The Queue
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Apr 24, 2023
- 2 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. DINING ROOM - 08:45
Breakfast. As PETER reads a newspaper, we see the front page featuring the image of an old man.
PETER (V.O.): Oh, the 85-year old sculptor has committed suicide.
Peter checks other smaller images depicting the sculptor's art works.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, he's the sculptor of "Queue". It's a public art at the entrance of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Every time I walk past the "Queue", I'd observe it from different perspectives.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm also interested in watching how others would interact with it.
Act 2
INT. RESTAURANT - 14:30
Having his afternoon tea set, Peter checks some social media Apps on his phone screen.
PETER (V.O.): I've invested in the stocks of these platforms, although I believe I don't belong to any of their customer segments.
Checking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As their share prices have been falling, I now want to check if there's anything wrong with their business models.
We see on screen images of video clips with captions in Chinese.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The format is like the Chinese version of YouTube.
Scrolling the screen.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Here's one about visiting Hong Kong.
Peter taps the play arrow.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): See how others would tell the Hong Kong story.
Watching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, the character in the video clip was so lucky! Many commentators envied him.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He visited Hong Kong for the first time and managed to have a photo with actor Chow Yun-fat!
Peter watches another video clip.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, Hong Kong's public transport is very good.
We see on screen moving images of people queuing at a bus stop under the rain.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The maker of the video clip was surprised that no one jumped the queue.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Order is the health of the body, the sanity of the mind and the peace of the city.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The figures in the "Queue" at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre are queuing quietly.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No figure can jump the queue.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But now, the sculptor who created them has jumped the queue.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He has ended his life, when his wife is around.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Perhaps, living has become a nightmare for him.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And that his agony has reached an unendurable level.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But death isn't a very long sleep.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Any epic story of tomorrow can't be told if it ends today.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Should one have the courage to live life to the full, proposing more value to all?
Act 3
INT. SWIMMING POOL - 19:15
Entrance. There's neither a queue nor any public art.
PETER (V.O.): I appreciate public art. It helps people form a sense the place they live in is unique.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The role of the artist is to express whatever they believe in, share it and let the public appreciate it. I'm doing that in my own way.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Public art can tell the story of people's spirit and aspirations, and might transform society.
FADE OUT
THE END
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