The Fountain

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. BEDROOM - 01:03

6. 
   

7. The room is dark. A digital clock on a bedside table glows. PETER lies in bed perfectly still.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): But I feel the alertness in my body.

10. 
    

11. Peter reaches into a nearby bag and pulls out an eye mask to cover his eyes.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That's how I find my calm. When I was working full time, I couldn't sleep without it.

14. 
    

15. The same clock now reads: 06:47. Peter's eyes snap open beneath the mask, He rips it off.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Just the immediate pressure of the day. Right. Enough of that.

18. 
    

19. Peter picks up one of his smartphones and taps the screen, revealing dense legal text.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Reading isn't getting me anywhere. Let me jot down key authorities to frame my arguments.

22. 
    

23. Peter grabs another smartphone and launches a note-taking app.

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Bit by bit, I'd be able to shape my structured submission.

26. 
    

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. MONTAGE OF PETER'S AFTERNOON

30. 
    

31. A. Silverstrand beach - 13:45 . Peter swims with the focus he applied to his legal research.

32. 
    

33. B. Fastfood restaurant - 14:45. Before Peter is a bowl of wanton noodles and a glass of red bean ice.

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35. C. MTR train - 15:00. Carrying a bag, Peter stands holding a strap. He looks out the dark window, seeing his own reflection.

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37. D. HK park - 15:55. As Peter passes the entrance, he notices a circular fountain, with water cascading down from the top gracefully.

39. END MONTAGE

40. 
    

41. PETER (V.O.): When it was first built in 1991, I was already serving as a Senior Crown Counsel at the Law Reform Commission Secretariat.

43. As he watches the water dance, Peter snaps a few photos.

44. 
    

45. INT. HIGH COURT LIBRARY - 16:00

46. 
    

47. The hollowed silence of a great library.

48. 
    

49. PETER (V.O.): I love coming here as my former office was located nearby.

50. 
    

51. He selects a book from the shelf and settles down in the reading area.

52. 
    

53. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me revisit the fundamentals of the fountain of justice.

54. 
    

55. Reading.

56. 
    

57. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): On civil procedural justice, the underlying objectives are basic principles which will influence the court in exercising its discretion.

58. 
    

59. Reading.

60. 
    

61. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The objective to increase the cost-effectiveness of any practice or procedure has a close relationship with the objective to ensure that a case is dealt with as expeditiously as is reasonably practicable.

62. 
    

63. Reading,

64. 
    

65. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The objective of proportionality applies to discovery as well. In conducting such proceedings, there's the need to ensure procedural economy.

66. 
    

67. Reading.

68. 
    

69. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Another objective is to promote, as much as practicably possible, a level playing field between litigants of unequal resources.

70. 
    

71. Reading.

72. 
    

73. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Another objective is to promote settlement, through alternative dispute resolution.

74. 
    

75. Reading.

76. 
    

77. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The last objective is that for the proper administration of justice, there should be a fair distribution of the court's resources.

78. 
    

79. Reading.

80. 
    

81. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When applying the underlying objectives, the court shall always recognize that the primary aim in exercising the power of the court is to secure the just resolution of the disputes in accordance with the substantive rights of the parties.

82. 
    

83. Reading.

84. 
    

85. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Legal representatives have a duty to assist the court to further the underlying objectives.

86. 
    

87. Pausing.

88. 
    

89. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I think it takes time for the agents in the system to shift their aggressive litigation culture.

90. 
    

91. EXT. JUSTICE ROAD - 17:30

92. 
    

93. As he leaves a government building, Peter takes one last look at the fountain from afar.

94. 
    

95. PETER (V.O.): The fountain measures time not in seconds, but in careers. It saw my beginning, and now it watches me write the final chapter.

96. 
    

97. Pausing.

98. 
    

99. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I think I'm preparing for the last litigation of my career.

100. 
     

101. Act 3

102. 
     

103. INT. BEDROOM - 19:30

104. 
     

105. Peter uploads an image showing a circular fountain in Hong Kong Park, with water cascading down from a large ring-shaped top, onto a draft on his laptop.

106. 
     

107. PETER (V.O.): A fountain is a beautiful paradox; a fixed structure dedicated to the art of letting go. I've built my career in a similar way.

108. 
     

109. Thinking.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The fountain remains indifferent to my work pressure; its sole purpose is to be beautiful, adhering the law of gravity. I believe there is a lesson in that.

112. 
     

113. Reflecting.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The water is always moving, always new, yet the fountain remains. I spend my life in motion, chasing justice, and hope that the shape I leave behind is half as graceful.

116. 
     

117. FADE OUT

118. 
     

119. END