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Writer's picturePeter K F Cheung SBS

Around the World Within


  1. FADE IN


  2. Act 1


  3. INT. BEDROOM - 09:00


  4. Sitting up in bed, PETER grabs his mobile, finds episodes of "Around the World in 80 Days (1956)" online and plays episodes sequentially.


  5. PETER (V.O.): For the past several months, I've been trying to buy a copy of the film in either DVD or blue-ray format, but without success.


  6. Peter watches the opening scene with child-like wonder.


  7. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Last night, I got a cue from my younger daughter and mined the film from an online platform.


  8. Watching Act 1 scenes.


  9. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I was a kid, my parents took me to movies. And I remember some of scenes of "Around the World in 80 Days".


  10. Watching an Act II scene of grabbing mountain snow to chill champagne during a balloon trip.


  11. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): This is romantic.


  12. Watching an Act II scene of the purported burning a woman alive with her husband's dead body.


  13. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I also remember this challenge and the escalated one to dismantle wooden parts of a steamboat to feed its furnace.


  14. Act 2


  15. INT. STUDIO - 11:00


  16. Sitting at the piano, Peter's fingers glide gently over the keys.


  17. PETER (V.O.): Having rewatched the drama in full, I've the urge to practise the theme song "Around the World".


  18. Peter plays each note and chord carefully.


  19. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I'm improving.


  20. As we hear sweet music, we also see a smile tugging at the corners of Peter's lips.


  21. EXT. YUEN LONG PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL - 13:45


  22. A cold winter afternoon. Steam rises from the pool water. Peter swims leisurely.


  23. PETER (V.O): In Hong Kong, this is a good substitute for open-air hot springs in the northern part of Japan.


  24. MONTAGE OF PETER'S MEMORIES


  25. A. Naha, Okinawa. Peter has a four-day-three-night stay there.


  26. B. Restaurant, Hung Shui Kiu. Peter has a dinner gathering with extended FAMILY#1.


  27. C. Panda Hotel, Tsuen Wan. Peter has another dinner gathering with extended FAMILY#2.


  28. D. Ole restaurant, Central. Peter and his WIFE have lunch with a COUPLE.


  29. E. Restaurant, Kowloon, Peter and his wife have dinner with FAMILY#3.


  30. END MONTAGE


  31. PETER (V.O)(Cont'd): I feel the tension of not having swum for nearly a fortnight. Now, it's being resolved.


  32. EXT/INT. PETER'S NT HOME - 16:30


  33. Arriving on foot, Peter can't wait to start his SMART car at the parking lot. We hear engine-cranking sounds.


  34. PETER (V.O): I haven't come back for nearly a fortnight. It's fortunate that I don't have to jump-start it.


  35. As he approaches a Nissan 200SX, Peter discovers something.


  36. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Oh, I've just brought the key of my Eunos...I hesitated whether I should drive it to NT or take public transport...Leave it then.


  37. Later, Peter walks through his house, examining stuff here and there.


  38. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): What else to declutter? I believe the test is whether the item brings me joy.


  39. We see Peter struggling to let go of objects that no longer serve him.


  40. EXT. ESTATE COACH - 19:00


  41. Peter is having screen time.


  42. PETER (V.O): One upside of taking public transport is that I don't need to drive.


  43. We follow Peter to read about "Heavy snow leaves more than 140 injured in Tokyo".


  44. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I've many pairs of non-slip gripper spikes for shoes.


  45. Recalling.


  46. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): When I travelled to Hokkaido Snow Festivals in Sapporo, Asashigawa and Otaru, I realised how important they're.

  47. Pausing.


  48. PETER (V.O)(Cont'd): The Sapporo Snow Festival is happening now, but I decided not to go this year, as it wouldn't be value for value.


  49. Pausing.


  50. PETER (V.O)(Cont'd): If I went, I should be flying back to Hong Kong now, as I wouldn't like to miss any Chinese year-end gatherings.


  51. Act 3


  52. INT. BEDROOM - 23:00


  53. Working on a laptop, Peter inserts an AI drawing called "Around the World Within..." to a text.


  54. PETER (V.O): While I see the world around me, I wouldn't neglect the world within me.


  55. Pausing.


  56. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The world around me is only beautiful when I'm at peace with the world within me.


  57. Thinking.


  58. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I haven't been everywhere. But I believe the chance which seems lost may present itself later.


  59. FADE OUT


  60. THE END



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