A Hundred Years of Light
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Aug 17
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 14:15
PETER sits near his CD player, fiddling with the buttons. The device emits only silence.
PETER (V.O.): Come on...
Peter presses the play button repeatedly.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): You're just about 20 years old!
Peter opens the CD player and carefully uses a wet cotton swab to clean the laser lens, but nothing changes.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No time to waste.
Peter rushes to a nearby closet and grabs his swimming gear.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A quick swim for longevity...
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And I can't miss the 100th birthday anniversary banquet this evening.
Act 2
INT. MAXIM PALACE - 17:15
A steady stream of GUESTS flows inside. An elegantly dressed elderly COUPLE sits on the stage. Peter sees a long queue.
PETER (V.O.): Oh, the guests eagerly line up for the chance to take photos with the centurion and his wife.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Among the hundreds of participants here, I only know Dorothy and her husband.
Busy with her tasks, DOROTHY spots Peter.
DOROTHY: Hi Peter, you're here!
PETER: Yes, let me join the queue to congratulate your father.
Joining the queue, Peter waits. Later, we hear a MC announce: Another group of 20!
PETER (V.O.): But I'm in a group of one.
Peter steps out of the queue. He approaches the photo session area and takes a selfie, capturing the couple along with the group of 20.
Later, after a family live performance, Dorothy reflects on her father's retirement on stage.
DOROTHY: ...My father initially stepped down at 60 but didn't fully retire until he reached the age of 99.
PETER (V.O.): Retirement is a myth. The light doesn't retire - it just finds new windows to shine through.
Later, a birthday cake is wheeled out. Peter watches the couple cut the cake together.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Longevity isn't about survival. It's about who still leans into your light when the party ends.
MONTAGE OF THE BANQUET
A. Peter chats with STEVE, who is sitting to his right, commenting on the setup of the hardware for the live family performance just then.
B. Peter engages in conversation with ALI, seated to his left, inquiring about her work caring for the couple at home.
END MONTAGE
As the banquet draws to a close, each guest receives a purse-like measuring tape, which Dorothy explains on stage.
DOROTHY: You'll notice the words on the covers, chosen by my father: Life is measured by the love you give.
PETER (V.O.): A hundred years. And still, he moves. Still loves.
As guests start to depart, Peter approaches the couple's table, introducing himself.
PETER: Might I take a selfie with both of you? I wish I could also enjoy a full retirement at the age of 99.
PETER (V.O.): Oh, they respond with enthusiam.
Peter takes the selfie with the couple joyfully.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That enthusiam could be a key reason for their long lives.
Pausing
.PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My Dad was born in 1933 and passed away in 2011.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My Mom, now 93, lives in an assisted living facility and no longer recognizes me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My first wife, Sharon, who was one of Dorothy's music friends, was a year younger than me and lived for just 36 years.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): Grief is the shadow of long light. The brighter the love, the darker it seems when gone.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 22:45
Peter uploads an image of a basket of Shoutao or lotus seed buns to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): A single life can hold 100 years of light, if it's spent igniting others.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Love doesn't keep me young. It keeps me alive - even when my bones argue otherwise.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Legacy isn't what I leave behind. It's what I keep giving while I'm still here.
FADE OUT
END
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