Waiting opens with a game of chess. The pieces flow seamlessly across the board, but one sticks out more than the others: a lollipop with a flattened top that replaces a queen. The game is being played in a hospital room shared by two patients who are waiting and hoping for a liver donor. Both men are older, one more so than the other. The elder speaks flowerily to the nurse, while the younger is somewhat terse.

When a motorcycle accident brings a liver donor into the hospital, their innermost hopes are shared, revealing a hidden facet to each of these characters' personalities. Exquisite cinematography by David Brower complements the sterile cold and human warmth of hospital life that unfolds. Expertly directed by Yuri Shapochka, the film subtly shows how one person's individual hopes are often intertwined with the hopes of others.