Spark Zine #5: Walking Back Along the River Bank
Mei Wen
Imageless, Bananafish
2023
“In my eyes, Suzhou River is a park with flowing water, where people of all kinds rest, smoke, and stay in a daze. They sat on benches or leaned against the stands on the bank, all staring at the flowing river. I don’t want to disturb them, neither start a chat. I recorded everything quietly when passing by. I went back and forth twice a week to the riverbank during that three months, but still couldn’t figure out a name that matched the theme of the photos I took. Later, I came across a collection of poems named They Had to Walk Back Along the River Bank, written by Zhu Wen, a film director. The people he portrayed in the movies and in his writings wandered in this world, living a rough life, waiting for the arrangement of fate. When I put my camera away, I wondered if the neon night on the other side of the river could hear the whispers of these people.” - Meiwen