Why do we take a picture? Ever since the invention of the camera, we have taken pictures of ourselves and kept the photos. In City of Photos we are introduced to photo studios in small villages, and we are forced to ask what the significance of the photos is. Tiny, shabby studios that appear stuck in a time warp turn out to be places throbbing with energy. People come to the photo shops not just to take pictures of their mere existence. They carefully decide what to wear and how to pose, and they try to find a variety of beautiful backgrounds. But the backgrounds are not always beautiful landscapes. They can be the lavish bridges linking cities and palaces like the Taj Mahal. They can be disasters such as 9/11, floods, or train accidents. Memory is not separated from fantasy. Capturing the present is not the point of people taking pictures. In fact, people take pictures to be reflections of their desires. A couple can be together in a composite photograph while they are away from each other in reality. We may want pictures of someone who is already dead. With the pictures of their dead bodies, we can create new photos-as if it was taken when the person was alive. City of Photos is a great cine-essay that, by exploring the secrets of silent pictures, leads us to consideration on the relationship between memory and fantasy. (Nam In-yong)