Song of the Wind
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Nov 1, 2022
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. STUDY - 10:00
Looking out the window, PETER sees the grey sky.
PETER (V.O.): It's already Nov. But a tropical cyclone is approaching Hong Kong.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I didn't expect that at all. Is it because of climate change?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've a HKUST meeting on knowledge transfer this afternoon and other HKUST meetings for the next two days.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, I've been doing lots of voluntary work, from innovation to creativity.
Act 2
INT. STUDIO - 12:00
Following an online piano tutorial, Peter is practising his fingering on a Clavinova.
PETER (V.O.): I'm never tired of hearing Percy Faith's version of "Theme from A Summer Place". I now want to play it myself.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When the music was written in 1959, I was a five-year old kid living in Central.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My Dad was a newspaper photographer, shooting and processing black & white photos for Chui Yin Po 超然報.
FLASHBACK
INT. OFFICE, CHIU YIN PO, CENTRAL - DAY (1959)
Sitting by a sea view window, Peter (5) watches ferries berthing.
PETER (V.O.): I know those on the left are to or from Sham Shui Po. Those carrying vehicles are to or from Jordan Road.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I can sit here for hours while my Dad is working. I enjoy listening to the song of the wind too.
SEQENCE OF PETER'S FERRY TRIPS - DAY (1959)
A. Supported by his DAD (26), Peter (5) gazes the view of Kowloon from an open front window of a Yaumatei vehicular ferry.
B. Repeat. We see the view of Hong Kong island and hear the song of the wind.
END SEQUENCE
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Then, my Dad loved to take me to Tin Sum San Tsuen to check the construction work progress of our farm there.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When we took the long bus rides from Jordan Road and return, we sat in the front.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My Dad believed that looking ahead, I won't get motion sickness.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In 1962, two years after we moved to Tin Sum San Tsuen, we experienced the super tropical cyclone Wanda. It almost lifted away the roof of our new home.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We also felt Wanda's calm center. The interim nothingness gave us a break to calm ourselves for awhile before facing the music again.
EXT. HONG KOND CLUB BUILDING, CENTRAL - 17:45
Strong winds. Exiting, Peter takes a photo of the grey sky.
PETER (V.O.): Innovative and creative talents are like cyclones, pulling everything into their path.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yesterday, I was lucky.
FLASHBACK
EXT. ESTATE STREET - 12:45 (YESTERDAY)
Windy. Having just walked past temporary barriers for pavement works, Peter hears a big "Bang!"
PETER (V.O.): What's happening?
Turning his head, Peter sees the barriers have been blown down by the wind. A WORKMAN leaves his work station to put up the barriers again.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): If they hit my waist or legs, I'd sustain injuries. Why can't he leave them as they're?
RETURN TO PRESENT
Act 3
INT. STUDY - 20: 45
We hear the song of the wind outside.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Weather and climate aren't the same.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While extreme weather is thrust upon us, we might change the climate, for better or for worse.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To be able to witness HKUST cultivating the climate of innovation and creativity, I feel happy.
From his phone, Peter sees an incoming email. We see on screen: In case the Warning Signal No.8 is hoisted tomorrow, we'd continue the scheduled meeting, via Zoom.
THE END
.
FADE OUT
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