A Land Imagined (2019) Movie Script

1
GOLDEN LEOPARD AWARD INTERNATIONAL
COMPETITION 71ST LOCARNO FESTIVAL
NETFLIX PRESENTS
MAIN TITLE
I remember that 30 years ago,
this place was a part of the sea.
It's nothing but reclaimed land now.
In 30 years, even the ports of Keppel
and Tanjong Pagar will move here.
Look.
How do you remember...
what it was like 30 years ago?
Where's the driver of the missing truck?
I want to question him.
Wang? I haven't seen him.
Is he coming to the site today?
Maybe. See how many workers
we have here, officer?
They come to work if they want
to get paid.
Officer, my nephew, Jason.
This officer is looking for
Wang's contact information. Help him out.
They often use prepaid numbers
and change without notifying us.
- Uncle.
- Yes.
Please check out this blue-colored file.
The project is going to start tomorrow.
I'll let you know later.
Also, Ali was looking for you just now
when you weren't around.
Wang hasn't come to work in a week.
That bastard!
I was so kind to give him an easy job.
I should have sent him back to China.
They seem to come to work
as and when they like.
It's pretty relaxed here, right?
Officer.
Don't cause me any trouble, okay?
Okay?
I can guarantee you
it's not at all relaxed here.
Got the number you wanted?
- Jason.
- Yes?
Can I trouble you
to send this officer out?
Come over.
- If got any problem, come over.
- Your uncle's got a sense of humor.
Wang didn't fill up the logbook.
He didn't keep a log?
He drives the company truck.
He didn't come to work.
Aren't you afraid he'd run off?
We hold on to their passports.
In case they lose it.
How do people live like this?
There.
Careful of the bedbugs.
Is there a Wang Bicheng here?
Hey.
We're talking to you.
Hey.
Where does Wang Bicheng sleep?
Hey.
When did you last see him?
I don't know.
Damn it, how do you not know?
You sleep right across him.
I'm not his mother. How would I know?
You have no manners!
For fuck's sake!
What the hell is wrong with you?
He didn't come back at all last night.
What about the night before?
How would I know?
So many stupid questions.
He doesn't sleep here.
If not here, where then?
Who knows?
He's out almost every night.
Sleeping pills.
With all that physical labor in the day,
how is he still sleepless?
Why wouldn't he be?
After he broke his arm,
he could only drive.
Unlike us, suffering hardship.
I wish I had his life.
Do you want to break a limb too?
I can help.
Sorry to disturb you.
Haven't you been
to the land reclamation site?
Go ask the blackies there.
Wang is good friends with one of them.
It's so bright here.
How do they sleep?
Hey, where's Ajit?
Ajit is not here. He might come later.
Okay, sit down. Come.
KANGNINGDA MEDICINE
DIAZEPAM
Are you unable to sleep too?
Fuck.
24 HOURS E-LOVER CYBERCAFE
How many hours?
I am just looking around.
The air-conditioning is not free here.
Sorry about that.
Ajit didn't return
to the dormitory last night.
Wang Bicheng's phone can't be reached.
It's like the two vanished
and no one is looking for them.
Except us two idiots.
We're paid by the taxpayers,
working for the state,
to look for two workers where no one
is sure whether they are dead or alive.
Do you think they're dead?
So you think they are alive?
Crap!
What, never seen a nosebleed before?
It's hot out here.
Do you think they have the luxury
to skip work?
A few days' wages is a fortune to them.
So, are they dead or alive?
What do you think?
I dreamed of Wang Bicheng last night.
How would you know it was him?
You've never met nor spoken to him.
I used to dream a lot when I was young.
I dreamed of all these bizarre things
and mysterious places
and I thought I was very imaginative.
After I grew up and started traveling,
I realized then
I had been to all those places before,
in my dreams.
The strange thing is, I never actually saw
those places as a child.
You want to know how I knew
I was Wang Bicheng in the dream?
Call the ambulance!
Why are you so careless?
Are your fingers still intact?
The rest, go back to work!
Ajit, you stay here with him.
Make sure nobody touches him, okay?
Wait a little longer, he'll be back soon.
Does it still hurt?
Hey, did you lose your tongue?
Man, you screamed like a bitch earlier.
Come, let me take a look.
Can you feel anything?
What did the doctor say?
Jason.
How long did the doctor say he will need?
The doctor said it will take
three to four weeks with proper care.
Guess we won't have to replace him.
Just call him back to work
after his recovery.
Then what should he do in the meantime?
How should I know?
Tell him to take a vacation.
He's only been in Singapore
for half a year.
Tell him to go to Sentosa Resort Island
with beaches, babes and the casino there.
I don't know! Whatever he likes.
- Uncle.
- Yes?
What if he helps me drive the truck
to fetch the Bangladeshis?
So that I can spend more time on site?
Hey!
Can you drive with that arm?
We only cover your medical costs,
not your funeral.
Yes, I can do it.
Let's set this straight.
It's going to be half your pay.
Don't come back to me later whining.
24 HOURS E-LOVER CYBERCAFE
I only need to adjust something
on my computer.
Isn't that stimulating?
Video call?
Gaming?
Pornography?
Watch a film then.
The air-conditioning is not free here.
Chinese films,
American,
Bollywood.
We don't have porn though.
But if you want to watch,
I'll help you look for it.
Pick a computer.
I'll pick the film.
When are you going home?
After I get paid.
Thank you.
- Did they pay you?
- Yes.
- And you?
- No.
We didn't get this month's salary.
- Did you get a call from home?
- It's already the 13th.
Brother, are you okay?
Guys, come down and help push.
Please get down.
- Please get down.
- Please get down.
Slowly.
Easy...
Keep it to the side.
Ajit.
What?
My name, it's Ajit.
Wang Bicheng.
Wang Bi?
Wang.
- Wang.
- Wang. Okay.
Be careful next time, brother.
Big, small...
Not the same.
No, but they won't see it.
Come help me.
If we get there in time,
the foreman won't know about this.
You can't sleep?
It's itchy.
You'd better sleep.
You have to drive.
Have you slept at all
since you broke your arm?
Look at you. Damn.
Here.
This soothes the bedbug bites.
I just can't reach it.
Use the other hand then.
People like us got to learn to adapt.
By switching between right and left hand,
you will have different pleasures.
Understand?
I say you're a lucky devil.
You know Hao, the crane operator?
He'll be sent back at month's end.
He can forget about coming back.
- He asked me to join him.
- You're lucky
you didn't make the headlines.
Boy, he got it good.
Going home to greet his mother
with a shitload of debt.
He might as well not have come here.
Do you think things would be different
if we had all joined in?
Careful there.
I heard that he's organizing something
to stop the deportation.
Just keep it.
Your tossing and turning
are keeping me up.
That's good then.
Your snoring is so loud.
I'm only doing everyone a favor.
Get lost.
6 PAX
Oh, stop.
Fucking crap!
I didn't pay for this garbage! Fuck!
What are you doing?
- Go, go, go!
- Crap! I'm breaking your shit!
- What's your problem?
- I'll break all these.
I have a lot of money.
I can buy the whole shop!
What are you staring at?
I'll pay you to suck me off,
that should shut you up.
A fucking shop attendant
telling me what to do?
It's three, hurry!
I'm the filthy rich one here!
Over here.
(TERRORIST) TROLL862: SHE'S COMING
Actions speak louder than words.
Is it dead?
Does that excite you?
I see you come here every night
to get killed again and again.
Do you get a kick
out of getting fucked like that?
I can't sleep, that's all.
I can help you with that.
I know hypnosis!
That doesn't work on me.
How do you know
I haven't hypnotized you already?
I really don't need it.
My dormitory is too stuffy,
so I'm looking for
somewhere cooler to sleep.
If it's air-conditioning you want,
you have the truck at the back.
I have a very boring job.
There's a lot of time
to observe people here.
Isn't it stuffy here too?
Let's get some fresh air.
Don't you need to be here?
And do what?
Watch them destroy the computers?
Can you swim with that arm?
If you can beat me,
I'll make it worth your while.
Luckily I turned back to look at you!
Otherwise, you'd have drowned out there.
Do you see those little lights out there?
I was thinking...
If I had swum out to them
and caught a boat,
I could have gotten out of here.
There is no need for visas.
There are no borders.
That's true freedom.
I don't have a boat.
But I have a truck.
Beggars can't be choosers.
I heard...
This area used to be a part of the sea.
Looking at its map,
Singapore's southern coast
is completely straight.
As if someone drew a line.
It's from Malaysia.
What?
The sand here.
It's imported from Malaysia.
Other reclaimed parts of Singapore
are from Indonesia and Vietnam.
I heard that Cambodia supplies
our construction site.
Some say it's bought off the black market.
Doesn't that mean
we're no longer in Singapore?
We're actually lying in Malaysia!
In other words,
I don't need a boat or plane.
All I need is this.
You sure know a thing or two!
Next time, I can take you
to other reclaimed areas
to see the world!
What are we going to do then?
Let's not cause trouble.
- I knew it...
- Not so loud.
This is bad.
We can't sit here and do nothing.
Let's ask Jason for a solution tomorrow.
He can't be trusted.
Only a fool will trust him.
Watch what you say!
AJIT: COME CANTEEN
Hey.
Is your hand okay?
The boss said, "Hand okay, work okay."
The boss will listen.
You'll do the driving, okay?
If you work today,
we'll not work together in the future.
The boss will listen.
You know...
My mother got into an accident.
The doctor cut off her leg.
My wife is taking care of her.
But she's alive.
I'm happy.
I am.
DANGER
IN PROGRESS
Bomb has been planted.
How do you know I come here every night?
You sure have a lot of free time.
Hey. Are you using me as bait?
Hey, Wang.
You stay.
I'll come back. Stay, okay?
Which fish you like?
Which fish? You like fish?
Good fish.
- Big one?
- Yes.
The big one is not good.
How much is the fish?
- Some of them don't like my skin color.
- You...
You need to go back.
To see your mother.
No. I owe the company money.
The boss has taken my passport.
They won't let me go back.
I know where the passports are.
I'll go take your passport.
It's okay.
Jason will help me.
He will tell his uncle.
I can go home.
No. Jason is not good.
Maybe you remember wrong.
You do not know Jason.
After the accident,
you did not sleep.
You're very tired.
I...
I don't know.
Many...
I don't remember
a lot of things.
I don't even remember...
how it feels to dream.
Ajit.
Do you dream?
Yes.
I dream.
Here, I dream all the time.
You are dancing.
I am singing.
But I'm not me.
You're not you.
Jason is here.
I'm going with him
to take Hao to the airport now.
Now?
- Airport?
- Yes.
He asked for help.
Maybe Hao doesn't want to go.
We'll talk tomorrow.
Ajit?
Where's Ajit?
It's been three days.
He hasn't answered my calls
or gone back to the dormitory.
It's impossible.
He owes the company
months of advance payment.
Plus, they have our passports.
What are you talking about?
Look at you, making friends.
Nothing but creeps here, be careful.
Isn't it hot?
It's too hot.
Let's go for a ride.
Get some fresh air.
I don't have the truck anymore.
Just today? Or from today on?
Never mind.
Is your arm okay?
It's raining. Let's pack up.
Where's Ajit?
He has gone back
to see his mother in Bangladesh.
Liar.
Wang, don't do anything stupid.
Uncle!
FIRST AID STATION
GIVEN NAME: AJI CHINESE WORKER CAUSES TROUBLE
AT LAND RECLAMATION SITE
Tell me! Where is he?
You actually don't know anything.
You only know how to hide
behind a computer to mess with me.
Have you had your fun?
Where are you hiding?
Show yourself if you have the guts!
Show yourself!
What's all that shouting about?
Who is he?
- Who is that TROLL862?
- Who?
- Who are you talking about?
- How do I find TROLL862?
You got ditched?
Online relationships are heartless.
Good guys don't exist. Get used to it.
I'm not used to it. Nor do I want to be!
Hey, don't be like that.
It's impossible to find him
even if I want to.
Wang Bicheng.
Look at me.
When was the last time you slept?
Like I told you, I can help you sleep.
Do you trust me?
Are you there?
Even you have gone.
Is there anybody out there?
All right, let's move out.
I haven't slept so well in a long time.
Fire, fire in the hole!
I think I had a dream.
I dreamed of my own death.
Actually,
it's not my first time having such dreams.
I'm not a morbid person.
It's just that
sometimes my imagination acts up.
The feeling I had wasn't painful
or terrifying.
It was like being swallowed by something.
Slowly sinking downwards.
It's hard to explain.
It was as if
I was being forgotten
by a kind of ignorance.
At the end,
I realized I had disappeared
in my own dream.
I dreamed of
two policemen investigating
my disappearance.
One of them was an insomniac too.
As for the other,
it'd be game over for him soon.
They didn't particularly care about me.
They were just doing their job.
In fact, they were quite good at it.
Their investigation
had led them here.
It's you again.
Fuck.
Have you seen him before?
No.
You want to look harder?
Or shall I look hard at your papers?
Number 57.
What did you talk about
the last time you saw him?
He was looking for someone.
Looking for someone? A co-worker?
It was an alias of an account.
I think he was looking for a gamer here.
What alias?
Troll 8... 3...
- Something.
- 862.
TROLL862: I HEARD DEATH IN DREAMS
SYMBOLIZES NEW BEGINNINGS.
WBC31: ARE YOU STILL THERE?
TROLL862: I AM STILL LISTENING, GO ON.
WBC31: SHALL WE MEET?
TROLL862: OKAY, OR MAYBE NOT, OFFICER.
Is every computer here linked up?
You can talk if you put that on.
Since you know I'm the police,
I seek your cooperation.
You must be the sleepless one.
Wang Bicheng told me about you.
What else did he say?
He said death feels like being swallowed.
Sinking downwards,
as though being forgotten by ignorance.
- It's here.
- Hey.
Where is he now?
He's been swallowed.
Oh, I almost forgot.
He said it would be game over
for your partner soon.
Drop the gun!
You know how important land reclamation is
to the people on top.
You're being investigated.
Why did you go back to the site?
So someone got himself ran over
while crossing the road.
Why investigate me?
Aren't you retiring soon?
Just keep your head down for the next
few years. You'll get your pension soon.
SEARCH HISTORY
CHINESE WORKER CAUSES TROUBLE
AT LAND RECLAMATION SITE
How is it fair that I don't get paid?
I'm not coming down!
I want my money!
It's my hard-earned money!
Get lost!
I demand to get paid!
Officer, can I help you?
I'm just looking around.
My uncle isn't around.
He doesn't want to see you.
I just want to know what on earth
you people do here.
Let's take a walk.
Didn't you want to know what we do here?
How much longer will this go on for?
We've never stopped reclaiming land.
We'll reclaim for as long as we can.
What do you think?
What's the worth of a land that is capable
of being forged freely at our will?
Officer, your question is too deep for me.
I hear you, but I'm not sure I get you.
Ajit.
Ajit.
Hello, sir.
Mr. Lok is a policeman.
He wants to know if we treat you badly.
Go on, it's okay. Tell the officer.
If you have anything to complain,
if you don't like working for us,
just say it to him now.
I am happy
working for this company.
Are you sure?
Mr. Jason
and the foreman take very good care of me.
Do we pay you okay?
Yes.
The company
pays more
than my friends
who work in Malaysia, Indonesia,
Hong Kong,
Korea.
Many times more
than if I work in Bangladesh.
Do you have anything at all you want to
complain about your working conditions?
What happened to Wang?
VIDEO CALL FROM WBC31
Wang Bicheng?
Is that why he always chose
to sit at this computer?
It's the seat with the best view,
don't you think?
So she's his type?
I think he wasn't picky.
That's what happens when you're lonely.
Aren't you lonely too?
Fucking crap!
- I didn't pay for this garbage! Fuck!
- Fucking hell.
What are you doing?
- Crap! I'm breaking your shit!
- Fuck!
- What's your problem?
- I'll break all these.
I have a lot of money.
I can buy the whole shop!
What are you staring at?
I'll pay you to suck me off,
that should shut you up.
A fucking shop attendant
telling me what to do?
I'm the filthy rich one here!
Motherfucker.
Motherfucker.
Hey, what are you doing?
Wait for me, darling.
Get lost!
He came to see you every night?
I kind of miss those creepy eyes
leering at me.
He would take me out in his truck.
Where to?
Depends on the mood.
Sometimes we would go to Malaysia.
Other times, Indonesia, Vietnam,
and Cambodia too.
Do you know where he is now?
Do you have a car?
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