On the day of my birthday, destiny had a delightful surprise in store. Guided by an irresistible force, I embarked on a journey to Margate, a coastal gem nestled in the heart of Kent, in the UK. Beyond being a beautiful destination, this captivating village unraveled itself as an inspiring muse, where a chance encounter awaited me. It sparked a profound shift within, weaving a renewed sense of purpose and granting me the courage I’ve been missing to rise once more.
by Danielle Lima
July had arrived, the month of my birthday, and I still wondered about the meanings surrounding this period intertwined with my own silent and private rite of passage. I had never noticed any real difference between one number and the next, and I even believed that time was a faithful and noble ally. However, one morning, everything changed, bringing an unparalleled sense of transformation.
Standing in front of a mirror above the sink in the bathroom, I noticed that I was no longer the same. I rested my hands on the cold marble countertop as I didn’t recognize myself in the reflection. Like the character Clarissa in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, I felt both younger than ever, and inexplicably aged.
The wrinkles around my eyes and forehead were even more evident. I slid the fingers over my lips, unable to soften them. I glanced sideways at the mirror on the right and was dismayed by a double chin and bags under my tired eyes. I was caught off guard by an expressive lock of countless white hairs that until then had made no sense, but now it seemed to have appeared overnight, literally. For a moment, I didn’t want to see myself anymore. When I opened my eyes again, I realized the image in the mirror wanted to tell me something else, and I had no choice but to try to understand its message. To shed light on that, I must explain.
A few years back, I made a crucial decision to switch careers and leave behind my passion for screenwriting. My innate insecurity, lack of faith in my craft, plus the demands of the life I was pursuing at the time led me to believe that a writing career wouldn’t provide me with the opportunities I sought. So, I put my filmmaking aspirations aside and ventured onto a different professional path, working on more pragmatic jobs that would not only allow me to pay my bills, but to forge a more grounded perspective.
Throughout the way, I was exhausted, unhappy, and found myself startled by the voids within the choices I had made. It was as if everything that once justified my working existence had dissipated into thin air, leaving me in a sort of limbo of mounting uncertainties, trapped in an automatic waiting state devoid of hope. With the present moment slipping away through my grasp, the prospect of any future ambition seemed even more elusive.
Back to the reflection in the mirror moment, I realized then the signs were more about the ageing of dreams and the subjective death of who we are than anything else.
In an impulsive twist of fate, I found myself drawn to Margate – a destination of solace that materialized as an escape, an oasis of inspiration conveniently within reach from London. My intention was a humble “escape”, devoid of any grand ambitions. The circumstances seemed perfect, setting the perfect stage for this spontaneous journey. I’ve learnt that escapes to nature, unknown places, to the wilderness have often transcended unplanned retreats or mere getaways; they may evolve into moments of profound revelation.
I boarded the first train to Margate, the most captivating coastal village that, among other things, served as a haven of inspiration for many great artists, including two of my personal favorites, the painter JMW Turner and the writer T.S. Eliot, who, much to my amazement, penned his masterpiece The Waste Land during his stay at this remarkable place.
I vividly recall the electrifying sensation that surged through my entire being, as if plugging into a socket. The breathtaking scenery of a lighthouse standing ahead, seagulls hovering above, and a tranquil beach stretching before me under the magnificent sun, immense and shining, offering us a brand-new day. There I was, strolling along the sandy shores cherishing moments of deep listening, of allowing time to manifest itself propelled by nature’s elements. It all unfolds even now as I write.
Curiously, an unexpected wave of inspiration washed over me. At that very moment, my sole yearning was to craft the story of a woman’s pursuit for her truth and to do so, I seized every precious second of a film finished in my mind with a beginning, middle and end. A profound realization that would dramatically alter the course of my writing career. Margate’s spontaneous call had stirred my senses, breathing life into my creative soul. The elements that enchanted me on that day found their way into my script of a new short film that I would later call WINGS, that tells the story of a woman stepping on a solitary and no-turning-back journey. A woman who, in the midst of her own personal odyssey, finds out she has wings straining to burst free, just waiting to fly. And as she flies, nothing will be the same again.
“EXT. BEACH – LATE AFTERNOON (BEFORE SUNSET)
It’s a beautiful, sunny day. The gentle waves of the serene and pristine sea lap against the shore. A solitary silhouette emerges in the distance, making its way towards the nearly empty beach. As the figure draws nearer, we discern that it is a woman in her early 40s. As she approaches the shore, she sees one single seagull perched upon a nearby dry fountain,
watching her while we hear and see a flock of birds in the cloudless sky.
The urge to get back home and dive into writing my screenplay was overwhelming! I remember pouring my heart out onto the screen, typing incessantly, immersed with fervor in those words that danced effortlessly onto the page, revealing a story that, in fact, had long been waiting to be told. With each stroke of the keys, and every narrative thread I wove, a peculiar and exhilarating feeling of youthfulness overcame me. I uncannily felt younger and younger.
WOMAN (V.O.)
I do believe we ALL have wings.
Strangely, just a few of us can realize that.”
[Scene from short film script ‘WINGS’]
“WOMAN (V.O.) (cont’d)
And here comes a secret I must share:
it’s all about what is beneath them.”
[Dialogue from short film script ‘WINGS’]
“EXT. MARGATE – OPEN SEA. SUNSET
She bursts through the water’s surface, gasping for breath, her excitement palpable. She stays afloat and realizes she’s much closer to the lighthouse, now larger and even more imposing, standing as a beacon of safety and protection. It’s quite impressive the distance she’s gone. She gazes at it respectfully whilst reflective. In this moment,
everything becomes clear to her.”
[Scene from short film script ‘WINGS’]
“She gets closer to the shore and drops her heavy boots. Her strong gaze that stares the endless sea ahead. She is lured by the squawking of the seagulls above her
head. A sudden contemplation of the moment.”
“WOMAN (V.O.) (cont’d)
I should say something about wings.
The fact is: they are unseen forces
that animate us and the world around us.”
[Scene from short film script ‘WINGS’]
“WOMAN (V.O.)
There, with a bird’s eye view to what
awaits me in the near or far horizon,
I set in motion a plan to just keep going.
After all, I’ve got wings.”
[Dialogue from short film script ‘WINGS’]
Margate was the tipping point. Little did I know then, that WINGS was merely the opening scene of an exhilarating journey about to unfold my screenwriting life. Looking back, I am filled with gratitude for that catalyst that threw me towards a new me, for everything that would come next, for every single piece of writing that keeps moving me forward. An intriguing experience that, as it turned out, marked a rebirth of sorts for me. The writing that had lain dormant for so long was brought back to life once again.
I wish you the memory of your strong roots and the beating of your wings. May we never lose sight of what is inside, of who we are.
“WOMAN (V.O.) (cont’d)
So, if I am a woman who can fly, I
guess I can call it freedom.”
[Dialogue from short film script ‘WINGS’]
About Danielle Lima
Author and Screenwriter
Since my early years, I’ve been an avid reader and a prolific storyteller, enchanted by the mesmerizing power of language and entranced by worlds of wonder that extend beyond my own reality. Drawn to films and literature featuring fierce female protagonists, I found inspiration that shaped my worldview and fueled my creative endeavors. Driven by a feminist perspective, I aspire to pen narratives that can offer fresh perspectives on women and amplify their voices. I relentlessly pursue narratives that capture authentic human experiences, resonating with a sense of fulfillment and truth.
Email: danilima.script@gmail.com
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