EXT. SHIMEN TING DOLL SHOP - NIGHT

Wandering alone on streets of a summer night in dazzling Taipei Shimen Ting, HAN LAN is looking, as if looking for someone.

Han Lan sees a doll shop. Dolls lined-up on the shelf, a few baskets of toys outside, the shop’s warm light projects into the gloomy street.

On the bench under a street tree across the street, a sitting white woman is smoking. That is EWELINA. Her pose hints she is waiting for someone.

EWELINA is a 23 years old country girl from Poland. Equipped with brown hair and a pair of greenish eyes, she used to be curious about the world, but now it’s too easy to see the defiance in her eyes- perhaps it was the nature of her job that changed her.

Lan makes eye contact with Ewelina. Ewelina smiles at Lan but Lan turns without noticing it. As Lan stops by the doll shop, Ewelina stands up, passes the crowd and reaches Lan.

HAN LAN is a 22 years old Taiwanese man. Losing his right eye while he studied in the US, he grows long hair to cover his flaw. Good-looking, sentimental, world-weary face decorated with slight feminine traits that originate from being raised wealthily in Taipei.

Ewelina
Hello.

Lan turns to Ewelina in amaze.

Lan
Hi?

Ewelina
You speak English? Great.

Lan
I do.

Ewelina
You are cute.

Ewelina picks up a doll and plays with it.

Lan
Thank you.

Ewelina
Your name?

Lan
Lan.

Ewelina drops the doll.

Ewelina
This way.

Lan
Where?

Ewelina
Let’s take a walk?

Lan
Huh?

Lan hesitates for a moment-

Lan(CONT’D)
Sure, why not?

EXT. SHIMEN TING STREET – NIGHT

Lan and Ewelina walk away from the doll shop, wander between the light and shadow on the streets. Lan’s long hair, odd to people in Taipei, blends in only at this trendy district.

Lan
So where are you from?

Ewelina
Poland.

Lan
And why are you here?

Ewelina
And what do you think?

Lan
Tourism?

Ewelina
Haha, yeah, I wish. I used to travel a lot, when I was a kid, but had never been to Asia.

Lan
Me too.

Ewelina
Where have you been?

Lan
Many. Mostly in Europe, and some places like Japan and the US.

Ewelina
That’s quite a lot. What’s your favourite?

Lan
(pause)
I guess any place with a view of the sea.

Ewelina
I like the beach as well.

A moment of silence. Lan’s eyesight remains on a neon sign of a shop.

Ewelina
Why?

Lan
Why?

Ewelina
(pause)Why do you like the beach?

Lan
You’d really like to know?

Ewelina
You don’t know how happy I am running inton another English speaker, after being quiet for 3 months.

Lan
You’ve been here for 3 months.

Ewelina
Yes, and no one speaks English here. How can you speak English so well?

Lan
I was studying in the States.

Ewelina
Did you graduate?

Lan
No.

Ewelina
Why not?

Lan
I didn’t see the point of going to school– not anymore.

Ewelina
What were you studying?

Lan
Music.

Following Ewelina, Lan turns and walks into an alley.

EXT. SHIMEN TING ALLEY – NIGHT

Ewelina
What happened to your eyes?

Lan
(pause)
You meant my hairstyle.

Ewelina
Well, if it’s personal I won’t ask. Just so you know it might be a little uncomfortable.

Lan
Uncomfortable?

Ewelina
You’d keep the lights on or off?

Lan
What?

Ewelina
Never mind. We are almost there.

Crossing the alley, they have reached a bigger street.

EXT. OUTSIDE THE APARTMENT BUILDING – NIGHT

Following Ewelina’s footsteps, Lan stops outside an apartment building.

Ewelina
This way.

Lan
Where are we going?

Ewelina
My place.

Ewelina taps the sensor with her key card and opens the entrance to the building.

INT. APARTMENT BUILDING HALL – NIGHT

Passing by an university student, the two reach the lift. Ewelina presses the button to call the lift. Lan seems hesitant; not for long, the lift arrives. Lan follows Ewelina into the lift-

INT. LIFT – NIGHT

Ewelina presses the button for the fourth floor– the lift ascends, slowly.

Ewelina
You know, you have to pay first.

The whole thing suddenly makes sense to Lan– he stares at Ewelina, loses in his thoughts for a while, as Ewelina looks back at him, confused.

Lan
(beat)
Sure.

Lan takes out his wallet.

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
Ten thousand yuan.

Lan finds only eight thousand in his wallet.

Lan
Eight thousand first, then rest later?

Ewelina
I can take that… you don’t trust me?

Lan
The thing is, I didn’t withdraw enough. If you will let me go downstairs and find an ATM–

Ewelina
It’s ok. Special discount for you.

Lan
I’m fine.

Ewelina
You have no idea how relieved I am to be able to speak to someone. I know some Chinese, such as ‘ni hao’, ‘xie xie’, ‘ni ji sui’– how old are you?

The life arrives at the fourth floor and the door opens, and Ewelina walks out the lift.

Left in the lift, Lan is undecided.

INT. THE FOURTH FLOOR – NIGHT

Lan stays in the lift, unmoved. As the lift door is about to close, he blocks the door with his hand.

Ewelina turns–

Ewelina
(look into the lift)Hey, are you ok?

Lan
Yes, I’m just tired.

Lan leaves the lift.

INT. SUITE ENTRANCE - NIGHT

The two arrives at the end of the corridor where Ewelina’s suite is. There is no sensor. Ewelina finds her real key and unlocks the door.

Lan
So, how long have you been doing this?

Ewelina
Since I got here. Like 3 months. Sorry I am not a virgin.

Lan
(smiles)
I guess not.

Ewelina opens the door.

Ewelina
All my clients wanted to know how old I am and the size of my bra, except you want to know how long I have been doing this.

Lan
I guess I am the strange one.

INT. EWELINA’S SUITE – NIGHT

Ewelina turns on the brightness-adjustable light to the low level. This is a small ensuite room, typical in Taipei, or in any metropolitan city. A double bed and a small desk with a TV on it have occupied most of the space. The white room floor dyed the colour of seashell by usage and warm light. Lan notices a small window above the TV.

Ewelina
You want to take a shower?

Lan
I wouldn’t mind taking a shower.

Ewelina
Help yourself.

Lan opens the door to the bathroom in the dark. He finds the switch on the wall, turns on the light and enters the shower.

Ewelina sits down on the bed and turns on the TV. On the TV there are Chinese news that she has no clue of: AN UNEMPLOYED FATHER STRANGLED HIS TWO DAUGHTERS AND COMMITED SUICIDE IN HUALIEN.

Sound of water flows from the bathroom blends in with the TV sound. Ewelina switches the TV to the soft piano music channel. She stands up and starts to take off her clothes until only underwear left.

Finding a lipstick, she looks into the small mirror on the TV to find her own reflection, and applies a little make-up.

EXT. OUTSIDE THE APARTMENT BUILIDING – NIGHT

It’s quite late after they finish. Lan stands alone by the street. A motorcyclist drives passed him by. Lan raises his hand to hail a taxi, which stops in front of him. He opens the door and moves on.

EXT. TAXI – NIGHT

Watching the city lights on the car window, Lan notices his own reflection. Some rain drops on the window, making the city light on Han Lan’s face mottled.

INT. LAN’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

An apartment of a wealthy owner. Lan’s bedroom is two times bigger than Ewelina’s suite.

Sitting on his own bed, Lan’s sight remains on the window. He stands up and comes forward to the window. Lan stretches his right hand to reach the window – and then withdraws his fingers to touch his right eye under his hair.

It’ll soon be the twilight. Lan opens the curtain while covering his right eye, and watches the rain outside the window drops.

EXT. TAROKO CLIFF – NIGHT

Lan is on the edge of the Taroko cliff. He closes his eyes and leaps off. There are so many stars in the night sky above. Lan’s right eye is exposed by the wind in mid-air– he actually isn’t blind at all.

INT. LAN’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

Lan opens his eyes. The view on the window is still dark. He glances at the shiny electronic clock in the dark. It’s 7PM– he had slept for more than 10 hours.

Lan closes his eyes in weary.

INT. MRT PLATFORM SHIMEN TING STATION - NIGHT

The Taipei MRT station is a bit crowded. Ewelina, wearing a mini skirt, is standing in a group of office workers who have just got off work, waiting for the train.

Not far away, a group of people wearing slippers and shorts are expecting the same train.

INT. MRT TRAIN BANNAN LINE - NIGHT

Leaning against the door, Ewelina observes the passengers in the MRT train. Taiwanese people cast a curious eye on this foreigner. A few teen by the car corner sneak at Ewelina’s thighs.

INT. LAN’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Lan’s apartment is on the tenth floor of a building near MRT Zhongxiao Dunhua station. A floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Taipei’s night scene. Outside the window a beautiful glass balcony is situated. We see an opened can of beer left on the table next to the window– and Lan, with a VR glasses on his head, lies on the sofa, heads up as if paralysed.

INT. MRT ZHONGXIAO DUNHUA STATION – NIGHT

Ewelina taps out the station with EasyCard, stops in front of a map. Translated English texts on the map is placed vertically alongside the Chinese texts, leaving her having to bend her head to stare at English texts.

EXT. STREET AT EASTERN DISTRICT OF TAIPEI – NIGHT

Ewelina stops right in the centre of the bustling crossroad of Dunhua Street. She finds the street sign and double checks with the address appearing on her smartphone. She chooses her path and starts moving.

EXT. ENTRANCE OF THE MANSION – NIGHT

Ewelina comes forward to the entrance of a skyscraper mansion. She rings the door bell and waits quietly.

Not for long, RICH, a nervous-looking young Taiwanese student at the high school age, appears at the entrance. Rich, in his best shirt, shakes hand with Ewelina.

INT. STUDENT’S LIVINGROOM - NIGHT

In a luxurious and brightly lit living room, Ewelina and Rich are staring at each other. Ewelina stands near the door whereas Rich sits on the sofa.

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
Did you make the call?

Rich
(in Chinese)
Ah, you can understand Chinese?

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
I can speak a little.

Rich nods, stands up and approaches Ewelina nervously.

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
Money.

Rich freezes and then turns, then disappears into a room. Ewelina takes her time to look around the living room and sits down on the sofa.

Rich comes back from the room, quickly hands some banknotes to Ewelina-

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
Want to start now, or take a shower?

Rich
(in Chinese)
Ah– I have already taken one. Would you like to take shower?

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
How old are you?

Rich
(in Chinese)
Me?

The young student pauses for a sec–

Rich(CONT’D)
(in English)
Eighteen.

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
Sixteen?

No answer from the shy boy.

Ewelina(CONT’D)
Well, I don’t mind, as long as your parents won’t be back early.

Rich shakes his head. He doesn’t understand what Ewelina is saying.

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
Your mom and dad... will go home?

Rich
(in Chinese)
(beat)You are looking for my dad and mom? They are on- a business trip.

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
Business TRAP?

Rich
(trying to explain in Chinese)
Busi-ness tri-p.

Ewelina
Good. You want to do it here, or in the bedroom?

Rich shakes his head again.

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
The bed is where?

Rich freezes again.

Ewelina smiles and stands up, slowly approaches the young boy.

INT. LAN’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Lan takes off the VR glasses- to close his eyes. Few seconds after, he opens his left eye again. He turns to look at the night on the floor-to-ceiling window. There is a keyboard with a stand next to the window.

Lan picks up the keyboard from the stand, returns to the sofa, puts the keyboard on his laps, and begins to play– it's the piano music that was on the TV when he was bathing at Ewelina's suite last night.

As he plays, he closes his eyes again.

INT. RICH BEDROOM – NIGHT

The boy asleep on bed. Ewelina, in underwear, gets up and puts on her clothes before she leaves the room.

INT. BATHROOM – NIGHT

Ewelina opens door, surprised by the luxury of the bathroom. She takes a breath and steps into the bathtub.

INT. LAN’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Lan stops playing. He picks up the phone on the table, hesitated, and then walks to the balcony.

EXT. LAN’S BALCONY – NIGHT

Lan finds the pants worn last night from the unwashed laundry, and draws a note with a phone number on it from the pocket.

Lan leans on the balcony, overlooking the city, dials in the number-

Lan
Can I see you tomorrow?

Ewelina
(O.S.)
Can you call again in a bit? I am in my bath. I will call you later.

Lan
Alright.

Lan is about to hang up the phone.

Ewelina
(V.O.)
And you are– ah, it’s you, isn’t it?

Lan
It’s me.

Ewelina
Ok, you can see me tomorrow. Same time same place? You know the person I just saw–

INT. EWELINA’S SUITE – NIGHT

The room is dimly lit, the only source of light is the city lights on the window.

Lan and Ewelina lay naked on the bed.

Lan
You really did it with that student?

Ewelina
Yeah, but that was nothing, compared to the old man I had last month.

A second of silence.

Lan
What was he like?

Ewelina
He was a cripple.

Lan
A cripple?

Ewelina
He was on a wheelchair, couldn’t even walk. His Indonesian carer called me.

Lan
How did you...

Ewelina
Yeah, well, I didn’t do anything strange. Just did it with my hand.

Lan
And his carer was there?

Ewelina
No. He seems to be some sort of successful athlete when he was young. Retired when he was 30 or something. His family doesn’t give a shit about him, except for his money, obviously.

Lan
Maybe he should’ve just asked the carer to do it for him, instead of hiring an expensive girl?

Ewelina
The Olympic game he took gold was held in Germany.

Lan laughs in the dark.

Lan
So he wanted a white girl, to find back his youth... you were his dream girl.

Ewelina
How could you know?

Lan
Well, sometimes I can read people’s minds.

Ewelina
How?

Lan
By looking at their faces. People’s appearances change with their minds. I read a person’s mind by looking at their eyes.

Ewelina
Yeah, but you never know.

Lan
I dislike ugly faces, because I dislike ugly minds.

Ewelina
Is my mind ugly?

Lan
Your mind- is cute, bad, definitely not ugly. I am a bad person too, so being bad is a compliment.

Ewelina
I guess so. Of course you can’t be too good or people will take advantage of you.

Lan
I won’t take advantage of you.

Ewelina
Thanks.

Lan
You would take advantage of me?

Ewelina
You never know.

A sudden silence drops in and out.

Lan
Can I use your bathroom?

Ewelina
Don’t pee on the floor.

Lan stands up, turns on the bathroom light and opens the door. He enters the bathroom and closes the door gently behind him.

INT. EWELINA’S SUITE BATHROOM – NIGHT

The bathroom’s bright yellow light makes Lan unable to open her left eye. As he is about to pee, he notices a pair of slippers on the ground.

Lan puts on the slippers, raises the toilet seat and starts to pee.

Flushing, Lan pumps a few toilet papers and wets them under the water tap. He wipes the old urine stains that were left on the toilet seat.

INT. EWELINA’S SUITE – NIGHT

Lan opens the bathroom door. The bright light shines on Ewelina's half-naked body lying on the bed. Lan dazzles for a sec.

Ewelina
What? Turn it off. It hurts my eyes.

Lan turns off the bathroom light. Ewelina's suite fell into twilight’s darkness again.

Lan sits down by the bed.

Lan
Nice slippers.

Ewelina
Brought them from home.

Lan
Why?

Ewelina
Don’t know why, there were some spaces left in my bag and those slippers were easy to squish in.

Ewelina pauses for a sec-

Ewelina(CONT’D)
There were some really beautiful sea back home, you might like them… I lived in a small coastal village, Jastrzębia Góra. It's very close to a tiny peninsula named Hel. The peninsula is really narrow at some point that you see water on the both side.

Lan
Baltic Sea?

Ewelina
Yes. Kinda blue, kinda white— but it's not blue, it's not white, it's cyan.

Lan
I ’d like to go there someday.

Ewelina
I saw your eye, not on purpose.

Silence.

Ewelina(CONT’D)
What do you think of my face?

Lan
(pause)
When I saw you on that street, I thought you were very beautiful, and then I felt sad.

Ewelina
Because of my job?

Lan
I didn’t know- I wasn’t sure then. Your beauty could brought men joys, and sadness.

Ewelina
You are the first man who told me this.

Lan
I guess the others only see the joys.

Ewelina
So you want to be sad?

Lan
I want something else.

Ewelina
Death.

Lan
What?

Ewelina
You are thinking about dying. I thought about that as well… now it’s my turn to use the bathroom. Can you hand me my bra?

Lan feels around for Ewelina's bra on the ground.

Ewelina gets up from the bed, takes the bra from Lan and puts on. She then turns on the bathroom’s light, opens the door-

Lan
I should get going too.

The bathroom door half-opened, the bright light inside shines out. Ewelina by the door, one foot in the bathroom, stops after hearing Lan's words. She turns to look at Lan. They stare at each other quietly for a while.

Ewelina
What would be your last words?

Lan
I love you?

Ewelina
Not very original.

Lan
Yeah.

Ewelina stretches her hand into the tiny bathroom to reach a hair ring, then starts tying her hair by the bathroom door.

Ewelina
You want to be buried? Or cremate?

Lan
Just throw me into the sea.

Ewelina
You want to be eaten by fish?

Lan
Better than being buried. I don’t want to be buried under some rocks and dusts, and my children and grandchildren would come visit me once a year or something.

Ewelina
I would be cremated, and my dust can go wherever. Which sea?

Lan
What?

Ewelina
Which sea do you want to be thrown into? Or doesn’t matter?

Lan
Blue sea.

Ewelina
Might be difficult to find one.

TITLE-

Cyan

INT. BUS NO.22 - DAY

Lan holds the handles, shaking as the bus travels.

Next to Lan is a group of elementary students on a school tour. Lan's gaze rests on a BRIGHT-EYED LITTLE GIRL.

EXT. ENTRANCE OF ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN(XIANGSHAN) – DAY

Lan gets off the bus at the foot of Elephant Mountain, watches the school students heading towards the mountain trail entrance.

EXT. ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN TRAIL - DAY

Lan walks on the Elephant Mountain Trail, paying all his attentions to the mountain climbing.

The urban skyscrapers under the mountain and the natural scenery are but merely a short walk away. A beauty of contradiction quietly resides in this scenery.

EXT. ELEPHANT MOUNTAINSIDE - DAY

Lan passes by several tourists who are taking pictures with the stone monument carved with the word ‘Xiangshan’.

EXT. ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN TRAIL HALFWAY - DAY

Shinning sun above. Lan passes three tourists. As he reaches a fork, he chooses a quiet path that no one took.

EXT. ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN TRAIL UPPER - DAY

Lan turns and comes to a mountain road not far from the top of the mountain. Taipei's cityscape on his left, but he doesn't pay much attention.

A crackling sound is heard down at his feet- he stepped on something. He lowers his head, then squats down to look. It’s a snail. Its shell has cracked and is still struggling.

Lan
(in Chinese)
I'm sorry.

A drop of rain drips on Lan's face. A little rain drizzles down on the mountain.

He stands up, look afar to the depth of mountain opposite direction to the Taipei cityscape.

Branches of several trees cover one-third of the sky. Rain falls into a small space circles by the branches. Under the bright sunlight, raindrops reflecting dazzling lights almost resemble white snow.

The students on their school tour which he encountered earlier appear behind the mountain road, and slowly approach him.

Lan stands still, making the students have to bypass him and the broken snail to go forward. He stands quietly, waiting until the students have all walked away.

INT. EWELINA’S SUITE - DAY

Ewelina wakes up from her dream. The sun light from the window is bright. It’s already afternoon.

EXT. ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN TRAIL UPPER – DAY

Lan watches the shattered snail on the ground for a while, then turns away to start climbing down the mountain.

INT. MRT TRAIN BANNAN LINE - DAY

Lan stands on the train to SHIMEN TING. Inside tunnel the car window is dark, making it hard to distinguish whether it’s day or night-

EXT. SHIMEN TING STREET - Night

Lan walks down the streets of Shimen Ting at night.

EXT. OUTSIDE THE APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT

Lan arrives downstairs at Ewelina's and makes the phone call-

Ewelina
(in Chinese)
Hello?

Hearing Ewelina's voice, Lan looks up at the dim Taipei sky.

EXT. SHIMEN TING FROM AERIAL – NIGHT

As dazzling as ever, the night streets of Shimen Ting is brightly lit, however the corners out of reach are buried in the dark. It’s gorgeous, noisy, yet lonely.

INT. APARTMENT BUILDING HALL – NIGHT

Ewelina appears downstairs to greet Lan. The two walk towards the lift while talking.

INT. EWELINA’S SUITE – NIGHT

Lan sits on a tiny wooden chair by the corner of the room. Ewelina, watching a football game on her bed with a tablet, is having a sandwich from a convenience store with one hand– another hand holding her beautiful head.

Lan leans over to Ewelina, wondering where her mind is at-

Ewelina
Shall we start?

Lan
Oh no, let’s talk.

Ewelina pats the bed, signals Lan to sit on the bed.

Ewelina
Which team do you support?

Lan
I don’t really watch football games.

Ewelina shrugs and continues to watch the game.

A score! Ewelina grabs Lan's hand-

Lan
That’s my hand.

Ewelina
What? You can touch me and I can’t touch you?

Lan
Yes you can.

Ewelina
I’m not gonna pay you for this.

Lan
I don’t mind.

Ewelina
Then you don’t have to pay me either.

Lan
I will, don’t worry.

Ewelina
No, I am serious. I’ve got enough to live. I don’t wish to charge you too much.

Lan
(pause)
Alright.

Ewelina
What did you want to talk about?

Lan
I’m sorry?

Ewelina
You said you wanted to talk.

Lan
Oh, it was nothing, I just don’t want to– well, we can talk about the football games.

Ewelina
You said you don’t watch football games.

Lan
I guess not. We can talk about you.

Ewelina is still watching the football game, but her mind is no longer on the game.

Ewelina
What do you want to know?

Lan
Why are you doing this? Your job.

Ewelina
At first, for living. And now it has become my job.

Lan
Don’t you want to go back? To Poland?

Ewelina
I can’t.

Lan
Why?

Ewelina
I’ve overstayed my visa and worked illegally, and I would be sent to the prison for foreigners if I got caught. ‘wai guo ren shou rong suo’, foreigners shelter, that’s how they call it.

Lan
I didn’t know there is such a place.

Ewelina
I don’t mind not going back. I would be doing the same thing anyway. Everywhere is the same.

Lan
People are the same.

Ewelina
I think they are different.

Lan
But they have one thing in common. People— they want to live, so they take from others, and they sometimes do horrible things just to live. They have all kind of needs, sleeping, eating, mating— and that's why I am here, huh?

Ewelina
(laughs)You are here to mate with me?

Lan
(laughs)
Not exactly.

Ewelina
Then why are you here for?

Lan
What do you think?

INT. EWELINA’S SUITE – NIGHT

In the dark, the two lie naked in bed-

Ewelina
Why did you want to die? Because of your eye?

Lan
Yes.

Ewelina
You can still see, and you look good without it.

Lan
It’s not that.

Ewelina
Then why?

Lan
Because I am crazy. (pause)Hey, you like the city?

Ewelina
Haven’t seen much of it.

Lan
Let’s go somewhere this weekend.

Ewelina
Am I doing horrible things for living, in your opinion?

Lan
No, I’ve seen far worse. (pause)Maybe just a little.

EXT. STREET OUTSIDE AN CONVENIENCE STORE - NIGHT

A yellow taxi parks outside an convenience store. Lan gets off the car and walks into the store.

INT. CONVENIENCE STORE - NIGHT

Lan takes a pack of beer from the fridge and walks to the counter. A young STAFF at his early 20s awaits in the counter.

Staff
(in Chinese)
It's two hundred and twenty-four yuan.

Lan takes out cash from his pocket-

Staff(CONT’D)
(in Chinese)
Do you have your ID with you?

Hesitant, Lan takes out his ID card from the wallet and hands to the staff. On the ID Lan's eyes were still intact, and his hair didn't cover his right eye.

Staff
(in Chinese)
It looks a little different from you.

Lan
(in Chinese)
It was taken two years ago.

Staff
(in Chinese)
Have you done the mandatory military service yet?

Lan
(in Chinese)
Not yet.

Lan hands his cash to the staff. The staff opens the cash register and starts to change.

Staff
(in Chinese)
I finished my duty last month and was forced to shave my head. I used to have longer hair than you! At that time, I was really afraid to serve in the army, and desperately trying to do an alternative civilian service instead, but ended up I still had to be fucked for two months as a trainee in Chenggongling base.

Lan
(in Chinese)
Alternative service? What kind?

Staff
(in Chinese)
Taking care of the elderly in the elderly home. I wanted to be a social worker. I even went to college for it. However after I am done with the service, I am done with it. Found out that I had to feed myself before I feed the others.

The staff hands Lan his beer in a plastic bag.

Lan
(in Chinese)
Why don't you get your long hair back?

Clerk
(in Chinese)
I have to work now. I don't have that freedom anymore. (pause)I envy you.

Lan
(in Chinese)
Do you drink?

Staff
(in Chinese)
I don't.

Lan takes out a can of beer from the plastic bag-

Lan
(in Chinese)
Try this one.

EXT. TAXI - Night

A taxi drives across streets at night. Lan looks out the window.

INT. LAN’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Lan enters the house and turns on the lights. An opened can of beer is resting in his hand.

Lan sits on the sofa, picks up the VR glasses resting on the sofa, and puts them on.

INT. EWELINA’S SUITE – NIGHT

Light off in the room. Ewelina sits on the bed watching the TV glowing in the dark. News reports that A MILD TYPHOON IS ABOUT TO LAND IN TAIWAN FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN OVER THE WEEKEND.

INT. LAN’S BALCONY – NIGHT/DAY

The drizzle from the middle of the night drenches on the laundry left on the balcony.

As the dawn approaches, the rain stops, and the wet clothes lie on the floor quietly.

INT. LAN’S LIVING ROOM - DAY

Lan wakes up from the sofa, still wearing VR glasses. He takes off the glasses and stares at the balcony.

INT. LAN’S BALCONY - DAY

Lan takes off his white T-shirt and throws it into the pile of clothes.

INT. LAN’S LIVING ROOM – DAY

Lan opens the closet. He then finds that there is no cloth left at all in the closet.

EXT. LAN’S BALCONY – DAY

Lan knees down in front of the unwashed clothes, trying to find a piece of dry cloth from a wet pile of wrinkled laundry.

INT. LAN’S LIVING ROOM – DAY

The clock time displayed on the microwave oven is 1:34 PM

EXT. LAN’S BALCONY – DAY

Lan, wearing the same white T-shirt, stands still on the balcony and overlooks Taipei.

INT. JAPANESE-BRAND CLOTHING STORE – DAY

Lan is trying to make decision from plenty of similar styles shirts displayed on the shelves. Eventually he picks out a white shirt and a blue shirt.

INT. CLOTHING STORE COUNTER - DAY

Lan wears the a blue shirt and approaches the YOUNG FEMALE STAFF with the white shirt in hand.

Lan
(in Chinese)
Excuse me, I’d like to get these.

Young Female Staff
(in Chinese)
Wait, there is only one here.

Lan
(in Chinese)
And this one on me. I am gonna wear it immediately, thanks.

EXT. CLOTHING STORE - NIGHT

It’s already evening as Lan comes out of the clothing store.

EXT. ZHONGXIAO EAST ROAD – NIGHT

On the way home, Lan takes out his phone from his pocket while walking. There is only one unnamed contact on his call record, he makes the call.

The phone beeps- and Lan stops in front of a street tree. He leans against the tree and watches cars passing in front of him.

No one answers, the phone enters the voicemail. Lan hangs up the voicemail and makes the call again-

Still enters the voicemail.

Lan
(to the voicemail)
It’s me. Remember tomorrow we are going to do some sightseeing. See you in Tamsui?

Lan hangs up the phone and turns to look at the entrance of the MRT station not far away.

INT. MRT TRAIN BANNAN LINE - NIGHT

Lan sits on the MRT. A TAIPEI OFFICE LADY at her 20s with long hair in a suit stands next to him.

The office lady holds the handle with one hand and her smartphone in another. She stares down at the phone and suddenly laughs at something on the screen, then lets go of her hand on the handle to use both hands to quickly send a message.

Lan sees the reflection of the office lady and her long hair on the car window.

As the train is about to arrive, the MRT BROADCAST COMES IN between them, like any other day:

(IN CHINESE)TAIPEI 101, TAIPEI WORLD TRADE CENTER. (IN TAIWANESE)TAIPEI 101, TAIPEI WORLD TRADE CENTER. (IN HAKKA CHINESE)TAIPEI 101, TAIPEI WORLD TRADE CENTER. (In ENGLISH)TAIPEI 101, TAIPEI WORLD TRADE CENTER. (IN CHINESE)THE DOOR WILL OPEN ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.

INT. TAIPEI 101 RESTAURANT BAR – NIGHT

Lan sits by the window of a posh restaurant in Taipei 101, looking at the menu.

A WAITRESS at her 30s, slightly large in size, appears by Lan’s table.

Waitress
(in Chinese)
Hello, may I ask if you are ready to order?

Lan
(in Chinese)
I want this gin cocktail. (pointing at the menu)Then I want this.

Waitress
(in Chinese)
OK, may I get you a meal deal? Adding 300 yuan will get you unlimited drinks and salads?

Lan
(in Chinese)
No need.

Waitress
(in Chinese)
Okay. May I you ask if the drink should be served after…

Lan
(in Chinese)
Let's go first.

Waitress
(in Chinese)
OK, may I ask you to wait, please?

The waitress takes away the menu and leaves. Lan looks out of Taipei, but he is not looking at the city. His sight stays on the window for so long that it’s got blurred.

When Lan's sight becomes clear again, the waitress comes back to the table with his cocktail.

Waitress
(in Chinese)
Ok, May I serve you the gin cocktail?

The waitress serves the cocktail.

Waitress(CONT’D)
(in Chinese)
May I ask you to wait for the meal, please?

Lan nods. The waitress leaves. Lan takes a sip of cocktail, then seems to remember something in a sudden. Lan leaves his seat and catches up with the waitress just now.

Lan
(in Chinese)
Sorry, can I get the check please.

Waitress
(in Chinese)
May I ask what's wrong?

Lan
(in Chinese)
I need to leave, sorry. May I just pay at the counter?

Lan passes the astounded waitress and goes to the counter. The waitress then quickly catches up.

INT. BAR AT EASTERN DISTRICT OF TAIPEI – NIGHT

In a typical Eastern District bar that’s hard to tell whether it intends to feel expensive or hipster, is posh or trying to look posh, Lan sits by the front bar. He waves at YUNA, a 21 years old newbie bartender with dyed blonde curly hair.

Lan
(in Chinese)
Please give me a glass of dry martini.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Sorry, we don't have dry martinis here.

Lan
(in Chinese)
No ingredients?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Yes, but I don’t know how to make them.

Lan
(in Chinese)
May I teach you?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Really? Can you mix it?

The waitress places a goblet on the table-

Lan
(in Chinese)
Is there any gin?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Yes.

Yuna takes a bottle of gin from the stand.

Lan
(in Chinese)
Six gins and one vermouth.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
What is vermouth?

Lan
(in Chinese)
It's a kind of alcohol. It’s ‘vermouth’ in English.

Yuna turns her head to look on the shelf.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Sorry, we don't seem to have that.

Lan
(in Chinese)
(laughs)OK, do you guys have gin and tonic?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Yes.

Lan
(in Chinese)
Then give me a glass of gin and tonic.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Alright.

Yuna makes the gin and tonic and hands it to Lan.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Two hundred and fifty yuan in total.

Lan takes out money from his wallet and pays. Yuna opens the cash register and settles the check.

Lan
(in Chinese)
You from Taipei?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Keelung, but I always live in Taipei.

Lan
(in Chinese)
It's close to Yeliou.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
It's pretty close. Why?

Lan
(in Chinese)
Student?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Yes.

Lan
(in Chinese)
So this is your part-time job?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
I work full time, I have classes during the day and work at night.

Lan
(in Chinese)
What do you study?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
I go to junior college, and I want to transfer to some university next year.

Lan
(in Chinese)
I heard the exam for transfer is extremely competitive?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Yes, I have been preparing for it, wait a sec-

Lan watches Yuna goes to the other side to serve a new customer, and then looks back at the ice cubes and mint leaves in the glass.

Finishes serving, Yuna walks back somewhere near Lan-

Lan
(in Chinese)
Are you an adult?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
(laughs)Of course, I'm 21. I have been here for three years and hopefully that there will be no fourth year.

Lan
(in Chinese)
What do you want to study at university?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Economy, I don't know.

Lan
(in Chinese)
Want to do business?

Yuna
(in Chinese)
I’d like to work in an office and have my own desk. I’d like to work from 9 to 5. Ideally I can be a freelance business conductor.

Lan
(in Chinese)
That's good.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Do you have problems with your eyes?

Lan
(in Chinese)
My left eye is- blind.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Really? how did it happen?

Lan
(in Chinese)
I accidentally fell and hit a rock in Yeliou.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Are you serious?

Lan
(in Chinese)
Just kidding.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Can you get a driving license like this?

Lan
(in Chinese)
No, I don’t want a driving license anyway.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Why?

Lan
(in Chinese)
I’d need to take headshots for it. The government will want me to show my eyes in the ID.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
What does it matter?

Lan
(in Chinese)
(beat)It doesn't matter.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Must be hard to find a job.

Lan
(in Chinese)
I don't need to work.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
I envy you. Did you get the Disability ID and the government subsidy? I heard that seeing a doctor is free for people with severe disability, nor does it cost them money to take the MRT!

Lan
(in Chinese)
I can't get it.

Yuna
(in Chinese)
Can't you get it with one-eye blind? My dad could get the mild Disability ID with his depression ...

Before Yuna can finish, Lan gets up and leaves the bar.

EXT. OUTSIDE THE BAR – NIGHT

Lan, stands quietly in the alley outside the bar, looks up to the sky.

EXT. SKY - NIGHT

IN LAN’S PERSPECTIVE, THE ONE-THIRD OF THE SCREEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS DARK AND HAS NO DEPTH OF FIELD.

Only half of the sky can be seen in Lan’s sight. And suddenly, half of the sky starts to blur, from the corner of the eye, until all is blurred.

It rains lightly in the sky.

CUT TO
INT. MRT TRAIN TAMSUI LINE - DAY

IN LAN’S PERSPECTIVE-

The view on the train window turns white and blank because of rain. The street view outside the window keeps flowing with the train.

END OF LAN’S PERSPECTIVE

CUT TO
INT. MRT TAMSUI STATION EXIT 2 - DAY

Near the exit 2, Ewelina waits under the rain-draining roof.

INT. MRT TRAIN TAMSUI LINE - DAY

Lan in the white shirt, sits by the window and looks out the window.

The train passes through the Tamsui River Mangrove Nature Reserve, endless ripples on the surface of Tamsui River created by raindrops. Raindrops run down the window glass.

INT. MRT TAMSUI STATION EXIT 2 - DAY

Rain has become heavy, so has the MRT station turns crowded. Ewelina watches the passengers sheltering from the rain in the MRT station.

Lan walks down the escalator. He sees Ewelina standing under the roof in the distance. He walks towards Ewelina.

Lan
Hi.

Ewelina
(beat)This city– is blue.

Lan
What?

Ewelina
It’s really coming down isn’t it?

Lan
This kind of rain will stop soon.

Ewelina
Really? You know, there’s no such rain in Poland.

Lan
They call this ‘wu hou lei zhen yu’, which means the thunder rains in the afternoon. It will only last for a short time.

Ewelina
There’s gonna be thunders?

As Lan is about to answer, a sudden flash of light shines on his face. Not far away, a thunder sounds, the two look at each other, and then laugh.

Ewelina
You are scared?

Lan
Of course not, are you?

Ewelina
No. (pause)Maybe just a little.

A second of nothingness-

Ewelina(CONT’D)
Can you survive if you were hit?

Lan
I wonder. I lost my eye because I was hit by the lightning once.

Ewelina
That’s a joke, right?

Ewelina turns to look at Lan, to find Lan smiling.

Ewelina
Very funny. (pause)I heard that if the lightning only reached your brain, you would be alright, but if it was your heart you wouldn’t be able to survive.

Lan
Heart is more important than brain. I can’t live without my heart.

Another lightning flashes in the sky.

Lan
One, two, three–

The thunder sounds.

Lan(CONT’D)
See?

Ewelina
Don’t you think it’s weird that the sound comes later?

Lan
It’s because the sound can’t catch the thought. Like when we talk, we don’t necessary speak our minds.

Ewelina
You are talking like a philosophical old man.

Lan
And you’re being very curious.

Ewelina
I am curious.

Lan
And I am philosophical. It stopped.

The rain becomes tiny in a sudden.

Lan(CONT’D)
Let ’s go catch some goldfish.

Ewelina
Gold fish? There are goldfish in the rain?

Lan
(laughs)Yeah.

EXT. TAMSUI OLD STREET - DAY

Lan and Ewelina walk on the Tamsui Old Street after the rain. Not as touristic as usual, all pedestrians are hiding in umbrellas- except for Lan and Ewelina.

Lan
I remembered it was always crowded here.

Ewelina
They are hiding from the rain. Did you bring your umbrella?

Lan
I didn’t bring it.

Ewelina
Neither did I. There were only scattered rains in Europe so nobody cares. Oh, I forgot you came back from America. Does it rain like Taiwan?

Lan
(looking straight)
Yeah. You know, we should have some ‘iron eggs’.

EXT. IRON EGGS VENDOR - DAY

The two acquire a pack of iron eggs at an iron eggs street vendor.

Ewelina
What is this? (in Chinese)Pig’s blood cake?

Lan
It’s bird eggs.

Ewelina
No, thanks.

Lan
Why not?

Ewelina
Poor birds.

Lan
What about those eggs you have for breakfasts?

Ewelina
There are no life in those eggs. They were not fertilized.

Lan
Alright.

EXT. GOLDFISH SCOOPING STORE – DAY

The goldfish scooping store is not as busy as usual. Three plastic pools full of goldfish are placed on the ground. A boy squatting on the ground is paying all his attentions to scooping goldfish in a pool with his paper nets.

Lan and Ewelina take seat on the short plastic stools in front of another pool. On the ground a small plastic washbasin for captured gold fish is placed between them.

Lan
It’s easy. Catch them with your nets, and they are yours.

Ewelina starts with her first paper net. She chases a goldfish tightly in the pool, but the paper net breaks quickly. She picks up the second paper net, This time she changes her target to another goldfish- still fails, the paper net breaks again.

Lan
(smile)Not like that. See, you have to wet the net first, so it won’t break at the first one.

Lan slightly soaks his first paper net in the water, then gently and quietly picks up a goldfish.

Ewelina is stunned.

Ewelina
How did you do that?

Lan
You have to stay on one target, when it gets tired you catch it.

Speaking, Lan captures another goldfish.

Ewelina
I thought you could only catch one?

Lan
As much as you want, as long as you can catch them.

Ewelina
How many can you catch?

Lan
Perhaps, twenty?

Ewelina
You are kidding me.

Lan
Your turn.

Imitating Lan, Ewelina soaks the paper net in the pool first, and then starts chasing a goldfish. The goldfish swims away, Ewelina tries to keep up-

Lan
You have to be gentle, not too rude–

Ewelina gets the Goldfish into the net. Just as Ewelina is about to place the goldfish into the washbasin, the paper net breaks. The goldfish is back to the pool again.

Ewelina
Dammit!

Lan uses his paper net and picks up that goldfish from the pool.

Lan
That’s for you.

Ewelina
Oh no, let it go, he has earned his freedom.

Lan
There’s no freedom in this basket.

Lan passes the paper net on his hand to Ewelina.

Lan(CONT'D)
We will take it home.

 

THE END OF SCRRENPLAY 'CYAN' PRVIEW

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