Huayu: Director started with art films

Chapter 23 [Director Li wants to film Overlord, maybe I can help] Please read
After settling down in the hotel, the group quickly ate something in the restaurant, and Gong Li suggested taking Li Yishu to have a custom-made suit made.

"Yimou, you really aren't going?"

"No, Mr. Qiu and his team will be here soon, and I still have to talk to them about this nomination."

"Okay then, I'll take Yishu with me."

"Well, let's go."

Seeing that Zhang Yimou was not going, Gong Li didn't care. She took Li Yishu and a translation assistant with her, and after leaving the hotel, she went straight to a handmade suit shop called Piero.

This Piero handmade suit shop was introduced to me by the hotel staff. It is said to be quite famous in Milan and the prices are mid-range. A custom-made suit costs around US$800.

When she heard the average price was US$800, Li Yishu originally refused.

But he couldn't resist Gong Li, the generous big sister, and finally decided to go over and take a look. If there was a cheaper one, he would order it, but if it was too expensive, he would just forget it.

Piero handmade suit shop.

"..."

Piero shook his head. "I'm sorry, this fabric is the best one in our store. The price is very reasonable. It might cost $1500 somewhere else."

Gong Li frowned and was about to say something when Li Yishu said, "Brother Chen, tell him that I'm a Chinese director who's going to attend the Venice Film Festival and will be walking the red carpet. I allow him to put their store's brand logo on the pocket of my suit jacket and ask if it can be discounted."

"Is it possible?" Translation assistant Brother Chen scratched his head.

Li Yishu said, "It should be no problem. There are many luxury goods in Italy, and they also pay attention to brand value. Many luxury goods start from small stores and grow into big ones, so many handmade stores will design a brand symbol for themselves in advance when they are established."

“Yishu, I didn’t expect you knew all this.”

Gong Li was very surprised. She didn't expect that Li Yishu, who had never been abroad, actually knew all this.

Li Yishu smiled and said, "I also learned about it from a magazine introducing Italy on the plane."

"Okay, I'll try it." Brother Chen translated Li Yishu's words verbatim to the shop owner Piero.

After hearing this, Piero was surprised, "You are a director? And your film was shortlisted for the Venice Film Festival?"

"Yes, you can go ask someone. The name of the movie I shot is Postmen In The Mountains, and it was shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Venice Film Festival!"

"My God, you're so young..."

Piero was shocked to be shortlisted for the Venice Film Festival at such a young age.

But seeing the other party's confident look, Piero didn't think he was lying. A little research would reveal that the Venice Film Festival is still very popular recently, and the shortlisted films are also in the newspapers.

After thinking for a while, he said:

"I can make you a suit for free, and I'll rush it for you in the next few days so that you can wear it at the opening ceremony of the film festival. But I hope you can mention my handmade shop when you are interviewed."

"No problem." Li Yishu agreed without hesitation. This could be considered an alternative sponsorship. Although he didn't give money, he did give a suit.

Seeing that Li Yishu had gotten a suit worth $1200 for nothing, Gong Li felt incredible, but also a little worried that the other party was cheating.
"I hope the suit can be made as we just discussed, because it will be of great help to your handmade shop."

"No!"

Piero shook his head. "I will use the best fabrics and do my best. As the beautiful lady said, this is my chance."

on the way back.

Li Yishu was naturally very happy to get a suit for free.

Gong Li looked a little disappointed. She was thinking of buying a set as a gift for this new brother.

But wouldn't it be stupid to spend money on something that's free? "Sister Gong Li, are you ready for the red carpet dress?"

"Well, we've prepared it in the country."

This is not the first time that Gong Li has walked the red carpet at a film festival. Her previous works, "Ju Dou" and "Red Sorghum", were nominated for Berlin and Cannes respectively. This year she also participated in Venice. She can be regarded as a veteran among the three major European film festivals.

"What does she look like?" Li Yishu's most profound impression of Gong Li's red carpet photo is the one at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, in which she wore a white shirt on the upper body and black tights on the lower body.

"You'll see it when the time comes." Gong Li smiled and deliberately kept it a secret.

After the three of them returned to the hotel, Zhang Yimou came over with the producer of "The Red Lantern" Qiu Fusheng and the supervisor Hou Xiaoxian.

"Director Li, hello, hello."

Qiu Fusheng extended his hand and greeted Li Yishu enthusiastically: "I just heard Director Zhang mention you. I didn't expect you to be much younger than I thought. You were shortlisted for the Venice Film Festival at such a young age. It's true that young people are to be feared. Young people are to be feared."

"Mr. Qiu, you're too polite. I'm just lucky. I still need to learn a lot from seniors like Director Zhang and Director Hou."

Li Yishu was deeply impressed by Qiu Fusheng. Later, Zhang Yimou's "To Live" was also invested and produced by this person, and the other party was very powerful in both Taiwan and Hong Kong.

"Haha, Director Li is too modest. When I was your age, I didn't have the ability to be shortlisted for a film festival."

Hou Xiaoxian next to him was in a good mood. He was considered a famous director in Taiwan. To some extent, he could represent Li An and become a business card of Taiwan's film industry.

After the group exchanged pleasantries, Zhang Yimou suggested going to the restaurant downstairs for afternoon tea and chatting about the trip to the Venice Film Festival.

Li Yishu naturally agreed happily. He also wanted to establish a good relationship with Qiu Fusheng so that he would have the opportunity to ask him for investment in the future.

There are still a lot of restrictions on making movies in China these days, but if you make a co-production, there are not so many restrictions.

"Farewell My Concubine?"

When Li Yishu mentioned that she had recently adapted a novel and wanted to make it into a movie, Qiu Fusheng felt that the title of the novel sounded familiar, and asked Hou Xiaoxian next to him: "Director Hou, is this the novel written by Li Bihua?"

"She wrote it, and Xu Suo has already bought the copyright of the book and wants to give it to director Chen Kai to shoot."

Hou Xiaoxian nodded. This novel was not very famous in Taiwan. The reason why he had heard of it was because Xu Lu bought the copyright and insisted on having Chen Kai from the mainland to film it.

"I also heard about this from a graduate student from Taiwan at school, then I read the original novel and liked the story so much that I adapted it into a screenplay and sent it to Ms. Xu Xu, but she seemed to only like the script and not me."

Listening to Li Yishu's self-deprecating words, Qiu Fusheng rolled his eyes and asked, "Director Li, did you bring the script?"

"I came here in a hurry and forgot to bring it with me."

"Director Li really wants to film this story?"

"Mr. Qiu has a solution?"

Li Yishu looked at Qiu Fusheng. He knew that Boss Qiu was very powerful. Otherwise, he would not have been able to establish good relations with the domestic film bureau before the 92 Consensus and invest in Zhang Yimou's film.

"Ms. Xu and I are old acquaintances, and we are both members of the Cross-Strait Film and Art Association. If Director Li wants to shoot, perhaps I can help to bring them together."

Qiu Fusheng has not read the novel, but that does not prevent him from being optimistic about the young director Li Yishu.

Being nominated for the Venice Film Festival at such a young age, even if he doesn’t win an award this time, it doesn’t mean that he is not good enough.

Every year, there are so many films participating in the film festival, but only about 10 to 20 works can be shortlisted. Li Yishu's successful nomination means that she has defeated countless directors who have registered.

Moreover, according to Qiu Fusheng's understanding of the film industry, the younger and more promising the directors are, the more their creative ability and energy tend to increase exponentially. Before their abilities decline, the works they shoot will basically not have any quality problems.

This alone is enough for Qiu Fusheng to help.

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(End of this chapter)