Huayu: Director started with art films

Chapter 109 [The only Chinese director with the Palme d’Or in a century]

night.

Inside the hotel room.

Li Yishu was chatting with Zhang Yimou and Chen Tianhe, the person in charge sent by Yindu Organization.

"Director Li, our Yindu Agency has always hoped to cooperate with you."

Chen Tianhe was excited about Li Yishu's sudden visit. As a member of the Hong Kong Silver Capital Agency, he was naturally aware of the performance of Li Yishu's last two films.

It is hard to say how much overseas copyright fees "That Mountain, That Man, That Dog" sold after winning the Golden Lion Award, but the more than three million moviegoers in Japan and the NT$1.5 million box office in Taiwan are enough to make the distributor and producer earn a lot of money.

Later, Li Yi collaborated with Japan's Toho Co., Ltd. on the romance film "Love Letter", which attracted tens of millions of viewers in Japan and grossed over 150 billion yen, making Toho Company a huge profit.

How much does it cost to invest in a romance film? The two actors are both new generation actors, and their salaries are not high. The biggest production cost is probably Lee Ye-seo's director's salary.

But no matter how high it is, it is a drop in the bucket compared to the box office revenue of 150 billion yen.

"Of course, I will definitely cooperate with Yindu Organization if there is a chance."

Li Yishu smiled and nodded. If nothing unexpected happens, the next movie will be a collaboration with Qiu Fusheng to repay the favor he had done her.

It is probably not known when the cooperation with Silva Group will be possible, but as a leftist film company in Hong Kong and a department sent by the higher-ups, it is impossible for Li Yishu to refuse directly.

He also remembered that the unified purchase and sale of state-owned film studios would be cancelled next year, and by then those state-owned film studios in the mainland would probably have a hard time.

In the past, major film studios only needed to take money to make movies and didn’t have to worry about the box office performance. In the future, they will have to distribute the films themselves and make money at the box office, otherwise they won’t even have money to buy film.

It is equivalent to the household distribution of land in the film industry, where each family contracts their own piece of land and is responsible for their own profits and losses.

In order to make money, co-production films will definitely be indispensable. After all, in the field of commercial films, Hong Kong has more talents in this area.

Regardless of whether Li Yishu will continue to shoot in the next few years, she must have a good relationship with Silvio Berezhao Entertainment. This will also be beneficial for future co-productions. She can bring Silvio Berezhao Entertainment together and won't have to worry too much about the box office being ripped off when the film is released in Hong Kong.

"Jingle Bell--"

Just then, the phone in the room rang.

As soon as the voice came out, everyone's eyes turned to the phone.

The translator walked over nervously to answer the phone.

"Okay, thank you. We will attend on time tomorrow."

When the translator put down the phone, he immediately said excitedly: "We received an invitation!"

Zhang Yimou immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Gong Li also started to get a little nervous. Since they were invited, it meant that their crew would definitely win an award, but what exactly it would be and how many awards it would be were all unknown.

Subconsciously, I looked at Li Yishu and saw him raise his eyebrows, as if to say: You are bound to win the Best Actress award!
Gong Li's nervous mood has relaxed a little, but she is still nervous. This is her second time to win the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival.

Having failed last year, Gong Li feels like she may not be able to make it if she fails again this year.

Everyone was happy for a while and then went back to their rooms.

In the middle of the night, Gong Li, the mother of the earth, came running. She was so nervous that she could not sleep, and wanted to talk to Li Yishu about it.

The next morning.

Gong Li went to the stylist to do her makeup in high spirits, while Li Yishu slept until noon.

The first thing I did after waking up was to take out some wolfberries from my suitcase, grab a handful, and make myself a cup.

In the restaurant, Li Yishu ate while listening to Xu Lu:
"This time, a total of 37 European film producers have agreed to our cooperation plan. I have confirmed with them that I will bring the film to Europe in mid-October and invite them to watch the final effect of the film together. And they have also agreed that if the cooperation is reached, the film will be released during the Christmas period."

"We haven't discussed the specific copyright fee yet, right?"

"Not yet, but I don't think it will be too high."

"After the film comes out, we'll try to talk about it as high as possible."

Li Yishu wiped his mouth and said, "The quality of "Sword Rain" is very high. Although it is a Chinese martial arts film, for European audiences, you can let these film producers promote it as a science fiction film."

"Science fiction?" Xu Su was stunned for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Director Li also knows about this?"

"what do you know?"

"It's a science fiction film. During the few days we screened it, European and American audiences and film distributors who came to watch it all said it was a wonderful science fiction film."

"Ha ha--"

Li Yishu laughed and said, "That's normal. To Western audiences, movies that allow people to fly and hide are just science fiction movies, right?"

"Once the film editing is finished, Sister Xu, you should also talk to the film producers about science fiction films. Science fiction films are commercial films in Europe and the United States, and the production costs are higher. For example, our special effects shots must have cost a lot of money in the eyes of foreigners, so the copyright fees must be higher."

"Is this...really possible?"

Xu Lu frowned. She still didn't quite understand why "Sword Rain" should be seen as a science fiction film. Even though the flying and the "magic rope" did look quite fantastic, it couldn't be seen as a science fiction film, right?
"It must be no problem."

Li Yishu smiled and said: "In the eyes of foreigners, a movie like this, with flying and slowing down the movement of flying needles, is nothing but a science fiction movie?" Although the plot of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is not very good, the visuals and the martial arts scenes in the bamboo forest are still very classic. But in the eyes of Americans, this is just a science fiction movie.

What’s even more ridiculous is that this movie was actually nominated for the 2001 American Film and Television Saturn Awards.

You should know that the Saturn Award has another name, which is the Science Fiction Film Award, hosted by the Science Fiction and Horror Film Society of America.

At the Saturn Science Fiction Awards, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" received eight nominations, competing with science fiction and horror films such as "X-Men", "The Sixth Day", "Space Cowboys", and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".

"Okay, I'll try it then."

Xu Suo thought of the attitudes of European and American audiences before, and thought that he could try to define "Sword Rain" as a science fiction film.

The two chatted for half an hour before he got up and went back to his room upstairs to change into a suit and attend the closing ceremony in the evening.

Originally, Li Yishu didn't want to go. After all, he was not a "carpet star". Why would he go to the closing ceremony without any works? However, he couldn't resist Gong Li's deadly trap and had to agree to wait inside the closing ceremony venue.

7 p.m.

The Venice Film Festival awards ceremony officially begins.

After a string of awards.

"Congratulations! The winner of the Volpi Cup Best Actress Award is Li Gong!"

After the award presenter on the stage clumsily said the name, Gong Li was stunned for a moment, and then, after being pushed by Li Yishu beside her, she finally reacted and shouted excitedly.

Seeing the excited Gong Li, Li Yishu pointed at the stage and said, "Okay, go up to the stage and receive your award."

"Correct!"

Gong Li took a deep breath, and walked onto the stage in a cheongsam and high heels, swaying with every step.

After giving her acceptance speech, Gong Li walked off the stage with the trophy in her hand.

Zhang Yimou looked at Gong Li's Best Actress Award, then looked at the UNICEF Award and the International Catholic Film and Audiovisual Association Award in his hand. He couldn't help but said bitterly, "It seems that my chances of winning the Golden Lion Award are slim again."

Li Yishu said, "Director Zhang, it's hard to say. Who knows if Qiu Ju can win the Golden Lion? I didn't even think about winning the Golden Lion last year."

"Then let me borrow some good words from Director Li."

Zhang Yimou looked at the stage expectantly. Last year, Lee Yi-su won the Golden Lion Award, which was a surprise. This year, the reputation of "Qiu Ju" was very good, so he also felt very hopeful.

A few more awards have been given out.

The Silver Lion was also awarded to the French film "Winter Heart".

Soon it will be the turn of the Golden Lion Award.

"The winner of the Golden Lion Award for Best Feature Film is Qiu Ju Goes to Court!"

hum!
Zhang Yimou stood up suddenly, his face full of joy.

"Congratulations, Director Zhang." Li Yishu smiled and stretched out her hand.

"Thank you, thank you Director Li."

After shaking hands with several people around him, Zhang Yimou excitedly walked onto the stage.

Watching Director Zhang accept the Golden Lion Award on stage, Li Yishu sighed, "I am the only Golden Lion Award-winning director in the mainland, and I didn't expect that I would be gone in just one year."

"Ha ha!"

Gong Li laughed and said, "Aren't you going to attend the Cannes Film Festival next year? If you win the Palme d'Or, you will become the only director in China to win the Palme d'Or."

"Yes, I must get it next year!"

Li Yishu's eyes flickered. He knew that after Chen Kai won the only Palme d'Or for a Chinese, no one else won it for 30 consecutive years. (The Palme d'Or for short films does not count)
If we count from the founding of the Cannes Film Festival, the time is even longer, seventy or eighty years, and there is only one Palme d'Or.

Moreover, in 2024, when Li Yishu was reborn, there was no hope. Of course, this is also because the influence of the three major European awards is declining year by year, resulting in not many people in China striving for the awards and all of them are looking at the money.

In this way, it is possible that Chen Kaige may really become the only Chinese director to win the Palme d'Or in a hundred years with this movie.

Maybe a few decades later, Brother Chen Kai will really have a separate page added to the history of film.

But now, the title of the only Chinese director to win the Palme d'Or in a century will most likely fall on Li Yishu.

Li Yishu must get such an honor!

“I’m sure you’ll get it next year.”

Gong Li looked at Li Yishu with a determined face and smiled, "Just like you believe in me winning the award, I believe in you too!"

"Haha, then Sister Gong Li must wear a cheongsam then."

Looking at Zhang Yimou walking off the stage, Li Yishu said with a smile: "Last year's cheongsam won the Golden Lion Award, and this year's cheongsam won the Golden Lion Award again."

"Okay, I will definitely wear it!"

(End of this chapter)