My Brother Is a Mermaid (2019) - full transcript
My Brother is a Mermaid is magical realism about the experiences of a non-binary teenager, as seen through the eyes of their 7 year old brother. Set in a desolate seaside town, the film fuses social realism with fairytale, as it examines how a child's innocence and unconditional love can be a powerful and disruptive force for good.
- Mermaids live all alone
in the deep dark water where no one can see.
They have magic scales that shimmer and
sparkle and light up the ocean.
- Mermaids aren't real.
- Yes they are. I can tell you about one.
- She was lonely in the deep dark water
so she swam all through the sea
until she stumbled in a little town by the beach
where some humans settled.
Then she took human form and came up on the land.
Can you see?
But the people were scared of magic
and when they saw her scales,
their fears turned to hate.
The land became a lonely place.
She ripped off her scales
until she no longer sparkled.
She drew a breath goodbye and swam away
down into the deep darkness
never to return.
- Hurry up, I'm bored. They will go in a minute.
Seriously, I mean it right now. Please can
we go, please.
- You're an annoying whim fucker. That's what you're.
- I'm not a whim fucker!
- Kai
- Just wait!
- Kai
- Hmm...
- Kai!!
- You're you're so annoying. Shut up!
- Your music is crap!!
Quip face!
- You're disgusting!
Come on!
- Yeah...
- Haloo...Have a jump!
- See, let's going up to the fish!
- Let's see then, I like the seals.
You see the seal, right?
So you want to make sure that it's straight
as you're going into that way
You got it?
- Yeha
- I'll tell you when one's coming, all right?
You ready? Keep your eyes forward.
- Hey, get off of my fucking car!
- What?
- Get off of my fucking care, mate!
- No mate...
- You can fuck!
- You think you're...
- Do you think you're funny? Fuck! - It's a joke...
- Kai
- Come here man!
I know you from school, innit?
What mate, you don't want one of us to come and say hello?
It's all good little man.
Yeah, we know each other yeah!
How's it going, man?
You want a chip?
- I...I really have to go.
- Ahh! Look at those!
Got all glammed up today. Ain't he?
Hoy Tommy, got a real life tranny
living on our doorstep me!
Take your fucking chip then.
- Say thank you
- Thank you
- Thank you for the chip.
- Thank you for the chip.
- You're welcome!
- So what? You cut your dick off then. So that is how it works?
- Run away from me again Bob and see what I'll do to you!
- Hey! What's going on? Kai?
- No, it's all right mum. He's just chilling.
It's alright, it's on me!
- Don't go making trouble for yourself, Kai.
All right kid love?
Do you want to go on your way, yeah?
Go on, say hi to your mom.
- I think we should tell mom.
- Good morning
Kai...
For god's sake, are you serious?
Kai, it's college.
College is still school, you can't wear that.
- It's just clothes. It's not a big deal.
- If it's just clothes, then stop pissing around
and put those on.
- Now is not the time. Tracy will be here in a minute.
Please...
- Fucks
- Thank you.
- You're going to let me in or what?
- Sorry Tracy, sorry.
Just a sec. All right?
- I put in my nipper
- Oh, is she moaning?
- Could you make me a coffee?
- Let's get one on the way. Come on.
- Okay, let's go.
- All right. Good bye.
- Okay, you don't like it. I do. What do you get...
- You're not the only one effected, Kai.
- Does effect you in any way? Trying to help...
- Something like that? I had enough of it, Kai. Really I have!
- Don't talking to you.
- Fine, do what you want, you always do.
- Who's there?
- What the hell are you doing? Get out!
- Kai...
[Kai...
Kai...I'm sorry...
[Music]
- That's flared up.
Some more cream for it.
- It doesn't make any difference
- I'll get you some anyway.
- Did you do that?
- Kuda, would you go upstairs, please?
- Did you do that?
- Kuda... right now please.
- Would you talk to me please?
- Kuda...
- Why did you do that?
- Why? We...I just thought maybe you needed a nudge
to think about what you're doing
If you keep telling yourself this is who you are
on repeat pushing yourself into it,
then maybe eventually
you'll convince yourself it's real.
But in the real world no one else
will see that.
- Don't pretend it's not real.
- I can't be here...with you...in this place
- The land became a lonely place.
she ripped off her scales
until she no longer sparkled.
She drew a breath goodbye
and swam away
down into the deep darkness
never to return
- Kai...can I come in?
Are you going to swim away?
- What do you mean?
- Are you going to leave us?
- I'll do.
- I'm sorry, mum doesn't understand.
She thinks. Mum isn't mythical.
- So I'm a mermaid
- How do you do your scales like that?
- Practice
- Can you do mine?
- We'll do this, all right.
Your palms are so tiny.
Stay still
or you'll get it all over your hand.
- And make the next one blue
- No, stop like that...skin
- Like this on the nails for it.
- Be gentle.
- ♫ Uh, uh, uh
♫ Du, du, du
♫ Du, du, du
♫ Du, du, du
♫ Calling, calling
♫ Calling and calling your name ♫
♫ Juanita
♫ Juanita
♫ iiiita
- Just going out
♫ Juanita, Juanita, oh Juanita ♫
♫ I call, I call, Oh, I'm calling your name ♫
♫ I'm looking for a letter ♫
♫ Day after day ♫
♫ Things got to get better ♫
♫ hard as I pray ♫
♫ I'm calling ♫
♫ Calling ♫
♫ Calling your name ♫
- I'll give you one...
- But...
- I'll give you two because that's like
the size right now.
- All packet? That's not...a packet
Listen if you want to do business with me...
- Fine
- You have to make it
- The chips...
Dickheads!
- Kuda!
- What? I don't care.
- Kuda! Kuda, come back now.
- Hey!| What are you doing, you little freak?
- Come here!
- What do you fucking manage?
You've never been taught to behave?
- Hey, hey listen. Stop! Listen please.
He's just a kid.
He has just been an idiot. Please calm down.
- You gonna to tell me to calm. You're in charge, yeah?
- Please...
You're the boss yeah? You're the boss?
You tell me what to do again
I'll saw your fucking throat.
What the fuck is that?
You're fucking disgusting.
You're converting kids.
No wonder he's so fucked up.
You shouldn't be allowed around kids.
You're going to clean my car then?
Say sorry
- Tommy!
- Let me go!
Say sorry, you tranny cunt!
- Let me go!
- What fuck you're gonna do?
More!
- Please...
[The land became a lonely place]
- Kai!
Kai! Come back, Kai!
Kai! Come this way!
[She drew a breath goodbye]
- Come back Kai, please!
[and swam away]
- Kai! Come back Kai!
Come bak Kai! Come back!
[down into the deep darkness
never to return]
- I'm coming Kai
- Kuda, are you okay?
- You're right?
- Look at me
♫ Given to the wild ♫
♫ Given to the wild, wild ♫
the wilder ways, wilder ways, wilder ways.
in the deep dark water where no one can see.
They have magic scales that shimmer and
sparkle and light up the ocean.
- Mermaids aren't real.
- Yes they are. I can tell you about one.
- She was lonely in the deep dark water
so she swam all through the sea
until she stumbled in a little town by the beach
where some humans settled.
Then she took human form and came up on the land.
Can you see?
But the people were scared of magic
and when they saw her scales,
their fears turned to hate.
The land became a lonely place.
She ripped off her scales
until she no longer sparkled.
She drew a breath goodbye and swam away
down into the deep darkness
never to return.
- Hurry up, I'm bored. They will go in a minute.
Seriously, I mean it right now. Please can
we go, please.
- You're an annoying whim fucker. That's what you're.
- I'm not a whim fucker!
- Kai
- Just wait!
- Kai
- Hmm...
- Kai!!
- You're you're so annoying. Shut up!
- Your music is crap!!
Quip face!
- You're disgusting!
Come on!
- Yeah...
- Haloo...Have a jump!
- See, let's going up to the fish!
- Let's see then, I like the seals.
You see the seal, right?
So you want to make sure that it's straight
as you're going into that way
You got it?
- Yeha
- I'll tell you when one's coming, all right?
You ready? Keep your eyes forward.
- Hey, get off of my fucking car!
- What?
- Get off of my fucking care, mate!
- No mate...
- You can fuck!
- You think you're...
- Do you think you're funny? Fuck! - It's a joke...
- Kai
- Come here man!
I know you from school, innit?
What mate, you don't want one of us to come and say hello?
It's all good little man.
Yeah, we know each other yeah!
How's it going, man?
You want a chip?
- I...I really have to go.
- Ahh! Look at those!
Got all glammed up today. Ain't he?
Hoy Tommy, got a real life tranny
living on our doorstep me!
Take your fucking chip then.
- Say thank you
- Thank you
- Thank you for the chip.
- Thank you for the chip.
- You're welcome!
- So what? You cut your dick off then. So that is how it works?
- Run away from me again Bob and see what I'll do to you!
- Hey! What's going on? Kai?
- No, it's all right mum. He's just chilling.
It's alright, it's on me!
- Don't go making trouble for yourself, Kai.
All right kid love?
Do you want to go on your way, yeah?
Go on, say hi to your mom.
- I think we should tell mom.
- Good morning
Kai...
For god's sake, are you serious?
Kai, it's college.
College is still school, you can't wear that.
- It's just clothes. It's not a big deal.
- If it's just clothes, then stop pissing around
and put those on.
- Now is not the time. Tracy will be here in a minute.
Please...
- Fucks
- Thank you.
- You're going to let me in or what?
- Sorry Tracy, sorry.
Just a sec. All right?
- I put in my nipper
- Oh, is she moaning?
- Could you make me a coffee?
- Let's get one on the way. Come on.
- Okay, let's go.
- All right. Good bye.
- Okay, you don't like it. I do. What do you get...
- You're not the only one effected, Kai.
- Does effect you in any way? Trying to help...
- Something like that? I had enough of it, Kai. Really I have!
- Don't talking to you.
- Fine, do what you want, you always do.
- Who's there?
- What the hell are you doing? Get out!
- Kai...
[Kai...
Kai...I'm sorry...
[Music]
- That's flared up.
Some more cream for it.
- It doesn't make any difference
- I'll get you some anyway.
- Did you do that?
- Kuda, would you go upstairs, please?
- Did you do that?
- Kuda... right now please.
- Would you talk to me please?
- Kuda...
- Why did you do that?
- Why? We...I just thought maybe you needed a nudge
to think about what you're doing
If you keep telling yourself this is who you are
on repeat pushing yourself into it,
then maybe eventually
you'll convince yourself it's real.
But in the real world no one else
will see that.
- Don't pretend it's not real.
- I can't be here...with you...in this place
- The land became a lonely place.
she ripped off her scales
until she no longer sparkled.
She drew a breath goodbye
and swam away
down into the deep darkness
never to return
- Kai...can I come in?
Are you going to swim away?
- What do you mean?
- Are you going to leave us?
- I'll do.
- I'm sorry, mum doesn't understand.
She thinks. Mum isn't mythical.
- So I'm a mermaid
- How do you do your scales like that?
- Practice
- Can you do mine?
- We'll do this, all right.
Your palms are so tiny.
Stay still
or you'll get it all over your hand.
- And make the next one blue
- No, stop like that...skin
- Like this on the nails for it.
- Be gentle.
- ♫ Uh, uh, uh
♫ Du, du, du
♫ Du, du, du
♫ Du, du, du
♫ Calling, calling
♫ Calling and calling your name ♫
♫ Juanita
♫ Juanita
♫ iiiita
- Just going out
♫ Juanita, Juanita, oh Juanita ♫
♫ I call, I call, Oh, I'm calling your name ♫
♫ I'm looking for a letter ♫
♫ Day after day ♫
♫ Things got to get better ♫
♫ hard as I pray ♫
♫ I'm calling ♫
♫ Calling ♫
♫ Calling your name ♫
- I'll give you one...
- But...
- I'll give you two because that's like
the size right now.
- All packet? That's not...a packet
Listen if you want to do business with me...
- Fine
- You have to make it
- The chips...
Dickheads!
- Kuda!
- What? I don't care.
- Kuda! Kuda, come back now.
- Hey!| What are you doing, you little freak?
- Come here!
- What do you fucking manage?
You've never been taught to behave?
- Hey, hey listen. Stop! Listen please.
He's just a kid.
He has just been an idiot. Please calm down.
- You gonna to tell me to calm. You're in charge, yeah?
- Please...
You're the boss yeah? You're the boss?
You tell me what to do again
I'll saw your fucking throat.
What the fuck is that?
You're fucking disgusting.
You're converting kids.
No wonder he's so fucked up.
You shouldn't be allowed around kids.
You're going to clean my car then?
Say sorry
- Tommy!
- Let me go!
Say sorry, you tranny cunt!
- Let me go!
- What fuck you're gonna do?
More!
- Please...
[The land became a lonely place]
- Kai!
Kai! Come back, Kai!
Kai! Come this way!
[She drew a breath goodbye]
- Come back Kai, please!
[and swam away]
- Kai! Come back Kai!
Come bak Kai! Come back!
[down into the deep darkness
never to return]
- I'm coming Kai
- Kuda, are you okay?
- You're right?
- Look at me
♫ Given to the wild ♫
♫ Given to the wild, wild ♫
the wilder ways, wilder ways, wilder ways.