Scene 4
INT. YESHIVA SCHOOL — DAY
A group of hasidic jewish students recite a closing prayer in unison. The camera moves across the classroom of yarmulke and payot wearing boys to find AVY GOLDBLATT, 13, rail-thin, pale but energized.
He mouths the words with his classmates but his mind and hands are elsewhere. The thumb and pointer finger of his right hand tap out a gentle beat on the side of his desk. BOOM…BAP… BOOM BAP. The prayer finishes. A bell sounds.
INT. YESHIVA SCHOOL — HALLWAY — DAY
Hasidic adolescents shuffle down the hallway. The space echoes with chatter. Avy lingers behind the group. As the crowd dissipates and we move closer, we see his lips moving. Even closer, we hear the familiar sounds of…
Beat Boxing. BOOM… TSSTT… BOOM TSSTT.
EXT. YESHIVA SCHOOL — STREET ENTRANCE — DAY
Kids tumble out of the school building. Avy follows behind. He waits at the bottom of the school steps for the others to move along.
With his head bopping to an imaginary track, Avy unzips his backpack and pulls out a pair of Beats-style headphone. He plugs them in, presses play, and with startling power, on comes…
Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.” Avy starts to walk to the beat of the track. It’s not long before he starts mouthing the words and gesturing the lyrics with his hands.
EXT. STREET — DAY
A diverse population walks the streets — Black, Asian, Hasidic Jewish. We see a NYC taxi cab blaze by and honk loudly.
Lost in his world of music, Avy turns the corner with a stylish, spin move. He passes an apartment building where a group of older West-Indian men are sat in folding chairs. Avy approaches, fearlessly.
AVY: Whatsup, OG fellas?
He doles out fist bumps. The men entertain him and watch him pass with delighted curiosity.
INT. BODEGA — DAY
Avy glides into a bodega. Shouts what’s up to the Pakistani cashier, a little too loudly on account of the music blaring in his ears. He strides up to an item rack with purpose. Grabs something which we do not see. Slams it on the payment counter.
The cashier looks at the item, looks at Avy. A confused expression comes to his face. Avy smiles.
EXT. APARTMENT — STREET — DAY
Plastic bag in hand, Avy skips up the steps to his building to the beat of the song.
INT. APARTMENT — BEDROOM — DAY
The door whips open. Avy strolls in. Closes it behind himself. Locks the bolt.
He throws his headphones, backpack and plastic bag on the bed. Ambles over to the closet. Slides out an old turntable. Queues up a record already on the jog wheel.
He scratches out the first beat a few times before throwing off Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It.”
Avy pulls open a dresser drawer and searches beneath a pile of traditional hasidic clothing.
INSERT quick cuts of Avy in front of the closet mirror…
… wearing a LA Lakers jersey. He feigns a jump shot. We see his tassles peak out from beneath the jersey.
… in an 80’s cherry red adidas tracksuit and kangol hat. He busts out a few poorly rehearsed B-Boy steps.
… in a wifebeater with a thick, fake gold chain around his neck. He grabs the plastic bag from the bed and pulls from it a pack of Du-Rags. He tries one on for size.
THUNK! THUNK! Two knocks at the door. Avy jumps. He leaps for the turntable and clicks it off.
AVY’S MOTHER (O.S.) (Mixed Hebrew and English): What are you doing, Avy? Do I hear music? I can hear music. Please don’t forget your prayers.
AVY: Yes, mother.
In his du-rag, gold chain and hasidic tassles, Avy turns to the promised land and starts to recite his daily prayers in Hebrew, and at the end of his prayers, Avy bumps his chest, kisses his fist, and sends peace to the east.
AVY: One god. One love. Wu-Tang Forever.