A Knot
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 36 minutes ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
MONTAGE
A. . Park. Sitting on a bench, PETER brings his hand up, runs his fingers through his unruly white hair a bit and then it stops dead.
B. Elevator. Peter's hand is buried in his hair, fingers meticulously picking at a knot just above his forehead.
C. Takeaway shop. Using the faint reflection of a steel pillar, Peter tries to locate the source of the persisting tangling at his crown.
D. Restaurant. Peter stares at his smartphone screen. We see answer to the question: Why does hair get tangled?
END MONTAGE
INT. BEDROOM - 07:45
In bed. Peter stirs. As he turns his head on the pillow, his hand comes up automatically, his fingers searching through his thin white hair. They stop.
PETER (V.O.): I've found one.
Still half-asleep, Peter tries to work it loose with clumsy fingers.
Act 2
EXT. SILVERSTRAND BEACH - 15:30
Sunny. Waves lap at the shore. A red flag flutters in the wind. After completing his daily swim, Peter walks to the bathroom.
PETER (V.O.): I swim every day. Usually, I let my hair dry naturally.
Showering.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And I don't bother to use shampoo and conditioner, as they're unnatural.
Showering.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Days ago, I used a hair dryer to blow my hair as I wanted to wear my new earset right away.
Showering.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I believe that's the beginning of my having hair knots.
Peter applies shampoo, followed by conditioner.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've read that using conditioner can help prevent hair tangles.
Peter uses both hands to comb through his wet hair.
EXT. ROADS - 16:00
Peter is driving. He absently runs a hand through his damp hair. His fingers catch something.
PETER (V.O.): A knot. Again!
Peter tries to work the knot free with one hand.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I did use the conditioner.
Peter's eyes flick between the road and the rearview mirror where he's trying to see the offending tangle.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No, this is dangerous.
As he makes one final attempt, a soft snap can be heard.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, I fought with the knot with force and the hair broke.
Peter stares at the broken strands of hair that are entangled in a knot.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): There's no way I can undo that knot.
After stopping the car at a bay, Peter picks up the strands of broken hair tangled in a knot, places them on the steering wheel, and takes a photo.
EXT. STREET - 16:00
While waiting at the pedestrian traffic lights. Peter pulls out his smartphone to research.
PETER (V.O.): Hair is primarily composed of dead cells. Do natural hair knots serve any purpose?
Peter reads the result on screen.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The natural hair knots offer some level of protection for the scalp against environmental factors...
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They helped early humans to manage long hair during physical activities or while hunting.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It was only when I stopped fighting and started wondering that everything else began to connect.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I spend my life trying to smooth out the knots, not realizing they're the very points where my story has gathered density and meaning.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The most stubborn knots in life aren't made of hair, but of habit, and fear, and the unwillingness to look closely at what binds humans.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 21:30
Peter uploads an image of a hair knot, being placed on the steering wheel of his Smart car to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): To untie a knot is to solve a problem. To appreciate the knot is to understand nature.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The human body is a tapestry of a million threads, and the so-called knots aren't flaws, but the fingerprints of evolution itself.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Would a mind curious about a knot soon find itself untangling the cosmos?
FADE OUT
END
Comments