Back To The Future
FADE IN:
EXT. SHORELINE - DAY
Wearing a pair of goggles already, PETER tries to put on a snorkelling mask. A COACH (20s) signals to Peter that can't be done.
PETER (V.O.)
Without my prescription
goggles, I can only see
objects near.
INT. CAR TESTING CENTER - DAY
Waiting, Peter reads a car magazine article, featuring the DMC DeLorean sports car.
PETER (V.O.)
Well, its V6 engine can
only have about 130
horsepower. The car
just looks good.
INT. STUDY - DAY
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Myopia and looking good
are no different from
people engaging in politics.
They can't see beyond
the next selection or
election.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)
They've to appeal to the
populace who generally
prefer the present than
the future. To get political
capital, politicians find
quick solutions to crises.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
But deep-rooted issues
and longer-term solutions
need determined actors
to push through.
FLASHBACK
INT. OFFICE - DAY (1999)
Reading papers on his desk, Peter (45) pauses.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
The demands of the vested
interests of Hong Kong is
the highest in the world.
They ask criminal sanctions
against any copying in the
course of, or incidental to,
any business.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Is this good for Hong Kong in
the longer-term? Businesses
wanting to copy can get
licences from licensing bodies.
Recognizing creativity is the
first step to develop Hong
Kong's creative industry.
END FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Apart from protecting the
short-term copying culture
of businesses, there' s
no sound argument against
the proposed legal policy.
FLASHBACK
INT. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUILDING - DAY
Papers in hand, Peter engages in a deep discussion with a GENTLEMAN (40s).
GENTLEMAN
(In deep thoughts)
That's very strict!
Peter nods.
PETER
But it's a long-term solution
to a deep-rooted problem.
The Bill, if passed, should
change Hong Kong's
copying culture.
RETURN TO PRESENT
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
After the Bill was passed
but before its coming into
force, the business sector
objected strongly to the
law. As a result of the
political outcry, the law
was suspended by another
law in 2000.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
As a tenured and politically-
neutral civil servant, I had
no next election to worry
about. Although no one
asked me to, I said sorry
to the gentleman as he
might have lost some
political capital in endorsing
the Bill.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
As for me, that's how I
believed I could serve the
best interest of Hong Kong
in the longer term, even
though I was just a deputy
director then.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
The suspended law's
substance, in a diluted form,
became law in subsequent
piece-meal legislation. And
the deep-rooted problem
has largely gone away, as
copyright licensing for
business copying, which
didn't exist then, has become
the standard practice in
Hong Kong.
Peter relaxes on a sofa.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Do we need the China style of governance to solve deep-
rooted problems? I was
amazed to read the German
Chancellor Angela Merkel
took it as a gift of history
that she could participate in
the 75th anniversary of the
D-Day against Nazi Germany!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
The Extradition Amendment
Bill is a just catalyst for the
young to air their common
concern for their future. But
they should be honest and
refrain from violence.
Peter watches a BBC programme on future. We hear someone speaking: Why do we need to reinvent democracy for the long-term?
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
It 's high time Hong Kong
got to focus back to the future.
Peter looks excited.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
In Israel and Wales, there're
governmental institutions
focusing on the Well-being
for Future Generations. In
Japan, there's a New Design
Movement.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Has the well-being for future
generations be taken care of
in Hong Kong? Apparently,
no visible and tangible impact
can be felt.
EXT. SWIMMING POOL - NIGHT
Reaching the wall, Peter adjusts his prescription goggles.
PETER (V.O.)
Let me explore where to
buy a prescription snorkelling
mask so that distant objects
won't appear blurred to me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Control)
The story of the DMC DeLorean
sports car reminds me of my
Corolla 1.6 SR. It looked good
too - less dreamy but practical!
FADE OUT.
The End