Huayu: Director started with art films

Chapter 115 [Berlin Grand Prize BUFF is fully stacked]

Inside the office.

Li Yishu pushed the door open and saw a man and a woman.

The woman looked to be about thirty years old, with dyed and permed curly hair, an autumn women's open-collar shirt on the upper body, a short skirt on the lower body, and black nylon stockings. Her outfit was very similar to the current Hong Kong style. She was a real fashionable girl.

The man next to him was relatively plain, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, very conventional.

The fashionable woman quickly stood up, stretched out her hand and said, "Hello, Director Li, I am Zhao Ni, the deputy editor-in-chief of Popular Cinema."

"I'm photographer Chen Ming."

"Hello, Editor Zhao, hello, Master Chen."

Li Yishu shook hands with the two men one after another and said with a smile, "I'm really sorry to bother you two to come all the way to the Beijing Film Studio. I was originally thinking of going to your Popular Film Magazine and taking a look, but the film is still being edited and I can't spare the time to go."

Editor-in-Chief Zhao Ni said, "It's okay, Director Li. The Beijing Film Studio is not too far away, and I've been here many times before."

After a few pleasantries, Li Yishu sat down and asked, "Editor-in-Chief Zhao, shall I start now?"

"Sure, Director Li, let's start now."

Zhao Ni asked directly: "Director Li, I have read your resume. I know that you directed your first film in your life last year, and your first film won the Golden Lion Award at the Venice International Film Festival in Europe. Can you tell us how you came up with the idea of ​​making a film about grassroots workers?"

"It's mainly because the original work is well written."

Li Yishu smiled and said, "That was when I was in school. I came across the short story "That Mountain, That Man, That Dog" written by Peng Jianming..."

This is not a TV interview, but an ordinary Q&A interview with reporters. There is no need for live broadcast or anything, so the conversation is relatively casual.

The two started their conversation by talking about the award won by "That Mountain, That Man, That Dog", and then talked about the wave of movie-watching among veterans from Taiwan in January and February this year.

Zhao Ni didn't move on until she felt that the topic was almost over: "Director Li, I heard that you shot a love movie in Japan and it received 1000 million viewers. Is this a high result in Japan?"

The movie "Love Letter" shot by Li Yishu in Japan was not released in mainland China, and information is not very developed nowadays, so it was not widely circulated. Zhao Ni only paid attention to this matter because she is the deputy editor-in-chief of Popular Films.

“That’s high, right?”

Lee Yi-su was also touched by Zhao Ni's question. After thinking for a moment, she said, "The total box office of my movie Love Letter in Japan should be 150 billion yen, which is equivalent to more than 1 million US dollars."

"Box office of over 1 million US dollars!!"

Zhao Ni exclaimed.

The photographer Chen Ming next to him also looked shocked.

They didn't expect that Lee Yi-su's movie would make over 100 million dollars in box office in Japan.

Li Yishu shook her head and said, "Movie tickets in Japan are relatively expensive. 1500 yen a movie ticket, which is about seven or eight dollars according to the exchange rate."

"But we have achieved a total of over 100 million US dollars!"

Zhao Ni took a deep breath and said, "Director Li, will this movie be shown in China in the future?"

“It is unlikely to be introduced in the short term.”

Li Yishu was also very distressed. He owned the copyright of this movie in China. It had already been released in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Because it was a Japanese film, the box office was not very high, but the video tapes sold quite well.

But if he wants to release it in China, it will be troublesome because it is a foreign language film. Even if Li Yishu owns the domestic copyright, he cannot just release it. The best way is to sell the copyright to a qualified domestic studio, but how could he sell it?

Just because it’s not released now doesn’t mean it can’t be released in the future.

"Well, I hope I'll have a chance to see this movie that has grossed over 100 million dollars in Japan in the future."

Zhao Ni was a little disappointed. She really wanted to see the love movie shot in Japan by a Chinese director that had grossed over 100 million dollars.

"There will definitely be a chance in the future. But if Editor Zhao wants to see it, I'll ask Hong Kong to send me a few videotapes later."

"Has the videotape been released yet?"

"Yes, there are both Chinese and Japanese versions."

"Then please help me buy two volumes, Director Li. I want both the Chinese and Japanese versions."

"Forget about buying it. I'll have someone send it to Popular Movies Magazine later. Editor-in-Chief Zhao will take a look at it then. This way he can praise me more in the magazine."

Seeing that Li Yishu was talking so interestingly, Zhao Ni also smiled and said, "No problem, Director Li, I will definitely praise you in the magazine!"

Perhaps it was just a joke, the two of them became more casual in their conversation afterwards.

"I heard that Director Li has recently finished filming another movie. It seems to be a martial arts movie?"

"Yes, it's a martial arts film."

"Can you tell us about the plot of this martial arts film? Or is there anything different from martial arts films from Hong Kong and Taiwan?"

"You can go to the cinema to watch the story. It is different from Hong Kong and Taiwan martial arts films..."

Li Yishu explored it for a while and said with a smile: "I think this is a groundbreaking martial arts masterpiece. It also gives new attempts to the subject matter of martial arts movies!" "A groundbreaking martial arts masterpiece?" Zhao Ni was slightly stunned. She didn't expect Li Yishu to give such a high evaluation to her movie.

Li Yishu said confidently, "I know it's a bit sensational to say this before the movie comes out, but I believe that after the movie is released in theaters, the audience will definitely agree with what I said."

There's not much to say about the plot of the movie. It follows the standard martial arts film routine, with the main focus being on the fighting scenes and the latest photography techniques.

Audiences who have not been exposed to this type of technical special effects often become very enthusiastic about the film when they see these eye-catching technical special effects.

"Avatar" is such a movie. The plot can only be described as a standard example of Hollywood white saintliness. Why did it achieve such a high box office worldwide?

Ultimately it all comes down to 3D special effects technology and the fame of director James Cameron.

The interview lasted for an hour.

Basically all the questions that should be asked were asked, including several films directed by Li Yishu, including "Farewell My Concubine" and "Sword Rain" which have not yet been released, as well as plans for the next film.

Zhao Ni stood up and said, "Director Li, I guess your interview won't be released until next month."

"It's okay. I hope Editor-in-Chief Zhao will say a few good words about me when the time comes!" Li Yishu smiled brightly.

Zhao Ni smiled and said, "No problem, Director Li. As long as you send me the two videotapes, I will definitely say a few good words for you."

"Haha, definitely."

"Director Li, shall we take two more photos?"

Photographer Chen Ming, who had been waiting for a long time, also stepped forward and suggested taking a few more photos so that he could select the best photos to be the cover character after the "Popular Movies" is released next month.

It has been confirmed that Lee Yi-su will be the cover character of the November issue of Popular Film Weekly.

time flies.

The days pass by in a flash.

After Xu Lu went to Europe, Li Yishu also set off to return to his hometown in Sichuan.

After staying in Sichuan for a few days, I went to the mountain city to visit Jiang Qinqin. This girl is working very hard for her studies. She practices martial arts during the day and reviews high school knowledge at night.

According to her idea, she will prepare to apply for Beijing Film Academy next year.

Li Yishu naturally supports this. If it doesn’t work next year, it will definitely work the year after.

Jiang Qinqin had no problem with the art exam itself. She had a solid foundation in Peking Opera over the years, and her appearance and temperament were first-rate. The only thing she lacked was the academic subjects.

He started practicing Peking Opera at the age of ten, so you can imagine how poor his academic performance was.

Li Yishu spent four full days in Sichuan and Shu accompanying Jiang Qinqin. It was not until he received a call from Gong Li that he hurried back to Yanjing.

Gulou East Street.

In Gong Li’s renovated courtyard house.

After reading the script that Li Yishu gave her, Gong Li raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is this script another award-winning film?"

"Yes, when I think of going for awards, I think of you, Gong Li. And this is a female lead movie, maybe I can get Gong Li a European Best Actress Award."

Li Yishu was smiling. He thought of many current mainland actresses, Zhang Yu, Pan Hong, Fu Yiwei, Chen Hong, Zhu Lin, He Qing, Lin Fangbing, Zhao Mingming...

If we really have to say who is suitable, actually Zhang Yu and Pan Hong are both very suitable.

Zhang Yu won the first Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress for her role in "Night Rain in Bashan". In the same year, she won the Best Actress Award at the fourth Hundred Flowers Awards for her role in "Lush Mountain Love".

There is no doubt about his acting skills, and his image and age are also quite suitable.

Pan Hong is the actress who has won the most Golden Rooster Awards and is known as the "Queen of Tragedy" in the 80s.

The tragic images he portrayed in many films are very impressive. He is also the second Chinese to appear on the cover of Time magazine in the United States after the reform and opening up, needless to say he is the first.

The movie "Central Station" is a road movie + a warm film + a light tragedy. After all, the boy's mother was hit and killed by a car not long after the opening. Pan Hong was able to play the heroine's light sadness after the separation from the boy. (It's a good movie, you can go and watch it)
Hearing what Li Yishu said, Gong Li smiled with satisfaction and said, "I can take the movie. It just so happens that after I finished filming "Sword Rain", no one wants me to film a movie. But have you chosen the scenic spot for this station?"

"Not yet. I'm having a headache. Mr. Qiu recommended a station in Taichung that looks very old, but it's in Japanese style, which I don't like very much."

"I have a place that might be suitable."

"where?"

“Jinan Old Railway Station.”

Seeing Li Yishu's curious look, Gong Li said, "I moved from Northeast China to Jinan, Shandong when I was very young, so I am quite familiar with the old Jinan Railway Station. This old railway station was designed and built by the famous German architect Hermann Fischer in the early 20th century. It is a typical German-style station building and was listed as the first stop in the Far East in the Far East Travel published in West Germany..."

Built during World War I, this German-style building was listed as the first stop in the Far East by West Germany...

Hiss, this BUFF is fully stacked.

(End of this chapter)