Lavender Treatment
“LAVENDER”
imani simone / 813-568-7117 / imanisimonebrown@gmail.com
LOGLINE
In a deeply religious Jamaican family, a closeted young woman struggles with her faith as she falls in love with her fellow parishioner, forcing her to choose between hiding her identity or risking her family’s rejection for love.
OVERVIEW
“LAVENDER” is a thought-provoking dramedy that follows the blossoming of a love affair between Che, a closeted lesbian, and her live-in frenemy from church, Bliss—a liar, cheater, and known lesbian. Che’s family has allowed Bliss to stay with them after she was kicked out of her fourth foster home. The girls belong to a traditional, religious Jamaican family that condemns Bliss for her sexuality and remains unaware of Che’s. Bliss wants to be delivered—a ritual resembling Christian baptism—but their cult-like church congregation refuses to permit it due to her past indiscretions. One day, Bliss walks in on Che dressing in masculine clothing. Discovering Che’s secret, she blackmails her into securing a deliverance ceremony. Out of fear of being ostracized by both her family and the church, Che agrees to help her.
Che attempts to teach Bliss how to be a “better believer” and in their attempts to prove Bliss’s holiness to their congregation, the two fall in love. In attempting to teach Bliss to practice humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love — these qualities end up translating into ways in which Bliss and Che show love towards each other. The love that is reserved for God is reflected in the relationship between the two women.
Tonally, the film should toy the lines of comedy/camp with dramatic undertones. Ideally very ornate settings which coincide with the pomp of religion and the dramatics of living in a Jamaican household.
LAVENDER CHARACTERS
Cheyenne “Che” Adamson — closeted lesbian
Bliss — out lesbian, frenemy turned love interest, fellow parishioner that the Adamson’s took in
Antoinette Adamson — mother of Che, foster mother
Glenroy Adamson — father of Che, carpenter
Capri Adamson — older sister to Che, moved out at eighteen
Father Artin — Senior Pastor at New River of Righteousness Deliverance Center
CHARACTER LIE — I SHOULD CHANGE FOR MY CHOSEN COMMUNITY
PRODUCT OF THE LIE — fear or rejection of authenticity
CHARACTER SET-UP
We meet the real Che before we actually see her. Che steps into a pair of Fruit of the Loom boxers. She traces the brim on a black New Era Yankees fitted hat. She fixes the collar of a plaid button-down. Fixes her cuffs and cufflinks. Opens a pink jewellery box and moves a mountain of necklaces and earrings in order to retrieve her grills. They are bottoms, and they shine a brilliant gold.
She is about to fasten them onto the bottom of her smile when the bedroom door is thrown open — revealing Bliss in the doorway. The grills fall from Che’s hand and land into the carpet below, slightly concealed by the dresser which is slightly open. The drawers contain skirts, dresses, and other feminine clothing that Che has opted not to wear.
The tension in the room is palatable, as Che and Bliss have never quite got along. Che is a pastor’s kid and consistently abides by every rule and standard set for her. Bliss, on the other hand, has always marched to the beat of her own drum. She’s the bastard child of a drug addict, and has lived with four different foster homes before the age of seventeen. Che’s home is her fifth.
ACT ONE
This story follows Che and Bliss — both gay young adults navigating different versions of the same struggle. Che is closeted, careful to hide her truth, while Bliss is out and faces daily condemnation because of it. When Bliss discovers that Che is also gay, she blackmails her into helping her get baptized. But it’s not about control — Bliss desperately wants community. She's never had a real family, aside from the fleeting sense of belonging she’s felt at church. She believes that being delivered will make her feel like she truly belongs.
ACT TWO
Bliss and Che slowly begin to realize that when you exist on the fringes of society, you have to create your own community. Che begins to understand that she shouldn’t have to hide her gayness, and Bliss realizes she shouldn’t have to conform to the church in order to feel accepted. The conflict is that they both crave belonging but can’t seem to find it because of their sexuality — and on top of that, they start to develop feelings for each other. At the end of the second act, Bliss figures out that Glenroy and Antoinette Adamson are in a lavender marriage in order to protect the secret of Glenroy’s homosexuality. This realization radicalizes Che, and she begins to consider her religion and sexuality in a new light.
ACT THREE
Bliss decides not to get delivered because she refuses to change who she is — especially her queerness, which is an integral part of her identity. Che embraces her truest self, choosing to present more masculinely.
WRAP-UP
Che and Bliss create their own queer community space, where they prepare to eat dinner at a table that resembles both Che’s family’s dinner table and the “Last Supper”.
