My May 5th Song

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. SITTING ROOM - 14:30

6. 
   

7. The TV is on. PETER is checking his smart phone.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): Today is May 5th of the Chinese lunar calendar - a public holiday to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.

10. 
    

11. Pausing.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Festival is meant to commemorate a famous patriotic poet Qu Yuan. He committed suicide over 2000 years ago.

14. 
    

15. Pausing.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Due to the pandemic, the customary rowing of dragon boats has been suspended.

18. 
    

19. Pausing.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For the festivals that I like, I've written theme songs. I exchange greetings with them.

22. 
    

23. Pausing.

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I love my May 5th song.

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. FLASHBACK

30. 
    

31. EXT. GUANGDONG NORTH - DAY (Oct 2015)

32. 
    

33. Peter (61) is walking past golden but harvested terraced rice fields built into the mountain slope.

34. 
    

35. PETER (V.O.): As a first timer to see terraced rice fields, I don't know what to expect.

36. 
    

37. Pausing.

38. 
    

39. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Now is Autumn, I shouldn't expect to see green seedlings in flooded terraced rice fields.

40. 
    

41. Walking further up the slope, Peter sees a few dragon-like sculptures made of straw. He pauses to take images of them.

42. 
    

43. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's a pleasant surprise to see the art works. I can imagine the farmer's way of life.

45. EXT. LONGJI , GUANGXI - DAY (June, 2016)

46. 
    

47. Peter (62), in a rain coat, sees terraced rice fields, from the mountain foot up to the mountain top.

48. 
    

49. PETER (V.O.): "Longji" means "Dragon Backbone". The terraced rice fields here resemble a dragon's scales.

50. 
    

51. Walking up the mountain, Peter sees farmers planting green budding seedlings in the well-flooded rice fields.

52. 
    

53. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They work so hard so that no one would starve.

54. 
    

55. Raining. Peter opens an umbrella.

56. 
    

57. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Farming in terraced rice fields isn't easy.

58. 
    

59. Later, the sky is pouring. At a mountain top shelter, Peter and other PHOTOGRAPHERS watch the farmers working the fields down under.

60. 
    

61. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's a very special sight but I can't stay here for long as I've to rejoin the package tour.

63. INT. HOTEL, QUILIN - NIGHT

64. 
    

65. Peter is surfing the web with his smart phone.

66. 
    

67. PETER (V.O.): Let me find out when is the best time to see the terraced rice fields here?

68. 
    

69. Reading.

70. 
    

71. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, as a tradition, the farmers would begin to irrigate their terraced fields immediately after the May 5th of the Chinese lunar calendar.

72. 
    

73. Pausing.

74. 
    

75. PETER (V.O.): I must bear this in mind.

76. 
    

77. END FLASHBACK

78. 
    

79. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Believing that I needn't repeat the trip that quick, I went to Tokyo, Hainan and Ishigaki in the month of June from 2017-2019.

80. 
    

81. Pausing.

82. 
    

83. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But due to the pandemic, I've suspended my monthly travelling hobby since March 2020.

84. 
    

85. Recalling.

86. 
    

87. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In May 2017, I got an early Dragon Boat Festival greeting from a friend in Canada.

88. 
    

89. Pausing.

90. 
    

91. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Her greeting inspired me to write a song to reciprocate.

92. 
    

93. Pausing.

94. 
    

95. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Focusing on the objective, I got the raw but real song in about three hours.

96. 
    

97. Reflecting.

98. 
    

99. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Since I began private practice in Sept 2017, I haven't got a song as good as it.

100. 
     

101. Act 3

102. 
     

103. INT. SITTING ROOM - 19:30

104. 
     

105. Watching TV news, Peter sees dragon boats rowing on screen.

106. 
     

107. PETER (V.O.): A team that rows is a team that grows. I'm glad to see that activities are returning to normal.

108. 
     

109. Pausing.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Perhaps, it's about time I should resume writing my songs.

112. 
     

113. Pausing.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Meanwhile, let me dedicate my May 5th song to all!

116. 
     

117. Peter checks smart phone notifications.

118. 
     

119. THE END

120. 
     

121. FADE OUT