Exit Routes

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

5. INT. LIVING ROOM - 11:30

6. 
   

7. After exiting the Duolingo app, PETER is in thoughts.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): I'm heading back to my NT home. My routine includes swimming in Golden Bay and enjoying afternoon tea in a lakeside restaurant.

10. 
    

11. Pausing.

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13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But if I do that, I might miss the chance to ask the management office for assistance in removing large, unused items from my home.

14. 
    

15. Pausing.

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17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My coupe is packed with belongings from my urban home, as my study/studio is being renovated.

18. 
    

19. Pausing.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And a contractor from the Environmental Office will come to my NT home to collect my old TVs from various rooms on different floors.

22. 
    

23. Pausing.

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25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But my NT home, including its staircases, resembles a cluttered storage space. I'd grab a takeaway lunch and make the most of time to prepare the exit routes.

26. 
    

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. EXT. GOLDEN BAY CAR PARK - 14:45

30. 
    

31. A wet-haired Peter is making a call from inside his cramped coupe.

32. 
    

33.  PETER (to phone): Management Office? I need assistance from the Office to remove some large items from my house...

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35. STAFF (from phone): A staff member can come to your home at 3:30pm to inspect the items and provide a removal fee estimate.

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37. PETER (V.O): This is what I need. I must declutter some items immediately to create space for my belongings from my urban home and to facilitate the removal of the old TVs.

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39. MONTAGE OF DELUTTERING AT PETER'S NT HOME LATER

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41. A: Front yard. 3:25pm. Peter sets down a picnic charcoal grill, a child's bicycle, a folding bed with mattress, two bookshelves and a laundry rack.

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43. B. Front yard. 3:30pm. Staff member#1 arrives, inspects the items, and provides a quote for the removal fee. Peter makes payment.

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45. C. Front yard. 4:00pm. Staff members#2-4 arrive, collect the items, and load them into a truck.

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47. END MONTAGE

48. 
    

49. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Since the staff members won't enter my home to collect the items, I can only declutter what I can carry.

50. 
    

51. Recalling.

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53. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): When my children were young and my Dad was still alive, my family spent our Saturday nights here.

54. 
    

55. Pausing.

56. 
    

57. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): For over 10 years now, none of my family members are interested in living here or visiting.

58. 
    

59. Peter evaluates the space cleared in the sitting room and the storeroom on the G/F.

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61. PETER (V.O): It's noticeably better than before.

62. 
    

63. As Peter unloads items from his coupe, he places some of them into the storeroom.

64. 
    

65. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): For the TVs in the sitting room and dining room on the G/F, clearing the exit routes is relatively easy for me.

66. 
    

67. Peter then heads up to the studio and master bedroom on 1/F to assess the exit routes for the TVs there.

68. 
    

69. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I've a lot of musical equipment in the studio. To make things easier, let me remove the TV there by myself and place it in the corridor.

70. 
    

71. Peter takes action.

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73. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Regarding the large TV in the master bedroom, I can only clear the exit route.

74. 
    

75. Peter takes action.

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77. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Removing the big TV in the penthouse presents the biggest challenge.

78. 
    

79. As Peter ascends to the penhouse on 2/F, he walks past files stacked along the staircase and at the corner.

80. 
    

81. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Since I bought the TV in 1991, it has remained there.

82. 
    

83. We follow Peter to see in addition to a large corner sofa, a big coffee table, and a refrigerator, there're hi-fi systems, an electric organ, a set of drums, guitars, and amphifliers.

84. 
    

85. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The large TV is situated in the far corner, intended to be undisturbed.

86. 
    

87. Pausing.

88. 
    

89. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The exit route for the TV should be as direct as possible.

90. 
    

91. Peter first pushes the coffee table aside and then separates the big sofa.

92. 
    

93. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): It requires a considerable effort.

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95. Looking weary, Peter sits on the edge of the separated sofa.

96. 
    

97. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I still need to push aside the electric organ, and after that, I've to clear all the obstacles from the staircases.

98. 
    

99. Pausing.

100. 
     

101. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I'm too tired to tackle that now. I'm no longer as energetic as I used to be.

102. 
     

103. Act 3

104. 
     

105. INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:45

107. Peter inserts an AI drawing titled: "Exit Routes..." to a draft on his laptop.

108. 
     

109. PETER (V.O): Exit routes are always there. They're just harder to see when I'm rushing.

110. 
     

111. Thinking.

112. 
     

113. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): And every exit is an entry somewhere else.

114. 
     

115. Reflecting.

116. 
     

117. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I don't leave places. I leave versions of myself.

118. 
     

119. FADE OUT

120. 
     

121. END