A widower's entertainment

Beijing, Yenching Medical University.

Although Lin Zhaoxi has been busy with her studies and hasn't participated in any other clubs, such as the school's literary society, she was invited because she heard that Lin Zhaoxi was the daughter of the famous writer Lin Youcheng. However, it is clear that although Lin Zhaoxi has read some literary works, she has not joined the literary society.

Even so, Lin Zhaoxi is now helping his sister Lin Zhaomei contact the person in charge of screening "Destiny," which won the Best Short Film Award at the Berlin Film Festival. It can be said that this is the first school to screen Lin Zhaomei's film after it was screened at her own film academy, and it is also because of Lin Zhaoxi.

Otherwise, they would have done what Section Chief Jia did before and screened this short film, "Destiny," at Yenching University.

Although Yenching Medical University mainly has medical students, there are also students who love literature and film art. Many students came here to watch the award-winning short film "Destiny".

Lin Zhaoxi also sat next to Lin Zhaomei, watching the short film "Destiny" directed by Lin Zhaomei on the screen with real attention.

The story unfolded as the female student's name was stolen, she returned to her rural hometown, married, had children, and eventually, heavily pregnant, worked in the fields until she suddenly went into labor—for reasons unknown.

This scene reminded Lin Zhaoxi of his own mother, who, many years ago, was also sweeping the streets while heavily pregnant, and later went into labor, but sadly...

This thought appeared in Lin Zhaoxi's mind, but was gradually suppressed because Lin Zhaoxi knew that it was something from a very long time ago, and that it was all in the past.

Lin Zhaoxi pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked at the light and shadow on the screen. The story seemed to be rewinding, and then it returned to the time of the college entrance examination. However, this time the female student was not replaced, but was really admitted to university. The scene seemed to brighten up, and the female student's entire life was different. She later became a teacher, and then at the end, the teacher saw a female student with a schoolbag on her back, running hurriedly to school. It was like a cycle, and the tragic cage of fate seemed to always be there.

"Zhaomei, you filmed this story so well!"

Although Lin Zhaoxi knew from the beginning that Lin Zhaomei was making a film about college entrance exam cheating and changing one's fate, he was still surprised when he actually saw the short film. Lin Zhaomei's short film was really good, especially the reverse shot in the middle, which had a really magical feel to it.

Hearing her elder sister Lin Zhaoxi's affirmative words, Lin Zhaomei's face naturally lit up with a smile, and she said, "Thank you, sister."

Although Lin Zhaomei had received a lot of affirmation and praise when the short film was screened at the Yenching Film Academy, she was still very happy to hear her older sister's affirmation.

This is why Lin Zhaomei especially wanted to screen this short film at Yenching Medical University, hoping to show her older sister the short film she made.

Zhou Xue, Lin Zhaoxi's classmate, looked at Lin Zhaomei with lingering interest and praised, "It was really wonderful, Zhaoxi, your sister is amazing! This story is very meaningful. I really can't imagine what would happen if I were the one whose college entrance exam was stolen. Maybe I would get married and have children like the girl in the short film."

Zhou Xue, who came from a rural background, had previously been deeply moved by Lin Zhaoxi's father, Lin Youcheng's, novel "Hidden in the Dust." She was even very grateful to Lin Youcheng for using the novel to allude to the rural areas' practice of paying grain taxes and being exploited by the cities. Now, seeing Lin Zhaomei's short film "Destiny" has touched her even more, because she really doesn't know what would have happened if she had failed her college entrance exam and hadn't been admitted to Yenching Medical University. She really doesn't dare to think about it, because just thinking about it sends chills down her spine.

It can be said that many students share the same thoughts as Zhou Xue, and they were all deeply moved by Lin Zhaomei's short film "Destiny".

These student viewers felt that the short film was not only brilliant in its cinematic techniques and structure, but also in its profound themes, which sparked continuous discussion and applause.

There were even quite a few students who came up to talk to Lin Zhaomei, the short film's director. Most of these conversations were full of praise, saying that Lin Zhaomei's short film was well made and deserved to have won the Best Short Film Award at the Berlin Film Festival.

In fact, it wasn't just the students who praised Lin Zhaomei's short film; teachers from other film academies, as well as some veteran filmmakers from Yanjing Film Studio, also watched Lin Zhaomei's short film, which broke records by winning the Best Short Film Award at the Berlin Film Festival, and they all gave it very high praise.

Xie Xiaojing was also very happy for Lin Zhaomei. After watching Lin Zhaomei's film "Destiny", she praised Lin Zhaomei for making it very well, and even said: "The two scenes of life's fate turning around were handled very well, and the scene of losing her voice at the end of childbirth was full of spirituality."

Zheng Dongtian, the head of the directing department, nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right, no wonder it won the Best Short Film Award."

In Zheng Dongtian's opinion, Lin Zhaomei's short film is not without flaws; some shots are still a bit rough around the edges, but it is still quite moving.

Zheng Dongtian greatly admired this short film. He described it as gentle yet sharp, quiet yet deeply moving. Most importantly, its themes revolve around education, knowledge, and destiny, as well as the powerlessness and desolation felt after one's fate has been altered and manipulated. The school bell ringing at the end of the film seems to re-present the predicament of fate's cage—a new cage, a silent protest against a spoken one—arguably the most profound critique and the most absurd satire of the entire short film.

"She won the short film award at the Berlin Film Festival in her freshman year, that's really amazing!"

Xie Xiaojing nodded and said, "Yes, it's really amazing. This Best Short Film Award is also the first award our school has ever received."

Although it's only the Best Short Film Award, far less prestigious than the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, there's no doubt that this is the first short film award ever given to Yenching Film Academy. This truly makes the school's teachers think Lin Zhaomei is quite remarkable.

It's fair to say that, aside from the teachers, the film academy students also greatly admired Lin Zhaomei. While initially they might have thought Lin Zhaomei's success stemmed from having a wealthy father, after watching the short film "Destiny," they all clearly recognized that this student director was truly remarkable. Even Lu Chuan, a graduate student in directing, had to admit that "Destiny" was very well-made. However, he still harbored some reservations, feeling he could have made it too, and that Lin Zhaomei's success was due to having the funding; he believed he could have done even better.

It can be said that Lu Chuan's idea is not an isolated case in the film academy. As directing students, they naturally have some pride. This is the same principle as scholars looking down on each other. Naturally, some senior directing students will also be dissatisfied. However, they also know very well that just like Lin Zhaomei was able to spend tens of thousands to shoot this film "Destiny", Lin Zhaomei ultimately has a good father to support her.

Of course, such views are still in the minority. Most students saw the excellence of Lin Zhaomei's short film "Destiny" and privately believed that Lin Zhaomei would definitely become a great director in the future.

Jin Qiaoqiao also talked to her classmate Jiang Qinqin about Lin Zhaomei's short film "Destiny", saying, "Qinqin, that Lin Zhaomei is really amazing. She made a short film when she was only a freshman and even won an award at the Berlin Film Festival."

Jiang Qinqin nodded. She had also seen the short film and thought it was really well made. This was why their homeroom teacher had praised the short film. The storyline was full of conflict, and the handheld camera technique highlighted the instability and sense of drifting of the characters' fates. The narrative driven by the relationships between the characters and the details of their lives, as well as the unfolding of two different life stories, was really novel and unique at this time.

Jiang Qinqin herself really liked this short film. She especially liked the performance of the female lead, Zhou Xun. Just as her classmate Fu Dalong praised and commented, the actress almost completely immersed herself in the role. Her natural acting and sense of helplessness were so natural that you could tell at a glance that it wasn't acting. It was as if she had really experienced those things to develop such a temperament. The whole performance was really moving. But what was even more remarkable was that she completely portrayed the fates of two different lives. Her entire temperament was also completely different. Although it was the same character, she seemed like two different characters under the ravages of fate.

No wonder the teacher praised the actress's performance in the short film, saying it was full of spirit, especially in portraying two characters with different life fates. After learning that she had failed the college entrance examination, she did not cry sadly, but rather remained silent with the feeling that there was nothing she could do. There was also the scene where she screamed in the fields. It was not sentimental, but it was more shocking than sentimentality.

If she were to play this role, Jiang Qinqin herself felt she couldn't portray it well.

Of course, in Jiang Qinqin's view, the most important thing is still the director Lin Zhaomei. Everything is handled very lightly, but the lighter it is, the more poignant it is, and the more you can feel the tragedy of the fate after being replaced.

In addition, Jiang Qinqin particularly liked the cinematography of the short film "Destiny". The images in the film are really beautiful. The composition of fixed camera positions, mirror views, empty shots, and long takes is understated. The colors of the two different life destinies are also very different. In the foreground, there is mist, mountain scenery, earthen houses, and students' simple clothes. In the background, there are bright and warm colors after the students who were not replaced and went to university. It is a really beautiful contrast. The exquisite shots seem to grow out of the earth. The temperament of many scenes is seemingly grand but extremely restrained.

It is precisely because it is so wonderful that the students at the school have watched Lin Zhaomei's short film "Destiny" repeatedly. Although the theme is also profound, they discuss the filming techniques and the structure of the short film more.

"Yes, this short film is really well made. I really love the scene of production in the field. Looking down from above, it is full of loneliness and sorrow."

Jin Qiaoqiao was also surprised that Jiang Qinqin would talk about the short film's visuals. Although she also liked the visuals of the short film, she was more concerned about the director, Lin Zhaomei, and couldn't help but say, "If I had known that the female lead in this short film was so young, I would have loved to have starred in it."

Jiang Qinqin was slightly taken aback when she heard Jin Qiaoqiao's words. Although she knew that Jin Qiaoqiao had already filmed a movie last year, she felt that it was not appropriate for Jin Qiaoqiao to play the female lead in "Destiny". She felt that this role, or rather these two roles, were not easy to play.

Of course, this is also a very good role and script for the actor, and it is extremely challenging.

Jiang Qinqin smiled and said, "Lin Zhaomei would definitely go to someone she knows."

Jiang Qinqin naturally knew that Zhou Xun had previously played the role of Xiuer in the TV series "Crossing the Guandong", and she had acted quite well. It was not surprising that Lin Zhaomei knew Zhou Xun and asked her to act in this short film. Moreover, it was said that this short film was filmed before Lin Zhaomei entered the school, and it was not surprising that she only asked people from other departments of the school and did not ask students from the acting department.

Jin Qiaoqiao said with a smile, "I still need to find an opportunity to get to know this junior from the directing department. She won the short film award at the Berlin Film Festival when she was a freshman. She will definitely make movies in the future. When we get to know each other, I will have the opportunity to act in her movies."

Although Jiang Qinqin knew that Jin Qiaoqiao made sense, she still felt that something was amiss.

She also wanted to get to know Lin Zhaomei, but more so because of her admiration for Lin Zhaomei. As for asking Lin Zhaomei to cast her in a movie, Jiang Qinqin hadn't considered it, since she was only a sophomore in college and wasn't in a hurry. Of course, if Lin Zhaomei really had a good role for her, she wouldn't refuse.

Jin Qiaoqiao added, "Now that I know Lin Zhaomei, I might also get to know her father, Lin Youcheng. He's quite powerful and a regular at the Hollywood Oscars. Several roles in the previous drama 'Crossing the Guandong' were cast through auditions. If I had known earlier, I would have auditioned too, and maybe I could have acted in 'Crossing the Guandong' as well."

Listening to Jin Qiaoqiao's words, Jiang Qinqin felt that they were becoming more and more unreliable, so she waved her hand and said, "Let's not think about those things."

"If there's a real opportunity in the future, we'll naturally cooperate. If there's no opportunity, even if we try our best, we won't get one."

Jin Qiaoqiao smiled as she listened to Jiang Qinqin's words and said, "Then we still need to find an opportunity to get to know Lin Zhaomei!"

Upon hearing Jin Qiaoqiao's words, Jiang Qinqin shook her head and said no more. Finding an opportunity to get to know someone should be done naturally, without being too deliberate or utilitarian.

But in reality, there are quite a few people in this film academy who share the same thoughts as Jin Qiaoqiao. After all, Lin Zhaomei, a freshman, has a very promising future, so it's natural to want to get to know her.

Lin Zhaomei winning the Best Short Film award at the Berlin Film Festival at such a young age is already quite remarkable, even record-breaking! (End of Chapter)