Against the Current

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. EXT. LAKESIDE - 16:00

6. 
   

7. Walking along the lakeside path, PETER watches a fish swimming.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): How relaxed it is.

10. 
    

11. Pausing.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's safe here. No fishing is permitted.

14. 
    

15. Pausing.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): There's no current here either. It doesn't have to swim against any.

18. 
    

19. Pausing.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Is life a lot better at the lake?

22. 
    

23. Act 2

24. 
    

25. FLASHBACK

26. 
    

27. INT. SWIMMING POOL, HOTEL OKURA - 18:15 (May 14, 2023)

28. 
    

29. FAMILIES are having fun. Peter kicks water in a corner.

30. 
    

31. PETER (V.O.): The pool is on the 28/F. It can't be big.

32. 
    

33. Pausing.

34. 
    

35. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): If a hotel has swimming facilities, I won't waste it.

36. 
    

37. Kicking water.

38. 
    

39. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I meant to go to the outdoor one, but it's closing at 6:30pm.

40. 
    

41. Soon, Peter leaves.

42. 
    

43. EXT. WATER PARK, HOTEL OKURA - 11:30 (May 15, 2023)

44. 
    

45. Sitting in a beach chair, Peter stares at the children in inflatable floats playing in the wave pool.

46. 
    

47. PETER (V.O.): The artificial waves are like those in rough seas.

48. 
    

49. Pausing.

50. 
    

51. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me see how hard it is to swim against them.

52. 
    

53. Entering the pool, Peter tries to swim.

54. 
    

55. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No, the water is so shallow that my legs kick the cushioned pool bottom.

56. 
    

57. Peter then uses an inflatable float.

58. 
    

59. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To flow with the wave is effortless.

60. 
    

61. Soon, Peter leaves.

62. 
    

63. EXT. GOLDEN BEACH - 15:00 (Earlier)

64. 
    

65. BEACH-GOERS here and there. Peter is the only one swimming in the sea.

66. 
    

67. PETER (V.O.): My practice has been to swim from one side of the swimming area to the other side and return.

68. 
    

69. Swimming breaststrokes.

70. 
    

71. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The water here is clear. The waves aren't as dramatic as those in the hotel water park yesterday.

72. 
    

73. Swimming.

74. 
    

75. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I believe I've swum non-stop for over 30 minutes, but the other side isn't in sight yet...

76. 
    

77. Swimming.

78. 
    

79. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm swimming against the current. I can feel its strength.

80. 
    

81. Swimming.

82. 
    

83. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It exhausts me. I'm not a ship.

84. 
    

85. Pausing.

86. 
    

87. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Should I turn around and go with the flow?

88. 
    

89. Swimming.

90. 
    

91. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, only when I've reached my objective.

92. 
    

93. Later, when he reaches the other side, Peter turns around and swims freestyle.

94. 
    

95. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'll swim closer to the beach, just in case.

96. 
    

97. We see Peter returning to his starting point in about 5 minutes.

98. 
    

99. END FLASHBACK

100. 
     

101. Act 3

102. 
     

103. EXT. LAKE - CONTINUOUS

104. 
     

105. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Swimming against the current swept me backwards.

106. 
     

107. Pausing.

108. 
     

109. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I didn't give up. I've achieved my objective.

110. 
     

111. Peter takes a photo of the fish with his smartphone.

112. 
     

113. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I haven't changed my attitude. I like to make things happen, even though they're hard.

114. 
     

115. Peter then walks towards a lakeside restaurant.

116. 
     

117. FADE OUT

118. 
     

119. THE END