THE BIG BLUE

                                     Screenplay by

                      Luc Besson, Bob Garland, Marylin Golden.





               "God is at the bottom of the sea and I dive to find him."

                                    ENZO MAIORCA






















               Final Draft, 1988





               FADE IN:

               EXT.  GREEK ISLAND - SUNSET

               CREDIT SEQUENCE:

               The image is in black and white.

               The sun disappears behind arid cliffs which cast giant 
               shadows on the sea.

               A little boy around 8 years old -- tanned from head to toe

               SPRINTS ALONG THE CLIFFS, SCRAMBLES FROM ONE ROCK TO

               another with amazing agility.

               In one hand, he carries a transparent plastic bag.  In the 
               other, a net bag containing flippers, mask, pants and 
               sweater.

               The only thing that slows him down is his bathing suit --

               obvious hand-me-downs -- way too big.  He tugs on them as 
               he goes, holding them up... Until they slide again... as 
               he leaps again... and pulls them up...

               The little boy is JACQUES MAYOL.

               End credits.

               EXT.  GREEK ISLAND - SUNSET

               JACQUES reaches a ledge jutting out over a deserted cove.

               He spits in his mask... expertly spreads the spit with a 
               finger... locks his feet into the flippers... and dives.

               He surfaces a long way out... adjusts his mask... and swims 
               away from shore.

               IN OPEN SEA

               The boy stops swimming -- starts to gulp air -- sucks it 
               in -- oxygenating his blood in a series of deep rapid 
               breaths -- almost hyperventilating, almost alarming if 
               we've never seen this before.

               His gaze is glued to the ocean floor.  Clear clear water.

               40 feet deep.  And intensely blue.

               Suddenly, he catches his breath and dives -- into the blue.

               UNDERWATER

               JACQUES touches bottom.  Clamps his legs around a rock to 
               hold himself down.  Unhurried, thoroughly at home, 40 feet 
               under... he opens the plastic bag.  A huge speckled moray 
               eel appears in a hole in the rock, slithers toward him.

               The carnivore's jaws are bigger than the boy's head.

               The boy smiles at him.  Pulls a piece of raw meat out of 
               his bag and holds it out.  The eel takes the morsel 
               delicately -- and slithers back into his hole.

               Gravely, JACQUES takes another morsel out of the bag.

               EXT.  VILLAGE - DUSK

               JACQUES walks up a steep road bordering the port, almost 
               dry now.

               Two boys about his age run up the streets; call out, catch 
               up with him and gesture toward the port.

                                     THE BOYS
                         Jacques!  Come quick!

               EXT.  PIER - DUSK

               The little boys tug JACQUES to the end of the pier and 
               point to something in the water.

                                     BOYS
                         Look!  Right there!  It's shining!

               JACQUES walks over, and sure enough sees something shining 
               a few feet down in the water.

                                     JACQUES
                              (squinting)
                         A coin.

                                     FIRST BOY
                         I found it.

                                     SECOND BOY
                         Liar!

               Camera pans and we see a middle-aged PRIEST loading supplies 
               into a small boat.  He stops to watch the children's 
               negotiations.  Little JACQUES is putting his flippers on.

                                     JACQUES
                         Ok.  I'll get it, but no fighting, 
                         all right?

               The two boys nod as they point to the coin.

                                     JACQUES
                         We'll split it.

                                     FIRST BOY
                         You can't split a coin.  That's 
                         stupid.

                                     SECOND BOY
                         He's right.  You're stupid.

               The pope smiles.

                                     JACQUES
                         Then we'll buy something and split 
                         that.

                                     SECOND BOY
                         A helicopter...

                                     JACQUES
                         It's a small coin.

                                     FIRST BOY
                         A Ferrari.

                                     SECOND BOY
                         I don't want a Ferrari... What is 
                         it?

                                     JACQUES
                              (interrupting them)
                         Maybe a little radio.

               The two boys look at each other.

                                     JACQUES
                         Well.  We'll decide later.  The 
                         light is going.

                                     SECOND BOY
                         I get the radio from after school, 
                         until midnight.

                                     FIRST BOY
                         Since when do you stay up until 
                         midnight?

                                     JACQUES
                         All right, all right... Can I 
                         concentrate?  And you can stop 
                         pointing.  I've seen it.

                                     VOICE (O.S.)
                         I've seen it too.

               The voice is ENZO'S.  Another young boy wearing little 
               round glasses.

                                     FIRST BOY
                              (annoyed)
                         Shit, it's the Italian!

               He is slightly older than JACQUES but he is taller.  ENZO 
               is with ROBERTO, his younger brother, the only one allowed 
               to carry his flippers.  Five kids are behind him.

                                     ENZO
                         Well, if it isn't the little 
                         Frenchman!  How is the little 
                         Frenchman?

                                     JACQUES
                              (cool)
                         Fine!

               ENZO pats JACQUES on the shoulder and leaves his hand there -- 
               a lightly intimidating gesture.

                                     ENZO
                         You don't mind if I go instead, do 
                         you?

                                     JACQUES
                              (intimidated, and 
                              pretending not to 
                              be)
                         No...

                                     ENZO
                         If you did mind, you'd tell me, 
                         wouldn't you?

               ENZO pats his shoulder reassuringly.

                                     ENZO
                              (to his brother)
                         Roberto, mio palmo!

               ROBERTO who has already started to moisten his big brother's 
               gear in the water, holds a pair of dripping flippers and a 
               glistening mask.  The pope watches the scene with obvious 
               pleasure.

                                     ENZO
                              (to his brother on 
                              the edge of the 
                              pier)
                         Count!

               Sure of himself, ENZO takes a deep breath and dives in the 
               water.  ROBERTO counts out loud.

               ROBERTO

               The kids all walk over to the edge of the pier.  A few 
               feet away, JACQUES takes off his flippers.  ENZO bursts 
               out of the water, the coin in his hand.  The children cheer 
               and clap.  ROBERTO rushes to catch the equipment that comes 
               flying at him, piece by piece.

               ENZO walks over to JACQUES.

                                     ENZO
                              (showing him the 
                              coin)
                         Who's is it now?  You saw it but I 
                         dove for it!

               JACQUES doesn't answer.

               ENZO smiles and slowly puts the coin in his pocket.  He 
               pulls it out again and waves it under JACQUES' nose.

                                     ENZO
                              (without turning 
                              around)
                         Roberto?  How long?

                                     ROBERTO
                         Six seconds.

               ENZO looks at JACQUES for a while.

                                     ENZO
                         I'll throw it back into the water.

               You dive and if you do less than six, it's yours.

               JACQUES doesn't say anything, then finally shakes his head, 
               negatively.  ENZO smiles, taps him on the shoulder.

                                     ENZO
                         Brava!

               The first boy finally sums up his courage to speak.

                                     BOY
                              (timidly)
                         Enzo?  I saw the coin first... We 
                         split?

                                     ENZO
                              (smiling)
                         You can't split a coin, stupid.

               ENZO laughing, sticks the coin in his pocket and leaves 
               the pier with his gang.

               The pope smiles and pulls a coin from his pocket.

               With his flippers dangling from one hand, JACQUES sadly 
               stares out at the sea.  The pope calls him over.

                                     PRIEST
                         Jacques... Come, look.

               JACQUES goes over to him, sees where he is pointing, the 
               faint gleam of the coin underwater.

                                     PRIEST
                         Is it a coin shining down there?

                                     JACQUES
                              (overjoyed)
                         It is.  It's a coin!  I'll get it 
                         for you, Father!

                                     PRIEST
                         It'll be for the poor.

               JACQUES, intent on the coin's glimmer, quickly slips on 
               his fins, prepares his mask.  He swims in the water like a 
               fish, goes directly to the coin.  Scoops it up, brings it 
               to the surface.

               He breaks water, waves the coin, looks for the priest and 
               sees he is no longer there.

                                     JACQUES
                         Padre?

               He looks at the ancient impression on the coin -- "Boy on 
               a Dolphin".

                                                            DISSOLVE TO:

               ON JACQUES - UNDERWATER

               He's swimming near the spot where he fed the moray eel.

               He senses something behind him and turns around.  He sees 
               a dolphin, still and silent, floating vertically.  It seems 
               to be watching him.  The surprise is such that JACQUES is 
               in a panic, leaps up to the surface...

               ON JACQUES - IN BED

               He bolts upright, as if suddenly awakening from a dream.

               INT.  ROOM - ON JACQUES' FATHER - DARK

               A BURLY MAN, around fifty, crosses the room in the shadows 
               and throws open the shutters with a bang.  Sunlight pours 
               in.  He walks over to JACQUES' bed in the one room house, 
               and runs his hand through his hair.

                                     FATHER
                              (with a smile)
                         ... Come on, time to get up, 
                         Jacques!

               JACQUES rubs his eyes.  His father walks over to a pile of 
               blankets on the floor, on the other side of the room.  He 
               gives the pile a kick.

                                     FATHER
                              (screaming at the 
                              top of his lungs)
                         Louis, wake up!

               He uncovers a kettle on the fire and ladles up a big bowl 
               of soup for Jacques.  A fifty year old man pokes his head 
               out from under the pile of blankets.  It's UNCLE LOUIS, 
               who is having a very hard time, waking up.

               EXT.  HOUSE - DAY

               JACQUES bursts out of the house, running.  Diving gear 
               under his arm.  A piece of buttered bread in his mouth.

               He catches up with his father and UNCLE LOUIS.  They're on

               a path winding down to the port.  JACQUES slows down 
               abruptly.  Tries to imitate their stride.  The weather is 
               balmy and the sea lies before them, peaceful and blue.

               EXT.  SEA - DAY

               Their boat on the water.  The chug of its ENGINE ECHOES 
               off the cliffs.  A few gulls -- drawn by the sound -- skim 
               the waves of its wake.

               EXT.  BOAT - DAY

               On board.  JACQUES' Father checks the antique air pump.

               JACQUES polishes the enormous copper diver's helmet and 
               lays out the rest of an old fashioned deep sea diver's 
               suit.

               At the foot of an old monastery another boat passes.

               The Priest is in it.

               JACQUES' Father and LOUIS take off their caps.  JACQUES 
               takes the gold coin out of his pocket.

               The pope nods to JACQUES.  His father looks over at him 
               without understanding.  The child quickly puts the coin 
               back in his pocket.

               EXT.  BOAT - DAY

               LOUIS casts anchor.  A few feet away, siting on a rock, 
               the kid with little round glasses is fishing.  He turns 
               around to the boat.  JACQUES smiles and waves at him.

               ENZO waves back, obviously disturbed in his fishing session.

                                     FATHER
                         Jacques, come help me.

               JACQUES helps his father into the diver's suit.  The burly 
               man struggles into a pair of weighted lead shoes.  He seems 
               sluggish and tired.  JACQUES watches worriedly.  He has a 
               weird feeling.

                                     JACQUES
                         You shouldn't dive everyday, Papa.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Then you shouldn't eat everyday, 
                         Jacques.

               His father catches him fondly by the scruff of the neck.

                                     FATHER
                              (winks at him)
                         Don't worry.  When I'm tired down 
                         there, the mermaids help me out.

               Father and son smile at each other.  Then his father puts 
               the helmet on.  JACQUES joins LOUIS at the pump.

               The heavy diver's suit disappears slowly underwater.  The 
               gleaming copper helmet is the last thing to slide out of 
               sight.

               JACQUES and LOUIS work the pump.  Regular, steady motions 
               to maintain the flow of air.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                              (to Jacques)
                         Hey!  Have you ever seen a mermaid?

                                     JACQUES
                         No.

               They keep on pumping for a while, then...

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         I've seen them.

               UNCLE LOUIS goes on.  JACQUES doesn't budge.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Don't you want to know where?

               JACQUES looks at the bottom to watch his father.

               He doesn't answer.

               UNDERWATER - JACQUES' FATHER

               He moves along slowly in his cumbersome diving suit.  He 
               is working the top of a rock outcrop on the sea floor.  He 
               sees a sponge, hooks it; puts it in a bag that's attached 
               to a life line from the boat fastened to his waist.  He 
               moves on.

               INT.  BOAT - JACQUES AND LOUIS PUMPING

               They keep up the rhythm.  Sitting on a rock at a distance, 
               ENZO watches them.  UNCLE LOUIS is bored stiff.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Why don't you ask me?

                                     JACQUES
                         What?

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Where I saw the mermaids?!  Why 
                         don't you ever ask any question?
                         I'm always the one asking the 
                         question!  We're sitting here like 
                         two stones and I'm taking to myself.
                         Ask me something, Goddamnit!

               JACQUES calmly looks over at him, slows down his pumping 
               and almost serenely asks him:

                                     JACQUES
                              (in a completely 
                              flat tone)
                         Why did my mother leave?

               UNCLE LOUIS seems disturbed by the question.  A beat.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                              (ill at ease)
                         Come on now, pump!

               UNDERWATER - JACQUES' FATHER

               He is walking with difficulty at the bottom.  His bag is 
               full of sponges.  He seems to be having trouble breathing.

               EXT.  BOAT - JACQUES AND LOUIS

               JACQUES and LOUIS are pumping silently.  UNCLE LOUIS feels 
               obliged to answer JACQUES' question.

               UNCLE LOUIS finally breaks the silence and explains:

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Your mother didn't leave.  She 
                         went back to America, that's all.  
                         It's her home.  She's allergic to 
                         this Island.  She likes 
                         refrigerators and machines that 
                         clean the floor... so one day she 
                         left.  Woman are like that, 
                         unpredictable, like the sea.

               They haven't been paying attention to the bubbles gushing 
               at the surface.  The air hose is being pulled down in a 
               very worrisome way.

                                     JACQUES
                              (with a slight grin)
                         So where did you see mermaids?

               UNCLE LOUIS smiles.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         In the bars in Athens!

               Very pleased with himself, UNCLE LOUIS burst out laughing.

               JACQUES shyly shrugs his shoulders.  The air hose is

               suddenly yanked down.  JACQUES immediately sees all the 
               bubbles.  He is white as a sheet.

               JACQUES rushes to the side of the boat and starts yelling 
               down at his father.  He grabs the life line and starts 
               pulling at it hysterically.  The air hose snaps and starts 
               flying around like some crazy snake.  JACQUES tries to 
               jump overboard.  UNCLE LOUIS catches hold of his foot at 
               the last second.  JACQUES is slapping the water with his 
               hands, trying to go down but UNCLE LOUIS won't let him.  
               JACQUES is yelling desperately.  ENZO is now standing on 
               his rock, watching the scene, horrified.

               The sea now looks as if it were boiling.

               UNCLE LOUIS grabs hold of JACQUES and hugs him in his arms.  
               Standing on his rock, ENZO is now crying desperately.

                                     ENZO
                              (screaming)
                         Jacques!  Jacques!

               The last air bubbles are now breaking on the surface; it 
               looks as if they will never stop.

                                                            DISSOLVE TO:

               EXT.  ITALIAN VILLAGE STREET - DAY

               The image is now in color.

               A rocky pink cliff over looks the very bright sea which 
               fills the screen.

               SUPERIMPOSED:  1987 SICILY

               ALFREDO runs (skips) up the cobbled street as fast as he 
               can go, surprisingly fast.

               He runs to the large terrace of a restaurant which he 
               enters.  We have time to read the sign carrying the 
               restaurant's name:  "LA MAMMA".

               INT.  RESTAURANT - DAY

               ALFREDO skips in.  He is panting, covered in sweat.  His 
               panic is palpable.  The whole room watches him approach a 
               long table where a large family is having a birthday party 
               for a very old lady.

               He has to stop a second and catch his breath before he can 
               get the words out.  Then leans over and whispers in the 
               ear of a great big man -- around 30 -- built like a bull, 
               wearing little round glasses.

               The man listens, then stiffens.

               EXT.  HARBOR - CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY

               A beat-up FIAT, towing an equally beat-up trailer, stops.

               ENZO unfolds out of the driver's seat, like a circus clown 
               emerging from a toy car.

               The construction SUPERVISOR, an American, wearing a three 
               piece suit, hurries over to him.

               ENZO has already started undressing.  ROBERTO unloads the 
               diving gear from the trailer.

                                     SUPERVISOR
                              (exhausted)
                         Signore Molinari?

                                     ROBERTO
                              (shaking his hand)
                         Yes.

                                     ENZO
                              (calmly undressing, 
                              expressionless)
                         How did it happen?

                                     SUPERVISOR
                              (upset)
                         The company asked me to extract 
                         everything I could from the wreck; 
                         so the divers were trying to get 
                         at the engine... and then the boat 
                         turned over... in the current...  
                         and... look, I fucked up!  Can you 
                         help?

                                     ENZO
                         How many are, down there?

               ENZO goes back to the car.

                                     SUPERVISOR
                         Just one... We're feeding him air, 
                         but he's not breathing regularly...

               You've got to get him out fast.

               ENZO glances at the map, then at the accident site.

                                     ENZO
                              (a beat)
                         Ten thousand.

                                     SUPERVISOR
                         Lira?

                                     ENZO
                         Dollars.

                                     SUPERVISOR
                         You're going to hold me up at a 
                         time like this?

                                     ROBERTO
                         You do understand you're talking 
                         to the champion diver of the world?

                                     SUPERVISOR
                         Yes, but ten thousand dollars...

               ENZO opens the trunk of his FIAT and pulls out the jack.

               He slams the trunk shut, and stands looking at the American, 
               straight in the eyes.

                                     ENZO
                         Okay.  You tell me.  How much would 
                         you say the man's life is worth?

               Extremely uncomfortable, the SUPERVISOR doesn't answer.

                                     ENZO
                         In my village, we have a saying: 
                         when the wind blows, the flags of 
                         all nations flap in the same 
                         direction.

                                     SUPERVISOR
                              (baffled)
                         What does that mean?

                                     ROBERTO
                         That you should get your checkbook.
                         Damn quick.

               EXT.  UNFINISHED PIER - ENZO

               He's at the end of the pier, his feet dangling in the muddy 
               water of the port.  A few feet away a pump sends air HISSING 
               through a rubber tube to the diver trapped below.

               ENZO inhales steadily, his chest heaving like a bellow.

               He carefully puts his spectacles inside his shoes, dons 
               his flippers, etc., with his usual flair of suspense.

               Behind him the SUPERVISOR and other construction workers 
               watch expectantly.  ROBERTO heaves a stone weight into the 
               bay, a cable attached to it plays out from a drum on the 
               pier.

               ENZO ignoring everyone, grabs the ordinary tire jack, flip-
               flops over to the now taut cable, the stone has hit bottom.  
               He takes a deep breath and dives into the bay.

               UNDERWATER - WRECK

               ENZO dives down a chimney of muck.  Picks his way over and 
               around every hazard, until he reaches the diver, trapped 
               under a huge piece of debris.

               He pats his shoulder to comfort him, he then inserts the 
               tire jack under a piece of concrete... And, as if he were 
               changing a tire, begins to pump the handle...

               Slowly, in a swirl of mud and water, the chunk of debris 
               rises off the diver's leg.

               EXT.  CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY

               Everyone is staring at the water silently, suspensefully.

               The SUPERVISOR has his checkbook in hand, but has completely 
               forgotten it, intent upon what's going on underwater.  
               ROBERTO taps him on the shoulder.

                                     ROBERTO
                         Since we have a little time, what 
                         do you say you write that check?

               UNDERWATER - WRECK

               ENZO cuts the cables tangled around the diver's torso.

               Then he takes off his flippers, plants his bare feet on 
               the concrete, grabs the diver by the shoulders and pulls 
               him free.

               The diver drops the air tube and climbs as quickly as 
               possible toward the surface.

               EXT.  CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY

               The diver surfaces, gasping for breath.  A cheer goes up 
               from the crowd.  Several men hurry to pull him onto dry 
               land.  But there is no sign of ENZO.  Everyone waits, 
               breathless.

                                     ROBERTO
                              (to the Supervisor)
                         Sign here.

               Suddenly, ENZO appears, burst out of the water, holding 
               his flippers up in the air like a trophy.  The onlookers 
               cheer, help him out of the water, slapping him on the back.

               ENZO tosses the jack and his flippers to ROBERTO.

               Impassive and silent, he slips his arms into the prize 
               fighter's robe that ROBERTO holds out for him, walks 
               solemnly back to his car.

               ROBERTO takes the check and walks over to the car.  ENZO 
               bends down into the car and opens the roof.

                                     SUPERVISOR
                              (through the open 
                              roof smiling)
                         Thanks, thanks a lot.  I mean that 
                         too... You extortionist bastard!

               The car rushes off.  In the distance we see a police 
               (carabinieri) car and an old fire engine rolling in the 
               direction of the construction site.

               INSIDE FIAT - DRIVING AWAY

               ENZO'S car drives past them.  ENZO looks at ROBERTO out of 
               the corner of his eye, then suddenly explodes with joy.

                                     ENZO
                         Dollars, Roberto!  We took him for 
                         ten thousand dollars!

               ROBERTO whoops and whistles.  ENZO reaches over and leans 
               on the horn.  The little car races by and finally stops at 
               the top of the cliff facing the sea.

               EXT.  TOP OF CLIFF - DAY

               The two brothers sit back, relax.

               Stare out to sea.

                                     ROBERTO
                              (after a while)
                         Enzo, what are you going to do 
                         with the money?

                                     ENZO
                         Have the car painted.

                                     ROBERTO
                         Santini will do that for 25 dollars!

                                     ENZO
                         Then tell him to wax it too.

                                     ROBERTO
                         Enzo, really.  What are you going 
                         to get?

                                     ENZO
                              (thinking)
                         A rosary for Mama, a dress for

               ANGELICA, SOMETHING WITH RHINE-

               stones for what's her name, and get yourself a suit that 
               fits... But most important...

                                     ROBERTO
                         Yes?

                                     ENZO
                         Find the Frenchman.  Find me Mayol.

               EXT.  FLAKES OF SNOW - MOUNTAINS - DAY

               Mountain peaks, stark and white.  A winter sky which is 
               strangely and disquietingly dark.  A landscape swept by 
               snow.

               SUPERIMPOSED ON SCREEN: PERU - LAKE HUACRACOCHA - MAY 1987

               A yellow light comes out of the storm -- advances toward 
               us.  The headlight of a train.

               A narrow gauge locomotive steams up grade pushing piles of 
               snow in front of it.

               INT.  TRAIN - DAY

               Sitting in the train, leaning against the misty window, 
               JOHANA CROSS, 27, has clear quick charm and a sort of 
               romantic fragility.  She is dressed simply but warmly.

               She looks through the window; all she sees is white.

               It is clear that she was not the one who decided on this 
               trip.  Reading the key phrases from a beat-up note book, 
               she calls upon an old Peruvian.

                                     JOHANA
                              (in Spanish)
                         Is this the Lago del Demonio?
                              (Es bien aqui el 
                              Lago del Demonio)
                         ... Huacracocha?

               The old man goes into a long, rambling explanation.

               JOHANA nods without understanding a thing.

                                     JOHANA
                         Gracias.

                                     OLD MAN
                         You welcome.

               EXT.  TRAIN STATION - DAY

               The train pulls in, slowly pushing piles of snow in front 
               of it and finally stops in front of an old shack which 
               serves as the station.

               A man, FRANK, bundled in a parka, comes out of a snowmobile 
               parked by the station, and walks up to the train.

               JOHANA steps down, carrying her suitcase and drops two 
               feet in the snow as she comes off the last step.  FRANK 
               walks over and leans down towards her.

                                     FRANK
                              (smiling)
                         Welcome to Peru!

               INT.  SNOWMOBILE - DAY

               FRANK throws the luggage into the back of the snowmobile, 
               jumps in and turns the ignition on.  JOHANA takes her hat, 
               scarf and gloves off.  FRANK glances over at her, he is 
               both amused and charmed.

                                     JOHANA
                         Don't you have a heater?

                                     FRANK
                              (hitting at the 
                              dashboard)
                         Yeah... Sure... Is this your first 
                         trip to Peru?

                                     JOHANA
                         Does anybody live to make a second?

               FRANK smiles and kicks the heating system, then leans over 
               to check it, his eyes off the road.

                                     JOHANA
                              (a little worried)
                         Forget about the heater!

               EXT.  LAKE OF THE DEMON - CAMP - DAY

               The storm is at its peak.  The frozen snowmobile plows 
               along side the lake HUACRACOCHA and stops in front of a 
               cluster of quonset huts almost completely buried in snow.

               FRANK gets the bags out of the back.  The suitcases are by 
               now frozen stiff.  JOHANA follows in his steps.

               A couple of llamas are huddled up against the hut in attempt 
               to protect themselves from the storm.

               JOHANA is bewildered.  Shacks in the middle of the Andes, 
               the lake of the "Demon", and now llama that have to be 
               pushed aside to enter one's home.

               As FRANK opens the door, a man is leaving the hut.  The 
               man is JACQUES MAYOL.  JOHANA and JACQUES pass each other 
               in slow motion.  Everything seems suddenly suspended: time, 
               sound, cold...

               JACQUES MAYOL instantly makes an impression on her.  He is 
               now 34, still dark-haired, with dark eyes.  He is wearing 
               a red diving suit and a pair of round goggles.  He looks 
               like some legendary creature one would dream about.

               Everything finally regains its formal speed.  The door 
               slams, the man is gone.  She and FRANK are in the middle

               of the entrance hall.  JOHANA hasn't yet gotten over the 
               vision she has just had, but she regains composure and 
               enters the next room.

               INT.  QUONSET HUT

               JOHANA happily takes her gloves off.

               FRANK puts down the bags and walks into the next room.

               It's a sort of laboratory, filled with ultra modern 
               equipment.

               A big bay window overlooks the lake on which is built a 
               long wooden dock.

               Sitting in a corner, an old Peruvian man is preparing hot 
               drinks.  JOHANA drops into a chair.

                                     FRANK
                         A drink to warm up?

                                     JOHANA
                         Yes, thank you.  Intravenous if 
                         possible.

                                     FRANK
                              (pulling out a flask)
                         Tea... or whiskey?

                                     JOHANA
                         ... both.  Did I just see a man in 
                         a red suit and goggles?

               FRANK smiles and pours some whiskey in her tea cup.

                                     FRANK
                         ... right.
                              (calling out)
                         Dr. Lawrence?  The insurance man...  
                         uh... The insurance person is here!

                                     LAWRENCE
                         It's about time!

               FRANK smiles and pours JOHANA some tea.  She warms her 
               hands on the cup.  She asks blankly.

                                     JOHANA
                         Would it be out of place to ask 
                         what he's doing?

                                     FRANK
                         Who?

                                     JOHANA
                         The guy in the Halloween suit!

               LAWRENCE comes in from the other side of the room.

               He walks straight over to the bay window.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         Did you have a nice trip?  We were 
                         getting restless, it's been three 
                         weeks since the accident.

               JOHANA walks over to the bay window and starts staring at 
               something in the distance.

               EXT.  DOCK - ON JACQUES

               At the end of the dock, JACQUES who is sitting on the edge 
               of a hole which is cut in the ice, is putting a pair of 
               gloves on.  He then grabs the handles of a strange machine 
               which emerges from the water and starts taking deep breaths, 
               oblivious to the cold, his mind completely elsewhere.

                                     BACK IN LAB
                         JOHANA watches JACQUES.  She just 
                         can't believe her eyes.

               LAWRENCE is bent over one of his machines, fiddling with 
               different switches.

                                     LAWRENCE
                              (to Johana)
                         You should get things moving, you 
                         know.  We're out of equipment and 
                         we

               can't do half of our experiments...!

               Frank, check the program!

               JOHANA is finally able to speak.

                                     JOHANA
                         Who... Who is that?

                                     LAWRENCE
                         Mayol... Jacques Mayol.

                                     JOHANA
                         That's the experiment?  Dumping a 
                         guy into a frozen lake?

               LAWRENCE turns one last knob.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         ... The truck fell into a very 
                         deep crevasse.  We weren't able to 
                         save the equipment.

                                     JOHANA
                         I'll have to talk to the driver.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         In the spring when he melts!

               JOHANA walks closer to the window.  She isn't hearing a 
               thing he's saying.

               JACQUES is putting on his flippers.

               JOHANA can't believe it.

               JACQUES is standing by a hole cut in the ice.  He is holding 
               onto the machine in the water.  He is waving a mask.

                                     JOHANA
                              (dumbfounded)
                         You really send him under the ice?

               He isn't a slave or a convict or anything?

                                     LAWRENCE
                         My dear, science is a cruel 
                         mistress.

                                     JOHANA
                         But... how is he going to breathe?

                                     LAWRENCE
                         He isn't going to breathe.

               JACQUES takes a deep breath, turns a handle and a weight 
               yanks him straight down into the water.  LAWRENCE sets his 
               stop watch off and flips a few switches.

               JOHANA grabs his arm as if they could do something about 
               it.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         Listen...

               He raises the volume:  we hear the man's heartbeat through 
               a small speaker.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         That's his heartbeat.
                              (excited)
                         Can you hear the speed at which 
                         it's slowing down, it's incredible.

               LAWRENCE tears off the sheet with the heartbeat measures 
               on it and hands it to JOHANA.

               JOHANA feels she's on the verge of crying, and can't figure 
               it out.

               UNDERWATER - JACQUES

               JACQUES stops his machine by turning one of the handles.

               He's deep beneath the surface of the frozen lake.  He swims 
               deliberately, carefully into a large tube which is hinged 
               open.  He closes it around himself.  His heart is still 
               slowing down.  He pushes a button on the machine, and a 
               flash of light bursts in the opaque night surrounding him.

               BACK IN LAB - ON VIDEO SCREEN

               We see a moving X-ray image.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         He's in the fluoroscope now.  Listen 
                         to his heart.  Impressive, huh?  
                         The flow of blood is concentrated 
                         in the brain and doesn't even feed 
                         the limbs anymore.  It's a phenomena 
                         that has only been observed with 
                         dolphins... until now.

                                     JOHANA
                         How long can he stay down?  Without 
                         breathing?

                                     LAWRENCE
                         It depends.  He should come up 
                         soon.
                              (smiling)
                         Unless he's decided to stay for 
                         the night.

                                     JOHANA
                         Why is he doing this?

                                     LAWRENCE
                         For one thing, it's his job... as 
                         for the rest of it, I wish I knew.

               JOHANA sighs with relief as JACQUES appears at the surface 
               in one big breath.

                                     JOHANA
                         Shouldn't somebody take him a 
                         blanket or something?

                                     LAWRENCE
                              (smiling at Frank)
                         Coffee might be nice.

               She heads towards the Old Peruvian and pours a cup of 
               coffee...

                                     JOHANA
                              (afterthought)
                         Will he understand Spanish?

                                     LAWRENCE
                         His mother's an American.  He spent 
                         half of his life in the states.  
                         I'd try English if I were you.

               EXT.  DOCK - JACQUES SURFACING

               He's groggy, half hypnotized.  He looks up at the dock, 
               sees JOHANA with a cup of coffee.  He stares at her.  She 
               hands him the coffee.

                                     JACQUES
                              (puzzled)
                         I recognize you.

                                     JOHANA
                         We saw each other a little while 
                         ago.

                                     JACQUES
                              (serious)
                         In the lake?

                                     JOHANA
                              (wondering whether 
                              he is joking or 
                              not)
                         No... in the hut.

               After a long beat...

                                     JACQUES
                              (with a beautiful 
                              smile)
                         Then it was somebody that looked a 
                         lot like you... Thank you.

               JACQUES then turns around and walks toward the huts.

               JOHANA still hasn't moved, as if petrified by her emotions 
               and the severe cold.  She then walks up to the hole in the 
               ice and peers into the dark water.  She shudders.

               INT.  CABIN - DAWN

               JOHANA emerges from a down sleeping bag.  She's wearing a 
               big sweater and a wool hat.  She is not sleeping.

               Intrigued by the sound of the snowmobile, she gets up and 
               walks over to the frozen window.  JACQUES and FRANK are 
               loading their luggage onto the snowmobile.

               Outside, LAWRENCE is saying "Goodbye" to JACQUES.  Unseen, 
               JOHANA also waves from behind her curtain.  JACQUES senses 
               something:  he turns around toward the cabin and smiles, 
               waving his hand at JOHANA.  She hides behind the curtain 
               and shyly waves back.

               JACQUES gets into the snowmobile and drives out of the 
               frame.  We are left with an endless array of snow-caped 
               mountains.

                                                            DISSOLVE TO:

               EXT.  COTE D'AZUR - DAY

               Fixed image of the Cote d'Azur.  The sparkling blue sea 
               fades into the distance.

               A French taxi rides along the winding road overlooking the 
               creeks.

               INT.  - TAXI

               From behind all his bags, JACQUES obsessively stares at 
               the sea.

               The driver smiles.

                                     DRIVER
                         It's beautiful, isn't it?

               JACQUES smiles.

                                     DRIVER
                         We had some bad wind this week.  
                         The "Mistral"!!  "Peuchere"!  There 
                         isn't one olive left on its tree.
                         It suddenly left us this morning...
                         I sure won't be the one to call it 
                         back.

               EXT.  ANTIBES - ROAD TO MARINELAND

               The taxi comes to a stop in front of Marineland.  JACQUES 
               gets out, carrying one of his bags.

                                     JACQUES
                              (to the driver)
                         I'll only be five minutes.

               He enters Marineland.

               EXT.  MARINELAND - ON JACQUES

               The park is closed, the paths are deserted.  JACQUES 
               approaches the Dolphin's tank.  All three dolphins rise up 
               in the water.  Greet him with a click and clatter of 
               tongues.  JACQUES sits down at the edge of the tank.

                                     JACQUES
                         Good morning, everybody!  Did you 
                         sleep well?  I slept in a plane, 
                         and it wasn't too great.

               He opens his duffel bag.  Hunts around, comes up with two 
               packages wrapped in brownpaper.  The dolphins stare at 
               him, intrigued.

                                     JACQUES
                              (calling out)
                         Hey!  presents.

               The dolphins CACKLE some more.

                                     JACQUES
                         You think I'd forget you?

               He laughs.  The driver, who seems to be quite familiar 
               with the place, walks in heading straight over to the soda 
               machine.  Out of the corner of his eye, he takes in the 
               scene, very intrigued.

               JACQUES has not noticed him.

               He starts unwrapping the first package.

                                     JACQUES
                         For Bathsheba.

               He produces a little ceramic Llama.

               ON BATHSHEBA

               looking at the llama, bewildered.  As bewildered as a 
               dolphin can be.  JACQUES turns the llama upside down.  It 
               moos:  HIAK, HIAK...

                                     JACQUES
                         It's a Llama.  You understand?  
                         From Peru.  It's fighting.

               BATHSHEBA shakes her head.  JACQUES throws the llama into 
               the water.  He unwraps the second package.  A pair of 
               Peruvian gloves and hat.  Wide eyed, the driver sits in 
               the stands to watch the show.

                                     JACQUES
                         That's for you, Darjeeling.  We 
                         wouldn't want you to catch cold!

               He throws them to DARJEELING who catches them.

                                     JACQUES
                         And now...
                              (singing out)
                         "Ta, da..." For you Tina.

               He pulls out a thermos.

                                     JACQUES
                         Something you've never seen either.

               He opens the thermos.

                                     JACQUES
                         Snow!

               He sprinkles snow flakes on TINA'S head.  She tries to 
               taste it.

                                     JACQUES
                              (smiling like a 
                              child)
                         A new experience, Tina.
                              (nostalgic)
                         I missed you little rascals.  Did 
                         you get my post card?

               The three dolphins leap into the air and land with a huge 
               splash which soaks JACQUES.  He takes his shirt off.

                                     JACQUES
                              (pretending to be 
                              serious)
                         Oh?  Is that what you want?

               Alright, but five minutes, no more.

               I have a taxi waiting.

               He takes off his pants.  The taxi driver gets up, as if to 
               keep him from going in.  JACQUES dives into the pool.

               UNDERWATER - ON JACQUES

               He swims under the dolphin, reaches out and grabs hold of 
               the dolphin's snout.

               The dolphin pulls JACQUES around and around the basin while 
               JACQUES pets his chest and belly.  We have never seen 
               JACQUES so relaxed and happy.

                                                            DISSOLVE TO:

               EXT.  MANHATTAN - DAWN

               Overview of a gray and dirty Manhattan morning.  JOHANA 
               depressed, stares blankly out of the window of a yellow 
               cab.  She watches the muddy brown water flow under the 
               Brooklyn Bridge.

               The driver keeps yelling obscenities to all the cars

               around him.

               EXT.  MANHATTAN - DAY

               A suitcase in each hand, JOHANA gets out of the cab and 
               walks up the stairs of her apartment.

               INT.  HALLWAY - DAY

               JOHANA puts down her suitcase wearily.  Catches her breath 
               and gets out her keys.  She tries one in the top lock.  It 
               doesn't work.  She tries harder.  There's a woman's voice 
               yelling angrily from inside the apartment.

                                     SALLY (O.S.)
                         I changed the lock you son of a 
                         bitch!

                                     JOHANA
                         ... Sally?

               The door opens.

                                     SALLY
                         You're back!  Hello.  We were 
                         burgled.

                                     JOHANA
                         Again?

                                     SALLY
                         They got the new T.V.

               JOHANA comes in, looks at the ransacked apartment.

                                     SALLY
                         ... And the new stereo.

                                     JOHANA
                         I hope they remembered to take the 
                         microwave this time?

                                     SALLY
                         Yep.  How was your trip...?  Help 
                         me clean up, okay?

                                     JOHANA
                         You called the police?

                                     SALLY
                         They're going to send detectives.

               When they get around to it.

                                     JOHANA
                              (shrugging)
                         So what, all they ever want is 
                         your phone number anyway.

               JOHANA goes over, slumps into an easy chair and sighs.

               After a beat...

                                     SALLY
                         Well?

                                     JOHANA
                         What?

                                     SALLY
                         How was your trip?

                                     JOHANA
                              (flatly)
                         Nice... Very interesting... Great!
                              (doubtfully)
                         ... I guess.

                                     SALLY
                              (ironically)
                         Okay... Who'd you meet?

               JOHANA opens her handbag, takes out the strip of 
               electrocardiogram paper, hands it to her.

                                     SALLY
                         A cardiogram...?  You met a doctor!

               Congratulations, you're in the chips...
                              (an afterthought)
                         Unless they have socialized medicine 
                         in Peru.  Do they?

                                     JOHANA
                              (indicating paper)
                         It's his heartbeat.

                                     SALLY
                         Oh Jesus...!  I'll make some coffee.
                              (starts toward 
                              kitchen)
                         They left the stove.

               TIME DISSOLVE:

               INT.  APARTMENT - LATER

               The living room is almost completely put back together...

               SALLY is replacing books in the bookcase, JOHANA is using 
               a carpet sweeper, and talking away.

                                     JOHANA
                              (nonstop)
                         6'3", 6'1", maybe 5'9" -- You can't 
                         be sure, you know the flippers, 
                         they add height or they take it 
                         away, or something.  Anyway short 
                         dark hair...

               Not punk or anything, just short.

               And the cutest smile.  He wasn't smiling at me, I don't 
               think -- just smiling.  And he thought he saw me in the 
               lake.  I mean that was a figure of speech... They're so 
               romantic, the French.

                                     SALLY
                              (bored, half asleep)
                         I thought you said he was Peruvian?

                                     JOHANA
                              (annoyed)
                         Haven't you been listening?

               SALLY opens the drapes, revealing it's dawn outside.

                                     SALLY
                         ... Since eight o'clock last 
                         night...!  You're in love.

                                     JOHANA
                         Don't be a jerk.
                              (emphatically)
                         There's no such thing as love at 
                         first sight.

                                                            DISSOLVE TO:

               UNDERWATER - SWIMMING POOL

               JACQUES is swimming alone at the bottom of a gigantic 
               swimming pool.  He wears a monofin, his head and chest are 
               wired up to an assistant who runs back and forth alongside 
               the pool.

               A man's feet are seen walking over to the side of the pool.

               JACQUES is swimming laps, arching his body like a dolphin.

               As he approaches one end of the pool, he sees a coin slowly 
               falling in front of him.  JACQUES picks it up and looks at 
               it:  it's an old Greek coin.

               JACQUES smiles and swims to the surface.

               EXT.  ON SIDE OF SWIMMING POOL - DAY

               JACQUES pokes his head out of the water and pulls off his 
               goggles.

               ENZO stands over him, smiling.

                                     ENZO
                         Jacques, my friend, how are you?

                                     JACQUES
                              (happy)
                         Enzo...

               A beat.

                                     ENZO
                         I leave you swimming and twenty 
                         years later, you're still in the 
                         water!  What the hell are you doing?

               Training?

                                     JACQUES
                         Yes.

               An uneasiness sweeps over ENZO'S face and quickly 
               disappears.

                                     ENZO
                         That's good.
                              (smiling again)
                         You never would have recognized 
                         me, huh?  Check out the suit!  
                         Looking good, no?  You know I'm 
                         the world champion?

                                     JACQUES
                         Yes, I know.

                                     ENZO
                         I dove 315 feet!

                                     JACQUES
                         Great!

                                     ENZO
                         They say I'm like Lazarus.  You 
                         know, the guy who was raised from 
                         the dead?!

               He laughs.  JACQUES smiles.  ENZO goes on.

                                     ENZO
                              (serious)
                         Doesn't it surprise you that I 
                         just show up like this... Listen, 
                         the world championship starts in 
                         ten days in Taormina.  Be my guest.

               ENZO puts down an airplane ticket on the side of the pool.

                                     ENZO
                         Your ticket.

               Surprised, JACQUES looks over at the ticket.

                                     JACQUES
                         Why?

                                     ENZO
                         Because I'm sure you're dying to 
                         beat me.

                                     JACQUES
                              (shaking his head)
                         I don't want to be in any 
                         competition... I dive because I 
                         like to, not to beat a record... 
                         don't you have to be very mad at 
                         somebody to want to beat him?

                                     ENZO
                         No.  All you need is to want to be 
                         the best.

                                     JACQUES
                              (smiles)
                         You're the best, Enzo!

                                     ENZO
                              (with a tense grin 
                              on his face)
                         That's too easy!  Every time I 
                         beat a record there's always some 
                         dumbshit asking me:  "D'you know 
                         that French guy, Mayol?  He's 
                         supposed to be very good!  Too bad 
                         he doesn't compete." So, you're 
                         going to come with me to Taormina!  
                         First, because you're my friend 
                         and second, because you don't have 
                         one reason to keep on spoiling my 
                         pleasure.
                              (he pushes the 
                              airplane ticket to 
                              Jacques)
                         ... I'll see you there...

               EXT.  OFFICE BUILDING - NEW YORK - DAY

               INT.  DUFFY'S OFFICE - DUFFY - JOHANA

               She is seated across the desk from him.  He's reading 
               through her report.  Behind him, outside the large plate 
               glass window, window-washers are seated on a scaffold 
               suspended far above the city.  They eat lunch.

               JOHANA'S eyes wander (bored) around the office as DUFFY 
               reads.  He looks up.

                                     DUFFY
                              (indicating report)
                         This is good work... unfortunately 
                         it's incomplete.
                              (he glances at the 
                              window)
                         Could you eat a sandwich 40 floors 
                         above the street.

                                     JOHANA
                              (absently)
                         What kind?

                                     DUFFY
                         Johana, am I boring you?

                                     JOHANA
                         Sorry.  Of course not, definitely 
                         not... well, maybe a little.  What 
                         did you say?

                                     DUFFY
                         I said that the file is incomplete.

               See if you can get through to this Lawrence character and 
               have him send the Peruvian registration for his missing 
               truck... and don't let him tell you it was in the glove 
               compartment.

                                     JOHANA
                         Right Chief!

               She starts out of the office.

                                     DUFFY
                              (to her back)
                         Did the driver really freeze?

                                     JOHANA
                         Like a popsicle.  They're keeping 
                         him on a stick until spring.

                                     DUFFY
                         My God!  I'm glad I didn't go.

                                     JOHANA
                              (under her breath, 
                              leaving)
                         ... So am I.

               INT.  QUONSET HUT - PERU - DAY

               Doctor LAWRENCE covers one ear with his hand as he yells 
               into the phone.

                                     LAWRENCE
                              (screaming)
                         ... I said, all the truck papers 
                         are in the glove compartment!

               INT.  JOHANA'S OFFICE - MANHATTAN

               JOHANA sits at her desk, she too is yelling into the 
               telephone.  Her colleague looks over at her and smiles.

                                     JOHANA
                              (with a sigh)
                         Okay, listen, just get the custom's 
                         office to send me a copy as fast 
                         as possible.  We can't send you 
                         new equipment until our file is 
                         complete.  Okay?

               INT.  QUONSET HUT - PERU - DAY

                                     LAWRENCE
                         Okay, okay.  You'll have it by the 
                         end of the week, how's that?

                                     JOHANA (V.O.)
                         You've made me a happy insurance 
                         person.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         Then, goodbye.

               He is just about to hang up.

               INT.  JOHANA'S OFFICE - MANHATTAN

               JOHANA jumps up.

                                     JOHANA
                         Wait!  Professor...?

                                     LAWRENCE (V.O.)
                         ... Yes?

               JOHANA starts snooping around the papers on her desk, 
               embarrassed by the presence of her colleague.

                                     JOHANA
                              (as softly as 
                              possible)
                         You don't know how I could reach 
                         that diver of yours... Mayol... We 
                         need some additional information...

               I mean, we have a few questions to ask him.

               INT.  QUONSET HUT - PERU - DAY

                                     LAWRENCE
                         The last thing I heard, he was off 
                         to Taormina for the world diving 
                         championships.  That's Taormina, 
                         in Sicily!

               INT.  DUFFY'S OFFICE - DAY

               JOHANA dashes in without knocking.

                                     JOHANA
                         Listen, I just found out we've got 
                         real problems in Sicily!

                                     DUFFY
                              (alarmed)
                         What d'you mean?

                                     JOHANA
                              (improvising)
                         The mafia!  La Cosa Nostra!

               Coppola!  De Niro...!  I knew it!  I knew we shouldn't 
               have written that policy!!

                                     DUFFY
                              (pale)
                         What's happened??

                                     JOHANA
                         The documents are forged.

                                     DUFFY
                         No!

                                     JOHANA
                         Yes!  The notary is a phony.  He 
                         has the same signature as the 
                         contractor!

                                     DUFFY
                              (outraged)
                         It can't be true!

                                     JOHANA
                              (fast talking)
                         We have to send somebody over there 
                         immediately!  If we prove the 
                         forgery we can cancel the policy.  
                         We'll be off the hook.  There's a 
                         flight to Rome in two hours and 
                         from there its just a short hop to 
                         Sicily.

                                     DUFFY
                              (reaching for phone)
                         I'll send Cardoza, he'll be able 
                         to...

                                     JOHANA
                              (interrupting)
                         I tried him, he can't go.  His son 
                         is being Bar Mitzvohed tomorrow...
                         I'll go, boss.

                                     DUFFY
                         I thought it was Spanish that you 
                         spoke?

                                     JOHANA
                              (after a beat)
                         Italian is practically the same 
                         thing.

               EXT.  PORT OF MESSINE - DAY

               A ferry comes into the dock, as a plank is slowly lowered.

               As it descends, four rail cars lie in wait in its belly.

               JOHANA comes off the boat, carrying her suitcase, she wears 
               a light summer dress.  She looks around, seeming a little 
               lost.

               A white FIAT taxi screeches to a halt beside her.  JOHANA 
               jumps.  The driver whose arm loosely dangles from the car 
               window, grins at her.

                                     DRIVER
                         ... Taxi?

               EXT.  SAN DOMENICO - DAY

               The white FIAT taxi pulls up in front of the SAN DOMENICO 
               hotel, but it is JACQUES who gets out of it.  The driver 
               helps him with his bags.

                                     RECEPTIONIST
                              (checking the books)
                         Mayol... Mayol... No reservation.

                                     JACQUES
                              (uncomfortable)
                         ... Are you sure?

                                     RECEPTIONIST
                         Positive, Sir.

               JACQUES looks down at the piece of paper stapled to his 
               ticket.

                                     JACQUES
                         This is the hotel San Domenico?

                                     RECEPTIONIST
                         Yes Sir, and it has been so for 
                         127 years.

                                     JACQUES
                              (more and more 
                              uncomfortable)
                         Yes, but... So, you haven't got a 
                         room left?

                                     RECEPTIONIST
                         No Sir, the hotel is full because 
                         of the Diving championship.

                                     JACQUES
                         Ah?!

               The Receptionist starts working on his papers again.

               JACQUES, completely lost, stares blankly at the hotel clerk, 
               wondering what to do next.

               INT.  HOTEL - DAY

               The tiny FIAT clatters onto the sidewalk in front of the 
               hotel narrowly avoiding the Countess' limo.  Parks its 
               frontwheels on the sidewalk, rear end in the road.

               ENZO, followed by ROBERTO, get out of his car, like a king 
               descending from his carriage.  On the way, he stops and 
               kisses a distinguished elderly woman's hand?  The hotel's 
               CONTESSA.

               ENZO tosses his keys to a doorman who stepped up to 
               complain.

                                     ENZO
                              (to doorman)
                         Be careful with that car, it's a 
                         new paint job.

               ENZO enters the hotel and sees JACQUES.

                                     ENZO
                              (yelling across the 
                              lobby)
                         Giacomino!  My friend!  My brother!

               ENZO and JACQUES.  The two men kiss each other on both 
               cheeks, pound each others back.  They are both moved.

                                     ENZO
                              (looking at him)
                         So you finally decided to join us?
                         You did the right thing!
                              (to the desk clerk)
                         Hey Paolo!  Come stai?  Get my 
                         key!
                              (to Jacques, 
                              gesturing over his 
                              shoulder)
                         You remember my little brother 
                         Roberto?

               Roberto (26) nods to JACQUES who shakes his hand.

                                     JACQUES
                         I remember.  Hi Roberto!

                                     ENZO
                         What room have you got?

                                     JACQUES
                         I don't have one.

                                     ENZO
                         You don't have a room?
                              (at the top of his 
                              lungs)
                         Paolo?  What did I just hear?  I 
                         personally called you to reserve a 
                         room for my good friend Jacques 
                         Mayol and you treat him like a 
                         stranger?!

                                     JACQUES
                              (embarrassed)
                         It's okay, Enzo.  I'll go somewhere 
                         else.

                                     ENZO
                         Not only is Jacques Mayol a very 
                         special friend, but he happens to 
                         be one of the best divers in the 
                         world!  And you're throwing him 
                         out!  Are you crazy, or what?  
                         Stupido!

                                     JACQUES
                              (really embarrassed 
                              now)
                         Enzo drop it, I'll find something.

               ENZO looks at him for a moment and gives him a warm smile.

               He hands him his own keys.

                                     ENZO
                         Take mine.  I'll take the Countess' 
                         suite.  She told me she was leaving 
                         for the cemetery... She'll be more 
                         comfortable there.

               PAOLO half-heartedly, hands him the key.  ENZO glances at 
               JACQUES to make sure he's properly impressed.  He throws 
               his arm around JACQUES' shoulder, hugs him and gives him a 
               real smile.

                                     ENZO
                              (sincerely)
                         I'm glad you're here.

               EXT.  HOTEL TERRACE TAORMINA - JACQUES - ENZO - DAY

               They're at a table on a terrace that overlooks the sea.

               They've just arrived and all around them people are lunching 
               away furiously.

               ENZO beckons to a passing WAITER who comes to the table.

               He's a very handsome, slightly effeminate young man.

                                     ENZO
                              (to waiter)

                                 "Spaghetti del mare"
                              (to Jacques)
                         It's delicious here.  It's the one 
                         thing they really know how to make.

                                     WAITER
                         Del mare for two?

                                     JACQUES
                              (nodding quickly)
                         Yes, sure, for two.

                                     ENZO
                         And a bottle of "Frascatti".  Two 
                         bottles!

                                     WAITER
                         Si Signore, grazie mille.

               The waiter hurries away.  ENZO watches his departure, then 
               thoughtfully.

                                     ENZO
                         He moves just like a woman.
                              (then, as if he 
                              were speaking to 
                              Jacques)
                         It must be hard to live in two 
                         worlds like that, huh?  To breathe 
                         in one, swim in the other...

               JACQUES nods without really knowing.

                                     ENZO
                              (suddenly louder)
                         Anyway!  Nothing beats a sexy broad!
                         Huh, Jacques!

               ENZO starts laughing.  JACQUES would like to crawl under 
               the table.

               TIME DISSOLVE TO:

               EXT.  HOTEL TERRACE TAORMINA - JACQUES - ENZO - LATER

               Their lunch is on the table, half eaten.

                                     ENZO
                         ... So, after all these years, you 
                         must have lots of questions to 
                         ask.  Am I right?

                                     JACQUES
                              (quickly)
                         Yes, of course.  Lots of questions.

               JACQUES is satisfied with his answer.  He thinks that the 
               subject is closed.  They eat silently for a moment.  ENZO 
               watches him.  Then:

                                     ENZO
                         Well, what are they?

                                     JACQUES
                              (giving up)
                         I'm sorry... I don't know how to 
                         ask the questions.

               ENZO bursts out laughing.

                                     ENZO
                         Well, then.  I'll do the asking 
                         for you.  "Tell me dear Enzo, how 
                         did you become World Champion?"  
                         Oh, that's a long story.
                              (his voice changes)
                         Well, after you left Amorgos, I 
                         went back to Italy and joined the 
                         Navy.  So you now have in front of 
                         you --

               Captain Molinari, who's been on leave of absence for the 
               past 14 years...

                                     JACQUES
                         That's good.

                                     ENZO
                         How do you make a living?  Your 
                         experiments, does it pay well?

                                     JACQUES
                         It's okay.

                                     ENZO
                         ... You married?

               JACQUES doesn't seem to have ever thought about marriage.

                                     JACQUES
                         No.

                                     ENZO
                         Me neither, 'cause of my Mother.  
                         She's a curse, my Mamma, a tornado.
                         Stubborn as a mule!  I was 
                         engaged... for a week.  After that, 
                         Mamma was so mad, I tell you, pasta 
                         was bouncing off the walls.

               JACQUES smiles.

                                     ENZO
                         So, not married.  Well, good for 
                         you.  You play the field, like me.
                         A girl in every port, huh?

                                     JACQUES
                              (bluffing)
                         Exactly, I mean, after all, we're 
                         men!

                                     ENZO
                              (slapping the table 
                              top)
                         Damn right!  That's what I tell 
                         them when people say you've turned 
                         into a fish.

                                     JACQUES
                              (concerned)
                         People say that?

                                     ENZO
                              (sorry he went too 
                              far)
                         Forget it.  I was joking.

               EXT.  ENTRANCE TO TERRACE - ON JOHANA

               JOHANA comes out of the stone tunnel which leads to the 
               terrace.  She looks over the crowd, trying to find someone.

               JACQUES is sitting with his back to her.  She finally spots 
               him and walks over to the table.

                                     ENZO
                         Eh!  La Madonna!  This one is for 
                         me.  I'll bet you my watch that 
                         she's in my bed tonight.

               JACQUES turns around and recognizes her.  JOHANA smiles 
               and walks up to the table.  ENZO takes his watch off and 
               puts it on the table.

                                     ENZO
                              (quickly)
                         I tell you she's mine!

                                     JOHANA
                              (to Jacques)
                         Hello!

                                     ENZO
                              (surprised)
                         You know each other?

                                     JOHANA
                         Yes.

                                     ENZO
                         Enzo Molinari.

               ENZO kisses her hand and brushes his watch off the table 
               in the same movement.

                                     ENZO
                         This is a great pleasure.

                                     JOHANA
                              (laughing at the 
                              protocol)
                         Johana Cross, pleased to meet you.
                              (then to Jacques, 
                              faking surprise)
                         Well!  Isn't this a coincidence.  
                         I really wasn't expecting this... 
                         All the way out here.  It's 
                         incredible!

                                     JACQUES
                         Please, have a seat.

                                     JOHANA
                         Thank you.  I wouldn't want to 
                         interrupt anything.

               JOHANA sits down.

                                     JACQUES
                         No, no!

                                     ENZO
                         Not at all!

                                     JACQUES
                         You're staying at the hotel?

                                     JOHANA
                         I wish, but it's full.  They 
                         recommended a pension in town.  
                         They say that all of Taormina is 
                         full.  What's going on here?

                                     ENZO
                         It's the Free Diving World 
                         Championship.  I am by the way 
                         world champion!

               JOHANA has turned toward JACQUES, paying no attention to 
               ENZO.  JACQUES can't stop looking at JOHANA.

                                     JACQUES
                         But what brought you to Sicily?

                                     JOHANA
                         I was doing an insurance 
                         investigation in Palermo.
                              (to Enzo)
                         I work for an insurance company.
                              (back to Jacques)
                         So, I decided to take a few days 
                         off.
                              (uncomfortable)
                         I don't know this island at all.  
                         It really is gorgeous.

                                     ENZO
                         There is no place in the world 
                         more beautiful than Sicily!

               The waiter passes behind them.  ENZO reaches out, grabs 
               him by the arm, pulls him to the table.

                                     ENZO
                              (to waiter)
                         A spaghetti del mare for the super 
                         dedicated traveling insurance agent.

                                     JOHANA
                              (smiling)
                         I think I'll have a coffee.

                                     JACQUES
                         No, no.  You'll like it.  It's 
                         superb.

                                     JOHANA
                         ... Okay.  I'll try.

               ENZO pours the wine.

               JOHANA shrugs fatalistically.  The waiter leaves.

               JACQUES, intrigued, stares at JOHANA.  She pretends not to 
               notice.

                                     ENZO
                              (impatient)
                         Where did you two meet?

                                     JOHANA
                         In a lake.

                                     ENZO
                         I might have known.
                              (to Johana)
                         As I was telling you earlier, I'm 
                         the world champion free diver.

                                     JOHANA
                         Congratulations.

                                     ENZO
                         Some people say it's the most virile 
                         sport in the world.  One has to 
                         admit that when you see those men 
                         diving head first in that deep 
                         blue sea, all muscles contracted 
                         in one super human effort...

                                     JACQUES
                              (interrupting)
                         Enzo?

                                     ENZO
                              (annoyed)
                         What?

                                     JACQUES
                         Your mother?

                                     ENZO
                         Ahi, ahi, cazzo!  Ma mamia!
                         Where...?  God, she'll kill me...
                              (pushing the plate 
                              in front of Johana)
                         ... if she catches me eating pasta 
                         in a restaurant.

               He quickly brushes off the crumbs in front of him.

                                     ON ENZO'S MOTHER
                         heading toward them.  She's a huge 
                         woman in widow's black.

               She shoulders her way through the tables.

               ROBERTO carrying her suitcases follows at her heels.

               ENZO jumps to his feet.  Throws his arms around her.

                                     ENZO
                         ... Mamma!

                                     MAMMA MOLINARI
                              (expressionless)
                         You expect me to carry all the 
                         luggage myself?

                                     ENZO
                         Mamma.  Roberto and an elevator...
                         Isn't that enough?

               A beat.  Signora MOLINARI inspects the plates on the table.

                                     MAMMA MOLINARI
                              (suspiciously)
                         What have you been eating?

                                     ENZO
                         Coffee only, I'm diving tomorrow.

               You remember little Jacques, Jacques Mayol...

                                     JACQUES
                              (timidly)
                         Madame...

                                     ENZO
                         ... And his friend, Johana...

               Signora MOLINARI nods grudgingly.

                                     WAITER
                              (arriving proudly)
                         Spaghetti del mare!

               Dead silence.

               ENZO is the only one with no plate in front of him.

               Signora MOLINARI'S eyebrows condense into a dark stripe 
               across her forehead.

               JOHANA hands ENZO'S plate to the WAITER and takes the full 
               one.

                                     JOHANA
                              (to waiter)
                         Thank you.

               And begins to eat, ignoring the expressions of amazement 
               all around her.

                                     MAMMA MOLINARI
                         Americana?

               JOHANA nods enthusiastically, her mouth too full to speak.

                                     MAMMA MOLINARI
                              (impressed, to Johana)
                         Benvenuto!

               MAMMA MOLINARI has a huge grin on her face.

               EXT.  TAORMINA STREET - JACQUES, JOHANA - TWILIGHT

               They emerge onto the street in front of the entrance of a 
               small rooming house.

               JACQUES is carrying JOHANA'S luggage.  The old pension is 
               covered in bright pink bougainvilliers, there is laundry 
               hanging on the other side of the street.

                                     JOHANA
                         Thanks for helping with the bag.
                              (she looks up at 
                              the pension with 
                              little enthusiasm)
                         It looks great!

                                     JACQUES
                         I thought it was a nice place.
                              (suddenly doubting)
                         Isn't it?

                                     JOHANA
                         I'm being a pain in the ass.
                              (looking at him)
                         It's beautiful here.

               They look at each other.  JACQUES is silent.  He just stands 
               there, a suitcase in each hand.

               JOHANA breaks the silence.

                                     JOHANA
                         You're going to be very busy these 
                         days aren't you?

                                     JACQUES
                         I don't know... why?

                                     JOHANA
                         Just because... I would have liked 
                         to visit the town... See the 
                         coast... I don't know anybody...
                         Expect for you.

               (FEELING SHE HAS GONE TOO FAR)

               But you are going to be very busy.

               You must have tons of things to prepare, interviews... And 
               a competition like this one must require a great deal of 
               concentration, right?

                                     JACQUES
                              (shakes his head 
                              negatively)
                         Yes... Maybe... I don't know.  I 
                         don't like competitions... It ruins 
                         the fun.  Don't you think?

                                     JOHANA
                              (with a faint smile)
                         I guess... But you know... I'm 
                         American and I've mostly been taught 
                         to be competitive... There's always 
                         pleasure of being the best?

                                     JACQUES
                         Maybe on earth there is one... but 
                         not when you dive... You see, to 
                         dive deep into the sea, for no 
                         reason... just to do it.  It's a 
                         feeling... I don't know how to say 
                         this... Voluptuous?

               He looks up at her as he pronounces the last word.  She 
               smiles at him, lovingly.

                                     JOHANA
                              (laughing)
                         You can put down the suitcases, 
                         you know.

               He lets go of the suitcases.  Suddenly, behind them, there 
               is a loud screech of tires.  The FIAT tears across the 
               street.

               ENZO in his FIAT.  He pokes his head out of the window.

                                     ENZO
                         C'mon, you two... Jacques, we have 
                         to get ready for the ceremony 
                         tonight.  We have a new world 
                         champion.

                                     JACQUES
                         I'm a little tired, I don't know 
                         if...

                                     ENZO
                         Get in the car!

               INT.  ENZO'S SUITE - ENZO, JACQUES, ROBERTO - NIGHT

               They're in front of a wardrobe looking JACQUES over in the 
               full-length mirrors.  He's wearing an evening shirt and a 
               tuxedo of ENZO'S.  The collar is too big, the sleeves 
               hangover his hands.  He looks at himself dubiously in the 
               mirror.

                                     ENZO
                         Roberto!  The bow-tie!

               ROBERTO hands ENZO the bow-tie, he hooks it around JACQUES' 
               collar.

                                     ENZO
                              (taking a few steps 
                              back)
                         Very good.

               JACQUES looks down at his tennis shoes.

                                     ROBERTO
                         What about the shoes?

                                     ENZO
                         Very chic.
                              (hesitates)
                         Anyway, you don't have anything 
                         else, do you?

                                     JACQUES
                         No.

                                     ENZO
                         Then, it's very chic.  Avanti!

               EXT.  RECEPTION ON TERRACE - NIGHT

               A big reception is organized on the terrace of the hotel.

               The official divers and technicians are all gathered in 
               front of a podium.  The terrace is loaded with 
               photographers.

               ROBERTO keeps turning round and round the long buffet table.

               JACQUES is alone at the bar.  Incongruous detail:  a whiskey 
               bottle on the table beside him.

               JOHANA enters.  She has also had a few drinks.

                                     JOHANA
                         I thought you'd be at the dinner.

                                     JACQUES
                         It's too loud for me.

               He tugs at his over-sized tuxedo.

                                     JOHANA
                         You look adorable.

                                     JACQUES
                         Thank you...

                                     JOHANA
                              (smiling)
                         ... Especially the sneakers.

               JACQUES looks down at his feet, doesn't know what to make 
               of her comment.  JOHANA sits down beside him and pours 
               herself a drink.  They touch glasses.

               EXT.  ON PODIUM - NIGHT

               On the podium, NOVELLI, the organizer of the championship, 
               stands in his tuxedo, talking into a microphone.  An older 
               man in a worn out suit, stands next to him.

                                     NOVELLI
                         Ladies and Gentlemen, your 
                         attention, please.  Mr. Andre 
                         Bonnet, President of the 
                         International Diving Championship 
                         Committee, is going to present 
                         this trophy to the new world 
                         champion of free diving.  This 
                         afternoon, our new champion 
                         descended to the remarkable depth 
                         of 280 feet.

               The audience applauds.

                                     NOVELLI
                         This young man Tia...

               NOVELLI can't quite read his notes.

                                     NOVELLI
                         Tiraro... Tirao-re... Moa...

               ANDRE BONNET takes his turn to read the note.  A young 
               Tahitian jumps up, heads for the podium.

                                     TAHITIAN
                         Tiraero Moameora.

               NOVELLI hesitates to repeat the name.

                                     NOVELLI
                         ... Let's all give him a big hand.

               The audience cheers and applauds the new champion.  ENZO 
               sits at a table, watching the ceremony.

                                     ENZO
                              (very sarcastic)
                         A one day hero!

               He gets up and walks out of the room.

               INT.  BAR - NIGHT

               JACQUES and JOHANA are sitting at the bar.  The whiskeys 
               have gone to their heads.  ENZO walks over to them.

                                     ENZO
                         A new world record!  That's great!
                         It gives me something to beat 
                         tomorrow!
                              (to Johana)
                         You ever been to Tahiti?

                                     JOHANA
                         No.

                                     ENZO
                         I'll take you there.  We'll live 
                         in the sun.  You'll cook fresh 
                         fish and we'll make love under the 
                         coconut trees.

               JOHANA smiles and shakes her head.

                                     JOHANA
                         You forgot the Hula!

                                     ENZO
                         Yes, of course, I'll do the Hula!

                                     JOHANA
                         You'll be lovely, but no thanks.
                              (to Jacques)
                         Jacques, would you do a native 
                         dance for me?

                                     JACQUES
                         I don't know how... Excuse me.

               JACQUES leaves the bar.  JOHANA watches him go.  ENZO 
               notices her way of watching him.  He's a little jealous.

                                     ENZO
                         He looks strange, doesn't he?  
                         Like a baby that just learned to 
                         walk.

                                     JOHANA
                         Have you known him long?

                                     ENZO
                         Forever.  We used to live on the 
                         same island in Greece, when we 
                         were kids.

                                     JOHANA
                         What was he like, when he was 
                         little?

                                     ENZO
                         Little.  Very little.  And skinny, 
                         very skinny too.  That is compared 
                         to me.

                                     JOHANA
                              (amused)
                         I get it, Enzo you were a superior 
                         child.

                                     ENZO
                         Exactly!  What is it Johana?  You're 
                         so crazy about him, you don't see 
                         the truth?!

               She doesn't answer.

                                     ENZO
                         Forget it, don't think of Jacques 
                         as a human being.  He's from another 
                         world.

               She smiles.

                                     JOHANA
                         And just where are you from?

                                     ENZO
                         Italy!

               EXT.  TERRACE OF THE HOTEL - NIGHT

               ENZO sits at the grand piano in the corner of the terrace.

               Beethoven was always a favorite of his.

               JACQUES, very tipsy by now walks over, a glass in each 
               hand.  He hands ENZO a glass, then takes off his tennis 
               shoes and sits them neatly on the piano.

                                     ENZO
                         There is nothing like music.  It 
                         speaks from the heart.  Can you 
                         tell me why we bother diving in 
                         the dark, the cold, without ever 
                         taking the time to breathe?  Huh?  
                         Can you tell me why we do it?

               JACQUES nods.

                                     ENZO
                         Why?

                                     JACQUES
                         ... For the mermaids.

               ENZO smiles, moved.

                                     ENZO
                         My father used to see them 
                         everywhere too... but the only one 
                         he ever caught was my mother...
                         Actually she caught him.

               A beat.

                                     JACQUES
                         Today at lunch, you asked me if I 
                         had any questions.

                                     ENZO
                         Ah ha.  You finally want to know 
                         about women.

                                     JACQUES
                         Why?  Are they what's most 
                         important?

                                     ENZO
                         No... It depends... Sometimes they 
                         are... What, exactly do you want 
                         to know?

                                     JACQUES
                         ... Everything.

                                     ENZO
                         Everything about what?

                                     JACQUES
                              (thinking)
                         Well... about everything.

               ENZO grins at JACQUES and starts playing again.

               TIME DISSOLVE TO LATER:

                                     JACQUES AND ENZO
                         There are now several empty 
                         champagne bottles around.

               They are both quite drunk.  ENZO is philosophizing.

               JOHANA is looking for them.

                                     ENZO
                         ... So, between Mamma, Roberto and 
                         the sisters, we yell and scream 
                         all day long.  Except with Angelica.
                         She just cries.  And then finally, 
                         we all end up kissing.  Can you 
                         explain that to me?

               JACQUES can't answer.

                                     ENZO
                         Because that's what love is all 
                         about.  It's a pain in the ass but 
                         keeps us together.
                              (then, in a half 
                              dreaming, half 
                              desperate tone)
                         A large and beautiful family!

               JOHANA walks over to them.

                                     JACQUES
                              (suddenly)
                         Enzo... We must quit the 
                         competition.

               ENZO hits a wrong note on the piano.

                                     ENZO
                              (worried)
                         Why?

                                     JACQUES
                         If we don't... I'm going to beat 
                         you.

               JOHANA stands next to JACQUES.

                                     ENZO
                              (with a nervous 
                              laugh)
                         Huh?  Well listen to him!
                              (to Johana)
                         Do you hear that?

                                     JOHANA
                         No.

                                     ENZO
                         He looks me in the eye like some 
                         fuckin' gold fish, and says:  "I'm 
                         going to beat you".

                                     JOHANA
                              (with a smile)
                         ... That's what he's here for, 
                         isn't he?

                                     ENZO
                         Listen to her!  "That's what he's 
                         here for"!  He's here to loose, 
                         that's what he's here for.  First 
                         of all, I'm unbeatable.  Second, 
                         how old are you?

                                     JACQUES
                         Two years younger than you.

                                     ENZO
                         As I said, second of all you're 
                         too skinny.  You've got tiny lungs.  
                         I still don't understand how you 
                         can dive without getting sick.

                                     JACQUES
                         The size of the lungs has nothing 
                         to do with it!

                                     ENZO
                         Look at me.  These aren't lungs.
                         These are... Tanks.  How long can 
                         you hold your breath?

               ENZO is getting really angry.  The drinks have a lot to do 
               with it.

                                     JACQUES
                              (impatiently)
                         I don't know.  Longer than you.

               ENZO pulls open his collar and rises.

                                     ENZO
                         We'll see.

               EXT.  HOTEL - SWIMMING POOL - UNDERWATER - NIGHT

               JACQUES and ENZO dive into the pool in their Tuxedos.

               Each one carries a beach umbrella in a concrete base to 
               help them stay at the bottom.

               ENZO takes two goblets out of his pocket, hands them to 
               JACQUES.  Takes a bottle of Champagne out of the other 
               pocket and opens it.  The cork floats out of the bottle.

               Above on the surface of the pool there's a splash.  JOHANA 
               finds a mask on the side of the pool and watches them.

               Her dress is soaked by now.

               ENZO pours champagne.  Courteous and grave, they clink 
               glasses and begin to drink.  They have already been 
               underwater longer than a minute.  They can't really drink 
               out of the glasses and ENZO offers JACQUES the bottle.

               JACQUES studies the label like a connoisseur.  He drinks,

               passes the bottle back to ENZO.

               INT.  HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT

               Paramedics roll two stretchers toward the elevators at 
               full speed.  ENZO on one, JACQUES on the other.  Both men 
               keep throwing up water.

               INT.  JACQUES'S ROOM - NIGHT

               The paramedics roll the stretcher toward the bed.

               JOHANA very worried, follows them.

                                     JOHANA
                         Take it easy...

                                     PARAMEDIC
                         Don't worry, he's empty now.  He 
                         needs sleep, that's all.

               The two men leave the room.

               JOHANA walks over to the chair and rearranges JACQUES' 
               shirt and jacket which the paramedic had thrown down.

               JACQUES looks like he's just had a very rough night.  He 
               sits up and grabs the sides of the bed, as if he were on a 
               moving boat.

                                     JACQUES
                         Who won?

               JOHANA turns around, furious.

                                     JOHANA
                         Won what?  The Ass Hole Award?
                         Well, let me tell you, it's a tie!

               She walks over to the bed.

                                     JOHANA
                         Acting like a pair of two year 
                         olds!

               You could have died in that damn pool!

                                     JACQUES
                         Please move slowly, you're rocking 
                         the boat.

                                     JOHANA
                              (smiling)
                         Lucky I was there to save you.

                                     JACQUES
                              (seeing her wet 
                              dress)
                         You jumped in?

                                     JOHANA
                         Only to help the medics, I assure 
                         you.

                                     JACQUES
                         My wallet.

               JOHANA wet, walks over to the wet clothes on the chair.

               She pulls out JACQUES soaking wallet from one of the jacket 
               pockets.

                                     JOHANA
                         It's still here.

               She tries to wipe it.

                                     JACQUES
                         No.  I want to show you.  Is it 
                         ruined?

                                     JOHANA
                         Well, water isn't exactly the best 
                         thing for pictures... Not even for 
                         pictures of dolphins...

                                     JACQUES
                         Give it to me.

               JOHANA hands him the photograph.  He stares at it, looking 
               very sad.  Worried JOHANA sits down next to him.

                                     JACQUES
                              (on the verge of 
                              tears)
                         My real family...
                              (he looks at the 
                              picture and cries)
                         What kind of man has such a family?

               She takes the picture out of his hands.

               He is so upset that JOHANA can hardly help from crying 
               with him.  She sits next to him and strokes his hair.

                                     JACQUES
                         I'm sick of never feeling at home 
                         anywhere.

               JOHANA takes him in her arms.  He breaks down.

               EXT.  HOTEL - DAWN

               The early morning sun slowly lights up the water.  A yacht 
               has left the hotel dock.  It is moving out to sea off the 
               coast of TAORMINA.

               EXT.  YACHT - ON DECK

               This is the Committee Boat for the diving competition.

               On the boat, ROBERTO is worried.  He checks his watch and 
               finally decides to wake up his brother.  ENZO is asleep in 
               the fore peak, curled up on a coil of line, snoring away.

               He wears his tuxedo jacket over a skimpy bathing suit.

                                     ROBERTO
                         Enzo, wake up!

                                     ENZO
                              (pulled from his 
                              dream)
                         Eh?  Si!  Avanti!

               He gets up on one arm.

                                     ROBERTO
                         The medics are looking all over 
                         for you.

                                     ENZO
                              (irritated)
                         I'm meditating, can't you see?
                         Jacques does two hours of yoga 
                         before going down.  I can take a 
                         five minute nap, can't I?

               The boat stops.  The anchor is thrown over board.

               The sailors, technicians and officials are getting ready 
               for the competition.  Today is ENZO'S turn to dive.  A man 
               is hooking a plaque indicating the depth (324 feet) onto a 
               lead disk which he heaves into the water on a cable.

               INT.  YACHT - DOCTOR'S CABIN - DAY

               A medic is bending over ENZO, taking his blood pressure.

               ROBERTO pulls the tuxedo jacket down.  The doctor puts a 
               blood pressure band around ENZO'S upper arm, pumps it up.

               He listens with his stethoscope.

                                     DOCTOR
                         Mr. Molinari, I'm terribly sorry 
                         but I cannot allow you to dive in 
                         such an advanced state of 
                         exhaustion.

               ENZO jumps to his feet, grabs the doctor by his lapels, 
               lifts him in the air.

                                     ENZO
                              (outraged)
                         What do you know about the sea?
                         Huh?  Nothing!  So you just put 
                         your tubes and tin cans away.  The 
                         sea is mine!  I know when she is 
                         ready for me and when she isn't.  
                         And today, she is ready.  
                         Understand?

                                     DOCTOR
                         You dive at your own risk.  You're 
                         been warned.

               ENZO smiles and pats the doctor on the shoulder.

                                     ENZO
                         Brave.

               EXT.  YACHT - ON DIVING PLATFORM

               It's a large float, rigged to the stern of the Committee 
               Boat.  ROBERTO and an assistant help ENZO down the swim 
               ladder to the platform.  He's wearing a wet suit and fins.

               He flip-flops to the end of the platform.

               ROBERTO hands him his mask.  The goggles are filled with 
               polystyrene to eliminate as much air pressure as possible.

               Only two pinholes to see through.  The mask fits tightly 
               over his nose.  When ENZO puts it on, he looks like an 
               astonished insect.  ENZO breathes faster and faster.

               ROBERTO holds the wire controlling the weighted diving 
               apparatus.  ENZO crosses himself, takes a last long gulp 
               of air.

               ROBERTO releases the weight.  It sinks and drags ENZO down, 
               he quickly disappears into the dark water...

                                     BLACK AND WHITE
                         But this is JACQUES as he was a 
                         child.  He swims along the bottom, 
                         finds and picks up a gold coin.  
                         We can see its ancient markings, a 
                         youth on a dolphin.

               JACQUES looks up.  In front of him is a dolphin, floating 
               vertically, still, apparently just watching.  JACQUES isn't 
               scared anymore.  But every time he swims toward the dolphin, 
               it moves further away.  It finally disappears.

               INT.  HOTEL ROOM - JACQUES - DAY

               He sits bolt upright in bed, awakened by his dream.  He 
               looks around the room, trying to get his bearings.

               JOHANA is asleep in a chair across the room.  On the wall 
               behind her, her last nights dress is drying on a hanger.

               She's wrapped up in a hotel bathrobe fast asleep.

               JACQUES finally awake from his dream, sees JOHANA sleeping.  
               He walks over to her, touches her shoulder.

               She wakes up, starts out of the chair.  She grabs the 
               blanket to cover herself, and in doing so, a book falls on 
               the floor.  It's one of his.

                                     JOHANA
                         You scared me!

               JACQUES picks up the book.  JOHANA smiles.

                                     JOHANA
                         Just checking up on your family.
                              (then embarrassed)
                         I guess I was drunker than I thought 
                         and the idea of going back to my 
                         hotel in a wet dress... Well...

                                     JACQUES
                         I'm glad you stayed.  Thank you.

                                     JOHANA
                              (getting up)
                         I'd better get back now.

                                     JACQUES
                         You... You wouldn't want to spend
                         the day with me?

               She sits back in her chair, amazed that he would even ask.

                                     JACQUES
                              (self conscious)
                         ... No?

                                     JOHANA
                         No?  Huh?
                              (she says "No" as 
                              if she had asked 
                              the question)
                         Yes, of course!!

               EXT.  MARINELAND - TAORMINA - DAY

               JACQUES and JOHANA enter the dolphinarium.  JOHANA is 
               wearing an old pair of JACQUES SHORTS along with an 
               oversized T-shirt and rolled up sweater.  She seems quite 
               pleased with her new attire.

               JACQUES and JOHANA walk straight through MARINELAND and 
               head toward the dolphin pool.  It's pretty crowded, mostly 
               kids.

               The dolphins are lying motionless at the bottom of the 
               pool.  The trainer is tired of throwing fish in the pool 
               and getting absolutely no reaction.

                                     JACQUES
                         What's the matter?

                                     TRAINER
                         I don't understand.  We've tried 
                         for two days.  They won't eat.  
                         They won't perform.  It's since we 
                         got the new one.

                                     CLOSE ON DOLPHIN
                         surfacing.  It thrusts its head 
                         over the edge of the pool, looks 
                         to JACQUES and SPEAKS.

                                     JACQUES
                         Is she the new one?

               Surprised, the trainer nods.

               JOHANA looks over at JACQUES then at the dolphin.  She 
               doesn't understand.

                                     JOHANA
                         How can you tell it's a female?

                                     JACQUES
                         ... The way she moves.

               Three other dolphins gather around the one that JACQUES is 
               patting.

               JACQUES is staring at the female dolphin.  It looks like 
               the animal is trying to tell him something.  Suddenly the 
               dolphin grabs him by the sleeve and pulls him into the 
               pool.

               UNDERWATER - DOLPHIN POOL

               JACQUES hangs onto the dolphin's muzzle.  Let's it pull 
               him along.  The dolphin swims to a far corner of the pool, 
               and pulls JACQUES to the bottom.  The other dolphins circle 
               above.

               EXT.  DOLPHIN POOL - DAY

               JACQUES pops up.  As he does, three dolphins leap in the 
               air behind him.  JOHANA walks closer to the pool.  She is 
               so excited by what JACQUES is doing, she finally falls 
               into the pool.

               After a while, JACQUES gets out of the pool and helps JOHANA 
               out.

                                     TRAINER
                         Did you ever think of trying the 
                         public pool?

                                     JOHANA
                         He's a dolphin specialist.

                                     TRAINER
                         In that case what's wrong with the 
                         new one?  Is she sick or not.

                                     JACQUES
                              (taking his time to 
                              answer)
                         Not the way you mean.

                                     TRAINER
                         What am I supposed to do?  Do I 
                         call the dealer...?  The investment, 
                         you understand... I certainly am 
                         entitled to complain!

                                     JACQUES
                         It's going to cost you more than 
                         you think!

               JACQUES turns around and walks off.  JOHANA catches up 
               with him.

                                     JACQUES
                         She's not like the others.  She 
                         can't stand to be away from the 
                         sea.

                                     JOHANA
                              (impressed)
                         How do you know that?

                                     JACQUES
                              (stopping)
                         I don't know, I just feel it.

               INT.  HALL - HOTEL - DAY

               JACQUES and JOHANA are walking across the corridor.

               ENZO walks up to them, followed by his tribe.  Everybody 
               is congratulating him.

               ROBERTO is screaming, MAMMA MOLINARI is crying.  ENZO smiles 
               as he talks back to them.  He sees JACQUES.

                                     ENZO
                              (screaming)
                         Ah!  Jacques!

               ENZO grabs hold of his shoulders.  JACQUES and JOHANA are 
               completely soaked.

                                     ENZO
                         Don't be sad, I only took back 
                         what was mine.

               He gives JACQUES the diving plaque, it reads 280 feet.

                                     ENZO
                         Here, it's a present.

               JOHANA and JACQUES smile at each other.  JACQUES has won 
               his bet.

                                     JACQUES
                              (touched)
                         ... Thank you.

               ENZO slaps him on the shoulder.

                                     ENZO
                              (to Johana)
                         Tonight we're having a little party 
                         among ourselves.  8 o'clock in my 
                         suite?

                                     JOHANA
                         Okay.

               ENZO walks off then turns back toward them.  He whispers 
               in JACQUES' ear.

                                     ENZO
                         Tell me... Can you explain why you 
                         are soaking wet?

               A beat.

                                     JOHANA
                         ... We're in training.

               ENZO walks off.

               INT.  HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT

               Three formally dressed officials are waiting in front of 
               one of the hotel rooms.  One of them holds a medal in his 
               hand, a glass of champagne in the other.

                                     NOVELLI
                              (through the door)
                         Mr. Roberto, tell your brother to 
                         be reasonable.  Everyone is waiting 
                         for him upstairs.  The photographers 
                         are there, the press...

                                     ROBERTO (O.S.)
                         He can't, he's indisposed.

                                     NOVELLI
                              (trying to keep his 
                              calm)
                         Shall we call a doctor?

                                     ROBERTO
                         No, it's okay.  Mamma is going to 
                         try something.

               JACQUES and JOHANA walk up from the other side of the hall 
               and stop in front of the same door.

                                     NOVELLI
                         Mr. Mayol, help us.  He refuses to 
                         receive his medal and everybody is 
                         waiting for him up there.  We 
                         already have problems with the 
                         press because of the danger, and 
                         if we don't even have the divers 
                         help...!

                                     JACQUES
                              (dubious)
                         ... I'll do my best.

                                     NOVELLI
                         That's very kind of you.

               JACQUES knocks on the door.

                                     JACQUES
                         It's Jacques... Mayol!

               A beat.  Then ENZO opens the door himself.

                                     ENZO
                         Jacques!  My friend!  Come on in!

               The officials look at each other baffled.

                                     NOVELLI
                         Mr. Enzo Molinari, allow me to 
                         impress upon you the importance of 
                         your attending the Award Ceremony...
                         For the press...

                                     ENZO
                              (loosing his temper)
                         I think my brother told you I was 
                         indisposed, that should do it, no?
                         I'm allowed to be indisposed, right?
                         So, you just tell the press that 
                         the "big" Enzo Molinari, overwhelmed 
                         by his inspiring descent to 324 
                         feet, will not be able to receive 
                         this trinket because he is...

               He looks inquisitively at the three men.  ENZO looses his 
               temper.

                                     ENZO
                         Because he is?!

                                     ONE OF THE THREE MEN
                         ...Indisposed.

                                     ENZO
                              (smiling)
                         Brave!

               He slams the door in their face.

               INT.  HOTEL - ENZO'S ROOM - NIGHT

                                     JACQUES
                         Tell me, why don't you go and get 
                         your medal?

                                     ENZO
                         Because pasta should be eaten "Al 
                         Dente".  So the trinket will just 
                         have to wait a bit.

               ENZO takes JACQUES by the shoulder.  Inside his room is

               absolute chaos:  dancing, singing, eating.  Wet suits hung 
               out to dry everywhere.  MAMMA MOLINARI is whipping up 
               mountains of spaghetti on an improvised stove in the middle 
               of the room.  A lot of smoke... steam... color...  noise... 
               All of Italy crammed into a few square feet.

               JOHANA taken in by the warm atmosphere, sits in a corner 
               of the room.  JACQUES walks over and sits down at her side.

                                     ENZO
                              (to Mamma)
                         Mamma!  La pasta?!

                                     MAMMA MOLINARI
                         Arrivo!  Arrivo!

               She points at ROBERTO who is taking forever to grate the 
               cheese.  ENZO grabs the guitar from his other brother's 
               hands and starts playing.

                                     ENZO
                         ... It's easy.  You go down.  You 
                         come up.
                              (to Johana)
                         ... Right, Johana?

                                     JOHANA
                              (smiling)
                         Congratulations, Enzo.

                                     ENZO
                         Don't you agree, Jacques?

                                     JACQUES
                         ... You always were the best.

               ENZO laughs then sees his mother.

                                     ENZO
                         Ah!  La pasta!

               ENZO starts singing in Italian.  MAMMA MOLINARI serves the 
               pasta, ROBERTO follows her around, sprinkling his cheese 
               on the plates.  She serves JOHANA a huge plate of pasta, 
               enough for three giants.

                                     MAMMA MOLINARI
                              (with a smile)
                         Buon appetito, Signorina!

               JOHANA who isn't even hungry, grins uncertainly.  JACQUES 
               has walked up to ENZO.  He doesn't dare ask his question.

                                     ENZO
                              (smiling)
                         What's the matter?  You still have 
                         a bunch of things to ask me?  You 
                         want to know the price of tea in 
                         China of how we landed on the moon?  
                         Is that it?

               ENZO laughs.  JACQUES is serious.

                                     JACQUES
                         No, I have to ask you a favor...
                              (a beat)
                         You're the only one who'll 
                         understand.

                                     ENZO
                              (seriously)
                         ... I'm listening.

               INT.  CORRIDOR - NIGHT

                                     MAMMA MOLINARI
                         Tutto va bene?

               The three officials are eating pasta, plates on their knees.  
               Their mouths are too full to speak, they nod 
               enthusiastically.

                                     NOVELLI
                              (mouth full)
                         Gracie mille, chignora.

               MAMMA MOLINARI smiles and slams the door.

               INT.  FIAT - NIGHT

               JACQUES is driving, JOHANA sits beside him.  ENZO crammed 
               in the back seat, very uncomfortably, because of a stretcher 
               which takes up all the space.

               They are dressed as they were at ENZO'S party.

                                     ENZO
                              (leaning forward)
                         Hey!  Will you slow down!  When 
                         did you learn how to drive?

                                     JACQUES
                         Driving isn't the problem, it's 
                         remembering the right road.

               JACQUES runs a red light.

                                     ENZO
                         And the lights!  Running lights, 
                         stealing stretchers...!  You'll 
                         have us in jail.

                                     JOHANA
                         Enzo, stop bitching, will you?

               EXT.  MARINELAND PARKING LOT - FIAT - NIGHT

               They get out of the car.  JACQUES starts to change into 
               his swimming trunks.  ENZO shakes his head, can't believe 
               he's really come along.  He laughs and starts undressing.

               INT./ EXT.  FIAT - STREET TAORMINA - NIGHT

               It's a very narrow street.  The car moves down it quickly.

               JACQUES drives.  The back seat is now occupied by the 
               dolphin.  Its nose and tail protruding through the windows.

               JOHANA is in the front seat, turned around, spraying the 
               dolphin with a watering can.

               EXT.  BEACH - NIGHT

               They have driven to the public beach.  They slowly lower 
               the stretcher into the water.  The dolphin, leaving the 
               stretcher, swims around a little but won't go away.  He 
               won't leave JACQUES.

                                     JACQUES
                              (moved)
                         You can't stay here!  Come on!  Go 
                         away!

               JACQUES swims off with her for a while.

               ENZO walks back toward the car with the stretcher.

               JOHANA, standing by the water looks at JACQUES and the 
               dolphin who are swimming off together.

               JACQUES keeps splashing the dolphin as they swim.

                                     ENZO
                         You can stop that now, she has all 
                         the water she needs.

               JACQUES cannot get rid of the dolphin.

                                     ENZO
                         All right, we did it.  Let's go 
                         back to the party.

               JACQUES and the dolphin can't seem to part.

                                     JACQUES
                         Just one minute.

               JOHANA is worried, she walks up to ENZO who goes back into 
               the water and takes JACQUES by the arm.

                                     ENZO
                         Jacques, the dolphin is home now.
                         And that's where we're going.  
                         Come on!  Hurry up now.  Our 
                         girlfriend is freezing over there.

               The dolphin starts swimming off.  JACQUES follows ENZO 
               half-heartedly.

               EXT.  JOHANA'S PENSION - NIGHT

               ENZO stops the FIAT in front of the pension.  The three of 
               them get out.  ENZO hasn't bothered to dress.

               JOHANA heads for the gate, she obviously has no desire of 
               leaving JACQUES.

                                     JOHANA
                         Well, good night, then...

                                     ENZO
                         You going to sleep here, all by 
                         yourself?

                                     JOHANA
                         Yes...

               She looks over at the pension, having a hard time concealing 
               her lack of enthusiasm.

                                     JOHANA
                         ... It's a comfortable place.

                                     ENZO
                         Sinister is what I'd call it...!  
                         Ours is so much cheerful!  Why 
                         don't you come and stay with me... 
                         There's plenty of room in my suite.

                                     JOHANA
                              (smiles)
                         The Mamma's there too.

                                     ENZO
                              (face clouds up)
                         Yes, the Mamma is is there.

                                     JOHANA
                         Good night Enzo, Good night Jacques.

                                     JACQUES
                         Good night.

                                     ENZO
                              (to Jacques)
                         You don't need a stretcher to take 
                         her with you.  You know that, don't 
                         you?

                                     JACQUES
                         What?

                                     ENZO
                         The dolphins aren't the only ones 
                         who don't feel very good sometimes.

                                     JOHANA
                         Leave it alone, Enzo, it's okay.

               She rings the bell for the concierge, then looks back at 
               JACQUES.

                                     JOHANA
                         Can I come watch you dive tomorrow?

                                     JACQUES
                              (lost)
                         Uh... Yes, of course!

               The concierge comes out and opens the iron gate for her.

               JOHANA disappears into the parc.  ENZO turns to JACQUES.

                                     ENZO
                         You really do have a few things to 
                         learn about women!

               EXT.  SEA - DAY

               The sun is rising on a rough sea.  The Committee Boat is 
               anchored in the open sea, 600 feet above the sea bed.

               EXT.  COMMITTEE BOAT - BAY OF TAORMINA - DAY

               JACQUES who is on the foredeck of a boat at sea has just 
               laid a towel down before him.  He's suited up, sitting in

               THE LOTUS POSITION, STARING STRAIGHT AHEAD, CLEARLY SELF-

               HYPNOTIZED.

               JOHANA, NOVELLI, and other officials are in the stern of 
               the boat watching last minute preparations.

               The scuba divers in brightly colored wetsuits and aqualungs, 
               flop out onto the diving platform, plunge into the water, 
               disappear.

                                     JOHANA
                         What are they for?

                                     NOVELLI
                         They're paramedics.  They wait at 
                         180 feet.

                                     JOHANA
                              (just checking)
                         If there was a problem, they could 
                         do something right?

                                     NOVELLI
                         Of course, that's what they're 
                         for.

               JOHANA sees scuba divers with weird air tanks.

                                     JOHANA
                              (pointing)
                         ... And those?

                                     NOVELLI
                         Those are the divers who go down 
                         300 to 330 feet.  They dive with a 
                         Helium-oxygen mixture.  At that 
                         depth, compressed air is too 
                         dangerous because it contains carbon 
                         dioxide.

                                     JOHANA
                         What's that little air bottle on 
                         the machine?

                                     NOVELLI
                         That isn't for the divers actually.
                         It's for the balloon.  It blows up 
                         and pulls the diver up like an 
                         elevator.  Without it, with the 
                         pressure at the bottom, the diver 
                         would just stay pinned to the sea 
                         bed.

                                     JOHANA
                              (shocked)
                         But doesn't Jacques dive without 
                         anything?

                                     NOVELLI
                              (smiling)
                         Yes... It's magic.

               INT.  BOAT - DAY - LATER

               On the boat, NOVELLI checks his watch.  JACQUES comes out 
               of his room.  He's dressed to dive.  He ignores everyone 
               as he goes down the ladder to the diving platform.  He 
               seems to be in another world.  All sounds coming to him 
               are drowned out.

               EXT.  DIVING PLATFORM - DAY

               JACQUES sits in the diver's slot.  Opens his eyes slowly 
               and looks around.  He puts his flippers on, an assistant 
               stands at his side.

               HIS POV

               The figures on the platform are vague, the VOICES are 
               GARBLED and incomprehensible.  Moving almost in slow motion 
               he raises three fingers.

                                     TECHNICIAN
                         Tre minuti!

               BACK TO SCENE

               Ten other divers have waited for this signal to dive.

               They disappear one by one into the blue.

               JACQUES uses contact lenses instead of a mask.  He puts 
               them in, and now, his view of the world is as distorted as 
               his hearing... bodies deform... sounds fade...

               Already euphoric from the vast amount of oxygen in his 
               system, he moves into another reality altogether... seems 
               to empty himself out.

                                     TECHNICIAN
                         Due minuti!

               JACQUES fills a small tube with water.  Pours it into his 
               nostrils... tilts his head... then lets it run out... He 
               puts on his gloves... all his movements are slow, he seems 
               to be operating in a different time zone... He seems unable 
               to take his eyes off the water.

               EXT.  END OF DIVING PLATFORM - DAY

                                     TECHNICIAN
                         Uno minuto!

               JACQUES puts his nose clip on.  He puts his hand on the 
               gueuse.  Closes his eyes and inhales slowly.  Then he takes 
               a sudden last breath, nods, the technician releases the 
               gueuse and in one flashing movement, he disappears.

                                     UNDERWATER
                         The gueuse slides down the cable.  
                         JACQUES hangs on like a ribbon in 
                         the wind, past a marker, 90 feet 
                         down.

               Above him, the boat disappears from sight.

               He moves faster and faster... through a sea that looks 
               like a cloudy sky.  The light fades rapidly around him.

               Below, white spotlights pierce an ocean dark as night.

               JACQUES reaches them in a matter of seconds.  Turns the 
               brakes, brings his machine to a halt, 180 feet down.

               The medics are waiting for him there.  They take his pulse.  
               Check his eyes... 15 seconds... normal... the bubbles from 
               there scuba tanks churn the water around them...

               JACQUES closes his eyes... a tap on the shoulder, he 
               releases the brake on the gueuse.  Plunges further, this 
               time into pitch black.

               Below him a faint spotlight glows on the bottom.  He reaches 
               it and the dark diver moves to him.  JACQUES brakes his 
               machine.  Moving very slowly, turns his body right side 
               up.  Like a sleep walker, JACQUES starts to take the plaque 
               off the plumbline... pauses in the middle of the gesture.

               The dark diver flashes the high sign to JACQUES, thumb and 
               forefinger touching, fingers extended, all clear.  JACQUES 
               does not respond.  The diver repeats the signal.  JACQUES 
               does not respond.

               The diver taps JACQUES on the shoulder... a beat... and 
               then JACQUES responds, thumb and forefinger touching okay.

               Slowly, reluctantly, he wraps his hand around the handle 
               of the balloon.

               The dark diver quickly turns the handle for him.  The 
               balloon inflates.  JACQUES hangs on... lets it carry him 
               up.

               At the plague marking 210 feet, JACQUES lets go of the the 
               balloon.  With a burst of speed, it darts toward the 
               surface.

               JACQUES follows slowly, undulating like a fish... He's 
               getting warm now... He closes his eyes.

               Passes the medical control without stopping... without 
               even seeing it like someone asleep.

               He's moving faster now, toward the warmth, toward the air.

               JACQUES opens his eyes, watches the lights grow brighter.

               The silhouette of the boat comes back into view.  60 feet 
               to go.

               EXT.  DIVING PLATFORM - DAY

               In slow motion JACQUES' hand holding the plaque breaks out 
               of the water followed by his arm, in one continuous 
               movement, his shoulders and head.

               He gasps for air.

               A trickle of blood comes from his nose.

               Flashbulbs flicker, spectators cheer.

               EXT.  OPEN SEA - A DOLPHIN

               The dolphin, the one rescued last night, leaps into the 
               air, in perfect harmony with JACQUES' triumph.

               EXT.  DOLPHINARIUM

               The dolphins in the dolphinarium leap into the air at the 
               exact same moment.

               The trainer doesn't understand what's going on.

               EXT.  DIVING PLATFORM - DAY

               JACQUES falls back into the water.  Two divers run over 
               and pull him up onto the dock.

               JACQUES seems completely dazed, almost in a trance.  He 
               slowly comes to and starts screaming louder and louder.

               It is the scream of his body in need of the surface, reality 
               and the feel of the land.

               JOHANA is terrified.  She can hardly breathe.  Everybody 
               applauds.

               EXT.  HOTEL DOCK - DAY

               JACQUES and JOHANA walk down the gangway.  NOVELLI has 
               lead the way and the news has been spread.

               JACQUES looks very weak and punchy.

               JOHANA holds him up.

               The spectators applaud as he goes by.  Intrigued, JACQUES 
               looks at them all.

                                     JOHANA
                              (excited)
                         Jacques, listen to the applause.

               He doesn't respond.

                                     JOHANA
                              (trying to keep up)
                         Jacques, you set a world record.

                                     JACQUES
                         I did?

                                     JOHANA
                         Aren't you happy?  Don't you feel 
                         proud...?  I feel proud and all I 
                         did was watch.

               He is staring at her, he's returning to the real world.

               Slowly he smiles.

               She grabs hold of his arm and gives him a proud kiss on 
               the mouth.  JACQUES is a little stunned.

               EXT.  TERRACE - SWIMMING POOL - DAY

               ENZO walks into the hotel, his arms filled with packages.

               He sees JACQUES and JOHANA.  From the look on his face we 
               can tell he knows that JACQUES has beaten his record.  He 
               deliberately puts on a huge smile as he walks over to them.

               INT.  TERRACE - SWIMMING POOL

                                     ENZO
                         Congratulations Jacques!  It's 
                         wonderful!  Wonderful!

               He drops his packages on the bar and gives Jacques a big 
               hug.

                                     ENZO
                         I'm happy for you!

               He kisses him and starts handing out his presents.

                                     ENZO
                              (to Jacques)
                         Here...
                              (to Johana)
                         Here...

                                     JACQUES
                         What is it?

                                     ENZO
                         Little presents, nothing much... I 
                         knew it, I just knew it!  Look 
                         here!

               He holds up his arm:  he is wearing two watches.

                                     ENZO
                         Roberto's watch!  I won it!  He 
                         bet that you couldn't beat me!

               JACQUES opens his present.  It's a little ceramic dolphin.

                                     ENZO
                         You still collect them?

                                     JACQUES
                         Yes.

                                     ENZO
                         You don't have that one, do you?

                                     JACQUES
                         No.  Thank you.  It's really 
                         beautiful.

                                     ENZO
                         Oh it's nothing.  I knew it.  I 
                         told Roberto "He's very good that 
                         little Frenchman, very good".  I 
                         lost my title but I won a watch!

               JOHANA has opened her package.  It's a big plate with a 
               text engraved on it.

                                     JOHANA
                         Is it a poem?

                                     ENZO
                         No, it's the recipe for spaghetti 
                         "Frutti del mare".
                              (to Jacques)
                         You see I was right in getting you 
                         out here.  You're a world champion, 
                         my friend!

               JACQUES has opened the last small package.  It's a measuring 
               tape.  He looks at it without understanding.

               ENZO EXPLAINS:

                                     ENZO
                         It's a measuring tape.

               He grabs hold of the tape and lets it roll to the ground.

                                     ENZO
                         You see this is your record, three 
                         feet more than mine!  Looking at 
                         it from here, it doesn't look like 
                         much, does it?

               JACQUES looks at him without saying a word.

               ENZO hands him the measuring tape.

                                     ENZO
                         Keep your little measuring tape, 
                         my friend, it will be a nice 
                         souvenir when I beat you next.

               ENZO taps his shoulder and smiles.

               INT.  ELEVATOR ASCENDING - JACQUES - JOHANA

               They're locked in a long kiss.  He untucks the bottom of 
               her shirt and slides his hands under it.

               INT.  HOTEL ROOM - JACQUES - JOHANA - TWILIGHT

               They're in bed, making love in their fashion.  Moonlight 
               shines in the silver sea.  In the background are the lights 
               of the bay of TAORMINA.

                                     LATER
                         JACQUES is in bed with JOHANA.  
                         They are both asleep.

               Suddenly, he sits up, as he always does after his recurrent 
               dream.

               He's wide awake, looks over at her sleeping.  She sleeps 
               peacefully like a baby.  Quietly, gently, he eases out of 
               bed and walks to the open window.

               He stands on the balcony, staring at the sea.  Then in the 
               distance in the moonlight, a dolphin leaps out of the water, 
               once, twice, a third time.

               JACQUES laughs and goes back to the bed where he sits down 
               next to JOHANA.  She is still sound asleep.

               EXT.  HOTEL - PIER - NIGHT

               JACQUES quickly gets into one of his diving suits.  He 
               puts on his flippers.  The dolphin is still jumping in and 
               out of the water.  JACQUES jumps off the pier and swims 
               over to her.

               INT.  JACQUES' HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

               JOHANA rolls over and feels the bed in her sleep.

               JACQUES' absence wakes her.

                                     JOHANA
                         Jacques?

               She gets up and walks over to the balcony.  She doesn't 
               see anything.

               EXT.  PIER - NIGHT

               JOHANA walks down the pier and notices the little pile of 
               clothes JACQUES has left behind.  She looks around but 
               still can't see anything.  She decides to sit next to the 
               pile of clothes, and waits, her eyes riveted to the sea.

               EXT.  PIER - DAWN

               The sky has just begun to light up again.  JOHANA is still 
               sitting next to the pile of clothes.

               She is wearing JACQUES' sweater.  She looks sad, yet serene.  
               The look of a woman who has been thinking over the situation 
               and who has made up her mind.

               Tired, JACQUES swims back to the pier.  It looks as if he 
               has come out of nowhere.

               He is exhausted.  He takes off his flippers and gets up 
               onto the pier in front of JOHANA.  He looks at her, a little 
               surprised to find her there.

                                     JACQUES
                              (warm)
                         What are you doing here?

               She answers in a far away voice, with the same serene 
               sadness.

                                     JOHANA
                         I'm going to leave, Jacques.

               Dripping with water, he sits down next to her.  His face 
               is drawn from fatigue.  She continues.

                                     JOHANA
                         I'm going back home.

                                     JACQUES
                         Why?

                                     JOHANA
                         Because one shouldn't fall in love 
                         with creatures from the sea.

                                     JACQUES
                         I'm not from the sea... I don't 
                         understand what you're talking 
                         about.

                                     JOHANA
                         Yes you do.  You know exactly what 
                         I'm talking about.  You're afraid 
                         I want to hold onto you, and I do, 
                         but you're not ready... at least 
                         not for me.

                                     JACQUES
                         But it's not true, I feel good 
                         with you... It feels right...

               She looks at him for a moment, then takes his face in her 
               hands and rests it on her bosom, as if a small child.

                                     JOHANA
                         I've got to get back to the hotel...  
                         and get my suitcase packed.

               INT.  TRAIN STATION - JACQUES - JOHANA - DAY

               The train station faces the sea.  JACQUES and JOHANA are 
               standing on the platform, amid others.  In the distance we 
               hear the rumble and whistle of a train.

               JOHANA gets on the train.  The station master blows his 
               whistle.

                                     JACQUES
                         Will... will we see each other 
                         again?

               JOHANA'S eyes are filled with tears.

                                     JOHANA
                         Take good care of yourself, Jacques.

               The train starts pulling out of the station.

                                     JACQUES
                         Where can I call you?  Johana, 
                         tell me where can I call you?

               JOHANA doesn't answer.  JACQUES stands helplessly in the 
               station, his eyes filled with tears.

               INT.  ENZO'S ROOM - DAY

               ENZO opens the door of his suite.  His hair is messed up, 
               he's got "sheet prints" on his face and is wearing the top 
               of a diving suit.

                                     JACQUES
                         Can I come in?

                                     ENZO
                         No problem, I enjoy talking in my 
                         sleep.

               ENZO walks back into the apartment and crashes on the bed.

               He's lying on his stomach.  JACQUES walks in and lets 
               himself drop in a chair.

                                     ENZO
                         Wake me up at 11:00.

               ENZO closes his eyes.  JACQUES looks over at the clock, it 
               says 11:25.  JACQUES doesn't say anything and stares blankly 
               out of the window.

                                     ENZO
                              (opening one eye)
                         Hmmm!  Something wrong?

               JACQUES doesn't answer.

                                     ENZO
                         Is it the girl?

               JACQUES stares out the window.

                                     ENZO
                         Did she leave?

               No answer.  ENZO gets up and sits on the side of the bed.

                                     ENZO
                         Hey!  I'm going to take care of 
                         you!

               I've got this job, on an oil rig, no sweat!  I'm taking 
               you along... Come on!  Get your bags packed!  You're coming 
               with me, I tell you!

               He pats him on the back.

                                     ENZO
                         We'll make a great team, the two 
                         of us.  You'll see!

               EXT.  OIL DRILLING PLATFORM - AT SEA - DAY

               The platform shines in the morning light.

               There are several stories of crew housing and offices above 
               the deck.  Long steel legs disappear into the swelling 
               slate-gray ocean.  We hear WHOP-WHOP-WHOP of a helicopter.

               EXT.  HELICOPTER - PLATFORM

               The helicopter is landing.  Crewmen rush to secure it to 
               the oil rig's deck.  Doors open and two passengers get 
               off:  JACQUES and ENZO.  They each carry a duffel bag of 
               personal belongings.  They're both wearing fluorescent 
               diving suits.

               The DRILLING SUPERINTENDENT comes to meet them.

                                     SUPERINTENDENT
                         Mayol, Molinari...?

               They nod.

                                     SUPERINTENDENT
                         We've been waiting for you for 
                         three days.  Goddamnit!

                                     ENZO
                         Is that the way you talk to the 
                         best diver in the world...?  And 
                         to his friend Jacques Mayol!

               The SUPERINTENDENT smiles sourly, and gestures to a crewman.

                                     SUPERINTENDENT
                         Show them their quarters.

               Five minutes later, JACQUES and ENZO are following the 
               crewman.

                                     JACQUES
                              (whispering)
                         He doesn't like us.

                                     ENZO
                         So what!?  His job is to hand out 
                         the paychecks.  And he does that 
                         very well, let me tell you.

               INT.  DIVING CAPSULE - DAY

               The diving capsule, suspended by cables, begins its descent 
               through a trap door in the deck.  It plunges into the sea.

               The three men in the capsule are:  JACQUES, ENZO and the 
               tough looking CAPSULE COMMANDER NOIREUTER, who is much too 
               professional for ENZO'S tastes.

               ENZO watches through a porthole while the COMMANDER 
               concentrates on the control console.  He runs through a 
               checklist of systems.  JACQUES responds with a "check" as 
               he verifies each one.  ENZO is already bored and fed up by 
               the procedures.

               JACQUES is lost in thought, they don't look cheerful.

                                     ENZO
                              (suddenly)
                         You still thinking about her?

               JACQUES doesn't answer.  ENZO goes on.

                                     ENZO
                         Don't think about her anymore!  
                         Let me tell you, you're just making 
                         yourself unhappy!  There are so 
                         many women in the world!

               He takes a cigarette from a pouch in his diving suit and 
               stares at NOIREUTER.

                                     ENZO
                         Plenty of women everywhere right?

                                     NOIREUTER
                              (coldly)
                         Smoking is absolutely forbidden.

                                     ENZO
                         It isn't lit yet.

                                     NOIREUTER
                         You shouldn't even carry cigarettes 
                         on board!

                                     ENZO
                         Listen we're not supposed to piss 
                         either but that doesn't stop you 
                         from carrying "it" on board?!

                                     NOIREUTER
                              (stubborn)
                         The rules are the rules.

                                     ENZO
                              (checking out this 
                              creature)
                         ... What's your name again?

                                     NOIREUTER
                         Noireuter.

                                     ENZO
                         And where did you say you were 
                         from?

                                     NOIREUTER
                         I didn't say...
                              (contemptuous)
                         Brussels!

               ENZO smiles sardonically, shaking his head very slowly.

               The COMMANDER'S answer explains it all.

               INT.  DRILLING PLATFORM - CONTROL ROOM - DAY

               A technician is overlooking the capsule descent on a video 
               screen.

               The SUPERINTENDENT watches over the technician's shoulder.

                                     TECHNICIAN
                         They're at 450 feet.

               INT.  DIVING CAPSULE - DAY

               ENZO, a cigarette dangling from his lips, looks through 
               the porthole.

                                     ENZO
                         ... I was seventeen, I loved her 
                         so much I tried to die for her.  
                         Two years later I couldn't even 
                         remember her name!  Let me tell 
                         you, time erases everything!

                                     JACQUES
                         I don't want to erase anything.

                                     ENZO
                         You'd rather think about it and 
                         make yourself miserable?

                                     JACQUES
                              (after thinking 
                              about it)
                         ... Yes.

                                     ENZO
                              (smiles)
                         I give you this.  You're stubborn...
                         Dumb, but stubborn.

                                     JACQUES
                              (taking it as a 
                              compliment)
                         Thank you.

               INT.  CAPSULE - DAY

               The technician fiddles with a few knobs.

                                     TECHNICIAN
                         Minus 800 feet.  End of descent.

               INT.  DIVING CAPSULE

               The diving capsule ends its descent.  The COMMANDER turns 
               to ENZO and JACQUES who is still staring out the porthole.

                                     NOIREUTER
                              (with a Mickey Mouse 
                              voice)
                         You have enough air for 15 minutes.

               ENZO bursts out laughing.

                                     ENZO
                              (with Donald Ducks 
                              voice)
                         What's with the voice?

                                     NOIREUTER
                         It's nothing.  It's just the helium, 
                         because of the air pressure.

                                     ENZO
                              (worried)
                         And... does the voice come back?

                                     NOIREUTER
                         For others, yes... For you, who 
                         knows?

                                     ENZO
                              (still a little 
                              worried, to Jacques)
                         Try speaking to me?

                                     JACQUES
                              (with Daffy Ducks 
                              voice)
                         I don't find this funny.  We were 
                         having a serious conversation.

               ENZO and JACQUES burst out laughing.  They keep these same 
               voice till the end of the scene.

               ENZO pulls out a tiny silver flask out of his pocket.

                                     ENZO
                              (to Jacques)
                         Here, give me your finger.

               ENZO taps a drop onto JACQUES' finger, then on his own.

               Then NOIREUTER blows up.

                                     NOIREUTER
                              (in a panic)
                         Is that alcohol?  Are you out of 
                         your mind?  Alcohol is strictly 
                         forbidden.

                                     ENZO
                              (loosing his temper)
                         Hey!  D'you have any other 
                         complaints?  Just make a list and 
                         we'll stick it on the porthole!
                         Okay?

               ENZO pours a second drop on his own finger.

                                     ENZO
                         Go on, suck your finger.

               JACQUES hesitates.  ENZO has no qualms about it and sucks

               his own finger.  NOIREUTER is petrified.

                                     NOIREUTER
                         Are you crazy?  At this pressure?

                                     JACQUES
                         It's very deep down here.

                                     ENZO
                         Come on, suck your finger, you'll 
                         be seeing mermaids everywhere!

               JACQUES, convinced sucks his finger too.  ENZO smiles.

               The alcohol has an immediate effect on them.

                                     ENZO
                              (to Jacques)
                         A thousand commanders and we get a 
                         Belgian from Alcoholic's Anonymous.

                                     UNDERWATER
                         ENZO gets out of the diving capsule, 
                         head first.

               He is connected to the capsule by a number of cables.

               JACQUES, who follows him, gets completely tangled up in 
               them.  They are both hilariously drunk.

               INT.  DRILLING PLATFORM - CONTROL ROOM

               The SUPERINTENDENT hears them laughing through the control 
               room speakers.  He flips a communication switch.

                                     SUPERINTENDENT
                         Can you hear me?  What's going on?
                              (to the technician)
                         Are you sure you're on the right 
                         channel?

               The technician nods back to him.

                                     UNDERWATER
                         The two divers have gotten to the 
                         spot they are supposed to be working 
                         on.  They have their arms around 
                         each other and are dancing.

               NOIREUTER watches them through the porthole.  He shakes 
               his head in complete disbelief.

               INT.  CONTROL ROOM

               We hear the two friends humming the tune of a Viennese 
               waltz.

                                     SUPERINTENDENT
                         If those guys are playing a radio 
                         down there they'd just better watch 
                         out!!

               INT.  JOHANA'S APARTMENT

               SALLY is talking away, pointing around the apartment.

                                     SALLY
                         ... And if we repaint the walls, 
                         we'll need new curtains, you put 
                         the painters on you Visa and I'll 
                         do the curtains on American 
                         Express... for the couch there's 
                         Bloomingdales...  or are you still 
                         over your limit?

                                     JOHANA
                              (flatly)
                         Way past it.

                                     SALLY
                         Does that have a hidden meaning?

                                     JOHANA
                         No.  I'm just depressed.

                                     SALLY
                         You look it too.  You haven't been 
                         working out, you haven't been taking 
                         your vitamins!  You haven't been 
                         drinking your herbs, you haven't 
                         been...

                                     JOHANA
                              (stopping her)
                         I know, I know!  I'm a terrible 
                         person...
                              (after a beat)
                         It's... I'm so damn, damn sad.

                                     SALLY
                         What is it honey... the frenchy?

                                     JOHANA
                              (tentatively)
                         Do you think I should have stayed?
                         Don't you think maybe I should 
                         have stayed?  I've been a jerk, 
                         right?
                              (then, emphatically)
                         I should have stayed!  I was 
                         supposed to be in love... I was in 
                         love!  I am in love, why did I act 
                         like a bitch?  He went swimming.
                         All the man did was go swimming!  
                         I must be crazy.  It was too good 
                         to be true.

                                     SALLY
                         Vitamins, exercise, herb tea... 
                         and see a doctor, will ya?

               INT.  DOCTOR'S OFFICE - JOHANA - DAY

               The doctor enters with a folder, speaks to JOHANA

                                     DOCTOR
                         Well Miss Cross, herbs aren't going 
                         to do the trick this time.

                                     JOHANA
                              (worried)
                         It's serious, right?

                                     DOCTOR
                         I think so.  You're pregnant...

               Congratulations!  If that's in order?

               JOHANA breaks into a wide grin.

                                     JOHANA
                         It's in order!  Thank you.  Thank 
                         you.

                                     DOCTOR
                         I don't think it's me you have to 
                         thank.

               INT.  DUFFY'S OFFICE - DUFFY - DAY

               DUFFY is at his desk.  His lunch is spread out in front of 
               him.  Outside the window, the window-washers are eating 
               their lunch too.  JOHANA hurries in.

                                     DUFFY
                         Good afternoon.

                                     JOHANA
                              (agitated)
                         I came to make a clean breast of 
                         everything... the whole business.

                                     DUFFY
                              (bluffing, with his 
                              mouth full of 
                              sandwich)
                         Yes.  Of course.  Very wise.

                                     JOHANA
                              (in a rush)
                         Remember when I went to Italy and 
                         canceled the policy on the new 
                         stadium.  Well, we weren't being 
                         cheated by the Mafia or anybody 
                         except maybe by me...
                              (she sees the window-
                              washers)
                         ... Do they come for lunch everyday?  
                         I really went on my own business, 
                         to see a man that I happen to be 
                         in love with... and I'm glad I did 
                         it, but I'm sorry about the policy 
                         and I'll be happy to make up the 
                         money the company didn't get... of 
                         course just now I don't have...
                              (she checks a note 
                              she's holding)
                         One million, four hundred and ten 
                         thousand dollars.  But if you were 
                         to dock my salary, say, twenty 
                         dollars a week, in a few hundred 
                         years we'd be even... and I think 
                         this is where you fire me?

                                     DUFFY
                              (swallowing sandwich)
                         You're right.  You're fired.

                                     JOHANA
                         Will that interfere with my getting 
                         maternity leave?  I'm pregnant.

                                     DUFFY
                         The Italian, I presume?

                                     JOHANA
                         No.  He's French, he was just in 
                         Italy for the competition.

                                     DUFFY
                              (smiling)
                         He seems to have won it.

                                     JOHANA
                         Yes, isn't it wonderful?  I'm so 
                         happy.  I'll bet I'm the happiest 
                         pregnant fired person in the world!

               She starts to leave... calls out to the window-washers.

                                     JOHANA
                         Bon appetit and Adieu!

               INT.  JOHANA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

               JOHANA stares out of the bay window of her Manhattan 
               apartment.  Hesitant, she walks around her telephone.

               Finally she makes up her mind, picks up her address book 
               and dials the number.

                                     JACQUES (V.O.)
                         Hello?

                                     JOHANA
                         It's me... Johana.

               INT.  JACQUES' APARTMENT

               JACQUES is on the telephone, in front of a little window 
               overlooking the sea.  He is very glad to hear her voice.

                                     JACQUES
                         How are you?

               INT.  JOHANA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

                                     JOHANA
                         I got fired.

                                     JACQUES (V.O.)
                         ... That's funny... I had this job 
                         with Enzo... we got fired too.

               JOHANA'S face lights up with a huge smile.

                                                            DISSOLVE TO:

                                     LATER
                         JOHANA is still on the phone, 
                         sitting in front of the bay window.  
                         Day is dawning.

                                     JOHANA
                              (looking out at the 
                              skyline)
                         It's getting light out.

                                     JACQUES (V.O.)
                         Here, it's getting dark.

               JOHANA smiles.  She stretches, lies down on the carpeted 
               floor.  JACQUES seems to have gone through all topics of 
               conversation.

                                     JACQUES
                         I've been thinking about you a 
                         lot, you know...

               JOHANA is by now completely stretched out on the floor.

                                     JOHANA
                         So have I.
                              (a beat)
                         ... Hello?

                                     JACQUES
                         I'm still here.

                                     JOHANA
                         Well, then, talk to me some more.

                                     JACQUES
                         ... It's hard you know.  You're so 
                         far away and I don't know what 
                         else to say.

                                     JOHANA
                         Then, tell me a story.

                                     JACQUES
                         Uh... Ah!  A story?

               He turns around and sits on the window sill, his feet 
               dangling in mid air.

               He looks at the sea, seeking inspiration.

                                     JACQUES
                         Do you know how it is?
                              (starting again)
                         Do you know what you're supposed 
                         to do to meet a mermaid?

                                     JOHANA
                              (with a smile)
                         No... tell me.

                                     JACQUES
                         You go down to the bottom of the 
                         sea, where the water isn't even 
                         blue anymore, where the sky is 
                         only a memory... and you float 
                         there, quietly, quietly and stay 
                         there...  and you decide that you 
                         will die for them... Only then do 
                         they start coming out.  They come 
                         and greet you and they judge the 
                         love you have for them... If it's 
                         sincere.  If it's pure... They 
                         will be with you and take you away 
                         forever.

               JOHANA listens with the abandon of a child being put to 
               sleep.

               INT.  JACQUES' ROOM - ANTIBES

               The sun hits the roof tops.  The sea is sparkling.

               The phone rings on the window sill.  JACQUES answers.

                                     JACQUES
                         Hello?

                                     JOHANA (V.O.)
                         It's me again.

               JACQUES smiles.

                                     JOHANA
                              (after a silence)
                         I'm being a pain, huh?

                                     JACQUES
                         ... Not at all.

                                     JOHANA (V.O.)
                         You sure?

                                     JACQUES
                              (smiling)
                         Absolutely positive.

                                     JOHANA (V.O.)
                         Okay.  In that case... I'm at the 
                         airport in Nice.

               JACQUES doesn't know what to say.  He looks around him, 
               can't figure out what to do.

                                     JACQUES
                              (lost)
                         Okay... huh, I'll be right over.

               INT.  AIRPORT - DAY

               JOHANA is standing in front of the airport.

               JACQUES sees her.  They smile shyly at each other.

               EXT.  STREET - NICE - OPPOSITE THE NEGRESCO HOTEL

               JACQUES and JOHANA are sitting in the back of a taxi.  The 
               driver stops in front of the hotel.

                                     DRIVER
                              (loud)
                         The Carlton!  Enjoy your siesta.

               JACQUES and JOHANA look at each other.

               INT.  HOTEL ROOM - JACQUES - JOHANA - DAY

               The room is in semi-darkness, despite the blazing sunlight 
               coming through cracks in the shutters.  JACQUES and JOHANA 
               are making love.  JACQUES is on top of her, his whole body 
               covered in sweat.  The rumpled sheets and the movements of 
               their bodies suggest the movements of the sea.  ALL SOUNDS 
               are disproportionate and slightly distorted, they are 
               underwater...

               ALL JOHANA'S reluctance has vanished.  Both of them act 
               like people who have never felt anything like this before.

               A certain astonishment at the depth of their feeling.  An 
               increasing freedom.  All the muscles of their bodies stretch 
               to their limits.

               JACQUES, progressively, finds himself disappearing.  His 
               image dissolves point by point... disintegrates into 
               unbroken blue... The effect creates the impression of 
               someone melting, the screen is now totally blue.

               A thin, HIGH-PITCHED SOUND.

               From the bottom of the image, a tiny pinpoint starts TOWARD 
               the CAMERA.  It is JACQUES, naked, swimming out of the 
               deep blue ocean toward the light as if he were coming out 
               of a dive.  He comes CLOSER and CLOSER to the CAMERA...  
               Until his head almost touches the lens...

               A sudden DEAFENING NOISE... and we find JACQUES on top of 
               JOHANA.  He looks down at her, speechless.

                                     JOHANA
                              (a little frightened)
                         Are you okay?

               After a long beat.

                                     JACQUES
                         ... I think I love you.

               INT.  APARTMENT BUILDING - ANTIBES - DAY

               JACQUES and JOHANA step out of the elevator of a 19th 
               century building.

               JACQUES is carrying her suitcases.

                                     JOHANA
                         Why did you take me to the hotel, 
                         if you live here.

                                     JACQUES
                         You'll understand.

               JACQUES rings the door bell and sticks his key in the door.

                                     JOHANA
                              (surprised)
                         Someone in there?

               JACQUES nods and pushes the door open with the bags he's

               carrying.  They enter a huge, very old apartment filled 
               with models and paintings of boats.

               JACQUES leads JOHANA to the other end of the apartment.

               INT.  BATHROOM - ON UNCLE LOUIS (SORT OF)

               It's a huge old-fashioned bathroom.  The centerpiece is a 
               deep ancient bathtub on faded gild feet.  There's a rippling 
               shadow of a body under the bath water.

               JOHANA gasps.

                                     JACQUES
                         Don't be afraid.  It's my Uncle...
                         Louis.

               He goes to the tub and pinches the end of a tube.  UNCLE 
               LOUIS, underwater, has been breathing through it.  LOUIS' 
               head pops out of the water, furious.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Assassin!

                                     JACQUES
                              (loud, as if speaking 
                              to a deaf man)
                         Uncle Louis, this is my friend 
                         Johana.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Did you buy the cassettes?  The 
                         Wagner, the Berlioz?

                                     JACQUES
                         I brought Johana to meet you.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Are you crazy?  I have no use for 
                         a woman!  Since my accident.

                                     JACQUES
                         No, no.  Johana is visiting me.

                                     JOHANA
                              (tentatively)
                         Bonjour Monsieur... Louis.
                              (she looks to Jacques)

                                     JACQUES
                              (whispering to Johana)
                         Uncle Louis.  He's a 75 year old 
                         amazing guy, isn't he?

                                     JOHANA
                         I'm very pleased to meet you, Uncle 
                         Louis.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                              (to Johana)
                         Did you bring the cassettes, the 
                         Wagner, the Berlioz?
                              (pointing to Jacques)
                         This idiot never listens to anything 
                         I say.  Sometimes I wonder if he 
                         isn't deaf.

               LOUIS climbs out of the bathtub, and pulls on a bathrobe.

               Behind him he's pulling two insulated wires out of the 
               bathtub.  We see that they're connected to small underwater 
               speakers.  As they surface, incredibly LOUD MUSIC BLASTS:  
               the finale of the "1812 Overture",

               (trumpets, timpani, cannons, etc...) The sound fills the 
               room, the apartment, and probably all of ANTIBES.

               INT.  DINING ROOM - JACQUES - JOHANA - LOUIS - LATER

               The three of them are at the table.  There are a few scraps 
               on their plates on a threadbare lace tablecloth.

               Incredibly LOUD SYMPHONIC MUSIC is PLAYING.  LOUIS is as 
               deaf as a fence post.

               Everyone has to scream over the music.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Where are you from, Henrietta?

                                     JACQUES
                              (correcting him)
                         Johana... New York.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         What kind of name is that?  To be 
                         named after a city?

                                     JACQUES
                              (smiling)
                         He doesn't hear too well.

                                     JOHANA
                              (yelling)
                         I said I was from New York.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                              (yelling at Jacques)
                         That explains it!  The best lays 
                         are from New York!

                                     JACQUES
                         Uncle Louis!

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         No, no.  It's true.  When I was in 
                         New York, oh boy!
                              (to Johana)
                         Before my accident, you understand?
                              (then back to Jacques)

               JACQUES stands up and lowers the music.

                                     JACQUES
                              (impatient)
                         Uncle Louis!  Johana is my friend.

               She's come to stay with me for a while.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Good.  That way I'll see more of 
                         you... Where are you going to stay?

                                     JACQUES
                         Well... here.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                              (outraged)
                         In my apartment?

                                     JACQUES
                              (with a sigh)
                         It's my apartment.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                              (jumping up)
                         Liar!  Thief!  Torturer!  When you 
                         were an orphan I nursed you at my 
                         breast.

                                     JACQUES
                         Uncle Louis, we have a guest!

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         I'm going to put a lock on the 
                         telephone.
                              (them calming down, 
                              to Johana)
                         Did you bring the cassettes?

               INT.  BEDROOM - JACQUES - JOHANA

               JACQUES' room looks like a diving equipment storage room 
               with a bed in it.  JACQUES notices JOHANA'S gaze.

                                     JACQUES
                              (solicitously)
                         You think it'll be all right?

               You'll be comfortable here?

                                     JOHANA
                              (catching her breath)
                         It's going to be... interesting.

               EXT.  PORT OF ANTIBES - DAY

               JACQUES, JOHANA and ROBERTO are waiting at the port.

                                     ROBERTO
                              (glancing at his 
                              watch)
                         ... It's not like him to be late.

               Of course sometimes he doesn't show up at all.  Once in 
               Capri, he...

                                     JOHANA
                              (interrupting)
                         We get the picture, Roberto.
                              (looks over her 
                              shoulder)
                         Jacques, I think Louis needs help.

               JACQUES turns around.  UNCLE LOUIS is a few yards behind 
               them at a fish stand on the dock.  He's holding up an eel 
               and screaming at the fishmonger.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                              (yelling)
                         Two dollars for this!  This fish 
                         wasn't caught.  It died of cancer!

               JACQUES shrugs his shoulders and gives up on the idea of 
               interfering.

                                     ROBERTO
                              (pointing)
                         Here he comes!

               A speed boat races along the water.  It's a beautiful highly-
               varnished mahogany Riva.  It races into the port.

               Standing at the helm, looking like Christopher Columbus 
               his hair brushed back by the wind, is ENZO.

               Next to him hanging on to the windscreen is an impressive 
               six foot, dark haired beauty.  She has a scarf over her 
               hair.  She wears a purple leather micro-mini with a cerise 
               halter top and her ruby fingernails are three inches long.

               If she ever actually would get cast in a movie, she'd make 
               Raquel Welch hide in shame.  Her stage name is BONITA 
               MARIPOSA.

               ENZO kills the THROTTLE, swings the speedboat into a perfect 
               landing at the dock.  ROBERTO takes the lines.

                                     ENZO
                         Jacques!  Johana!

                                     JOHANA
                         Enzo!

                                     JACQUES
                         Enzo!

               During all of this, everyone's attention is actually on 
               BONITA who is tugging at her long black hair.  They're all 
               awestruck except for ROBERTO.

                                     ROBERTO
                              (meaning the speed 
                              boat)
                         Where did you get that?

                                     ENZO
                              (meaning Bonita)
                         "That"!  This is not a "that"...

               This is Bonita Mariposa, the famous Spanish actress.
                              (whispering to Bonita)
                         ... Who is going to be careful 
                         with the varnish...
                              (back to Roberto)
                         And who has come to spend a few 
                         days with us.
                              (and very quickly)
                         Where's Mamma?

                                     ROBERTO
                              (checking watch)
                         You have eight hours before she 
                         gets here.

               ENZO glances at his watch and sighs with relief.  BONITA 
               says hello to JACQUES, kisses JOHANA.

               INT.  LIVING ROOM IN JACQUES' APARTMENT - DAY

               Loud classical music booms from the stereo.  The noise 
               pins JACQUES, ENZO and ROBERTO to their chairs.

               UNCLE LOUIS gets a bottle of whiskey and serves everybody.

                                     ENZO
                         He's really going totally deaf!

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         I'm not as deaf as you are blind, 
                         my boy!  You take care of your 
                         eyes, I'll take care of my ears!

                                     ENZO
                              (laughing)
                         I'm sorry Uncle Louis.

               UNCLE LOUIS pours him a whiskey.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         Come on, drink up, my boy!  It 
                         might just save us from your 
                         bullshit.

               The bottle is empty.  UNCLE LOUIS goes to the kitchen.

               JACQUES turns down the music, and finally hears the bell 
               which has been ringing.  JACQUES opens the apartment door: 
               it's Professor LAWRENCE.  Suit and tie and carrying a 
               bottle.

                                     JACQUES
                         I'm glad you could come.  I want 
                         you to meet Enzo.

               ENZO and LAWRENCE shake hands.

                                     LAWRENCE
                              (with a smile)
                         So you're the famous Enzo Molinari?

                                     ENZO
                              (with an even bigger 
                              smile)
                         In the flesh.  I have that honor!

               INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

               JOHANA comes into the bathroom, closes the door, cutting 
               down the blaring music.  The paint is peeling off the 
               ceiling.

               BONITA IS STANDING UNDER A 40 WATT LAMP, PUTTING ON MAKE-

               up in front of JACQUES' cracked shaving mirror.

                                     BONITA
                         You're going to live here 
                         permanently?

                                     JOHANA
                         ... Maybe, if Jacques will let me 
                         fix up the place a little.

               JOHANA walks over to the mirror and watches BONITA put on 
               her make-up like a professional.

                                     BONITA
                              (wistfully)
                         He's shy, not like Enzo.

                                     JOHANA
                         Yes.  Not like Enzo.

                                     BONITA
                              (putting on eyelashes)
                         I think, he's really nice... He's 
                         a funny guy... sometimes even very 
                         moving.

                                     JOHANA
                              (after a long silence)
                         ... I'm pregnant, Bonita!

               BONITA stops working on her make-up and looks pensively at 
               JOHANA.

                                     BONITA
                         Are you going to keep it?

                                     JOHANA
                         Yes.

                                     BONITA
                         Does he know?

                                     JOHANA
                         No.

                                     BONITA
                              (thinking)
                         Maybe you should talk to him about 
                         it.

                                     JOHANA
                         I can't... I just don't know how 
                         to...

               BONITA looks at her with the same pensive look.

               JOHANA goes on.

                                     JOHANA
                         I was thinking of something kinda 
                         stupid last night.  You know those 
                         women in the greek mythology that 
                         made love with the Gods.  Take 
                         Leda for example, sleeping with 
                         Jupiter, who came to earth as a 
                         swan... Well, can you imagine Leda 
                         announcing to her swan "You're 
                         going to be a father, my little 
                         chick-a-dee"?

                                     BONITA
                              (starts laughing)
                         But your man isn't quite a God!

                                     JOHANA
                              (smiles)
                         Probably not, but I still don't 
                         have the nerve to tell him.

                                     BONITA
                         Well, you're going to have to tell 
                         him, sometime!

               Unconvinced, JOHANA nods.  She changes the subject.

                                     JOHANA
                         And you...?  Do you love Enzo?

                                     BONITA
                              (earnestly)
                         Very much, I think.
                              (a beat)
                         But, there's going to be a problem.

               EXT.  TERRACE OF RESTAURANT - NIGHT

               The "problem":  MAMMA MOLINARI sits between ENZO and 
               ROBERTO, looking like a malevolent storm cloud, staring 
               across at BONITA.

                                     ROBERTO
                              (desperately)
                         Mamma, calimari fritti... Zuppa de 
                         pesci.  Sono buoni.

                                     MAMMA MOLINARI
                              (eyeing Bonita)
                         Nothing.  I'm not hungry.

                                     ENZO
                         Mamma, Bonita is an actress like 
                         Sophia Loren, Anna Magnani...

                                     BONITA
                              (icy)
                         Sarah Bernardt.  I sing too... a 
                         hell of a Carmen.  Want to hear?

                                     MAMMA MOLINARI
                              (coldly)
                         No thank you.

               There's an interminable awkward silence.  Then UNCLE LOUIS 
               at last finds his way to the table.  JACQUES who is too 
               grateful for the interruption springs to his feet.

                                     JACQUES
                         Uncle Louis, you remember Enzo's 
                         mother Signora Molinari from 
                         Amorgos?

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                              (screaming)
                         The whale!  How could I forget?
                         Always was something fishy about 
                         that woman!

               MAMMA MOLINARI is having trouble breathing.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         What were Italians doing living in 
                         Greece anyway?

                                     JACQUES
                         Louis, we were French!

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                         That's different!  What's the matter 
                         with you?

                                     ROBERTO
                              (complete panic)
                         Mamma, pesce di spada?

               All of them are gasping for air, trying so hard not to 
               laugh.

                                     UNCLE LOUIS
                              (to Mamma)
                         Hey, whale!  Can you pass down the 
                         squids?

               They all burst out laughing.

               EXT.  COMMITTEE BOAT AT SEA - DAY

               The diving platform is out.  The competition has begun.

               ENZO is at the gueuse, getting ready to dive.  ROBERTO 
               works around him busily.

               BONITA on deck above him is making little gestures of 
               encouragement.  ENZO isn't amused.

               Other competitors watch from the Committee Boat.

               ENZO turns the handle on the gueuse, plunges into the water.

               Professor LAWRENCE, taking notes, stands a few feet away.

               UNDERWATER - ON ENZO

               He dives down, further and further down.  He approaches 
               the two medics in aqualungs at the control point (210 feet).

               They move toward him.

               EXT.  DIVING PLATFORM - ENZO

               Surfacing.  Assistants help him onto the platform.

               ROBERTO pulls off his fins.  ENZO rips off his mask.  He 
               looks furious.  He tosses the depth plaque (which proves 
               he is qualified) back into the water.

                                     ENZO
                         A shit dive.

               He looks around angrily for an official.  Sees NOVELLI.

                                     ENZO
                         Those goddamned frogmen doctors 
                         waiting around at 200 feet they 
                         just kill your concentration.

                                     NOVELLI
                         They're required by law.

                                     ENZO
                              (climbing off 
                              platform)
                         There's no law down there!  The 
                         only law is what your lungs can 
                         take.
                              (to the next diver)
                         ... Have fun!  They waiting for 
                         you down there, to take the 
                         temperature of your ass.

               He keeps on walking across the boat, runs into JACQUES, 
               who's just about to begin his yoga preparation.

               JACQUES sees ENZO'S expression, looks concerned.

                                     ENZO
                              (defensively)
                         Anybody can have a bad day!

                                     JACQUES
                         I've had many... when the sea 
                         doesn't want you.

                                     ENZO
                              (disgusted)
                         It's never the sea!  It's Roberto, 
                         Mamma, that stupid actress... Oh 
                         shit!  Jacques, what do you know?

               Go do your Hindu exercises and don't break my balls!

               ENZO stamps into one of the cabins.

               INT.  JACQUES' APARTMENT - NIGHT

               JOHANA is reading a child birth catalog.  She throws it 
               away upside down, as soon as she hears JACQUES approaching.  
               JACQUES comes in and sits opposite her.  He seems bitter.

                                     JOHANA
                         Well, how was it?

               In an involuntary gesture, JACQUES flips through the 
               catalog.

                                     JACQUES
                              (sadly)
                         Enzo had a bad day.

               JOHANA wonders if JACQUES will understand the presence of 
               the baby magazine.

                                     JOHANA
                              (tense)
                         And you?

                                     JACQUES
                         I didn't dive.

                                     JOHANA
                              (she takes the 
                              magazine)
                         You'll try again tomorrow?

                                     JACQUES
                         I don't know... it didn't feel 
                         right.  I'm going to bed.  I'm 
                         tired.

               He goes away.

                                     JOHANA
                         You forgot your magazine!

               He hasn't heard.

               JACQUES goes to the bedroom, and throws himself on the 
               bed.

               JOHANA looks as if she had wished he'd put two and two 
               together.

                                     JACQUES
                         What?

                                     JOHANA
                         ... Nothing.

                                                            DISSOLVE TO:

               EXT.  COMMITTEE BOAT AT SEA - DAY

               ENZO bursts out of the water.  He rips off his face mask, 
               throws it on the diving platform, roaring with pleasure.

               He tosses the depth plague to ROBERTO.

                                     ENZO
                         Let them try.

               INT.  JACQUES' APARTMENT - DAY

               JOHANA opens the apartment door.  BONITA is standing there, 
               a suitcase in one hand.

                                     BONITA
                         I wanted to say goodbye, Johana.

               They kiss each other goodbye.

               JOHANA is very uncomfortable.

                                     JOHANA
                         You're leaving?

                                     BONITA
                         Yes...
                              (she hands her a 
                              note)
                         Could you please give this to Enzo.

                                     JOHANA
                         Of course.

               BONITA grabs the note back and tears it up.

                                     BONITA
                         It's no use... Just tell him I 
                         said goodbye... And give him a 
                         kiss for me, Okay?

               The two women hug again.

                                     JOHANA
                              (sorry)
                         Bonita, you shouldn't be discouraged 
                         so easily.

                                     BONITA
                         I don't have the strength to fight 
                         off la Mamma... Anyway who wants 
                         to spend their whole life waiting 
                         at the end of a pier.

               BONITA rests her hand on JOHANA'S stomach.

                                     BONITA
                         Did you tell him?

                                     JOHANA
                         Not yet... I'm waiting for the 
                         right moment.

                                     BONITA
                         ... You take care of yourself, 
                         Johana.

               BONITA smiles at her and disappears down the stairs.

               EXT.  COMMITTEE BOAT - DOCKING - DAY

               Officials, NOVELLI, LAWRENCE, ROBERTO and of course ENZO 
               disembark.  There is a lot of excitement on the dock.

               Everyone has already heard the news.

               People swarm around ENZO.

               LAWRENCE spots JACQUES in the crowd, and goes to him.

                                     JACQUES
                              (smiling)
                         Good huh?

                                     LAWRENCE
                         He really was unbelievable, 328 
                         feet, deeper than the world 
                         record...
                              (then eagerly)
                         ... And, Jacques!  He held his 
                         breath for four minutes and fifty 
                         seconds!

                                     JACQUES
                              (smiles too)
                         Good... I guess I have tomorrow's 
                         work cut out for me as Enzo would 
                         say...

                                     LAWRENCE
                              (seriously)
                         You must be very careful, Jacques.

               At these depths, to hold your breath for over five minutes 
               is... You'd really be pushing it.  I think it's very, very 
               dangerous.

               JACQUES sees ENZO being carried past on the shoulders of 
               the crowd.  He ignores LAWRENCE, runs beside ENZO.

                                     JACQUES
                              (yelling)
                         Enzo, Enzo!  Congratulations!

               EXT.  AWARD CEREMONY - NIGHT

                                     ENZO
                              (in answer to the 
                              crowd's applause)
                         Thank you, thank you very much!

               ENZO and NOVELLI stand on a little stage facing the crowd.

               ENZO is holding a gold trophy, waving to friends in the 
               audience.

                                     NOVELLI
                         ... Now I'm sure you've heard that
                         some people have suggested it is 
                         too dangerous for us to continue.
                         Dangerous, because we don't know 
                         how to measure the physiological 
                         consequences of this type of dive 
                         and also because the scuba divers 
                         are not used to going down below 
                         300 feet.

               While the attentive crowd listens to NOVELLI, ENZO is 
               gesturing to ROBERTO, explaining what appetizers he wants 
               from the cocktail trays.

               The crowd laughs.

                                     NOVELLI
                         But, we polled the free divers and 
                         they insist that the competition 
                         continue!

               There's wild applause.  ENZO lifts the trophy over his 
               head, smiles like a champ and yells into the microphone.

                                     ENZO
                              (yelling)
                         Good luck to you all!

               EXT.  COMMITTEE BOAT - DAY

               ENZO and ROBERTO are on the front deck watching the divers.

               A German diver comes up to the surface, empty handed.

               ENZO smiles.

               The Tahitian comes out of the water in a semi-coma.  The 
               doctors carry him away.  Once he's sure that the diver is 
               out of danger, ENZO smiles again.

               A whole team of Japanese walk over to the diving platform.

               The team consists of one diver and six assistants, three 
               of them playing music to help the diver concentrate.  The 
               diver wears a white wet suit with a red circle on his 
               forehead.  He is concentrating very hard, so much that 
               ENZO walks over to him to make sure he's okay.  The Japanese 
               diver concentrates with such strength that he faints.

                                     ENZO
                              (smiling to his 
                              brother)
                         Fabulous, what a dive, huh?

               ROBERTO smiles.

               The diver from the Philippines stands at the end of the 
               diving platform.  He concentrates for a moment then gives 
               up and walks away.

                                     ENZO
                         He's right.  What's the point of 
                         knocking yourself out?

               INT.  BEDROOM - JACQUES - JOHANA - NIGHT

               They're in bed, side by side, both of them half asleep.

               The only light in the room comes from the open windows.

               He rolls over and watches her sleep, looking down at her 
               adoringly.  He slips off the chain with the gold coin.

               Slowly, holding the chain, he runs the coin gently over 
               her body, stops at the level of her stomach and lets it 
               rest there.  She opens her eyes and looks at him, wondering 
               if he senses something.

                                     JOHANA
                              (softly)
                         What are you doing?

                                     JACQUES
                         I'm putting you on the coin... 
                         Your essence... That way you'll 
                         always be with me when I dive.

               She smiles, closes her eyes.  He swings the coin over her 
               face gently, some kind of private ceremony.  She looks 
               just a little intimidated.

               The coin is now dangling in front of her mouth.  She 
               hesitates then opens her mouth, JACQUES lets the coin slide 
               into it.

               EXT.  COMMITTEE BOAT - DAY

               JACQUES walks up to the diving platform.

               LAWRENCE has fixed scientific equipment on his chest.

               JACQUES wets and slowly puts them on.

               ENZO watches from the deck, his expression has changed.

               JOHANA, on the deck also, opposite ENZO, watches a little 
               worried.  JACQUES concentrates then releases the gueuse 
               and lets himself disappear under the water.

                                     UNDERWATER
                         JACQUES dives down very fast.  The 
                         control takes place at 200 feet, 
                         the doctors check him and let him 
                         go.  He continues his descent, 
                         it's getting darker and darker 
                         around him.

               The gueuse stops at the level of the underwater platform, 
               just below the diver, who swims over to him in a sea of 
               bubbles from his oxygen bottles.  He asks JACQUES if he is 
               alright, JACQUES nods and gives him a huge smile before 
               swimming off, downwards!

               The diver realizes and starts after him.  He grabs JACQUES 
               by one of his fins and pulls him back to the round platform.  
               JACQUES lets go of the balloon.

               The diver panics.  JACQUES slowly motions that everything 
               is fine and slowly paddles up to the surface.

               EXT.  COMMITTEE BOAT - DAY

               The boat's huge stop watch indicates min:  4:50, then 5:00, 
               then 5:10.  JACQUES has been down there for over 5 minutes.

               JOHANA is worried sick.  ENZO doesn't know what to make of 
               it and LAWRENCE feels completely helpless.  The stopwatch 
               indicates 5:20, then 5:25 and JACQUES, half unconscious, 
               brakes through the surface of the water.

               JOHANA screams and cries with joy when she sees him.  The 
               crowd applauds.  ENZO is somber.

               NOVELLI takes the plaque from JACQUES' hands and turns to 
               the crowd.

                                     NOVELLI
                              (stunned)
                         360 feet!  He dove 360 feet!!!

               The crowd cheers in excitement.

               ENZO is sullen.  LAWRENCE is very worried.

               EXT.  ON PORT - END OF THE DAY

               There's a pile of gear on the dock.

               ENZO is in the boat loading one piece of luggage at a time, 
               JACQUES comes up to the boat.  Parked in the background, 
               we see a taxi waiting with JOHANA sitting in the back seat.  
               ENZO pretends not to notice JACQUES' arrival.

               JACQUES watches him for a moment then finally dares to 
               speak.

                                     JACQUES
                              (pointing at taxi)
                         ... There's a party at the hotel 
                         tonight.

               ENZO keeps loading up the boat.

                                     ENZO
                              (busy)
                         That's good.

                                     JACQUES
                              (after a beat)
                         Enzo, don't be angry.  I was 
                         lucky... that's all.

               ENZO throws the last duffel bag into the cockpit.

                                     ENZO
                              (serious)
                         I'll see you in Amorgos.

               ENZO turns around and jumps onto his boat.

               JACQUES walks off the dock, past the cab.  JOHANA opens 
               the door to let him in, but he keeps walking.

                                     JOHANA
                         Jacques...?

                                     JACQUES
                         You go back, I'll walk.

               He walks off.

               EXT.  MARINELAND - DOLPHIN POOL - ANTIBES - NIGHT

               The park is empty as JACQUES approaches the pool.

               TINA the dolphin, jumps out of the water, swims to meet 
               JACQUES.  JACQUES pats her and kneels to talk to TINA

               NINA.

                                     JACQUES
                              (sadly)
                         I won today.  I dove very deep, 
                         Tina.

               The dolphin giggles.

                                     JACQUES
                         What's so funny?  Can you dive 
                         deeper?

               The dolphin nods "yes".

               JACQUES smiles.

                                     JACQUES
                              (smiling)
                         So you understand everything?

               The dolphin nods.

                                     JACQUES
                         That's good... So tell me why 
                         they're all angry at me?  Why is 
                         Enzo angry?  I never wanted to 
                         compete with him.  I never wanted 
                         to be champion of anything... All 
                         I want is to escape from them all...
                         For just a few minutes, no people...
                         No noise... Nothing but the sea.

               The dolphin nods and giggles.

                                     JACQUES
                         Do you really understand me?  Huh?

               Are we actually having a conversation here?

               Again the dolphin nods "yes".

                                     JACQUES
                         All right then, tell me:  can I 
                         ever dive as deep as you?  Stay 
                         under as long...?

               A beat.  Then the dolphin nods "yes".

                                     JACQUES
                         Are you sure?

               The two other dolphins stick their heads out of the water.

               They all nod together.

               JACQUES is awed and perplexed at the same time.

               EXT.  AMORGOS - DAY

               The little town of Amorgos is beautiful, mountainous.

               It's surrounded by a luminous turquoise sea, with white 
               villas clinging to hillsides.  There is a small port.  (we 
               saw it in the opening sequence) Further along the coast, 
               we see the Diving Federation Committee Boat surrounded by 
               all sorts of activity.

               INT.  HOTEL ROOM - JACQUES - JOHANA - DAY

               Through the open windows we can see parts of the village 
               where JACQUES grew up.  He's staring out the window, lost 
               in his own thoughts.

                                     JACQUES
                         It's beautiful, isn't it?

               Behind him, JOHANA is hiding and throwing up.  He walks to 
               her.

                                     JACQUES
                         What's wrong?

                                     JOHANA
                         It's nothing.  Just the long trip.
                         I'm a little jet-lagged.

                                     JACQUES
                         You want to lie down for a while?

                                     JOHANA
                         No, I'll be fine.  Can you just 
                         hand me a glass of water?

               While JACQUES gets her the water, JOHANA stares at the 
               view.

               EXT.  ENZO'S BOAT - IN THE LITTLE PORT

               ROBERTO stands on the port, waiting for his brother.

               Suddenly the sound of a motor boat and twelve note horn 
               echoes in the bay.

               The boat has just arrived at the town dock.

               ENZO, tears rolling down his cheeks from the wind, throws 
               a duffel bag on the dock and looks up at ROBERTO.

                                     ENZO
                         Is he here?

                                     ROBERTO
                              (uncomfortable)
                         He's training.

               ENZO makes a face.

               EXT.  SMALL PORT - DAY

               JOHANA sits on the little dock in front of the hotel.

               JACQUES pulls on his fins, looks out into the water.

               She clutches a stopwatch, ready to set it off.

               A few yards behind, hidden between two bungalows, ENZO 
               watches them.  JACQUES takes a few deep breaths and dives 
               a few feet underwater.

               JOHANA starts the stopwatch.

               ENZO, who sees JACQUES disappear, walks over to JOHANA and 
               sits down beside her.

                                     ENZO
                         Okay, now we have a good five 
                         minutes to have a nice peaceful 
                         talk.

                                     JOHANA
                         What are you doing here?

                                     ENZO
                         Checking out the competition.

                                     JOHANA
                         Enzo, why do you guys do this?

                                     ENZO
                              (teasing)
                         What else is there?

                                     JOHANA
                              (seriously)
                         You know what I'm talking about.

               Why do you and Jacques risk your lives diving?

                                     ENZO
                              (avoiding the 
                              question)
                         You risk your life when you cross 
                         the street.

                                     JOHANA
                              (frustrated)
                         Damn it!  Why won't you give me a 
                         straight answer, for once?!

                                     ENZO
                         Because you'd laugh.

                                     JOHANA
                         I won't, I swear.

                                     ENZO
                              (seriously)
                         I dive in search of God.  If I go 
                         deep enough I'm going to find him.

               To me, the sea is a religion... That surprises you, doesn't 
               it?

                                     JOHANA
                              (looking down at 
                              Jacques in the 
                              water)
                         A little... You think it's the 
                         same for Jacques?

                                     ENZO
                              (shaking his head)
                         No.  Jacques is a creature of the 
                         sea.  He isn't meant to live on 
                         earth, among us... You should know 
                         this, Johana.

                                     JOHANA
                              (reassuring herself)
                         He can learn.  He is learning.

                                     ENZO
                         You really think so?  Did you tell 
                         him you were pregnant?

                                     JOHANA
                              (surprised)
                         How do you know that?

                                     ENZO
                         You told Bonita, but you didn't 
                         tell him, right?

               JOHANA shakes her head negatively.

                                     JOHANA
                         ... Not yet.

                                     ENZO
                         Don't.

                                     JOHANA
                         Why?

                                     ENZO
                         Because he won't understand and it 
                         will just hurt you... Jacques has 
                         been put on earth by complete 
                         mistake.  And he's only waiting 
                         for one thing:  that some God up 
                         there will turn him into a fish!  
                         How long has that moron been down 
                         there?

                                     JOHANA
                              (looking at the 
                              stopwatch)
                         Five minutes and fifty seconds.

                                     ENZO
                              (grabbing away the 
                              stopwatch)
                         That idiot!

               They jump up.  ENZO dives into the water.

               As JOHANA watches panicky, ENZO pulls JACQUES up onto the 
               dock, in his arms.  JACQUES is unconscious.

               ENZO is furious.  The fear of loosing his friend has 
               absolutely enraged him.  He starts pacing up and down the 
               dock.

                                     JOHANA
                         Is he alright?  What happened?

                                     ENZO
                              (furious)
                         The fool was asleep!  If I weren't 
                         around, he'd already be dead!!!  
                         Is that who you want to live with?

               Well, good luck!  You better learn to look after him because 
               I won't always be here to do it!

               Once again he marches off, then comes back.

                                     JACQUES
                              (mumbling)
                         ... How long was I asleep?

                                     ENZO
                              (to Jacques)
                         Long enough to die.  Listen, if 
                         you really want to die, that's 
                         your problem, but don't do it under 
                         my nose, okay?

               A few steps away, then coming back.

                                     ENZO
                              (to Jacques)
                         I'll never let you take away my 
                         title.  D'you hear me?  Never!

               ENZO stalks off defiantly.

               EXT.  COMMITTEE BOAT - ANCHORED OFF THE COAST

               There's activity.  The competition has begun.

               MUSIC

               A SERIES OF QUICK SHOTS of different competitors at various 
               points in their dives.

               The Tahitian comes up unconscious.

               The German comes up unconscious.

               So does the diver from the Philippines.

               NOVELLI doesn't know what to think.

               EXT.  TERRACE OF RESTAURANT - JACQUES - JOHANA - SUNSET

               JACQUES is in a T-shirt and jeans, rope-sole sandals.

               JOHANA wears a light white cotton dress.  They both sit on 
               the restaurant's terrace overlooking the sea.

               Below them, a small boat passes.  In it are baskets filled 
               with sponges.  JACQUES stares at them for a long time.

                                     JOHANA
                         Do you ever sometimes just stop 
                         and think how sweet life can be?

               A beat.

                                     JACQUES
                         ... Sure.

               JOHANA wants to say something.

                                     JOHANA
                         ... When you dive... with that 
                         machine... What does it feel like?

                                     JACQUES
                              (after thinking 
                              about it)
                         ... The feeling of slipping without 
                         falling... The hardest is once you 
                         are at the bottom.

                                     JOHANA
                         Why?

                                     JACQUES
                         Because you have to find a good 
                         reason to come back up again... 
                         And I always have a hard time 
                         finding one.

               JOHANA has never looked so sad and lost.

               JACQUES doesn't notice.

               ENZO who is sitting at the piano behind them, starts to 
               play, staring at the sea.

               JACQUES and JOHANA turn around and look at him.

                                     ENZO
                              (smiling)
                         ... You should start playing the 
                         piano, the piano is really 
                         refreshing, it clears the sinuses.

               Very good the piano!  Tomorrow is going to be a big day!

               EXT.  COMMITTEE BOAT UNDERWAY - ON JACQUES

               He's alone in the bow.  The others are clustered in the 
               saloon, cockpit in the stern.  The boat is moving close to 
               the cliffs.  The monastery looms above them.

               CLOSE ON JACQUES

               He's scanning the apparently abandoned monastery searching 
               for signs of life.

               A red and blue taxi-boat pulls up alongside the Committee 
               Boat.  In it, LAWRENCE waits to climb on board.

               EXT.  DIVING PLATFORM - DAY

               ENZO puts his flippers on and grabs his gueuse.  He is 
               serious, concentrating hard.

               LAWRENCE'S boat slides along the big Committee Boat and 
               the DOCTOR climbs onto it.

               INT.  COMMITTEE BOAT - LAWRENCE - NOVELLI - OTHERS

               LAWRENCE'S briefcase is open.  There's a stack of graph 
               paper on a cabin table.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         ... When I analyzed the data from 
                         Mayol's last dive, it became 
                         apparent...
                              (taps the graph 
                              paper)
                         ... At the depths these men are 
                         diving, it is a physiological 
                         impossibility that they can retain 
                         enough oxygen in their blood to 
                         make it back to the surface.  It's 
                         a function of how long it takes to 
                         get to the bottom, orient themselves 
                         and to return... To attempt to 
                         break Mayol's record is simple 
                         suicide.
                              (to Novelli)
                         For the last time.  I'm telling 
                         you cancel the competition.

               NOVELLI and the MEDIC look over at the diving platform 
               where ENZO is concentrating.

                                     MEDIC
                         Molinari's a seventeen time world 
                         champion.  Do you want to tell him 
                         he can't dive.

               LAWRENCE doesn't answer.  NOVELLI is thinking.

                                     NOVELLI
                         Get Mayol in here.

               EXT.  DIVING PLATFORM - ENZO

               ENZO is preparing.  He sits at the edge of the platform 
               hyperventilating, almost in a trance.

               We see JACQUES in the background, talking to NOVELLI, he 
               then walks over to ENZO and climbs down next to him.

                                     JACQUES
                         Enzo?
                              (no response)
                         Enzo... I know you're angry at me.
                              (no response)
                         Enzo, it's important.

               ENZO opens one eye.

                                     ENZO
                         I'm concentrating.

                                     JACQUES
                              (quickly)
                         We can't dive anymore.  They want 
                         to cancel the competition for a 
                         while.

               ENZO looks at him coldly.  Takes another deep breath.

                                     JACQUES
                              (rushing on)
                         It's not safe, they say.  The 
                         doctors say it isn't possible to 
                         go deeper and live.  Free diving 
                         is over as a sport.

                                     ENZO
                         You say that because you have the 
                         title!

                                     JACQUES
                         No!  I would never cheat you.

                                     ENZO
                         Well that's very nice of you.

               He takes a last breath, signs himself and reaching for the 
               gueuse, disappears into the water.

               LAWRENCE, NOVELLI, the MEDICS, and others are arguing.

               LAWRENCE is furious that ENZO is diving.  NOVELLI is balling 
               out his assistants.

               JACQUES is on the platform watching the others as if they 
               were a gaggle of geese.  He listens to the sound of the 
               gueuse playing out, watches the depth indicator, the 
               stopwatches.  He knows something is wrong.

               He walks over to the edge and grabs hold of a little oxygen 
               bottle which is there for security.  He takes a few breaths 
               of the oxygen as he puts on his flippers and dives down 
               after ENZO.

               UNDERWATER - JACQUES

               JACQUES pulls himself down the cable, hand over hand.

               80 or 90 feet down he sees a group of MEDICS coming toward 
               him carrying ENZO'S unconscious body.

               JACQUES struggles with them, pushes them away, takes ENZO 
               in his arms and climbs toward the surface, frantic, 
               screaming silently at him, desperate to get away from the 
               flow of air bubbles from the scuba tanks, the commotion, 
               the memory of death.

               ENZO has a big serene smile on his face.  The MEDICS push 
               both divers toward the surface.

               As if they were on land, JACQUES starts shaking ENZO to 
               wake him up.  He then slaps his face but ENZO remains 
               unconscious.

               They finally break the surface in each others arms.

               EXT.  ON DIVING PLATFORM

               They pull ENZO out of the water.  The doctors open his 
               jacket.  ENZO motions to JACQUES to come close.  He still 
               has that long smile.

                                     ENZO
                              (faintly)
                         You were right.

                                     JACQUES
                              (moved)
                         ... I was right about what?

                                     ENZO
                              (after a long silence)
                         ... It is much better down there.
                         It's a better place.

               He tries to take a deep breath, the effort is exhausting.

               JACQUES smiles, holding back his tears.

                                     ENZO
                         ... Push me back in the water...

                                     JACQUES
                              (crying)
                         I can't.

                                     ENZO
                         Jacques, take me back down...
                         Please.

               His smile freezes, he stops breathing.  His eyes close.

               JACQUES puts his head down on his friend's chest and sobs.

               The doctors gently try to move him away, but JACQUES 
               resists.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         Just give him five minutes!  What 
                         does it matter now, anyway... Come 
                         on, just leave him alone!

               LAWRENCE encourages everybody to leave the platform.

               JACQUES quickly grabs the nearest rope and ties it to his 
               belt.  Before anybody can stop him, JACQUES rolls ENZO'S 
               body back into the water and dives after it.

               UNDERWATER - JACQUES

               He holds ENZO in his arms.  Lets the dead weight of the 
               body pull him down, deeper and deeper.  The rope around 
               JACQUES' waist runs out, stops his descent with an abrupt 
               jerk.  When he feels it, JACQUES lets go... watches as 
               ENZO'S body continues to drift by itself into the bottomless 
               blue...

               EXT.  DIVING PLATFORM

               The doctors have run over and are pulling the cable that 
               JACQUES is attached to.  He is unconscious when they pull 
               him up.  They hold him up by his feet.  JACQUES throws up 
               gallons of water.  They put an oxygen mask on his face.

                                     A DOCTOR
                              (listening to his 
                              heartbeat)
                         The heart is going to stop!  The 
                         stimulator, quickly.

               Suddenly, everything collapses for JACQUES.  Sounds 
               disappear.  The image slows down, the light fades.

               JACQUES only hears his heartbeat, which slows down.

               His heart stops.

               Among the crowd around him, he sees JOHANA, fresh, gentle,

               smiling.  Her movements are smooth and slowed down.  She 
               smiles at him, simply.  JACQUES smiles back.  The heart 
               starts again slowly.

               The image goes back to normal.

               Sounds multiply (doctors, the panic, etc...) and slowly 
               come back.

               JACQUES falls unconscious.

                                     A DOCTOR
                         The heart started again!  It's all 
                         right!

               NOVELLI falls back in his chair, relieved.

               INT.  JACQUES' ROOM - NIGHT

               JACQUES is lying on the bed, he has a strong fever.

               JOHANA sits at his feet.

               LAWRENCE rummages through a medical kit.  He takes a pill 
               from a bottle and gives it to him.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         Take this.  Have a good sleep.

               JACQUES swallows the pills.  JOHANA walks over from the 
               balcony.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         Sweet dreams.

               LAWRENCE motions to JOHANA that they should let him sleep.

               He goes out of the room.

                                     JACQUES
                              (tenderly to Johana, 
                              who had started to 
                              leave the room)
                         Kiss me.

               JOHANA bends over and kisses him.

               JACQUES holds her by the arm, doesn't want her to leave.

                                     JOHANA
                         Sleep now.  We'll talk later.

               JOHANA kisses him on the forehead and leaves the room.

               EXT.  HOTEL BAR - ON TERRACE - LAWRENCE - JOHANA

               They're at the little zinc bar.  Not talking, not really 
               drinking either, just toying with their glasses.

               ROBERTO passes, stops.

                                     ROBERTO
                         I've packed all of... Enzo's 
                         clothes.
                              (a beat)
                         I'm going to the radio telephone...
                              (swallowing)
                         ... to call Mamma.

               They watch sadly as he leaves.

               INT.  JACQUES ROOM - NIGHT

               JACQUES sitting up in bed finally lies down under the 
               sheets.  He turns off the light by the bed.

               INT.  HOTEL RESTAURANT - LAWRENCE - JOHANA

               They've moved from the bar to the table.  There is uneaten 
               food in front of them.  A third place is set.

               JOHANA looks at the wall clock.

                                     JOHANA
                         I'll go see how he's doing.

                                     LAWRENCE
                         Let him sleep.

               INT.  JACQUES ROOM - JACQUES

               JACQUES is lying on the bed, he is not moving anymore.  He

               IS BREATHING LOUDLY, AS IF TIRED OUT.  FROM HIS POV THE

               room becomes very dark and blue.  The noise is unbearable.

               The ceiling turns into water.

               JACQUES' eyes are wide open.  His face is sweating.  The 
               water level, from the ceiling, comes down to him, until he 
               is swallowed by it.

               As he falls into the water, we see a dolphin gulping air 
               at the surface and going back very quickly to the blue.

               The dolphin meets his group, about ten of them, 250 Kg of 
               muscles, swimming at more than 40 km/H underwater.  They 
               all break through the surface to gulp air regularly.

               Suddenly, one of them, leaves the group.  He crosses the 
               blue and seems to make sonar-like sounds.  We see a sonar 
               picture.  It's an image in which the dolphin will appear a 
               few seconds later.  The dolphin comes up like a rocket, 
               gulps air and goes back down.

               The sonar image appears again.  Finally, the dolphin, 
               locates a group of fish and starts hunting them, exactly 
               like a war plane.  He manages to break the group in two, 
               then in four, and this way, he isolates his victim.

               He breaks the surface to gulp air and goes back down.  He 
               goes full power.  The fish he is after are even more 
               divided.  There is only one left, totally lost and in a 
               panic.

               The exhausted fish is swallowed.

               The dolphin slows down, goes back up, breaks the surface 
               in slow motion.  Images becomes pale and bright.

               He screams inhumanly.

               Image is white, black, silence.

               INT.  HOTEL ROOM - JACQUES

               JOHANA opens the shutters.

               The room is a shamble of broken glass, water pitcher and 
               glasses, lamps and vases.  The windows are blown out.

               JACQUES is lying in bed.  There is a thin trickle of blood 
               coming from his nose and ears.

                                     JOHANA
                              (in a panic)
                         Jacques... Are you alright?

               EXT.  DOCK - JACQUES - JOHANA - NIGHT

               JACQUES jumps into ENZO'S boat.

                                     JOHANA
                              (still worried)
                         Jacques?  Are you alright?  Answer 
                         me!  Are you alright?

               She jumps down into ENZO'S boat.  He starts the engine.

               The boat is racing out of the port.  JOHANA yells over the 
               sound of the engine.

                                     JOHANA
                         You've got to tell me what happened?

                                     JACQUES
                         I saw how it has to be.

               JACQUES parks the boat in front of the COMMITTEE BOAT'S 
               DIVING PLATFORM.  He turns on the platform lights:  above

               and underwater.  He throws down the diving cable:  60, 90, 
               120 feet...

               JACQUES gets undressed and sits down in the lotus position, 
               concentrating...

               JOHANA sits down a few feet away and watches him, wondering 
               just how far he is going to push this whole thing.

               As the cable unrolls, JOHANA starts crying.  She understands 
               that JACQUES is going to dive to the bottom, into the blue, 
               into himself.

                                     JOHANA
                         Jacques, you know I love you.

               JACQUES is putting on his flippers, and stands facing his 
               gueuse.

                                     JACQUES
                              (after a silence)
                         Don't be sad... It's not because 
                         of you, it's me.  It's all going 
                         on inside me!
                              (a beat)
                         I've gotta go and see.

               JOHANA starts pacing up and down the diving platform.

                                     JOHANA
                         See what?  There is nothing to 
                         see!  It's pitch black down there!  
                         It's cold.  You'll be all alone!  
                         Look at me, Jacques!  I am here!  
                         I exist!  Look!!!
                              (she starts waving 
                              her arms)
                         I'm real!  I am not a dream!
                         Jacques will you look at me?
                              (she breaks down)
                         Please!

               JACQUES has not moved, he still sits motionless, facing 
               his gueuse.

               JOHANA doesn't know what to do or say.  She is totally 
               drained.

                                     JOHANA
                         Jacques?  I'm pregnant.

                                     JACQUES
                         That's good... that's wonderful.
                         It's wonderful for you.

                                     JOHANA
                         You are the father.

               Silence.  JACQUES is petrified, without any reaction.  He 
               doesn't understand.  She realizes it's hopeless and stares 
               at the sea.

                                     JOHANA
                              (after a while)
                         I lied... to keep you here.

               She kisses him.

                                     JOHANA
                         Promise me one thing.

                                     JACQUES
                         Anything.

                                     JOHANA
                         Promise you won't forget me.

               She pulls the line releasing the gueuse.

               JACQUES takes a deep breath and grabbing hold of the gueuse, 
               disappears into the water -- as if swallowed by the ocean.

               UNDERWATER

               JACQUES slides along the cable, pulled by the weight of 
               the gueuse.  He has a beautiful smile on his face.  He is 
               in his element.  Night has closed in around him.  He turns

               on the headlight of the gueuse, it casts a dim light around 
               him.

               EXT.  DIVING PLATFORM - NIGHT

               JOHANA has walked over to the edge of the platform.  She 
               is holding the cable, to "hear" JACQUES' descent.

               The counter shows that JACQUES is quickly passing the 300 
               feet mark.

               UNDERWATER

               JACQUES keeps going down, as serene as ever.  He has gained 
               a lot of speed.

               EXT.  DIVING PLATFORM - NIGHT

               JOHANA holds her face in her hands.  The counter indicates 
               that JACQUES is going very fast.

               UNDERWATER

               The gueuse jerks to a stop and shakes the cable.  JACQUES 
               turns his body right side up.

               EXT.  DIVING PLATFORM - NIGHT

               The counter now indicates a depth of 600 feet.

               JOHANA has felt the jolt of the cable.  She cries her tears 
               and looks down at the water.

               UNDERWATER

               The headlight on the gueuse illuminates only a few feet 
               around JACQUES, as if he were standing in a circle of light.  
               He stays there, patiently floating around and around his 
               cable... as if he were waiting for something.

               A long form circles the border between the darkness and 
               the light.

               JACQUES holds out his hand.  A dolphin comes and presses 
               its body against it.  Two other dolphins come out of the 
               night.  JACQUES watches in amazement.

               A dolphin lays his muzzle in JACQUES' hand, ready to lead 
               him off.  JACQUES hesitates.

               JACQUES lets go of the cable and lets himself be led away.

               Their silhouettes disappear in the deep blue night.

               THE END