The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1859 Sincerity is Perfect
At the beginning of the millennium, the three major European film festivals enjoyed global renown and were of similar status. Each had its own strengths and characteristics, and although their market positioning was slightly different, they were not completely distinct. Moreover, their reach was limited, remaining largely confined to genuine film enthusiasts, and their influence had not been fully expanded.

For the average person, there is no real difference between Berlin, Cannes, and Venice; they are all "gathering places for art films."

This situation changed when Thierry Frémaux became the president of the Cannes Film Festival selection committee.

This Cannes alumnus, a graduate of the Lumière Cinematheque, demonstrated his vision and strategic thinking, finding a subtle point of convergence in the interplay of commerce, art, and politics. Step by step, he broke down boundaries, allowing the Cannes Film Festival to break out of its niche and completely turn the tide, standing out from the three major film festivals and becoming the only film event in the world that can rival the Oscars.

It all started with this short man.

Some people may be wondering how Thierry managed to do it?
Of course, things aren't that simple. The underlying power struggles and strategic maneuvering are intricate and complex, stemming from more than one or two reasons, nor can one achieve complete success simply by overcoming a single obstacle. But the starting point for everything is Thierry's core job:
Film selection.

Simply put, Thierry is responsible for selecting fifteen to twenty films from over a thousand or two thousand submissions to be included in the Cannes main competition. How to select films and what films to choose is an art in itself.

Firstly, the quality of the works themselves determines the quality of the film festival.

Secondly, the topics, nature, and style of the works determine the direction of the film festival.

Thirdly, when should we unconditionally choose established directors? When should we start cultivating our own protégés from unknown independent directors? When should we ruthlessly and proactively seize projects from competitors?
Finally, how should we manage the interplay and checks and balances among these labels: business, art, politics, and trending topics?
It's difficult to talk about, and even more difficult to execute, but Thierry did it.

When the time is right, Thierry will act decisively; he will never sit idly by and wait for opportunities to come to him. He will never be timid when it's time to take risks. Thierry is not always right; he has made mistakes in his film selections and has made many errors. But when the opportunity arises again, he will still take the risk.

Courage. Insight. Wisdom. And also, a keen eye for cinematic beauty.

All these factors combined to create Thierry, a unique character.

So why did Thierry appear on the set of "Children of Men" at this time?

Is it because...

Anson smiled and turned to look at Alfonso and Emmanuel, only to find that the two of them hadn't noticed Thierry at all, and naturally had no idea what was churning in Anson's mind. Following Anson's gaze, they finally saw their target, but the two of them still looked confused.

Alfonso met Anson's gaze. "Your friend?"

Emmanuel curled his lip. "A big spender."

Only then did Alfonso notice the long queue behind him. "Are they here to visit the set?"

Emmanuel, "It seems she's trying to curry favor with some big star."

Anson, "Does this mean you're not planning to get involved?"

Emmanuel choked.

As they were talking, Thierry had already come over, seemingly responding to Anson's topic, "You must try this, it's freshly baked bread, and as a Lyon native, I assure you, you will absolutely not regret it."

Anson glanced at Emmanuel with a half-smile. Emmanuel kept a straight face, expressionless, then looked at Thierry and gave him a polite smile. "Of course, thank you very much. When we're discussing bread, we should naturally trust the Lyonites more than the New Yorkers."

Anson felt as if his back was riddled with arrows.

Thierry was a very outgoing person. “Thieri-Frémaux, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Emmanuel, Alfonso.”

Now, it was Emmanuel and Alfonso who were stunned. "You know me?"

Thierry chuckled. “Of course, I work in Cannes, how could I not know you? In fact, I’ve seen all your works, including those short films, when I was working at the archive.”

Next, Thierry recounted a series of little-known clips from the early careers of Emmanuel and Alfonso, leaving not only Emmanuel and Alfonso amazed, but also Anson.

He had never heard of those short films either, because film is not easy to preserve, and there may only be a few versions. Only internal professionals like Thierry who work in the archive can see these precious images.

It must be said that Thierry's affability and control in a single encounter were remarkable.

Thierry was the only one talking from beginning to end, but I didn't feel squeezed or ignored. On the contrary, I could feel that his topic always revolved around Alfonso and Emmanuel, but there was no flattery at all. He was full of sincerity and easily broke down my defenses. We became familiar with each other in a short time.

Even the usually stern Emmanuel softened his expression and nodded in appreciation, saying, "I haven't watched those film rolls myself in a long time."

“At the Lumière Archive in Lyon, we have been working to collect and preserve these films, hoping that one day we can hold a special program on cinematographers so that students and film enthusiasts can understand the special nature of cinematography.”

Emmanuel's eyes lit up slightly, though only slightly, it couldn't hide his excitement and joy. "Then we'll look forward to that day."

In a brief exchange, Thierry has already defeated Emmanuel and Alfonso, accomplishing a feat that Anson had never achieved. Truly impressive.

But Thierry didn't forget the real focus, smiling broadly at Anson, "I know you'll love it. The Lumière Archive welcomes your visit anytime, or come to Cannes next year. Anson's presence always brings life to the film festival."

Emmanuel, "Anson the film fan?"

Alfonso winked at Emmanuel, reminding them that they should leave. Thierry's visit to the set was clearly a special trip to see Anson. Although he still didn't know Thierry's identity, he could guess that he was no nobody. Yet Emmanuel kept pressing him for details.

Thierry's social skills are evident in the small details; even Emmanuel was completely captivated and lost his usual composure.

Thierry, however, didn't seem to care at all, chatting and laughing about the amusing things that happened during Anson's last visit to Cannes. Emmanuel was amazed and could hardly believe his ears that Anson had this side to him, but upon reflection, it wasn't surprising, as their time together had already proven it.

Thierry naturally followed up by saying, "Now film fans are eagerly hoping that Anson can return to Cannes, so I came to London in person to extend the invitation."

The air condensed.

All the noise and excitement seemed to freeze at this moment. Pressing the pause button caused the boiling blood to rush to the heart in an instant.

(End of this chapter)