FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 09:30
Mobile in hand, PETER checks a Facebook notification.
PETER (V.O): Oh, today is Maggie's birthday anniversary.
Surfing YouTube, Peter finds his Happy Birthday song and copies the link.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Let me send my birthday wishes in my song.
Then, Peter checks a WhatsApp message with images of congratulatory plaques.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): It's from my barrister friend Phillip...Well done!
Having replied, Peter gets a further remark.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Oh, you've just turned 71 ... life should be celebrated.
In a further reply, Peter attaches the link of his Happy Birthday song.
Act 2
EXT. CITY STREET - 18:00
Mobile in hand, Peter is walking towards an estate.
PETER (V.O): My last Korean class was done yesterday. The final exam will take place in early Sept.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Just then, I've volunteered over two hours of my time to transact important business for HKUST.
Peter checks a Vgraph post on Facebook.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Yesterday, I studied a dynamic or time-series graph about the rise and fall of the largest companies in the world by revenue.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I discovered I've been a shareholder of one in the top 10.
We follow Peter to read the caption: Life Expectancy at Birth in Europe.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): My wife and I were visiting France last month. France is the most visited country in the world. Do French people live long?
As he taps the graph, the data begins to change from 1823...Peter first focuses on the figures at the bottom.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Spain...26 something?
Peter rewatches from the beginning.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Yes, 26 something...my eyesight is still okay. What were the problems about 200 years ago?
Peter surfs the web and reads the answers.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Factors include unsafe birthing practices, poor sanitation and hygiene, lack of medical knowledge and care.
Returning to the dynamic graph, Peter pauses it when "1954" appears.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The average life expectancy for Europeans born in that year was about 70.
Peter reads on until the end.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Switzerland has topped the list for the highest life expectancy ie beyond 84.
Peter surfs the web.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Factors like strong healthcare systems, high standards of living, low-income inequality, and healthy lifestyle habits have all contributed to the steady rise of life expectancy.
FLASHBACK
INT. RESTAURANT, SHANTOU - DAY (Aug 4, 2024)
Peter and his WIFE sit with RELATIVES in a round table, a smoking distant RELATIVE#1 joins Peter and offers him a cigarette.
PETER: Uh, no thanks. I don't smoke.
Relative#1 continues to smoke, puffing away on one cigarette after another, creating a thick smoke around them.
WIFE (in Cantonese): Let's change seats.
PETER (in Cantonese): No, it's embarrassing.
PETER (V.O): My wife's health is just as important as mine.
Later, the SON of Relative#1 joins and offers Peter a cigarette.
PETER: No thanks. I don't smoke.
The son understands. He then passes another cigarette to his father before smoking away from the table.
RETURN TO PRESENT
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Born in Hong Kong in 1954, what was my life expectancy?
We follow Peter to read his research result on the web: According to the data...59.5.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 20:30
Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled "Aging with Intention..." to a draft.
PETER (V.O): Realizing I've lived over a decade "longer" than the average person in the year I was born gives me a sense of gratitude.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I feel the strong sense of responsibility to make the most of my remaining years - like the volunteering work I've been doing since 2016.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Documenting and sharing my life stories in the screenplay format should also be a creative way to leave an entertaining legacy.
FADE OUT
THE END
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