Seven Servants 1996

Archie, a wealthy old man, summons seven servants of diverse genders and races to stay connected to him for ten days as part of a ritual of unity. The arrangement binds them to live in close proximity, sharing meals, sleep, and even bathroom routines, all while standing guard against thieves and supporting one another as a single, entwined presence.

A lavish reunion party unfolds around Archie, welcoming back Hilda, the love of his life, alongside the one true friend he has ever known, the world beyond him and the two women who accompany the celebration—the Opera singer Audra McDonald and the maid Anya. The night emphasizes their connection and the sense that the servants’ shared bond is the ritual’s core force, keeping them united through every challenge that arises.

The group faces a series of difficulties, yet their unity remains unbroken, described as the central pillar that sustains the ceremony. The best friends among them are asked to participate in filling the remaining openings of Archie’s body, a symbolic culmination of the ritual that binds all seven to him and to one another.

Hilda is chosen to take part in a final intimate moment with Archie—an act they never shared before despite lifelong love. This moment is presented as a culmination of years of feeling, and she commits to it with quiet resolve.

When the time arrives for the moment of consummation, Blade—the character portrayed by David Warner—refuses to participate, and Anya steps in to fulfill the act instead. The arrangement continues to emphasize unity through sacrifice and collective action, pushing the boundaries of loyalty and devotion.

In the final scene, the Opera singer seals Archie’s mouth with a kiss as she sings a heavenly aria, and her voice carries with it Archie’s last breath. He dies, at peace, surrounded by the harmony of unity among the diverse group that formed his circle. His death becomes a symbolic ending—an achievement of an idealistic unification of races through a ritual that culminates in a cosmic moment: his bed turns in a circle and ascends toward the heavens, joining the stars as the universe itself seems to welcome him.

The story frames itself as Shokof’s own manifest of yekishim, a belief that human beings come to earth to unite heart and mind. Archie’s ascent is presented as a final reward for the experiment in togetherness, while the servants’ unity persists as a quiet testament to the possibility of harmony among different beings.