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DIALOGUE

MUSIC/SFX/GRAPHICS

09:59:30:00

CLOCK

10:00:00:00

SFX

Underwater sounds fade in.

10:00:01:20

In Black

TITLE 1:

‘Scottish Documentary Institute Presents’

10:00:13:21

Music starts

10:00:15:01

In Black

TITLE 2:

‘A Bridging the Gap production.”

10:00:25:00

In Black

TITLE 3:

‘In association with Scottish Screen’

‘

10:00:27:17

TITLE 3 cont:

‘and Émigré Films’

10:00:50:20

GEMMA SHERRY gets up on a diving board and prepares to dive.

TITLE 4:

‘BUTTERFLY’

10:01:16:21

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

My name is Gemma Sherry. I was born on the 12^th February 1984 at twenty past two, in the Kilmarnock Maternity Hospital, in Ayrshire, Scotland.

10:01:29:19

Pictures of Gemma as a baby.

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

A first child for Julie and Bill

10:01:44:00

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

The nurses told my mum they’d never seen a baby as fair as me.

10:01:49:21

10:01:54:16

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

The paediatrician told her there was something wrong with my eyes.

That I may be blind.

10:02:00:05

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

Another doctor told her ‘she’s not blind, but I am in no doubt that she’s an albino.’

10:02:21:14

TEXT OVER BLACK:

Albinism:

A genetic, inherited condition whereby little or no melanin is produced, leaving a person with scant or no pigment in their eyes hair or skin.

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10:02:31:21

10:02:39:13

TEXT cont:

Since melanin is needed for the development of the eyes, this is disrupted.

Music ends

10:02:43:17

Over blurry images from a school playground.

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

Someone once told me that people with albinism have between 20-40% vision. Almost all of us have nystagmus, an uncontrolled movement of the eyes and photophobia, an extreme sensitivity to light.

10:03:04:03

Over GEMMA, and her mother, JULIE SHERRY, walking along a school corridor.

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

We do not have red eyes …. That’s for the movies and rabbits.

10:03:12:18

10:03:16:05

DIALOGUE:

JULIE SHERRY

Do you remember when you used to play ball games, or out with the other kids and you used to get hit, maybe with a ball or a shuttle cock or something, and you used to dive down and just hit the ground and roll up into a wee ball.

GEMMA SHERRY

It’s because I didn’t know what it was that just hit me

JULIE SHERRY

You never had any perception of where things were coming from. It would just arrive in your face.

GEMMA SHERRY:

Hmm. Scare me. I’d hide.

Music starts

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10:03:45:19

Over Gemma watching her mother:

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

My mother was in shock when she first found out about my albinism.

10:03:51:22

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

No-one can remember anyone ever having it in the family.

10:03:57:22

V/O GEMMA SHERRY.

No-one knew a thing about it.

10:04:06:08

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

But they needn’t have worried

10:04:18:03

10:04:22:14

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

I didn’t need my eyesight.

I just used my other senses.

10:04:37:18

10:04:45:00

10:04:52:08

10:05:22:16

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

I was fearless by the time I got to school … and I loved it there.

These were kids I’d been brought up with and no-one treated me any different.

I learnt to use my eyes. Began to swim.

I joined the Jets the disabled swim team.

Music ends

10:05:31:20

Over images of secondary school.

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

Things changed when I got to secondary school.

10:05:30:02

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

I was suddenly with over 1000 kids I barely knew.

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10:05:41:23

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

And because the school was so large, they assigned me a helper, who was always with me.

10:05:49:00

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

She’d follow me from class to class, to take notes and to help me navigate the school. She was a lovely woman but I felt stifled.

10:06:02:07

10:06:07:20

10:06:09:17

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

I could never be part of things in the same way as the other kids.

I hated the limitations.

Music starts

10:06:11:18

TYPED TEXT:

From albinism chatrooms:

I’m afraid people see my albinism first and me second … then think, I don’t want to be around him because he’s different.

Bcoz

10:06:29:02

TYPED TEXT:

I have albinism, and I feel like it has ruined my life. Whenever I try and have a positive attitude and get out there … people just crush me with their prejudice.

Wanderer

10:06:47:04

TYPED TEXT:

The only time I saw people with albinism, was at the doctor’s office.

Kirsti

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10:06:57:07

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

When I wanted to study chemistry, one teacher said: ‘Why do you want to do that … without your sight, you’ll never be able to do anything with it.’

I took chemistry anyway and got great marks.

10:07:14:08

10:07:23:24

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

I stopped swimming. I left the Jets.

I didn’t want to be labelled anymore.

I left school at fifteen.

Music ends

10:07:35:16

Over Gemma putting on her make-up.

TYPED TEXT:

I won’t lie and say it never hurts. But I can usually let comments roll on.

April (USA)

10:07:49:09

TYPED TEXT

Be proud of who you are. Don’t let anyone’s opinions of you define you. You get to make your own definition.

Tara (USA)

10:08:01:23

TYPED TEXT

Our union is the solution. To talk is the best way to survive.

Tiago (Brazil)

10:08:21:01

T.V.

Indistinguishable chatter and music.

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10:08:39:22

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

I can’t remember exactly how it came about.

I needed some information, or something. But, I got in contact with the Albinism Fellowship ….

10:08:50:00

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

They invited me to a get-together.

I was bricking it.

What if they were all wierdos? What if I didn’t belong?

I almost didn’t go.

10:09:06:07

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

But I had a ball.

What a relief to be with people who understand.

Sound of background chatter.

10:09:15:03

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

I’d hardly met anyone with albinism.

10:08:20:14

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

My mum says when I got home I was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.

10:09:27:14

(CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR)

(General non-specific chat about climbing gear)

10:09:30:24

Over Gemma putting on climbing gear

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

Now I feel if people stare at me, let them.

If they want to believe film stereotypes, they’re stupid.

10:09:33:02

10:09:45:01

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

I chose something different

MUSIC starts

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10:09:54:06

INSTRUCTOR (OFF-CAMERA)

Yeah. That’s good. If you put your foot in … generally the front bottom of your shoe is … Nice one Gemma. Climbing well.

10:10:07:12

10:10:14:21

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

I’m training to be a sports therapist, at the nautical College in Glasgow.

I’ve gone back to swimming, coaching kids.

10:10:22:08

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

The only disadvantage I can tell, is that I can’t drive.

10:11:05:00

Over Butterfly.

V/O GEMMA SHERRY

I’m proud of who I am.

10:11:44:00

10:12:11:14



10:12:19:00

MUSIC Ends

TITLES

(ROLLING CREDITS)

TITLES FINISH

& END CARD

End of Film