being used as an experiment to launch Britain s

1
QUEST FOR THE TRUTH
The Constant Gardner -Theme
2
Overview of Justins Quest
Tessas death Justin returns home and discovers
secret box.
Talks to Ghita about Tessas report on Dypraxa.
Finds Dypraxa box with Wanza Kilulu and Sandys
love letter.
Finds Kioko and reads his card that shows he is
being treated with Dypraxa.
Talks to Kenny Curtis about report and to Tim,
the spy.
Finds no paitient and post-mortem records of
Wanza.
Returns to London to have lunch with Pellegrin
asks what he did with Tessas report.
Talks to Ghita finds out Arnold is gay.
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Meets Ham and Guido finds out about marriage,
KDH and Green Hippo.
Goes on car ride with Kenny and finds out where
Wanza is buried.
Talks to Tim about not giving up his quest.
Goes to Tessas flat to have a cry and think of
Tessa.
Goes to see Dr Lorbeer in Sudan and receives
Pellegrins letter and finds out he told hitmen
about Tessas location.
Returns to Kenya on safari tour to talk to
Sandy about report and affair.
Goes to Berlin via subway and meets Birgit(?)
asks Just... a few questions on Dypraxa
testing.
He is waiting to be killed at Lake Turkana to be
home with Tessa as the letter he sent was read at
his funeral.
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Start of Quest

• After the police searches Justin and Tessas home
  after her death.
• Justin searches the home to see if the police had
  taken anything.
• Justin is looking through Tessas secret box he
  found hidden in a cupboard under some clothes.
  Close up in and out of focus on important clues
  in the box from over Justins shoulder. Close ups
  on Wanza Kilulu and Dypraxa. Shows the viewer
  they are clues to the secrets.
• Voiceover Sandys voice speaking of his letter
  of undying love to Tessa as Justin searches
  through Tessas things and finds out about
  Tessas apparent affair with Sandy by chucking
  in your ridiculous sham of a marriage, as I will
  mine.
• Dark lighting as Justin searches the house - in
  the dark about Tessas secrets.
• Justin begins to put together clues as there is a
  close up on the Three Bees logo on Dypraxa and
  pesticide (which Tessa previously got angry at).

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Middle of quest

• HAMS FLAT / computer with Guido
• It is revealed that Tessa did not cheat on him
  (CU email I made a vile promise)
• We learn about KDH who they are, their role,
  Pellegrins involvement (photo)
• CU on Tessas email print out I got a love
  letter today from a 5 star creep,
• CU on computer screens revealed information in
  a very efficient manner

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End of Quest

• Justin arrives at Sudan via a food-aid plane as
  Robert Black, freelance journalist. Journalists
  also do what ever they can to get truth.
• Finds out that Dr Lorbeer was supposed to
  provide the missing clinical data for Tessas
  report and he had testified to tape.
• Justins questions about the truth are asked in
  a very rushed situation as they pack to run from
  the raiders to the plane and answers are given
  quickly to maintain the thriller genre.
• Justin But someone knew exactly where Tessa
  and Arnold would be. Close up on Lorbeer to see
  emotion, That was me. I radioed Nairobi.
  Reaction shot of Justin looking emotional.
  Lorbeer gives letter.
• Justin - Well, I- I wouldn't be alone for long
  as there is a close up on Tessas photo in
  wallet.
• Justin Do you think you could post that
  envelope for me? It's quite urgent. Fast cuts to
  Justins funeral flash-forward and ______
  speaks as voiceover while Justin sits and waits
  at Lake Turkana. Ham reads out letter as
  voiceover also while montage of Africa suffering
  to not forget what story is really about.
• Justin - I know all your secrets, Tess. I think
  I understand you now. You want me to come home.
  But I am home.

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Random Relevant Quotes/Techniques

• Ghita Something we shouldnt be seen talking
  about. Justin Dypraxa. Ghita What makes
  you think I know?
• But Justin I wouldnt bother looking for it-
  (Tim?) Talking about Tessas report on Three
  Bees.
• Editing fast cutting between each clues e.g.
  Justins talk with Ghita quickly crosses to Kenny
  on golf field talking of pharmaceuticals.
• Birds-eye view on Justin searching through the
  printed off clues spread over a circle table with
  one overhead light shining on the table coming
  into light?
• Stop now or get what your wife got Close up on
  message as Justin shows Ham.
• I have to finish what she (Tessa) started-
  Justin
• Poor fellow seems to have convinced himself
  there was a conspiracy against Tessa Sandy?
• Pan on Green Hippo on wall to connect with image
  on computer as Justin is in Germany.

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Does the end justify the means?
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Sandy and Tessa

• Means Tessa promises to sleep with Sandy
• End She gets to see the letter from Pellegrin so
  she knows what happened to her report on Dypraxa.
• Music is slow, creepy and quiet as they talk
• When she promises to sleep with him the music
  builds suspense/warning music
• Sandys face is half dark and half light and when
  he gets closer to Tessa you can only see his dark
  side.
• When they kiss both their faces are dark.
• Dark shows vile promise Tessa makes and has
  absolutely no intention of keeping.
• She says herself and the end that justifies my
  means? in her letter to Ham.

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Dypraxa

• Means Fixing trials, killing many people
• End A semi-cure for TB
• Birgit- Yes it cures, but it can also kill
  because they havent got the formula right yet.
• Its cheaper to fix the trials.
• Lorbeer- Disposable drugs for disposable
  people.
• Sandy- Were not killing people who wouldnt be
  dead otherwise.
• Pellegrin said the report was too damaging. She
  had to be stopped.
• Justin- Oh yes, she was stopped
• Justin does not believe that taking Tessas life
  was justified by the British coming out looking
  wonderful. A very dark scene.

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Other examples

• Kioko walks a long way to the hospital to keep
  the flies of his sister and the baby and also
  walks all the way to Tessas grave to place a
  letter there. His intentions certainly justify
  his means.
• Justin nearly misses the plane by holing back
  Lorbeer to get the report an letter off of him.
  He wants justice or truth.

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Metaphors of The Constant Gardner

• Metaphors are used either visually or through
  dialogue, lighting and sound technique to convey
  messages (of his personal life and the human
  tragedies occurring relating to Kenya) throughout
  Justins journey in the Constant Gardner. These
  metaphors are linked either directly or
  indirectly with the films title and even more so
  with Justins passion for gardening and Tessas,
  his murdered wife, passion for justice to be
  served in Africa, which is being used as a guinea
  pig to Britains big-time pharmaceutical
  companies.
• The most blatant example of a metaphor would be
  the figurative and literal definition of
  gardening expressed in the film, especially
  when Justin is watching an old video of Tessa and
  himself being intimateTessa lovingly comments
  Hes dreaming of a world...without weeds. This
  comment can actually be taken in either sense
  that Justin is literally de-weeding his garden,
  carefully and gently, or that Justin is weeding
  away the woes of the world, dreaming of a world
  free of political corruption, again carefully and
  gentlytrue to his nature as a diplomat.

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Metaphors Continued

• Visual implications of gardening and weeds
  are also bound to Justins journey, such as his
  own grave, which is shown briefly to be a garden,
  and the shots of scenery to display the worlds
  gardenAfrica, being used as an experiment to
  launch Britains stock-market sky-high, much
  like the footage shown of Justin growing plants,
  carefully handling each as an experiment.
• Techniques used to incite these conclusions
  include the using shots of poverty-stricken
  Kenyans lining up in a crowded market to receive
  Dypraxa, a developing drug to treat TB with
  disturbing side effectsand also choosing to show
  how the young children are treated, often being
  left behind to fend for themselves.
• Near the end of the film, two children are
  chasing a camera and trying to get in its optical
  range by giggling and giving a thumbs up. This
  naive albeit sunny-optimism is mirrored in their
  eyes, and by having the camera look DOWN on them,
  emphasizes their vulnerability. Even more so when
  sharply contrasted with the cold, bleak scenery
  of the British airports and railways, where only
  old men in suits are shown with their faces
  half-shadowed.

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More Metaphors

• The title IS a metaphor in itself Justin and
  Tessa are, essentially, the Constant Gardeners,
  though Justin only picks up his role after
  Tessas death and constant gardeners continuous
  weeding goes on until the big weeds (ThreeBees,
  KDH) are finally eliminated via the legal system.