China Entertainment Anchor

"Director, how about answering three more questions?" the host asked Zhang Yang in a consulting tone.

Zhang Yang thought about it and nodded in agreement.

The competition among the media below the stage suddenly became more intense, and they all raised their arms high.

Germany's own Bild newspaper got the chance first.

Bild: Director Zhang Yang, what were your considerations in entering "Oppenheimer" at the Oscars and "Decision to Divorce" at the Berlin Film Festival?

Zhang Yang said without hesitation: "Of course I think these two films are more suitable for the film festival we are going to participate in. Our Berlin Film Festival..."

After answering the questions from the BBC reporter, the last question opportunity was given to Deutsche Welle.

The reporter was even bolder. He asked directly: "Director, what do you think about "One Second" and "Better Days" withdrawing from the Berlin Film Festival?"

This group of reporters had a rough guess as to why the two films were withdrawn, and now they wanted to hear Zhang Yang's answer.

Zhang Yang stroked his chin and thought for a moment: "I feel sorry about this matter, but I can understand it.
We Chinese filmmakers all want to present the best of movies to everyone. These two movies have technical problems, we just need to wait patiently, good things are worth waiting for.”

A group of reporters were snapping photos while secretly looking down on Zhang Yang. Is the film really a technical problem? You are the emperor of movies, but you are not good enough.

With the end of Zhang Yang's answer, the press conference of "Decision to Break Up" was officially completed, which lasted for one hour and twenty minutes.

The three of them walked backstage and Li Xiaoran let out a long sigh.

"It's just a press conference, why are you so nervous?" Zhang Yang looked at her in surprise when he heard Li Xiaoran's movement.

"This may be the only time in my life that I will participate in this event. It's normal to be a little nervous," Li Xiaoran said self-deprecatingly.

This shows the importance of experience. Think about the press conference for a non-competitive film, Nong Yuan Jiang, at Cannes 24.
Throughout the entire press conference, except for Chen Kexin and Zhang Ziyi, everyone else looked reserved, as if they had never seen the world. They only knew how to thank the director and the crew, and they answered irrelevant questions. It was really hilarious.

"Just get used to it. Maybe you'll feel much better at the premiere tomorrow." Liu Yifei walked over and held Li Xiaoran's arm.

Li Xiaoran nodded, and the three of them returned to the hotel.

After arriving at the hotel, they had lunch and returned to their rooms.

"After the premiere tomorrow, let's go to Paris." Liu Yifei was sitting on the sofa playing with her phone, and suddenly looked up and said to Zhang Yang beside her.

"Okay." Zhang Yang agreed straightforwardly. Speaking of which, he hadn't seen Professor An for a while.

At around nine o'clock the next morning, Zhang Yang and his three companions came to the Berlin Film Palace again. There were quite a few stars, audiences, and film critics who came today, and they were all looking forward to "Decision to Part".

Zhang Yang and Liu Yifei started to greet each other as soon as they arrived. There were too many people coming to say hello, most of whom they didn't know.

"Zhang Yang, welcome back to Berlin." Dieter walked up to him and gave him a hug.

"Thank you. I haven't seen you for a few years. You are still in such good spirits."

"Haha, if you come next year, you won't see me." Dieter joked to himself. In another month, he will officially step down, ending his 18-year rule over the Berlin Film Festival.

"I believe that with your passion for movies, we will see you again when we come to Berlin, just in a different identity," Liu Yifei said with a smile.

"Crystal, your words are as beautiful as your appearance." Dieter said with a smile, and pointed to the side: "Let me introduce you to Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Lisenbeek. They are my successors."

"You have two successors?" Zhang Yang greeted both of them, a little curious.

"This is also a new attempt. Lisenbeek is mainly responsible for the commercial operations of the Berlin International Film Festival, while Chatrian focuses on film selection and curation." Dieter explained to Zhang Yang.

Obviously, it is time for the Berlin Film Festival to reform.

"Director Zhang Yang, I hope you can bring more films to our Berlin." Chatrian took the initiative to shake hands with Zhang Yang.

"Yes, yes." Zhang Yang shook hands with him politely.

Soon, Lou Ye, Wang Xiaoshuai, Wang Quanan and Bai Xue, all came over with the actors from their crews and greeted Zhang Yang.

I don't know whether they came to support him or were interested in his movies.

Among them, Wang Yuan was the most enthusiastic, calling people uncle and aunt, probably because Zhang Yang had just helped him at the Weibo Night last month.

Starting at ten o'clock, a group of people walked along the lively red carpet and entered the screening room. "Decision to Part" was finally going to meet the world.

Gunshots were heard before the movie opening was over. When film critics saw this scene, they even started counting the gunshots. The number of gunshots in art films also has special significance.

After five minutes of setting the scene of daily life, the film suddenly shifts to the crime scene, and the heroine Liu Yifei also officially appears.

After the conversation between the male and female protagonists in the morgue ended, Wang Yuan looked at Zhang Yang in the movie and muttered quietly: "The director seems very majestic, but he is not too tall either."

Wang Xiaoshuai laughed when he heard Wang Yuan muttering, "This is the magic of shooting from above. It makes the person look particularly tall."

Wang Yuan nodded after hearing the director's explanation, but he still thought the movie was boring.

After all, he is only eighteen years old and does not have such a deep understanding of human nature.

He also felt drowsy watching the scene in the film where Zhang Hai interrogated Song Rui. Perhaps the director knew that this movie was too boring for ordinary people, so around fifteen minutes in, he presented the audience with a sex scene between Zhang Hai and An Jing.

Ordinary audiences will no longer feel sleepy after seeing this and will feel that the movie is quite interesting.

The scene of Zhang Hai's second interrogation of Song Rui appeared, and it was the turn of film critics and big directors to get excited. They were all familiar with this scene. They understood the use of mirrors to express the relationships between characters and had learned this theory.

But Zhang Yang's performance method is very interesting. It turns out that this technique can be used in this way. It's amazing! I've learned it, and I will use it in this way next time.

The movie emperor is really proficient in various shooting techniques.

The plot came to the conversation between Zhang Hai and Song Rui at home. What surprised people this time was Liu Yifei's performance. This kind of drama performance style was the first time Liu Yifei used it. It made the critics who saw it shine, but the audience felt that Liu Yifei's performance was a bit exaggerated.

When they had a conversation for the second time at Song Rui's house, Zhang Hai discovered the truth that Song Rui had killed her husband, and their evil relationship came to an end.

Next, comes the second murder case in the movie. Song Rui’s second husband died again. Everyone doesn’t have to think about it anymore when they see this. They subconsciously think that she was the one who killed him again, after all, she had a criminal record.

The result must be unexpected, otherwise the movie would be really boring. The case was solved, but the murderer was not Song Rui.

From this point on, the movie completely transforms from a suspense film to a romance film, a love story between a middle-aged man and a woman.

When the scene of Song Rui committing suicide by the sea appeared, all the audience were awake.

Film critics silently analyzed the reasons why Zhang Yang shot it this way, while ordinary people thought to themselves,
This is not "Decision to Break Up", it's "Decision to Be Buried Alive".

Coincidentally, Liu Yifei also starred in "Buried Alive" before. Could this be how Zhang Yang got the inspiration?
Also, in the end, Zhang Hai stepped on Song Rui's body and listened to her last confession on the phone. It was too cruel, but also too exciting!
The movie ends here, and everyone is still immersed in the shock or romance of Song Rui's suicide at the end of the film.

The lights in the theater slowly turned on, and the audience came back to their senses under the stimulation of the light.

The applause was enthusiastic and it just wouldn't stop.

Zhang Yang, Liu Yifei and Li Xiaoran also stood up and thanked the people around them.

Their actions made the applause around them even louder.

At this time, the staff of the Film Palace handed Zhang Yang a microphone and said, "Director, please say a few words."

Zhang Yang was not polite. He took the microphone and faced the audience with a smile on his face: "I hope this movie can give everyone some different thoughts. Thank you."

After Zhang Yang finished speaking, he returned the microphone to the staff, but they wanted to take pictures again.

Zhang Yang, Liu Yifei and Li Xiaoran stood together, smiling and letting the staff take some photos.

The premiere had ended at this point, but the applause continued.

Wang Quanan, Wang Xiaoshuai and others felt relieved when watching this scene, but they also felt a little sad in their hearts.

They are naturally happy because another good movie has appeared in China, but as for the sadness, there is no need to say more, they and Zhang Yang are competitors.

How lucky I am to be in the same era as him. Together, they witnessed the most glorious moment of Chinese art films in the new century.

But what a misfortune it was that everyone's eyes were on Zhang Yang, and he was so dazzling that everyone else was eclipsed.

Seeing that the movie was so popular, Liu Yifei naturally took Zhang Yang's arm.

Zhang Yang looked at Liu Yifei beside him, and an idea suddenly occurred to him. He pulled her aside and said, "Greet the audience again."

He wanted to create more momentum for Liu Yifei.

Liu Yifei was not shy. Wearing a black suit, she bowed slightly to the audience around her.

After she finished this series of actions, Zhang Yang did not stay any longer, and the three of them walked out of the screening room together.

"Zhang Yang, congratulations on making another great movie." Dieter was the first to give him his blessing.

"Thank you."

"Although Zhang Yimou's film has been withdrawn, your film makes us feel less regretful." Carlo Chatrian came to Zhang Yang at some point.

Zhang Yang and the other two chatted with everyone at the entrance of the Film Palace before walking onto the red carpet again.

The red carpet at the end of the premiere was exclusive to Zhang Yang and the other two.

While a group of reporters were taking photos of them, they were feeling a little bit dissatisfied in their hearts.

Look at other women, they wear beautiful skirts even when it's cold.
Liu Yifei and Li Xiaoran, on the other hand, both wore suits, with sweaters underneath without any concealment. They took the photo in vain.

In fact, Li Xiaoran may not want to wear a skirt, but Liu Yifei doesn't wear it, so it would be a bit inconvenient for her to wear it alone.

When they returned to the hotel again, just after lunch, the assistant came to the suite and reported the situation to him.

"Boss, after the premiere, more distributors have come to inquire about the copyright of "Decision to Part." Obviously, after the premiere, the feedback from those film distributors was very good.

Even though I knew Zhang Yang would not sell the copyright before the award ceremony, I still wanted to leave an impression first.

"You'll be in charge of everything until the end of the film festival. I have to go out tomorrow."

The assistant knew exactly where the boss was going, so he nodded and walked out.

The next morning, Zhang Yang and Liu Yifei, along with their bodyguards and Liu Yifei's assistant, quietly went to Paris.

At the Confucius Institute, they were once again warmly received by Professor An.

Of course, Zhang Yang’s gift is also indispensable.

While the family was having lunch, Professor An said with a smile, "Your movies this year are pretty good."

"Dad, you know everything?" Liu Yifei put down her chopsticks and looked at Professor An in surprise. It was not long after the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival was about to begin. He should be very busy.

"How can I not pay attention to my daughter's movie?" Professor An said as he took out a tablet, opened a page and handed it to Liu Yifei.

Zhang Yang also leaned over to take a look. It was the Berlin Film Festival's program publication "Daily Screen" that announced the latest rankings today.

(End of this chapter)