Other People's Dreams

Short Synopsis

S, a female foreign worker, flees a house at night, leaving a corpse behind and the police hot on her trail. The next day, she steals clothes to blend in on the streets, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Unbeknownst to her, she is being followed by Q, a queer houseless Singaporean teenage girl.

When S finally confronts Q, Q tells her that she thought S was part of the Invisible Community, a secret society of thieves who are able to change their appearance at will to blend into society and at times even have the power to become invisible. Q wants S to initiate her into this community. Afraid that Q will turn her in to the police, S lies to Q and tells her that to be initiated, Q will have to find her following nothing but the signs from the city. S uses this opportunity to sneak away from Q, but to her amazement, Q manages to find her.

While wondering if the Invisible Community does in fact exist, S takes Q in, teaching her how to steal silently without being noticed. Together, they form a perfect duo, stealing while running away from the police. However, when they are almost caught, S is completely shaken. Now the tables are turned, Q turns into S’s protector, and takes S to her family house in order to keep her safe. There, S realizes that Q is similarly fleeing domestic violence.

At the house, Q reveals to S that the Invisible Community doesn’t exist. Q made it all up so that S would stay with her and protect her. Suddenly, the door bursts open and Q’s parents return home. Bracing for more beatings, Q and S suddenly realize that Q’s parents do not see them at all. They have become invisible from the world around them! Delirious, they dash out onto the streets, wreaking havoc and confusion everywhere they go. When they’ve calmed down, they observe the different lives people lead. They enter a house where a new mother is sleeping with her newborn. They witness a young gay drug addict having sex with strangers while high as his mother sleeps quietly next door. They bear witness, without any judgment.

Slowly, S and Q disappear from the screen. Sometimes, we hear them chuckle, sometimes, their footsteps. They disappear from us, free from any labels, free to pursue their own destiny.