A 24-year-old painter who has always trusted her own strength alone loses, and finds her older sister waiting on the other side of it.
Written and pitched at California State University, Long Beach. The pitch presentation sets out the visual language — two bedrooms, two palettes, a 35mm-versus-85mm lens test — before a word of the script is read.
INT. GALLERY-DAY
LIN (24y, F) watch her sketchbook with a wrinkled brow.
INT. HALL WAY-DAY
ELLA (26y, F) walk into the gallary room.
INT. GALLERY-DAY
ELLA straightly walk to LIN.
ELLA
There you are my amazing little sister. Do you have a perfume?"
LIN eye roll.
LIN
NO.
ELLA rifle through LIN's bag without listening her reply and smile when she find LIN's perfume. LIN look at it with a cold expression and immediately return her eyes to her sketchbook and wrinkle her brow again. ELLA slowly peer into LIN's sketch book.
LIN
Smell! Did you come without showering again?
ELLA
Because I didn't have time to go home this morning. The party last night was great... food, music, cool rich people... What a ṕarty!(with French accent)
ELLA use the perfume.
LIN
huh..Party is fête in French.
ELLA
My sister, talented, educated, my parents' favorite! Looks like you already working on the next one..what a hard worker.
LIN glare at ELLA.
ELLA (CONT'D)
Let's get out of here before I make someone mad again.
ELLA walk away from LIN. LIN eye roll and start reading articles titled "Sister Painters, Award Winners, Are They Sisters? The sister?" on her phone. LIN sigh and start drawing on her sketch book with a stern look on her face.
ANNOUNCER
The exhibition will open soon, so please gather in the gallery
LIN and ELLA's works are lined up next to each other, and they stand behind each other's work. All canvases are covered with fabric, and one canvas is exposed each time the jury take a turn. They slowly walk to canvases and take time to see and judge the arts. As they get closer and closer, LIN's breathing speeds up.
ELLA
Hey, you alright? Wanna go leave?
LIN
No I can't. I put everything on the line to win this prize.
ELLA
But you should leave, your face does not look good. Why don't you go home and take a rest? Your health is more important than the prize.
LIN
Don't be silly! I have been working hard every day for my art because I'm not like you, who can easily draw award winning art and be loved by mom and dad without an effort!
ELLA stares at LIN.
LIN(CONT'D)
This time, I'll get the first place. I'll show my mom and dad that I'm better than you.
LIN glare at ELLA tightly, holding back tears. The jury reach LIN's canvas and LIN show them her drawing. LIN's work is painted with only black and white. LIN's hands shake. ELLA hold her hands.
ELLA
Hey, do you remember when we painted on a wall when we were kids?
LIN see their hands and ELLA's face with a look of surprise on her face.
LIN
...yeah, mom and dad were so mad and..
ELLA
No, they were happy. They saw me and you draw together and so happy. They were mad because we made our mom's favorite shirt blue after that.
LIN, I'm your sister. We are sisters. It's fine to try to get past me, but you need to trust me a little more.
LIN stares at ELLA. The Jury come in front of ELLA's work; ELLA take a piece of fabric and show her work. There is a painting of sisters on ELLA's work with lots of color on it. ELLA face to LIN.
ELLA
LIN, we are not enemy. We are not rival. We support each other, and love each other. Because we are each other's one and only sisters.
ELLA hug LIN. LIN cry in amazement.
CUT TO
INT. GALLERY-DAY
There is a work of ELLA with a plaque with the word "Award" on it. LIN sit in a corner of the room and draw on her sketchbook. LIN stare at ELLA's work from afar. LIN grab colorful pencils from her bag and draw with it with smile. ELLA walk into the gallery.
ELLA
LIN let's go eat, I'm craving stake.
LIN and ELLA leave the gallery.
FADE OUT