Help Myself
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Mar 9, 2022
- 2 min read
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. STUDY - 12:00
Appearing, PETER puts a spectacle box on a desk.
PETER (V.O.): I've just got my new spectacles from the optical company.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I love its artistic frame.
Peter takes a photo of the case with his smartphone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The photo evidences that I've got it and it's on the desk.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've got to help myself to remember where I've put it.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Or it may disappear.
Act 2
INT. STUDY - 16:30
Peter is having screen time.
PETER (V.O.): Let me respond to some outstanding Quora answer requests.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A new fan asks me if I've come across any strange event that has got swept under the rug like it didn't even happen.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Let me tell her a short story about how my mouse has disappeared at home within 30 minutes.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For nearly six months now, I haven't been able to find it.
Peter begins to type on screen.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I don't think I've dumped it as rubbish. Anyhow.
After posting his answer, Peter checks another answer request.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Another new fan asks me why the robotic art work "Can Help Myself" is so powerful and emotional?
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Somebody with fine arts background has already responded.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He commented that the work is neither powerful nor emotional. It's no different from what people see in a car wash...
Surfing the web, Peter sees video clips on "Can't Help Myself" by Sun Yuan & Peng Yu.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me appreciate the art work myself.
We see on screen a robotic arm inside a glass cubicle, sweeping liquid like blood in a perfect circle endlessly...
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I think the dynamic, technical but fine art work reflects robotics as a world condition like humans', and so it is powerful.
Peter begins to type his answer.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I think the art work is emotional as it makes people sense the inner significance of the robotics-and-humans relationship.
Peter continues to type.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): More importantly, there's symmetry. Both humans and robots would have to slow down in due course, sharing the same sad destiny.
Peter then mines an image from his smartphone. We see a big hand in glove and a small hand in glove.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I took this photo in the Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. I helped myself to the artwork.
Finishing his typing, Peter inserts the image and posts his answer.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Now that I've formed my own appreciation of the art work, let me re-read the earlier answer.
Peter taps the screen.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Where has the other answer gone? This is a really strange. It was still there a moment ago.
Searching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): His comments sound as if he has no formal training in art. I just want to check if I've missed anything.
Searching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Not a trace. The answer has been deleted. Mine is the one.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Is he jealous of other better artists or critics?
Act 3
INT. STUDY - 22:00
Peter is working on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): When I was a kid, I knew I couldn't rely on others to help me out.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O)(Cont'd): When I was a department head, I expected more of myself than others.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): If we don't help ourselves, nobody will. This is especially so in adversities.
FADE OUT
THE END
Comments