Bang Bang Bang by Stella Feehily

Author:Stella Feehily
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nick Hern Books

ACT TWO

One

Goma. A house party.

A noisy party scene – with Congolese Soukous music – dim lighting – perhaps candles – oil lamps. There are bottles, bodies, snogging, red plastic chairs, a string of lights, perhaps a poster advertising Primus.

People are dancing. There is an atmosphere of abandon.

After some moments the other bodies move on and RONAN and VIN are revealed. They are drinking bottles of Primus. The party still ongoing but at a much lower level.

RONAN (an Irish Foreign correspondent) is talking with VIN (a young photographer).

RONAN. You came to Goma on a punt?

VIN. Yeah. I think if I can get good pictures and a story.

Maybe someone like the Sunday Times will buy my work.

RONAN. Who do you know at the Sunday Times?

VIN. My mum’s cousin is married to the editor of the Travel section.

RONAN. Brilliant.

VIN. I’ve heard people talking about Masisi.

You’re going there, right?

RONAN. Right.

VIN. They say – it’s violent. Murderous.

It’s a restaurant for flies. They feast.

RONAN. What twat said that?

I wrote it, didn’t I.

VIN. Yeah – but that’s why I wanted to talk to you.

A girl from Médecins sans Frontières said you might be able to help me.

RONAN. How?

VIN. You’ll need a photographer, right?

RONAN. I have a photographer.

VIN. I could just watch you?

RONAN. No. How do you intend to get to Masisi?

VIN. I’ll hire a motorbike.

RONAN laughs.

RONAN. I’ve never seen a roadworthy bike in Congo –

And the roads from Goma to Masisi / are terrible.

VIN. You can get stuck in mud. You can get held up. Robbed. I know.

RONAN. I have security when I travel.

You know that too. Right?

VIN. If I’m prepared to come here then I’m prepared to take the risks.

RONAN. Rule number one – the only rule –

No job is worth your life.

Why do you want to risk your life for an article –

VIN. Photo essay. I’m a / photographer.

RONAN. For a photo essay no one is going to want?

This is an ongoing story so unless you’ve got a commission?

Or find a story about cannibalism – maybe child-raping peacekeepers…

VIN. Yeah. Okay.

RONAN. Man!

You need papers to go anywhere.

VIN. I have a letter from the Walthamstow Guardian.

RONAN. That’ll be a great help.

VIN. Yeah, yeah. Okay.

RONAN. You can’t just rock up to a village and take your camera out.

VIN. Will you help me or not?

RONAN. Forget it.

It’s a responsibility.

VIN takes a book out of his backpack.

VIN. Have a look at my pictures.

RONAN. Why not.

RONAN flicks through the shots.

VIN. Those are of the flood near Cockermouth – the collapse of Lorton Bridge. It was incredible – my dad is an RAF squadron leader and we –

RONAN. The good news is – you’ve got talent.

VIN. And the bad news?

RONAN. You haven’t a fucking clue why you’re good.

There’s nothing about this shot that tells me it’s Cockermouth or anywhere for that matter. It’s a wanky arty picture of water.

He flicks through the other pictures.

You’ve got to have purpose behind the image. Got it?

And I don’t give a shit who your dad is.

VIN. I learn quickly.

RONAN. That helps.

VIN. I’ve got passion and honesty.

RONAN. So did a lot of dead photographers.

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