Another Time

FADE IN:

INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Waiters and waitresses are putting Japanese food and dishes on the table. PETER (64) and his son ZENO (20) are the only dinners.

Peter takes photos and video of them. He finds angles to shoot pot cooking and checks the images and clips.

ZENO

Dad, eat first.

Peter nods. The wall clock registers 8.10 pm.

PETER

Dinner time here ends at 8.00pm.

I anticipated that we'd miss our

half board as our bus was scheduled

to arrive Annupuri around 8.30pm.

Luckily, it didn't stop at Rusutsu and

a couple of hotels in Niseko.

As empty dishes are quickly cleared, Zeno and Peter eat faster.

A beat.

They leave their table. We hear they say "Arigato Gozaimasita" and exchange bows with the staff. The clock registers 8.30pm.

EXT - OUTDOOR ONSEN - NIGHT

Surrounded by white snow, Peter is bathing alone. As snow falls, he looks up at the sky.

FLASHBACK

INT. SEOUL SKI RESORT - NIGHT (JAN 2015)

Arriving with a tour group, Peter (61), his elder son PLATO (25) and Zeno (16) check in.

EXT. SKI SLOPE - DAY (JAN 2015)

Peter, Plato and Zeno and OTHERS are in ski gear. A TOUR GUIDE instructs. They learn weigh distribution, fore/aft balance, upper and lower body independence, taking turns... They begin to practise awkwardly.

Zeno, Plato and Peter manage to ski down a gentle slope.

ZENO

I want to buy a chairlift pass

to go up.

Peter and Plato hesitate.

PETER

Okay I go up with you.

PLATO

I'll be your photographer.

Zeno and Peter buy passes at a counter, slide forward to a gate, ski poles in one hand, sit down on the chair. Peter looks nervous.

Upon arrival at an upper terminal, they stand up and slide off the chairlift. Zeno does that naturally. Peter clumsily. They ski down the terrain, the young leading the old.

From a position, Plato takes photos and videos of them. Zeno and Peter go up again, taking turns swifter each time. Plato looks a bit uneasy and stops filming.

PETER

(To Plato)

I'm exhausted. Your turn now.

Getting Peter's pass, Plato takes the chairlift with Zeno. Then they ski down, Zeno taking the lead. Peter films them from a distance happily.

INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY (OCT 2015)

Peter chats with Plato. Zeno reads something.

PETER

(To Zeno)

I've found a nice skiing package.

Flight + Hotel. Plato and I shall

go skiing in Niseko in Jan, 2016.

As you've to focus on your exam

you're not going. I'll go with you

another time.

Zeno is expressionless.

MONTAGE OF THE NISEKO TRIP OF PETER AND PLATO 2016

A/ They leave the new Chitose Airport for Sapporo by train.

B/ They check in a Sapporo hotel.

C/ They check out.

D/ They take a train from Sapporo to Otaru, and from Otaru to Kutchan.

E/ Waiting at a wrong spot, they miss a hotel limousine.

F/ They take a public bus and arrive at Hilton Niseko Village.

G/ They have buffet dinner at the hotel.

H/ They enjoy the outdoor onsen amid snow at night.

I/ They join a group skiing lesson in the morning.

J/ They have a private lesson in the afternoon.

K/ They ski down an exclusive gentle slope.

END MONTAGE.

INT. DINNER - NIGHT (OCT. 2018)

Peter skypes with Zeno.

PETER

We miss our ski booking

last year. I suggest we go

to Niseko, Dec 10-13, direct

from the Airport to Niseko.

Are the dates okay with

you?

Zeno on screen nods.

PETER (Cont'd)

OK! I'll book the flights and

an onsen hotel that has 9.2

rating. No free cancellation

though. So, we must go!

Zeno on screen nods affirmatively.

INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY (DEC 4, 2018)

Zeno plays the piano. After finishing one piece, Peter chats with him.

PETER

I've found a Hokkaido Resort

liner all the way from the Airport

to Annupuri in Niseko. As our flight

will land at 2:50pm, we can't take

the 3.10pm bus. We've to wait for

the 4.40pm bus, arriving our hotel

sometime after 8.00pm.

Zeno is thinking.

PETER (Cont'd)

Or shall we take the train, bus

and taxi?

ZENO

Let's book the bus.

Checking a few things on a pad.

ZENO (Cont'd)

Our hotel is just seven minutes

walk from the liner's Annupuri

bus stop.

PETER

Oh, it's nearly door to door then.

We can do the powder snowy

walk.

ZENO

We can hang around the Airport

as we wait.

Peter nods and passes him a credit card as he keys in some information.

ZENO

Done!

PETER

Yes! I've got the confirmation

email.

INT - NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT - DAY

At Desk B - a meeting point. Zeno speaks to a COUNTER STAFF in Japanese. The Counter staff points to a spot within our sight.

A beat.

People gather at the spot. As Peter and Zeno see a GIRL (18) holding a placard, they approach her and register. At the front of the queue, we see the girl gesturing to take a photo of Peter and Zeno and passing the placard to Peter.

Peter is all smiles. Zeno looks uneasy.

PETER (V.O.)

How nice to have a photo

with my younger son - the

fun at the front of a bus

queue.

As the girl takes the shots, Zeno smiles a bit. We hear Peter saying "Arigato Gozaimasu".

EXT. BUS STOP - NIGHT

Peter and Zeno are on board. As the bus leaves, Peter waves at the girl by the roadside enthusiastically. She smiles and politely bows back.

END FLASHBACK

Watching the snow falling down from the sky and the steam from the bath rising up, Peter smiles.

FADE OUT. The End

#AnotherTime