The Stray
2015, 21 minutes
An injured dancer now working part time as a sex worker befriends her lonely 13-year-old neighbour, Jack, and finally finds someone who sees her for more than her body is worth.
Nina is a dancer. But she’s been out of commission for a few weeks on account of a career-crushing knee injury. She’s still virtually housebound and running out of money. She’s begun to see men occasionally for sex in order to pay her mortgage. Her friends promise to visit her but then don’t show. One day a ball lands in her back garden and a boy called Jack comes round to fetch it. The two get talking. Jack says he’s on holiday. He doesn’t know where his dad is, he left, has gone travelling round Asia, and his mum drinks a lot. Jack starts appearing in her garden every so often, just sitting there, watching her. He asks if he can go on her trampoline. She says it was left there by the previous owner. He nags her to go on it with him, but she says she can’t jump because of her leg. Reluctantly she ‘takes him in’, like a stray pet. They chat and get to know one another. He finds her tearing up a photo of the person she was as a dancer. Also, a picture of her ex boyfriend. He tells her his fears about dying and his wishes there was an after life. She tells him to stop being so depressing, tells him he should be more positive… but underneath she’s the one who has thoughts of dying. Every so often she has to tell him to clear off because she’s got a customer coming. One day she gets annoyed with his ‘snooping’ and tells him not to come round any more. The next time he comes round he finds her hanging by the neck from her wardrobe. He squeezes in through the bedroom window and after several attempts manages to revive her.
Connected mandy members:
Ben Turnbull
Sound Recordist
