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Dans le Monde Entier

Writer's picture: Peter K F Cheung SBSPeter K F Cheung SBS

  1. FADE IN.


  2. Act 1


  3. INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY


  4. PETER is listening to a clip: Lockdown...fear...isolation...sickness...death...in Wuhan after so many years of noise, you can hear the birds again,,,the sky is...blue...All over the world, people are slowing down and reflecting...All over the world, people are waking up to a new reality...to what really matters...


  5. PETER (V.O.): To me, the coronavirus scare began after the Chinese New Year. Swimming pools were closed and I've begun wearing a mask in public.


  6. Pausing.


  7. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Even so, I managed to make my February travel to Hokkaido, spent hours in Tokyo, and got what I wanted.


  8. Reflecting.


  9. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): After that, I was looking forward to making my travels in March, April, and May.


  10. Pausing.


  11. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Our elder daughter, who should be at home now, is still in Japan. My March-May flights were all cancelled. Our younger daughter who is studying in England shall be flying home on March 24.


  12. Pausing.


  13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Instead of swimming, I've begun jogging and refreshing my dancing muscle memories. Let me watch another demo from YouTube.


  14. Peter taps an icon on his iPad. We see an ad: Superior singing method.


  15. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Perhaps, I should learn singing too.


  16. Peter watches the ad in full.


  17. Act 2


  18. INT. SLEEPING ROOM - DAY


  19. Peter surfs the web.


  20. PETER (V.O.): I haven't listened to the song All Over The World for a long time...Oh, the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) has covered that song too?


  21. Peter checks the lyrics of the song.


  22. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No, it's a different song. The one I've in mind is the English version of a French folk-pop song.


  23. Peter reads the full lyrics of ELO's song.


  24. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): One verse is simply: London, Hamburg, Paris, Rome, Rio, Hong Kong, Tokyo, LA, New York, Amsterdam, Monte Carlo, Shard End and...

  25. Pondering.


  26. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Where's Shard End? I've never heard of it!

  27. Peter surfs the web.


  28. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, it's in Birmingham. The band is a Birmingham band.


  29. Peter reads the small prints on his phone screen further.


  30. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Some ELO members were former bandmates of The Move...I like The Move's psychedelic Blackberry Way a lot. The last time I heard it was decades ago.


  31. Peter taps an icon and we hear...Goodbye Blackberry Way, I can't see you, I don't need you. Goodbye Blackberry Way, Sure to want me back another day.


  32. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The song is said to have been inspired by Beatles' Penny Lane. Yes, one thing leads to another, some are small and some are big.


  33. IPad in hand, Peter leaves the room with his wife.


  34. INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY


  35. Peter taps on his iPad again. We see a black-and-white image of a woman and the words: Francoise Hardy - All Over The World.


  36. PETER (V.O.) (Nodding): Perhaps, I should find that original French version.


  37. After several taps, we see on the screen Francoise Hardy - Dans le monde entier and hear a sweet intro and a French song.


  38. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Ah, let me find the French lyrics and sing along! I can re-learn my French too.


  39. Putting on earphones, Peter begins to sing: Dans le monde entier...


  40. After a few times, Peter notices his wife's facial annoyance.


  41. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What is it?


  42. WIFE: The first leg of our daughter's flight back home has been cancelled and I couldn't get through with the Airline's customer service...

  43. Putting aside everything, Peter taps on his phone screen.


  44. PETER: Let me help find a flight and a seat...Wow! The price has gone up 10 times and there're few seats left.


  45. WIFE: Wait! I still have to deal with the cancelled leg and the uncancelled leg...


  46. The room looks like a war-command centre all of a sudden.


  47. Act 3


  48. INT. SITTING ROOM - CONTINOUS


  49. A computer and phones are on the table as Peter and his wife work busily on them.


  50. WIFE (Pointing at a chat on the computer screen): It seems that they've found a flight and a seat...


  51. As Peter nods, someone answers one of the phones on the table. Peter's wife takes the call quickly and begins to talk. The longer she talks, the less tense she and Peter look.


  52. PETER (V.O.): My wife is pretty calm. She is refixing our younger daughter's flights back home with the least inconvenience.


  53. WIFE (To phone): We won't be getting the itinerary until March 22? Just a day before departure.


  54. Wife's nodding.


  55. WIFE (to Peter): They're extremely busy. People all over the world are rearranging their flights because few airlines are still flying.


  56. PETER: Let me send a quick message to our younger daughter that we're in control of the situation and she's coming home.


  57. Peter types on his phone quickly.


  58. WIFE: I've to talk to her about the new arrangement. What time is it in England?


  59. PETER: 6.15am.


  60. WIFE: Never mind. I'll wake her up.


  61. She makes a call.


  62. FADE OUT.


  63. THE END



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