Suzhou River (苏州河)

If I leave you someday

would you look for me? Like Mardar?

Yes.

Would you look for me forever?

Yes.

Your whole life?

Yes.

You're lying.

I like to take my camera

to the Suzhou River

and just drift along,

West to East through shanghai.

There's a century worth

of stories here and rubbish

of stories here and rubbish

which makes it the filthiest river.

Many people live here anyway

making a living on the river.

They spend their whole lives here.

Look, you can see them.

If you watch it long enough,

the river will show you everything.

It will show you people working

it will show you friendship

families, love

and loneliness as well.

I have even seen on the boat

Once a baby was born

Once a girl jumped to her death

from a bridge outside my window.

I saw the bodies of two young lovers

being dragged out the water by the police.

As for love

I could tell you

that I saw a mermaid once

sitting on the muddy bank

combing her golden hair.

But I'd be lying.

Videographer, that's me.

Pay me and I'll shoot it.

You can see my pager number

on any street-corner.

Pay me and I shoot anything.

Weddings, parties...

I'll even shoot you pissing or making love

if that's what you want.

But...

don't complain

if you don't like

what you see.

Cameras don't lie.

That's what I told the owner

of the Happy Tavern.

I hadn't had a job for some time...

...when he paged me and said

he had something special for me.

What do you want?

Your boss wants to see me.

Are you the boss?

So you're the videographer.

Go ahead, sit down.

Two beers.

What I'm after I'm pursuing that kind of...

The feeling I want is totally...

You get it, right?

It doesn't look special now...

I know.

Cheers...

let's see...

over here...

He rambled a long time

before I understood what he wanted.

He wanted me to shoot

his mermaid show

to help bring in customers.

I don't believe in mermaids...

but then I saw her...

Her name was Meimei.

She's the mermaid.

I fell in love the first time I saw her in the water.

She gave me her pager number...

...joking

I could call her if I miss her.

I did call her...

...and we started going out.

Page 26089 twice please.

Tell her to come to Huang He Road as soon as possible.

I didn't know anything about Meimei's past.

She didn't say, and I never asked.

I just liked to look at her,

and video her.

And soon we were spending

all of our time together.

But sometimes she'd

suddenly get sad.

I had no idea why.

I even did not understand that

Sometimes she'd

disappear for days

without a word...

...and then she'd show up again...

...as if nothing had happened.

It drove me crazy.

Every time she disappeared...

...I thought it'd be the last time I ever saw her.

Every time she closed the door behind her...

...I felt as if my life had stopped.

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I would stay on my balcony,

watching the people outside my window. Waiting for Meimei to return.

Until I would see her crossing the bridge,

and I could smile again.

I loved her way of walking with her hands crossed.

She'd come here

We'd have a drink on the balcony

and then she would leave.

I have to go.

Don't be late.

Okay

But if she had one too many,

she'd always ask me,

if she left one day and didn't come back would

I look for her, like Mardar did?

I asked her, who's Mardar?

She told me a story about Mardar,

a motorbike courier

who spent his life...

Looking for this girl

he had loved and lost.

She said that everyone should

have a love story like that.

I could make one up too.

The motorcycle courier. Mardar.

He made a little money

making deliveries

in Shanghai.

Maybe rode past

my window on his way home...

...to watch his favourite pirate videos,

which is what he did...

...all night.

That's his life.

What else?

Let me think.

He's about 26 or 27.

His past... Could be...

Mardar dropped out of school and

started hanging around the river...

...with other people without anything to do.

One day a friend drives up

on a stolen motorcycle.

She runs great. Max speed 160

Pretty fast. Soft accelerator. Like a dream.

Can I try it? Sure, no problem.

Mardar loves it so much...

he buys it.

He thought he would

go far on it...

make something of himself.

He never thought he'd end up a motorcycle courier.

Shanghai is swarming with so many delivery boys

that you hardly notice them.

But Mardar stood out.

Girls liked him because he was good looking.

His clients liked him because he kept his mouth shut.

Mardar used to go to a bar

to meet Xia-Ho...

and Lao B

...who gave him a lot of business.

Hi, Mardar.

Hollywood? Yes

The usual?

Same as ever.

Yes?

That's Xia-Ho, there.

This time the job was different.

This time the delivery was a girl,

Moudan.

I think I saw her. Is her hair braided?

Carrying a backpack?

She's walking

towards the Suzhou Road.

Where do you want me to sit?

How about sitting in front of me?

I'd prefer to sit here.

Close your jacket.

Not like that.

Swing your leg over.

Hold on tight.

Moudan's father was a well-known dealer...

who made a fortune dealing in

buffalo grass vodka

from Eastern Europe.

After his divorce, there were only two things he loved

alcohol and women.

Every time he brought home a new girlfriend,

he'd call Mardar...

to take Moudan to her aunt's to get her out of the way.

What are you looking at? Watching you.

Why watching me?