The King of Directors 2000

Chapter 596 Venice Film Festival
  The Venice Film Festival is not held on the main island of Venice, but on the outer island of Lido, which is also known as the Auto City.

Because the other islands in Venice are too small, driving is inconvenient.

Only Lido Island is large enough to drive.

Starting from the main island of Venice, you need to take a fifteen-minute speedboat to reach Lido Island.

Lee Sheng Yew had never been to Lido Island before. He had only heard about some things related to Lido Island.

He originally thought that the location of this island was not as good as Cannes, and its various facilities must not be as good as Cannes.

It wasn't until he came to Lido Island that he realized that his previous idea was not entirely correct.

The location of Lido Island is indeed not as good as Cannes. There is no airport and no trains connecting to other places. You can only communicate with other places in Italy through speedboat cruises.

However, the island’s infrastructure and living facilities are no worse than those in Cannes.

There are rows of villas on the island, theaters, movie theaters, hotels, nightclubs, casinos, amusement parks, and a red light district.

After Lee Sheng-yew and the crew of "Three Billboards" checked into the hotel, they were given a Lido Island travel guide, including various instructions on how to get to the casino and the red light district.

He saw the travel guide and was a little speechless.

Italy's profit economy is not good, so it can only vigorously develop tourism.

This year's Venice Film Festival starts on September [-]st, lasts for [-] days, and ends on September [-]th.

Li Shengyao arrived at Lido Island in the afternoon on August [-]st.

From Yanjing, we first went to Rome, then to Venice, and then to Lido Island, by plane, car, and boat.

Generally speaking, you should be very tired at this time, and you need to lie in bed and sleep for more than ten hours to recover.

But Lido Island is very beautiful in September, with good weather, clear air and many beauties.

Li Shengyao laid down and saluted, then lay on the bed and got up after only two hours of sleep.

He found that he was in good spirits, and after thinking about it, he left the guest room, planning to walk around the hotel, go to the gym, or go to the swimming pool.

He came to the gym and found that there were so many people that there was almost no room left.

The Venice Film Festival is about to start, and there are many tourists on Lido Island during this period.

Li Shengyao then went to the swimming pool, only to find Dapeng and Bi Gan sitting on a deck chair chatting.

"Dapeng, where are you going to play next?"

"Wherever you go, it's up to the master. Wherever he goes, I will follow him?"

Bi Gan curled his lips and said, "You are really the master's bastard."

Dapeng was not angry, but rather smiled smugly, "I know you are just envious and jealous. All of you are not as close to the master as I am, and you don't understand the master as well as I do. I am just the tapeworm in the master's belly. I know All the master’s thoughts.”

When Bi Gan heard this, he rolled his eyes and said, "How proud are you to say that you are a roundworm?"

"I'm proud because I am the closest to the master and I will make a movie before you and Lao Wen."

Bi Gan looked a little ugly, and then said: "Then tell me, how is Master feeling now?"

"Now... I should be a little worried and helpless."

"Hey, that's all nonsense. I think the master is quite good. Where is the worry and where is the helplessness?"

Dapeng puffed up his chest and clicked his tongue twice, "I told you that you don't understand Master, but you still don't believe me. Let me analyze the reasons for you."

His eyes fell on a very attractive beauty with bulging front and back. He took a sip of his breath, and then said: "The production of "Three Billboards" was too rushed. We were filming in Tyrande two months ago. After finishing filming, they returned to China and started post-production. When the crew applied to Radio and Television to participate in the Venice Film Festival, the film was not yet completed.

It was only completed half a month ago. It was such a rush from production to participation in the Venice Film Festival.

I think the master is unsure. "

Bi Gan nodded when he heard this, "Is there any more?"

"That's for sure."

Dapeng paused, retracted his gaze, pretended to be calm and looked around, and then set his sights on the beautiful lady again.

"A few of us have watched "Three Billboards", and I feel very happy. This movie is not a literary film, but a combination of literature and business. Such a movie is not liked by the Venice Film Festival. I think "Three Billboards" "Billboard" is more suitable for the Cannes Film Festival.

However, the master has already won the Palme d'Or twice and competed at the Cannes Film Festival. He has no expectations this year.

But Shifu was too strong last year and won the Palme d'Or twice. I don't think the Venice Film Festival will give him the Golden Lion. After all, the outside world thinks that Shifu is a director of the Cannes faction, and the Venice organizers may not be so generous. "

Bi Gan heard Dapeng's words and became more serious.

Seeing this, Dapeng became even more proud, and continued: "This time at the Venice Film Festival, there are only two Chinese-language films participating in the main unit competition, namely "Three Billboards" and "Outing", that is, our master, and director Tsai Ming-liang If you have the courage, do you know why other directors don’t come?”

This year marks the [-]th anniversary of the Venice Film Festival. Generally, in such years, more films will participate in the competition.

This year, only two Chinese-language films entered the competition.

"Watermark Street", "Zombie", "Dead Water" and "Crazy Love" participated in the screening.

Among them, "Dead Water" is a short film and "Crazy Love" is a documentary.

Although the directors of these films were interviewed by reporters, they insisted that they were just here for communication and did not want to win awards, so they did not participate in the competition.

In fact, everyone knows that the quality of the movie is not up to standard and can only be screened.

Bi Gan shook his head, "Why?"

"Because the Venice Film Festival has changed its official seal, no one knows the aesthetic direction of the new official seal, but it is certain that he wants to please Hollywood. Didn't the news say that he went to beautiful countries to attract people in person?

Under such circumstances, the main award this time will definitely be given to Hollywood movies.

Other film directors have no interest in coming. "

Bi Gan heard this and felt that it made some sense.

Dapeng continued: "Another reason is that this year's summer movies in our mainland are mainly bad movies and there are very few good movies. Such bad movies are very unlucky and affect the luck of other movies in winning awards."

Bi Gan didn't believe this last one, but he agreed with Dapeng's other words.

Dapeng understood what Bi Gan meant and became even more proud, "How about it, do I know the master better than you do?

Think about it, in the current situation of "Three Billboards", the master is worried and helpless.

He is in a bad mood and likes to relieve himself, but it is best for us disciples not to disturb him. "

Li Shengyao sat on a recliner behind Dapeng and Bi Gan. He heard everything Dapeng and Bi Gan said.

However, Dapeng said so confidently that he was wrong about Li Shengyao's thoughts.

Li Shengyao is very clear about his current situation. He has never thought about the Golden Lion Award. He hopes to win the Best Actress.

He has seen the finished film of "Three Billboards" and thinks it was very well shot. Maggie Cheung's performance is even more outstanding, and he is fully capable of competing for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival.

Li Shengyao did not talk big in front of the media or launch satellites, but he still had some confidence in Zhang Manyu.

It's not worry or helplessness, but more expectation.    …

To commemorate the [-]th anniversary of the Venice Film Festival, to attract more tourists, and to compete with Cannes.

The organizers of the Venice Film Festival also organized a screening of classic films.

Classic Asian movies include "Sweetie", "Sunny Day", and Ozu Yasujiro's "Hana".

Jiang Wen brought Zhou Yun over, and they promoted "Sunny Days" together.

In addition, Jiang Wen is also a judge of this film festival.

Peter Chan also came over to promote "Sweet Honey".

Apart from them, there are almost no other celebrity artists.

Pei Bingbing, Zhang Yuqi and others, who had changed into several sets of dresses on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, did not come at all.

I have to say that these celebrities are really realistic.

Because "Sweetie" was re-screened at the Venice Film Festival, Maggie Cheung walked the red carpet twice, representing "Three Billboards" and "Sweetie" respectively.

At 2013 pm on September 9, 1, the opening ceremony of the Venice Film Festival was held at the City Theater on Lido Island.

The host is above.

Li Shengyao, Maggie Cheung, Simon Yam, Peter Chan, and Zhou Yun were all Chinese filmmakers sitting in a row.

Zhang Manyu is wearing a long dress. She is still a little thin. She looks just right in the camera, but she looks too thin in reality.

She felt a little emotional. Looking at the people performing on the stage, she couldn't help but say: "It's great to be young."

It is a pity for Maggie Cheung that most of the films she has acted in have not participated in the three major European film festivals.

For example, "Ruan Lingyu" participated in the Berlin Film Festival.

Then came "In the Mood for Love", which participated in the Cannes Film Festival.

Then came "Clean", which also participated in the Cannes Film Festival.

Except for these three movies, neither "Days of Being Wild", "Song Dynasty" or "In New York" have participated in the top three movies in Europe.

In the past, Hong Kong filmmakers, even if they produced literary films, did not like to submit them to the three major European competitions.

Otherwise, Zhang Manyu might have gathered together the top three European actresses.

Li Shengyao understood Zhang Manyu's mood and nodded, "It is indeed good to be young and energetic."

"However, when it comes to film acting, young people lack experience, which is a disadvantage. In recent years, at the three major European film festivals, very few young actors have won the best actor award."

It's really rare for people like Xia Yu to win Best Actor in their teens.

Especially in the three major European countries, it is even more rare.

Whether it's Cannes, Berlin, or Venice Film Festival, the actors who often win the Actor Award are actors in their [-]s and [-]s.

It cannot be said that the older you get, the more popular you become, but the judges of the three major European awards are obviously more "respectful of the elderly".

After Zhang Manyu heard Li Shengyao's words, she smiled and nodded, with a little more expectation in her eyes.

She came back after a few years just to win the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival.

At this time, Alberto Barbara, the chief seal of the film festival, came to the stage to give a speech. He stood in the center of the stage and talked eloquently.

On the big screen behind him, some classic movie replays were being played, and there was even a scene of Maggie Cheung in "Sweet Honey" on the streets of New York.

Chen Kexin saw it and nodded without any trace.

Simon Yam looked envious. He had acted in many movies, but compared to classic movies, the kind of movies that film school students might study fifty years later, he couldn't compare with Maggie Cheung.

Li Shengyao wanted to encourage Zhang Manyu, so he said: "Look, there was a picture of you just now. The organizer knows about you."

Zhang Manyu naturally saw the scene just now and felt happy in her heart.

After Alberto Barbara's speech, Bernardo Bellutucci, the chief judge of this year's film festival, took the stage to give a speech.

This is an Italian master-level film director whose representative works include "The Last Emperor", "The Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man", "Last Tango in Paris" and so on.

Although he is seventy-two years old, he is still very healthy, with a loud voice and bright eyes.

When he came on stage, Li Shengyao, Zhang Manyu, Simon Yam and others immediately applauded enthusiastically.

Bellutucci was the first foreign director to shoot a movie in the Forbidden City. He loved Chinese culture very much and was a communist.

It cannot be said that since Berlutucci is the chief seal of the jury, he will prefer Chinese-language films.

It's always good news. At least he won't be biased against Chinese movies.

Watching Bellutucci speak on the stage, everyone felt a little more hopeful.

After Bellutocci finished his speech, everyone moved to watch the opening ceremony movie "Gravity".

The film's leading actors and actresses, Sandra Brooke and George Clooney, both came over.

These two people are both top-notch Hollywood stars. The man is handsome and the woman is beautiful tonight, which attracts very much attention.

However, the film's score at the Venice Film Festival was not high. It is a purely commercial film with nothing outstanding about its storyline and theme.

The only thing you can watch in a commercial film like this is the special effects.

However, the audience at the Venice Film Festival has always preferred literary and artistic films, so even though Barbara personally went to the beautiful country to win over "Gravity" as the opening film.

But the movie screening effect is really average.

The movie hasn't ended yet, and there are many audience members discussing in low voices in the theater.

Li Shengyao, Zhang Manyu and others naturally went to watch the opening ceremony movie. After the movie, there was a celebration banquet. They were mainly waiting for the celebration banquet later.

Zhang Manyu and Simon Yam both held their chins and looked sleepy when they saw "Gravity".

Li Shengyao noticed the audience's reaction and frowned slightly.

"Gravity" is not suitable for the Venice Film Festival. It is a commercial film.

The plot design of "Three Billboards" is actually a commercial film model.

Although the heroine in the movie encounters a series of difficulties and constant setbacks, there is a hidden thread. She continues to break through obstacles and becomes stronger and stronger.

The audience can enjoy watching this movie.

It would be difficult for a film like this to receive high praise at the Venice Film Festival.

So can a movie like this help Cheung Manyu compete for Best Actress?
  In the dimly lit auditorium, the voices of the audience were buzzing with conversation. From far away, Li Shengyao could see the worried faces of Sandra Brooke and George Clooney.

These two Hollywood movie stars are nervous, but what about me?
  (End of this chapter)