The Red Flag Swim
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 04:45
Harsh, persistent light from ceiling lamps. PETER's eyes brink, once, twice. He stares directly at the lamp shades above him.
PETER (V.O.): I'm disoriented.
Later, a slow, profound realisation dawning on his face.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Well, I fell asleep without turing off the lights.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I must be very tired, Yesterday. I did many butterfly strokes.
Peter rises and goes to turn off the lights.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me sleep again. I plan to finish my professional work first thing in the morning.
Act 2
INT. LIVING ROOM - 09:30
Sunlight streams through the window. Peter sits at a desk. He signs some papers.
PETER (V.O.): Done.
Peter puts the signed papers and other materials into a briefcase.
INT. MEGA BOX - 10:30
Sports section. Peter picks up a navy blue hat and nods.
PETER (V.O.): I wear hats to shielf myself from the sun and to cover my white hair.
Peter's hands hover over a rack of simple, dark blue swimming briefs and chooses five in his size.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I'm in Hong Kong, I make it a point to swim every day.
Peter then selects four pairs of optical goggles.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And I swim with optical goggles.
Peter pays at the cashier.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This is how I reward myself after completing my professional work.
INT. CONSULTATION ROOM - 15:30
Peter consults DR LAM.
PETER (V.O.): Since I turned 60, Dr Lam has been providing excellent care for my health.
DR LAM: You're my most predictable patient. Have you maintained your swimming routine?
PETER: I swim daily whenever I'm not travelling abroad.
DR LAM: What inspires you?
PETER: I encourage myself to swim while I still can; I don't want to regret not swimming enough when the opportunity is gone.
EXT. STANLEY MAIN BEACH - 16:45
Arriving, Peter sees a red flag flying.
PETER (V.O.): The red flag is a warning for the many. The swim is a ritual for me who knows the difference.
Stripping off his shirt and trousers, we see Peter is already wearing swimming briefs.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I see a warning. I see an invitation to remember my own strength.
Peter wades into the water.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Courage isn't ignoring the red flag. It's understanding it, respecting the message, and then makes a conscious deliberation.
Peter begins to swim along the buoyline.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The red flag is for the young, who believe they're immortal. The swim is for the old, who know they're not, and choose to live anyway.
Peters swims increasing farther away from the shore.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Defiance doesn't have to be loud or destructive. It can be a quiet, personal act of staying true to one's own path, without needing to prove anything to anyone.
Peter then swims towards one of the round floating platforms within the swimming area.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My red flag swim comes from a profound awareness of mortality and a conscious decision to engage with life fully.
Peter reaches and climbs up the floating platform.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): At 71, I stop swimming against the current. I learn its rhythm, and I find my place within the pull.
After som resting, Peter glances at the lifeguard tower on the distant shore, leaves the platform and swims back to the shore.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the red flag swim, there's no audience . The only one I must reassure is the lifeguard on the shore of my own doubt.
After emerging from the water, Peter walks by two sunbathers, clad in bikinis.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The safe shore is for spectators. I've never learned anything true about myself from the sand.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 22:00
Peter uploads a photo showcasing a prominent red flag waving at Stanley Main Beach to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): I've my red flag dream - the one thing I must avoid not because it's safe, but because it makes me feel truly alive.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They measure the waves and the wind. I'm measuring the weight of a finished life against the buoyancy of a soul that still wants to float.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In other words, the swim isn't about the physical conditions, but a spiritual check-in - a test of my continued vitality and will to live.
FADE OUT
END
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