A FOUND poem called
GOING HOME
(Rushes)†
Zi WEI;
after a short film called LIKE GOLD, LIKE GREY
Apparatus museum—Golden hill—
Welding—
Assembling— Slogan girls can do anything—Soap Opera—
Quality testing—
Shackle—Tree—Rose woman—
Cigarettes—
Clock—
Best—Weather—Field— Pee —Sparrow—Waterwheel—
Dragonfly—Flower—
Vegetable—Highway—
Bits of gold—
Primary school band—
Inside & outside—
No audience—
A world in the rearview mirror—Black work—Fan—Workers—
Reflection letters—
Work in the dark with a plant—
Flag
Gold ornament woman—Brass—Machine—Rotary—
In dark with green leaves—
Polishing 1st—
Brass—
Punching—Light—
Fire cigarette U pipe—
Say hi to me—
Brass—Shape—Beat—
Welding—Fire—
Peep at a tree through the door—
Brass-shape—
Oil-hammer—Indicator light—Sitting in the brass mountain—
Carelessly met sculpture
Tattoo trumpet man-bridge—
Caution, slippery—
Flower—mirror—
Comb hair—
Old, old, old workshop—
Mysterious painter—Man wears glasses—Rose & bits of wood—
Checking components—
Mirror—
Keep playing with mobile phone—Cutting materials—
Dirty mirror man—
Electroplate—
Breakfast with a sculpture—Dog—Fair weather field—
Seedling—vibrate—
Land-heavy truck—
Butterfly—Overlook—
On the roof-crowd’s behaviour—
Nightlife—
The Sax-rabbit dance
Fire-vacant seat—
Component radio—
Welding—
Tattoo man aiming at window—Green in darkness—
First rays of the morning sun—
Field—Excavator—
Metallic rabbit—
Gear—Geometry—Illumination— Sunset—Sculpture—Concert—
Glue—Gateway—Market—
Kill the fish—
Funeral band—
No passenger elevator
Going home together—
Bridge—Sheep—
Lace marking—Wood—Mirror—Rose sun—Flag man—
Polished gateway—
Debris pile—
Sparrow cable—
Car scenery
High angle engrave—Gun—Flowerpot over his head—Fan—
Interview—
Highway scenery fast—
Speed dark shake—
Laser number—
Packaging—Wipe—
Shell button—
Trailer—
Concert—
Nightfall—
Field
No smoking signs—
Decayed metal— Component—Switch—Slipper welder—
Peep—Mummy gun—Wet window—Rose fly necklace woman
Old factory—Ruins—Warehouse— Working on the frame—
Behind gauze—Trumpet grove—Pack in the yard—
Orchestra in miniature—Box-drum set behind sundries—
Phone call—
Orchestra—
Be careful of the machine
Playing the Sax in a warehouse—Field—Morning sheep—
Sparrow—Sunset—Cable—Hands of a strong woman—
Black work in the frame—
Dragon—Flag—
Polishing (again)—
Right color—Lock screen—
Close the light—
Checking in crayon
Polishing—The Best—Orchestra—Garage welding—
Forest over the roof cables—
A Sax in the morning—
Field
Smoking chat—
Muscle—Beat—
1st concert near the bridge—
Starlight—Assembly—
Concert—Electroplate—Model factory—Caution, Slippery—
Skull—Gauze fly—Night Garage
Still life
Sculpture—
Mural—
Lunch with sculpture—
Say H—
American guitar—
Sweep the waste
Polishing—(The) Afternoon—Through the car window
Trumpet—Shadow—Flag—
Gardener—
Dragon (Again)—
Model orchestra—A worker playing in a warehouse—
Sculpture standing in gale—
White work—
Girls in a mirror
Wood—Mirror—Wild Rose—
Mythical creatures—
Basketball stand (Horrific dust)—A little guitar over the waste—
Fan—Assemble—Shadow gauze—
Overlap
White work—
Girls in a mirror
Welding—
Assembling— Slogan girls can do anything—Soap Opera—
Quality testing—
Shackle—Tree—Rose woman—
Cigarettes—
Clock—
Best—Weather—Field— Pee —Sparrow—Waterwheel—
Dragonfly—Flower—
Vegetable—Highway—
Bits of gold—
Primary school band—
Inside & outside—
No audience—
A world in the rearview mirror—Black work—Fan—Workers—
Reflection letters—
Work in the dark with a plant—
Flag
Gold ornament woman—Brass—Machine—Rotary—
In dark with green leaves—
Polishing 1st—
Brass—
Punching—Light—
Fire cigarette U pipe—
Say hi to me—
Brass—Shape—Beat—
Welding—Fire—
Peep at a tree through the door—
Brass-shape—
Oil-hammer—Indicator light—Sitting in the brass mountain—
Carelessly met sculpture
Tattoo trumpet man-bridge—
Caution, slippery—
Flower—mirror—
Comb hair—
Old, old, old workshop—
Mysterious painter—Man wears glasses—Rose & bits of wood—
Checking components—
Mirror—
Keep playing with mobile phone—Cutting materials—
Dirty mirror man—
Electroplate—
Breakfast with a sculpture—Dog—Fair weather field—
Seedling—vibrate—
Land-heavy truck—
Butterfly—Overlook—
On the roof-crowd’s behaviour—
Nightlife—
The Sax-rabbit dance
Fire-vacant seat—
Component radio—
Welding—
Tattoo man aiming at window—Green in darkness—
First rays of the morning sun—
Field—Excavator—
Metallic rabbit—
Gear—Geometry—Illumination— Sunset—Sculpture—Concert—
Glue—Gateway—Market—
Kill the fish—
Funeral band—
No passenger elevator
Going home together—
Bridge—Sheep—
Lace marking—Wood—Mirror—Rose sun—Flag man—
Polished gateway—
Debris pile—
Sparrow cable—
Car scenery
High angle engrave—Gun—Flowerpot over his head—Fan—
Interview—
Highway scenery fast—
Speed dark shake—
Laser number—
Packaging—Wipe—
Shell button—
Trailer—
Concert—
Nightfall—
Field
No smoking signs—
Decayed metal— Component—Switch—Slipper welder—
Peep—Mummy gun—Wet window—Rose fly necklace woman
Old factory—Ruins—Warehouse— Working on the frame—
Behind gauze—Trumpet grove—Pack in the yard—
Orchestra in miniature—Box-drum set behind sundries—
Phone call—
Orchestra—
Be careful of the machine
Playing the Sax in a warehouse—Field—Morning sheep—
Sparrow—Sunset—Cable—Hands of a strong woman—
Black work in the frame—
Dragon—Flag—
Polishing (again)—
Right color—Lock screen—
Close the light—
Checking in crayon
Polishing—The Best—Orchestra—Garage welding—
Forest over the roof cables—
A Sax in the morning—
Field
Smoking chat—
Muscle—Beat—
1st concert near the bridge—
Starlight—Assembly—
Concert—Electroplate—Model factory—Caution, Slippery—
Skull—Gauze fly—Night Garage
Still life
Sculpture—
Mural—
Lunch with sculpture—
Say H—
American guitar—
Sweep the waste
Polishing—(The) Afternoon—Through the car window
Trumpet—Shadow—Flag—
Gardener—
Dragon (Again)—
Model orchestra—A worker playing in a warehouse—
Sculpture standing in gale—
White work—
Girls in a mirror
Wood—Mirror—Wild Rose—
Mythical creatures—
Basketball stand (Horrific dust)—A little guitar over the waste—
Fan—Assemble—Shadow gauze—
Overlap
White work—
Girls in a mirror
[†] In her own words, Wei’s poem is underwritten by a “practical helplessness”—underpinned by the need of an organisational principle to pull a film together. After a 40-day shoot, and a total of 1.6TB of footage that ran to some 160-hours, the organization of rushes and materials required a complex regime of keywords and images to allow a rapid edit. The poem is composed purely of Wei’s folder titles, unedited and untouched. The film in question—Like Gold, Like Grey—is a 20-minute pure observational study of the manufacturing of saxophones in a small village in Huábei (literally, “China’s north”). The village is called ‘Saxophone City,’ and produces more than 10,000 saxophones per month between its 70+ factories. Although over 3500 work in Saxophone City, less than 10 people know how to play this instrument. The poem’s title is taken from one of the most popular songs between these factories—‘Going Home’ by Kenny G (1989)—[see here]. Since its release, G’s ‘Going Gome’ has remained one of the popular western songs in China for more than 30 years and is regularly used in commercial settings (shopping malls, restaurants, et cetera) to indicate “closing time” and signal “last orders.” G himself reports having heard ‘Going Home’ in Tiananmen Square, Shanghai, a golf course and a “restroom in the middle of nowhere” [see here].
Zi WEI is a filmmaker and cinematographer currently working and living in China. She looks at the world, ponders on it, and then shoots it. Wei recently graduated from University College London with an MA in Ethnographic and Documentary Film.
With thanks to Grant GEE