Amidst the paddies and levees of the Louisiana bayous, MICHEAU D'AMBREAUX struggles against forces threatening to kill the farm he inherited from his granddaddy. Miche’s wild past and aching desires, fueled by his love for a woman he cannot have and the son he cannot acknowledge, trigger feelings that could destroy everything that has real meaning to him.

SYNOPSIS:

TITLE: BAYOU’S EDGE

FORMAT: Feature | Drama

LOGLINE: Amidst the sultry paddies and verdant levees of the Louisiana bayous, a bayou farmer's dark past threatens to erupt, endangering everything he has come to hold dear.

COMPS: MUDBOUND meets WINTER'S BONE

WHY THIS STORY NOW: “Bayou’s Edge” is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the struggle to hold on to one’s heritage in a rapidly changing world while torn by conflicting desires. It’s a story of a man, a community, and a way of life on the brink of extinction. It delves into family legacy, love, and the haunting beauty of the Louisiana bayous, a place where violence often lurks just under the seemingly still waters.

Amidst the paddies and levees of the Louisiana bayous…

MICHEAU D'AMBREAUX struggles against forces threatening to take the farm he inherited from his granddaddy. Miche’s turbulent past and unrequited desires, fueled by his love for a woman he cannot have and the son he cannot acknowledge, ignite a tempest within him threatening to destroy everything he holds dear. In the bayous, where the past is never far from the present, much lies beneath the surfaces, ready to erupt. Under the tranquil waters where crawfish dwell, the great fields filled with geese, the joyous music, the festivals and dances that are an integral part of bayou life, and beneath Miche’s ease and charm, danger lurks incessantly. In this murky dance between tradition and desire, Miche is a man at the edge of salvation or ruin.

Like most days, Miche rises as the sun turns the bayou waters into blood-red slivers. He guns his flat-bottomed aluminum boat with the big claw on the back through the bayou to pull up traps bursting with red crawfish. PACO, the serious young Mexican who’s the best worker Miche has ever had, puts the craws into big burlap bags. They return to the old white farmhouse where OCHANDAH, Paco’s woman, dark and voluptuous, the mud on her like “caramel on chocolate,” helps put the bags in the tin-roofed shed.

Miche is desperately tired of the isolation of his life. Each morning, he lies in the dark imagining Paco and Ochandah making love with a passion beyond passion, all the intimacy and care that is denied him. He shackles his desires to do what’s best for the farm he’s loved his whole life. But today’s the day he’s giving up, the day he’s going to sell and rid himself of the demons from his past and the burdens of his present, despite his love for the land and its way of life.

He drives to the home of his best friend, MICKEY RAY, who’s amazed that Miche for the first time brings over a bag of his precious crawfish. Mickey Ray’s time in the swamps of Vietnam makes him shun the local bayous. But it’s not Mickey Ray who Miche has actually come to see. Miche is seeking some kind of closure, a mix of hope, desire, and a yearning for forgiveness, from Mickey Ray’s wife, PAULINE, to atone for the darkest day of his life.

Pauline only confirms his fears, that she will continue to keep the truth from her son MIKE that his real father is not Mickey Ray, but Miche. Even today, his sixteenth birthday. Much as Miche wants to tell Mike, to make amends, to connect him to his legacy, of the farm, his grandfather, and their way of life. Pauline rebuffs his feelings. Miche drives off, hurt and angry. Mickey Ray hears some of the ex-couple’s conversation, enough to think that they are still in love, united around their son. Heart-heavy, Mickey Ray grabs his rifle and leaves.

At banker BUDDY LEMOINE’s behest, Miche must play out the final act in selling the farm. He doesn’t know that the buyers plans on turning the farm into a cheap-thrills hunting lodge where rich patrons can pick off the geese from the front porch. At his cousin ISABELLA's request, Miche shows the farm with pride to a visiting couple from up north, CLAIRE, beautiful, in a lived-in way, and her priggish husband TEDDY, including the great fields of geese that flock there because he no longer hunts them.

Claire is at first repelled by Miche, but gets seduced by his charm, the poetry of his language, and his deep attachment to the land. Teddy just wants to get through the tour so Miche will sign the contract. Pauline drives up, angry at Miche for what she thinks is his attempt to get Mike on the farm. Before leaving, she denies Miche any hope, or forgiveness, although she is clearly torn in her relationship to him. Distraught, Miche shows Teddy how to turn on the generator that powers the pumps to aerate the water. It’s a dangerous process. Mike comes by, having learned the truth, asks only how much the place is worth, so he can sell it when Miche is gone.

Claire triggers old desires in Miche that he has fought to suppress. He bathes, dresses up, uncovers the red motorcycle he has not ridden since his last terrible night with Pauline, along with memories that force their way into his consciousness, and rides into town. Years ago, Miche and Pauline were in love and wanted to marry. But Miche’s granddaddy wouldn’t let him, paranoid that the marriage was just a way for Pauline’s father to get the farm. Miche rode off with Pauline to try to explain to her and asking she wait. She challenges him for giving into his granddaddy. Enraged, at the situation, at her, at himself, he takes Pauline by force. That was how Mike was conceived. That’s the dark secret Miche and Pauline have lived with all these years.

Miche brings Paco to turn on the generator, and arranges to shock him unconscious. After bringing him to the hospital, he returns with Ochandah, gets het to do tequila shots, but allows her to leave. The contract sits on the table. Defeated, he grabs a pen and signs.

He drives to ROAMIN’ JOE’s, where everybody gathers. Mickey Ray looks at peace. HONORÉE, Joe’s wife, urges Miche to dance with Pauline, for they were once the best dancers in the parish. He holds out his hand and Mickey Ray signals to Pauline that it’s okay. She pauses, takes Miche’s hand, and they dance beautifully to the Cajun rhythms. With everybody watching, aware of the impending choice Miche has made, Miche rips the contract in half. Buddy shrugs an “I tried,” and pats Miche on the back before handing him a shot glass. They toast and drain their glasses. The room fills with cheers. Miche returns to the dance floor.

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Robert Herzog’s stories and poems have been inSolstice Literary Magazine, Toasted Cheese, Downstate Story Magazine, Straylight Literary Arts Magazine, and South Jersey Underground. His first novel, A World Between, published by The Story Plant received critical acclaim and was a Barnes and Noble Nook Book of the Day. His award winning short film, Flights, played at numerous film festivals including Hamptons and LA. Flights Film

Thank you for your time and consideration! Phone: (917) 743-4347 | Email: zog@thezog.com