Chongqing Blues

I saw 'Chongqing Blues' yesterday, shown at the ICA as part of the London Film Festival.

The film is about a father who returns to Chongqing, having been at sea for 14 years. He wants to find out about his son who was killed in a hostage crisis and he is persistant in getting the answers he needs. Moving and reflective of the ordinary day to day life of the the middle-aged and the younger generation in Chinese cities- and of the widening gap between how each generation lives.

I understood about one in every ten words however: they weren't speaking the phrases I'm learning, funnily enough! But I could pick out bits and pieces which is more than I used to be able to do. That's some progress at least.

 I loved seeing shots of Chongqing, having stayed there a few years ago - still as overcast and smoggy as ever though. I recognised the rickety old cable car and the uber-modern, speedy overground train on the single track rails that weave between the skyscrapers. Of course so much has been bull-dozed since I went in 2005.

So here are pictures of things I saw which no longer are there, starting with the balcony of a tea room. I spent a wonderful afternoon with a friend, drawing and drinking tea: it got topped up every now and then by a man walking around with a small teapot, which had a long narrow spout.  He poured it from quite a distance but never missed the cup. I drew a lot and a trio of cute excitable little children gathered around to see what I was doing. I was trying to draw fish but they thought they looked like crabs. So much for my beginner chinese brush painting! It was fun having a go.

The Old Bird Market



Still-life artist in studio

The lovely peaceful old established artists' quarter had so many studios and old buildings with courtyards and trees, all carefully looked after. We freely wandered in and out of the studios. This particular artist in the photograph painted me a chicken when my friend told him I was an artist and just gave it to me. He specialised in painting animals and nature. He said, 'We artists like to give eachother gifts'.

I had seen some of the paintings there a few months earlier in the British Library: an exhibition of Chinese etchings and prints. So it was really really special to see them here in their studios, working away.

The artists' community was bull-dozed only two months after I visited, to make way for the ninth bridge over the main river. Apparently the artists were moved to some new tower block.

Now I really do have the Chongqing Blues, thinking about what has gone. I just hope the soul of the place and people haven't been bull-dozed too.