since --
since as long as I remember.
JAKE
People change. I’ve changed. I
want a simpler life now.
MADDIE
You’re kidding, right? I mean,
shit, Jake--
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5. He cuts her off. Big brother time.
JAKE
Maddie.
MADDIE
Sorry.
(beat)
Change, really? Your school
nickname was “granite”! And we
both know you could do simple for
like five minutes. Remember when--
They both startle as they notice the elder standing beside
the bed. His look is kind, compassionate, and fierce.
JAKE
Who are you?
ELDER
(to Maddie)
I must be alone with him, child.
In spite of herself, Maddie gets up and leaves without
protest.
As the door swings shut, the elder leans down and RIPS OPEN
the front of Jake’s gown.
JAKE
What the hell are you--
Jake’s voice trails off and he goes limp as the elder’s palm
makes contact with his chest. He watches helpless as...
A BURST OF WIND begins to swirl.
The elder is CHANTING SOFTLY in Ojibway.
Jake’s chest is GLOWING FAINTLY beneath his hand.
A howling miniature TORNADO is forming around them.
Clothing, lamps and other debris FLIES AROUND THE ROOM.
Someone’s pounding on the door, Maddie’s screams faint though
the din.
The swirling vortex and noise have built to a crescendo.
Suddenly there’s a loud SCREECHING SOUND and FLAPPING WINGS
beat the air.
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6. The window SHATTERS, and the wind and noise DROP AWAY
instantly. No sign of the elder.
Jake spins to look out the empty window frame, then jumps up
and throws open the door to reveal a bewildered Maddie
standing between Gus and the orderly.
They take in the trashed room.
Jake has no time to explain, just grabs Gus’s BINOCULARS out
of her belt and races off.
EXT. STREET - OUTSIDE REHAB - DAY
A SMALL CROWD has been drawn to the commotion. Jake hurtles
out of the front doors and spins around, spotting a LARGE
WHITE BIRD ascending high over the building.
He raises the binoculars.
The bird soars in great, sweeping spirals. It glances down,
seemingly at Jake, then flaps its wings and... is gone.
Gus is standing beside Jake, also looking up. Jake lowers the
binoculars and stands awestruck.
The crowd behind him breaks into applause.
JAKE
Gus, I really don’t know what I
just saw. But I’m gonna find out.
Gus keeps staring into the sky.
GUS
Gyrfalcon. Native to the Arctic
Circle.
(looks down)
Well, one thing’s certain. They
know what they just saw.
Gus nods back to the crowd and Jake looks around as he
notices a draft. He rushes to pull the hospital gown over
his bare butt.
GUS (CONT’D)
Welcome back to the force.
SR 1/29/14