Can't Breathe

1. FADE IN.

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY

6. 
   

7. Relaxing on a sofa, PETER is watching TV, showing images of protests and violence in the streets of US.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): Police brutality killing a black triggers again the movement on racial justice in US.

10. 
    

11. Peter surfs the web with his phone.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): In US, the Police, and even some whites, kill the blacks arbitrarily.

14. 
    

15. Peter reads some posts on the phone screen.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): In pandemic times, a person in US might be discriminated on the basis of their skin colour, racial or ethnic origin.

19. Peter continues to read the small prints on the screen.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.)(Coint'd): Incidents include verbal harassment, shunning, physical assault, coughed/spat on, workplace and online discrimination, barred from establishment and transportation, vandalism and others.

22. 
    

23. Peter shakes his head sideways.

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Some whites in US still see Asians in living in US as outsiders.

26. 
    

27. Pausing.

28. 
    

29. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Such race-based prejudice in US is indiscriminate and historical ie the racial discrimination is the same whether the person is already a US national, or hopes to become a US citizen, or is simply visiting US.

30. 
    

31. Act 2

32. 
    

33. INT. SITTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

34. 
    

35. FLASHBACK

36. 
    

37. INT. FRENCH CONSULATE, LONDON - DAY (1987)

38. 
    

39. Visa section. Peter (33) is in the midst of a long queue.

40. 
    

41. PETER (V.O.): I've waited here for 45 minutes. The counter is in sight now.

42. 
    

43. A blonde WOMAN (20s) jumps the queue right in front of Peter.

44. 
    

45. PETER: You shouldn't jump queue.

46. 
    

47. Other WHITES behind Peter take notice.

48. 
    

49. WOMAN: I was waiting here.

50. 
    

51. Peter is shocked.

52. 
    

53. PETER: I've been waiting here for 45 minutes and I didn't see you in front of me.

54. 
    

55. The woman is tongue-tied. Other whites take notice.

56. 
    

57. PETER (Cont'd): Did anyone here see her waiting here?

58. 
    

59. A MAN (20s) who is behind Peter by 6-7 feet responds.

60. 
    

61. MAN (Loudly): I saw her!

62. 
    

63. As the woman looks at him curiously, the man smiles wickedly. Others remain silent.

64. 
    

65. PETER (V.O.): Alright, I see it as my role to maintain order by protect my interest and the interest of those waiting behind me. Instead, there's a tacit agreement among the whites to discriminate against me.

66. 
    

67. Pausing.

68. 
    

69. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm yellow. I thought racism was a thing of the past. It's a group assault on my sense of belonging. They don't even know I'm just a student and will leave UK in months.

70. 
    

71. END FLASHBACK

72. 
    

73. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): During my one-year stay in London, there're other less dramatic ones.

74. 
    

75. Pausing.

76. 
    

77. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Such incidents reinforce my view to remain in Hong Kong, no matter what; I've already seen the lights.

78. 
    

79. Pausing.

80. 
    

81. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): In the old days when opportunities in Hong Kong weren't that abundant, people wanted to immigrate to other countries eg UK or USA, with a view to living and dying there.

82. 
    

83. Pausing.

84. 
    

85. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): What's point of living and dying in a place that one is always considered as an outsider?

86. 
    

87. Pausing.

88. 
    

89. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): For the past couples of decades, China has been adapting to changes focusing on meritocracy and getting legitimacy from the majority of its people.

90. 
    

91. Pausing.

92. 
    

93. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): And Hong Kong, China hasn't been bad at all.

94. 
    

95. Pausing.

96. 
    

97. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): It was only in the latter half of 2019, some "yellow" people attempt to discriminate other yellow people because of political differences.

98. 
    

99. Pausing.

100. 
     

101. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): What's happening in US (and UK) is revealing about their governance and environmental safety.

102. 
     

103. Pausing.

104. 
     

105. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): While everyone can be stupid, the "yellows" have abused their stupidity by discriminating and assaulting other yellows.

106. 
     

107. Peter sighs.

108. 
     

109. Act 3

110. 
     

111. INT. SITTING ROOM - NIGHT

112. 
     

113. We see images of violence on the TV screen. We hear comments that the masked violent people were using the Police killing as an excuse to cause trouble across US.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Many US cities are experiencing not just the CONVID-19, and the economic downturn, but also the movement to seek racial justice.

116. 
     

117. Pausing.

118. 
     

119. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Living in Hong Kong, China, I feel safe and good, particularly when everything is turning around in the right direction.

120. 
     

121. Pausing.

122. 
     

123. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): In responding to questions in the Quora platform, I'm promoting Hong Kong, China.

124. 
     

125. Peter checks his phone notifications.

126. 
     

127. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): People in US and UK are still arguing whether one should wear a face mask in public. I've just answered another one stating that such is a moral responsibility in Hong Kong, China.

128. 
     

129. A TV ANCHOR is interviewing a GENTLEMAN and we hear : There's no coronavirus in Hong Kong but the people there are still wearing face masks in public.

130. 
     

131. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): He's British. Yes, the Brits and others should learn from Hong Kong. If people can't adapt to any change, how can they survive?

132. 
     

133. Peter stares at the images of violence on TV.

134. 
     

135. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): If I'm living in US now, I can't breathe, psychologically speaking.

136. 
     

137. FADE OUT.

138. 
     

139. THE END