The Longest Short Day
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 02:O5
PETER stares at the screen of his laptop. On screen are the final lines of a screenplay. He re-reads it and does some editing.
PETER (V.O.): Almost done.
He hits "Save", the "Publish", then "Share". He grabs his phone and reads his post.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Commas and fullstops look quite the same to me now.
After replacing a comma with a fullstop, he rubs his eyes.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It takes me, on average, three hours to write a 2-3 minute docudrama.
INT. DINING ROOM - 08:00
Peter is sharing breakfast with Kaji, the family pet.
PETER (V.O.): The routine is an anchor. Without it, we drift.
He finishes his drink, pats Kaji on the head, and shuffles back towards the bedroom.
Act 2
INT. BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
Peter is asleep again. His faces twitches in a dream.
DREAM SEQUENCE
A minimalist landscape. Peter is astride a motorcyle on top of a tall structure. But his bike is stuck there. It wouldn't budge. Panic sets in,
PETER (V.O.): How come? Is it a dream?
END DREAM SEQUENCE
He brinks, disoriented. He looks at the bedside clock: 11:45.
PETER (V.O.): I solved it. I woke up. Very mature.
He looks at the clock again.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I feel guilty. But I've few obligations now. That's not emptiness-that's space.
He stretches. A sense of freedom settles on him.
INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Peter stares at his phone screen. He completes a Duolingo exercise in Spanish. A streak counter showing 817 days.
PETER (V.O.): Done. Done is a form of beauty to me!
He closes the app and opens Facebook. He scrolls through feeds. He stops at a post.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's a story about how the 1964 song "Downtown" was conceived and marketed.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The British composer, Tony Hatch, was visiting New York and got the inspiration.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): How could he write such a catchy tune? What's his background.
Researching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd):Oh, he's a pianist, among others.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That's one of reasons why I want to play the piano. I want to compose better songs.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, he also composed the song "Look For a Star" from the 1960 film "Circus of Horrors".
His face lights up with recognition.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I watched the horror film...but this song was so dreamy.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A song that doesn't fit its movie is still a song. Sometimes, the mismatch is the beauty.
He types "How to play Look For a Star on piano?" into the search bar. Nothing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me work it out myself- the best work I ever do is the work nobody assigned me.
Peter begins to solve the music puzzle. He gets lost in the process.
INT. LIVING ROOM - 18:45
Peter is back at the piano. His hair is wet. He plays "Look For a Star". It's rough. The rhythm is a little off. But it's recognizably the song.
PETER (V.O.): I swim because it reminds me I'm small. I compose and write because they remind me I'm not nothing.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 22:00
Peter uploads an image to a draft on his laptop. It shows late afternoon sunlight streaming through a landscape behind a parked car, evoking the seasonal extremity of daylight.
PETER (V.O.): I don't always have to save the world. Sometimes, I just have to save a song.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Length isn't measured in hours-it's measured in moments of geniune engagement.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The longest short day taught me this: when I stop counting what I've lost and start counting what I've found between the notes, the day stretches enough to hold everything that matters.
The END
FADE OUT
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