Isadora Neves Marques, Becoming Male in the Middle Ages (still), 2022.
As part of its ongoing focus on artists’ cinema, Film Notes continues its commitment to publishing film scripts by artists with the full script of Becoming Male in the Middle Ages (2022), a film by Isadora Neves Marques.
BECOMING MALE IN THE MIDDLE AGES
by
Isadora Neves Marques
2022
A production Foi Bonita a Festa (Portugal)
FADE IN
1. INT. MIRENE AND ANDRÉ’S APARTMENT - KITCHNETTE. MORNING.
Sounds of a shower in the distance. Inside the fridge is a piece of RAW MEAT WRAPPED IN CELLOPHANE and sitting on a polystyrene tray. The piece of meat is a perfect sphere, the size of a billiard ball. Around it are various jars and packets of vegetarian food, some fruit and vegetables, rice milk, and on the top shelf some vitamin and mineral supplements.
ANDRÉ (39) is hunched over the fridge, light bouncing off his face. CARL (45) is speaking on loudspeaker from the smartphone, which rests on the kitchen table.
ANDRÉ
Why did you bring me this
piece of meat? Can I call it
meat?
CARL (V.O.)
That’s what it is, so that’s
what you should call it.
There’s nothing wrong with
that meat. It’s lab-made.
It’s not a soy or plant-based
substitute. It’s meat,
genetically engineered from
scratch.
ANDRÉ
And what do you want me to do
with it? Am I supposed to eat
it?
CARL (V.O.)
No animal was killed to make
it, André. It was developed
from bovine stem cells. The
cells are available and
stored in a database, ready
to use. To be perfectly
honest, you don’t even need a
cow. Any other mammal cells
work. You should visit a lab.
I can get you in if you want.
ANDRÉ
It looks more like meat than
real meat.
André takes the meat out of the fridge and sets it on the table. He stares at it for a moment, then touches it slowly with one finger. The blood shifts inside the cellophane. The touch resembles a carefully rehearsed ritual.
CARL (V.O.)
That word “real” doesn’t make
much sense anymore.
ANDRÉ
I heard it tastes like real
meat.
CARL (V.O.)
Of course, because it is meat.
ANDRÉ
Have you tried it?
CARL (V.O.)
If it doesn’t come from an
animal, what harm can it do?
Don’t tell me you can’t make
that jump. Want me to cook it
for you?
ANDRÉ
I don’t know… It sounds
artificial.
MIRENE (40), hair still damp but already wearing her coat, enters the kitchen and finds André standing in front of the piece of meat. André pulls his finger away, leaving a human mark on the meat.
MIRENE
Hi Carl.
CARL (V.O.)
Good morning, Mirene!
MIRENE
I’m hanging up.
CARL (V.O., excited)
Good to know kept my visit
secret from André. Let’s see
what our vegan does. Don’t
you love it?
MIRENE
Yup.
Mirene ends the call with a tap, while André puts the meat back in the fridge.
ANDRÉ
Why didn’t you tell me he’d come by?
MIRENE
He came by yesterday, but you
arrived late.
ANDRÉ
Having to deal with this
first thing in the morning…
Mirene shrugs.
MIRENE
(teasing)
Are you going to eat that or
not?
André puts the meat back in the fridge, while Mirene grabs a backpack from a chair.
MIRENE
Come on, you’ll be late to
university.
Mirene and André leave the apartment.
CUT TO BLACK
INSERT TITLE: BECOMING MALE IN THE MIDDLE AGES
FADE IN
2. EXT. CAFE. MORNING.
Mirene and VICENTE (39) are sitting opposite each other outside a cafe. It’s cold and the terrace is partially dismantled, with several chairs folded and chained. They’re wearing heavy winter coats. We see them talking, but from a distance we can’t hear what they’re saying.
MIRENE (V.O.)
The ovary had been surgically
implanted below Vicente’s
navel. The surgery was
extremely simple. The scalpel
made the tiniest cut on his
abdomen and in there the
ovary went. Vicente walked
out of the clinic on his own
two feet.
Vicente pushes his chair away from the table, opens his coat and lifts his shirt, revealing A SCAR ON HIS BELLY. The scar looks recent. Mirene stares at the scar for a long while, attentive and serious. Then, she slowly pans up to Vicente’s face, radiant smile on his lips.
VICENTE
(sentimental)
Carl waited for me at the
clinic the whole time. Later,
at home, even though I felt
perfectly fine, he kept
insisting on caring for me.
As if I were invalid.
MIRENE
And how do you feel carrying
that implant inside of you?
Vicente pulls his shirt down.
VICENTE
It’s abstract. It’s just an
organ, I don’t think much
about it. But, if you think
about it, it’s funny, don’t
you think? I have the eggs
and the sperm.
MIRENE
(sarcastic)
You’re only missing the
belly.
Mirene and Vicente smile; a smile between friends who have known each other for too many years.
MIRENE
And now?
VICENTE
Now? Now we wait.
MIRENE
But you know there are
trans men who give birth,
right? And women who don’t
have any ovaries.
André stares at Mirene, intrigued by her comment.
MIRENE (V.O.)
Vicente wasn’t exactly
pregnant. He had no belly. He
wouldn’t have to sleep
sideways. Wouldn’t have to
endure any morning sickness.
He could eat whatever he
wished to eat. He wouldn’t
feel his hormones go wild and
moody, and no one would
complain about him being
temperamental. Vicente would
not give birth, because he
would never have a uterus.
3. INT. CLINIC. DAY.
A syringe removes eggs from the ovary implanted in Vicente’s belly. The NURSE’s coat is salmon; she’s wearing baby blue gloves.
MIRENE (V.O.)
Vicente only carried the
ovary for about ten weeks.
Any fatty tissue works fine
for the implant, preferably
the inside of the arms, the
belly, or in some cases even
a mammary gland. This is not
Vicente’s case, who remains
slim as ever.
4. INT. CARL AND VICENTE’S APARTMENT – BEDROOM. DAY.
Vicente and Carl are sitting on the edge of the bed. Vicente is bare-chested, with his back turned to Carl. Vincent looks over his shoulder, watching Carl place a HORMONAL BANDAGE on his shoulder blade. Afterwards, Carl kisses Vicente on the neck.
MIRENE (V.O.)
At this stage the ovary
remains dormant. Later, the
man must undergo
hormonal therapy to resurrect
the ovary.
5. EXT. CITY VIEWS. DAY.
City views: a small pond in a park; a narrow cobblestone street under the bridge; fluffy clouds passing by.
MIRENE (V.O.)
Then, the eggs are harvested
via a syringe and from there
it’s a regular IVF and
surrogacy process. If the
ovary doesn’t produce any
eggs, doctors call it a
“failed male pregnancy.” And
the ovary must be removed
from the host body.
6. EXT. CAFE. DAY.
Mirene is talking on the phone outside a gentrified café, while sipping a to-go coffee.
ANDRÉ (V.O.)
(hurt)
Why didn’t anyone tell me
about it?
MIRENE
I don’t know, I’m sorry. It’s
been so hard for both of us
lately, I didn’t want to
bother you with more
problems. And Vicente knew
about the risks. It might not
work, so he didn’t want to
talk much about it.
7. INT. MIRENE AND ANDRÉ’S APARTMENT – OFFICE. CONTINUOUS.
ANDRÉ is sitting at his desk, piled books and laptop open, talking on the phone.
ANDRÉ
But I’m his friend as well.
It’s kind of weird that
I wasn’t told anything at
all.
MIRENE (V.O.)
André, please.
ANDRÉ
(calmer now)
Alright. Are you meeting
them?
EXT. CAFE. DAY. CONTINUOUS.
MIRENE
Yes. Later today.
ANDRÉ (V.O.)
And you? How do you feel?
MIRENE
(frustrated)
I mean, I’m happy for them,
but honestly? They’re so
obsessed with themselves. And
their life, it’s all
so predictable and alienated.
ANDRÉ (V.O.)
Right, even their language.
Have you noticed? He’s not
even pregnant. It’s all an
illusion.
INT. MIRENE AND ANDRÉ’S APARTMENT – OFFICE. CONTINUOUS.
ANDRÉ
(tentative)
But - sometimes I wonder if
you aren’t implying that in
getting pregnant, men like
him are stealing the place of
women?
EXT. CAFE. DAY. CONTINUOUS.
MIRENE
(surprised)
No, that’s not at all what
I’m saying, André. I’m
talking about medical
negligence. Hysteria and
psychoanalysis. The Pill.
What are you trying to say?
INT. MIRENE AND ANDRÉ’S APARTMENT – OFFICE. CONTINUOUS.
ANDRÉ (V.O.)
Sure, sorry. But if you think
about it, maybe they’re
liberating women
from those stereotypical
roles. No?
8. INT. CARL AND VICENTE’S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM. LATER THAT DAY.
Mirene, Vicente, and Carl drink tea at the table. Mirene notices the hormonal bandage on Vicente’s arm and she and Carl exchange glances without Vicente noticing.
9. INT. CARL AND VICENTE’S APARTAMENT – CORRIDOR. MOMENTS LATER.
Mirene has a bag on her shoulder, ready to leave; Carl is resting against the wall. They speak secretly. We can hear Vicente washing dishes in kitchen.
MIRENE
Is he alright?
CARL
Yes. We’re trying again.
MIRENE
How much do you want this
baby?
CARL
He wants this baby. And I’m
not the one to tell him no.
MIRENE
But did you ever want to be a
father?
CARL
I never wanted a child. But I
know it’s important for him.
I know he thought about it
when he was young. When he
first came out. If he’d ever
have any children.
MIRENE
And what about adoption?
We’ve discussed this before.
Carl shrugs.
CARL
It’s complicated. He —
MIRENE
Right. Nevermind.
Mirene kisses Carl on the cheek and leaves.
10. INT. DOCTOR’S OFFICE. DAY.
Vicente and Carl are at their therapist, each sitting on their couch, the PSYCHOLOGIST (c. 50, woman) before them.
THERAPIST
(to Vicente)
The reasons for your
implant’s failure are
certainly physical. But we
should also care for
your psychological condition.
CARL
But saying that the failure
was psychological feels a bit
absurd, no?
Vicente cuts off Carl.
VICENTE
These things between
body and mind aren’t that
linear…
THERAPIST
Well, what’s important is how
you as a couple are dealing
with the situation.
11. INT. GYNECOLOGIST OFFICE. DAY.
Mirene is at the gynecologist, legs spread out on the stretcher while the doctor examines her. The room is uninteresting, with a boring white light, no shadows or contrasts.
MIRENE (V.O.)
Vicente’s ovary came from a
woman. But her identity
remained anonymous. Just like
their future surrogate.
Neither Carl nor Vicente
seemed to think much about
it. I, on the other hand,
could not help but wonder
about a woman who had been
surprised by cancer, and
because of it, decided to
freeze one of her ovaries, in
the hope of, once cured,
reimplant it back in her
body. And hopefully one day
have children. I thought
about those organs. Two
functional ovaries, just like
mine, and still no baby.
12. INT. MIRENE E ANDRÉ’S APARTMENT – BEDROOM. MORNING.
André slides off Mirene after sex. They lie side by side in bed staring at the ceiling.
ANDRÉ
You know it has to be like
this. Some days are more
fertile than others. And
there’s a full moon.
MIRENE
I know, but it’s like we’re
treating my hormonal cycles
like a factory. Or the best
hours to send an email.
Mirene turns to her side, away from André.
ANDRÉ
Do you want to go back to the
injections?
MIRENE
No. Enough hormones. They
make me feel sick.
André looks at Mirene for a moment; then gets out of bed. Mirene stays in bed, vacant stare in her eyes.
MIRENE (V.O.)
André always wanted a child.
For years we avoided the
topic. He knew I didn’t want
any babies. Not for
professional reasons. It was
my choice and I had a right
to it, that’s all. André
respected me and stopped
talking about it. But once we
reached our thirties André
raised the issue again. And I
eventually conceded. A last
attempt, now that our chances
were narrowing. I guess he
meant my chances. André was
up for a surprise.
13. INT. VICENTE AND CARL’S APARTMENT – BEDROOM. DAY.
Vicente and Carl are sitting naked and facing each other in bed. Vicente raises on arm for Carl to gently stick a HORMONAL PATCH on his torso.
14. INT. DOCTOR’S OFFICE. DAY.
André and Mirene sit next to each other, facing the DOCTOR (c. 40, man) on the other side of a heavy desk.
The doctor talks fast, caringly yet lightweight and funny.
DOCTOR
Everyone talks about women’s
biological clock. But not
many people know about the
loss of quality in men’s
sperm. It’s a crisis. In
reality one in six men suffer
from infertility. Not that
you’re entirely infertile,
André. But the motility of
your sperm, that is –
The doctor makes a wiggly movement with his hand.
DOCTOR (CONT’D)
the way your sperm navigates,
its movement, is not the
best. We have here a slight
deformation.
The doctor looks at Mirene.
DOCTOR (CONT’D)
Here we were thinking that
the problem was Mirene’s –-
He shifts his gaze to André.
DOCTOR (CONT’D)
when in fact it was you all
the time.
15. EXT. PARK. AFTERNOON.
Vicente and Mirene talk on a walkway, closed off with salmon-colored glass, over a park.
MIRENE
It seems the cause can be
toxicity from plastics. Like
to make plastic more
gelatinous and soft, you
know? Or maybe it’s just
environmental pollution,
hormonal disruptors,
chemicals in the air, in the
water… We barely notice it
until it’s too late.
VICENTE
Maybe that’s also my problem.
Or Carl’s own sperm. Maybe we
have the same problem as
André.
MIRENE
Vic, your problem doesn’t
have anything to do with
this.
VICENTE
Right, sure. Keep your
expectations low. That seems
to be the new philosophy. At
least that’s what our
therapist says. And it’s all
so expensive…
MIRENE
Yes, but the truth is
that a male gay couple earns
more money together than a
straight one. After all
they’re two men.
Mirene and Vicente smile softly at each other, followed by a silence.
VICENTE
And now?
MIRENE
Now? Now nothing.
They both look away, lost in their thoughts, lost in the park.
MIRENE (V.O.)
It was months since that
first ovary had been removed
from Vicente’s body. After
the failure of the first and
second implant, Vicente got
another one. And then
another. And another. Vicente
was collecting scars. Now the
ovary came to him in
apparitions. All those
ovaries grafted in his body –
after the belly, the arm;
after the arm, the thigh –
melted into a mental image of
that first ovary. Vicente
felt a cellular-like
form of loss with each
failure. If even André,
confronted with his
infertility, felt something,
how not Vicente?
16. INT. VICENTE AND CARL’S APARTMENT – TOILET. DAY.
Vicente sits naked on the toilet, while Carl showers.
MIRENE (V.O.)
At some point I lost track
of Vicente and Carl’s
attempts. And withdrew
voluntarily from their drama.
17. INT. MIRENE AND ANDRÉ’S APARTMENT – BEDROOM. DAY.
A RUBBERY PINK DILDO, attached to a strap-on, falls next to Mirene and André’s bed. André leans over the bed, head and arms hanging down and grabs the dildo.
MIRENE (V.O.)
André and I had our own
problems. It was just that
ours were less spectacular.
André complained about it;
how Vicente and Carl’s
struggle stole the show. And
I know how, in secret, he
suffered. Without talking, as
usual.
18. EXT. CITY VIEWS. DAY.
City views over the river from Carl and Vicente’s apartment.
MIRENE (V.O.)
I didn’t want to make
our infertility a private
matter. I wanted it to be
public. But the fact that the
infertility was his made the
case even more political. For
me it revealed something
about fragility. And how our
bodies never belong entirely
to us.
19. INT. THERAPIT OFFICE. DAY.
Carl and Vicente are in their weekly therapist session again.
VICENTE
This was it, right?
THERAPIST
Yes. Your ova were perfect.
They were ready to
inseminate. But who could’ve
guessed that such a terrible
thing would happen to your
surrogate. And so young.
There’s nothing we can do.
But I ask you not to
lose hope, we’ll find a
belly.
Vicente turns to Carl with puppy dog yes.
VICENTE
We’ll have to freeze.
Carl is somewhere between lost and exhausted. He sighs.
20. INT. MIRENE AND ANDRÉ’S APARTMENT – KITCHENETTE. SUNSET.
Mirene is sitting by the window reading MARGE PIERCY’S WOMAN ON THE EDGE OF TIME. She’s interrupted by her smartphone ringing. It’s Carl. She rests the book on her lap and picks up.
MIRENE
Hi. Vicente told me about the
good news.
CARL (V.O.)
Yes. But we have an issue.
MIRENE
Wait.
Mirene changes to loudspeaker. She stares, contemplative, out the window. We can’t hear what Carl is saying.
MIRENE (V.O.)
That’s when Carl told me that
their surrogate mother had
just been diagnosed with
cancer. How ironic, I
thought. A woman’s cancer had
given Vicente the possibility
of an implant. Of imagining
that he too could gestate.
And now it was cancer what
also stole him of his dream.
MIRENE checks her hand wrinkles while listening to Carl.
MIRENE (V.O.)
Still my thoughts weren’t
with them. But with that
woman. Now they would have to
find another surrogate, and
the process would be
complicated.
21. INT. MIRENE AND ANDRÉ’S APARTMENT – BEDROOM. MORNING.
Mirene observes André lying in bed. He looks sick, trying to fall asleep in bed.
22. INT. MIRENE AND ANDRÉ’S APARTMENT – BEDROOM. IMMEDIATELY
AFTER.
Mirene holds a PAPER NOTE WITH ANDRÉ’S HANDWRITING on his desk.
“I ate some of that artificial meat that Carl showed me. I don’t know why I did it. I don’t feel well.”
23. EXT. STREET. MOMENTS LATER.
Mirene leaves her building.
24. INT. VICENTE AND CARL’S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM. LATER THAT DAY.
Crouching, Carl cuts the stems of some flowers on the balcony. Once finished, he returns to the living room, where Mirene and Vicente are sitting at the table, an obvious tension between them. Carl places the flowers in a vase while they talk.
MIRENE
Do you want a child or a
family?
Vicente looks perplexed.
MIRENE (CONT’D)
There’s nothing strange with
my question.
CARL
(to Vicente)
It’s a rhetorical question,
Vicente.
MIRENE
Not at all. I could have a
baby by myself or have a
child with you.
Carl stops with the flowers and now it’s him looking at Mirene inquiringly.
MIRENE
It doesn’t matter. The ova
are ok. The process went
well. I decided to be the
surrogate mother to your
baby.
Vicente doesn’t know at whom to look for help.
VICENTE
Are you sure? Isn’t it too
close to home? To messy.
MIRENE
Isn’t that the point of a
family?
CARL
Sounds artificial.
MIRENE
We can create our own
artificiality.
Carl smile coyly, noting the irony of the situation. He goes back to his flowers.
VICENTE
Carl?
25. EXT. OCEAN. DUSK TO NIGHT.
Wide views of the roaring Atlantic Ocean, waves breaking against the shore.
SOUND FADE IN: Cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Let Me Love You Like a Woman.”
FADE OUT
END