Huayu: Director started with art films

Chapter 232 242 [Golden Bear Award winner still works for me]

That afternoon.

After graduating from the Beijing Film Studio, Li Yishu went straight to Beijing Film Academy, where he had a talk with his mentor Situ Zhaodun about the concept of "A Bite of China".

In the director's office.

Situ Zhaodun asked curiously, "Yishu, what are your ideas for this food documentary?"

Li Yishu sorted out his thoughts and said, "Teacher Situ, my idea is to make a film that brings together delicacies from all over China, and then use narration to explore the different tastes in different places, as well as the reasons for the formation of local cuisine flavors, and then combine it with the background of the current era to tell the changes in tastes in different places..."

Food, clothing, housing and transportation run through the life of the Chinese people, and also the life of people all over the world.

It is understandable that "eating" ranks first. People may not have nice clothes, live in a big house, or travel or work abroad, but eating is inevitable and unavoidable.

And "eating" also varies from person to person and from place to place.

For example, the southern coastal areas mostly prefer light food, while the two lakes areas like spicy food due to their geographical location, and Sichuan and Guizhou also like spicy food due to their geographical environment...

The north is dominated by Shandong cuisine, which used to be imperial court cuisine. As a result, most of the cuisine in the north is Shandong cuisine, which can be considered a change brought about by the environment.

But these cuisines are still too far away for most ordinary people. They are more integrated into folk home-cooked dishes, and a home-cooked dish can often best reflect the changes in the social environment.

For example, in the 5s and 60s, eating chicken and meat was a luxury. In the 7s and 80s, eating chicken and meat was not so luxurious, but it was not eaten every day...

If we can talk about true pork freedom, it was after 2010. At that time, the price of pork was basically stable at 10-20 yuan per catty. Except for some occasions when the price of pork rose to dozens of yuan per catty due to swine fever, it remained stable at this price most of the time.

Now in the 90s, not every household can eat pork every day. One reason is the production, and the other is the salary.

It can only be said that what ordinary people eat for three meals a day is closely related to the background of the times.

"Good idea. How do you want to shoot this documentary?" Situ Zhaodun smiled with satisfaction.

A documentary is a form of film or television art that uses real life as its creative material, real people and real events as its subject matter, and artistically processes and presents them. Its essence is to show the truth and use the truth to trigger people's thinking.

Therefore, the documentary format was created to record meaningful and valuable people and events.

“I hope the teacher can come out!”

Li Yishu said: "I don't know much about documentaries. I can give some advice, but I can't follow up the whole process."

"This……"

Situ Zhaodun was a little hesitant. It was not that he did not want to take on this documentary, but he was now the director of the directing department at the Beijing Film Academy. This documentary would record the food from all over the country, including local snacks. If he really wanted to shoot it, it would not be finished in a day or two.

Li Yishu said sincerely: "Teacher, as the father of Chinese documentary, there is really no one more suitable than you in China."

"How can there be no suitable ones? It's just that there are too few people learning to shoot documentaries, so I have gained this false reputation."

Situ Zhaodun smiled. He thought that the title of the father of Chinese documentary was due to his old age and the fact that he started filming documentaries at an early age.

Li Yishu doesn't think so, but there are not many people who study and shoot documentaries, and not many people pay attention to them.

Apart from "Animal World" and "A Bite of China", no other documentary has become truly popular in China.

Otherwise, if Lady Lu had used a trick of grafting and turned someone else's documentary into her own movie, it wouldn't have taken so long for it to be exposed.

Although the eldest brother does not laugh at the second brother, Li Yishu is copying the future. Copying the future is not called copying. It can't be that other people don't have this idea in their minds now, so the intellectual property rights must be registered in advance, right?

"Teacher, you have to come in person for this matter, because there are too few people making documentaries in China. I am not confident in handing over the funds I have invested to others. I would rather you come in person, and I would be most assured."

Li Yishu smiled and said, "Teacher, besides, you don't want your students to lose money on their investment, right?"

"You!"

Seeing what Li Yishu said, Situ Zhaodun shook his head helplessly. After pondering for a moment, he nodded and agreed: "Then I'll give it a try. I happen to be very interested in your idea of ​​recording Chinese food."

"Haha, I feel relieved that a teacher is hosting this documentary."

Li Yishu grinned: "Aren't we all talking about integrating into the world and going global now? We can also use this opportunity to promote our Chinese cuisine. I have already thought of the name of the documentary, it's called "A Bite of China"!"

“A Bite of China?”

Situ Zhaodun was slightly startled, then his eyes lit up and he said, "What a good name! This name is good. It promotes our Chinese cuisine and is also a way to go global and embrace the international community."

After the food documentary was finalized, Li Yishu called Yongmei in front of her teacher Situ Zhaodun and asked her to bring people to Beijing Film Academy right away to get the documentary done.

As for recruiting team members, Li Yishu believed that Teacher Situ should have connections in this area, and he only needed to be responsible for paying the money.

He had just discussed with Situ Zhaodun how to shoot the documentary.

It generally follows the narrative style of the later "A Bite of China", but the specific operation method is left to Situ Zhaodun to consider.

It is a bit difficult to fit the background of the times and to capture the different delicacies from different places, unlike the original "A Bite of China" which only focused on local delicacies.

1 month 13 number.

Gong Li returned to Yanjing from her hometown in Shandong, and went directly to Hong Kong with Li Yishu, where they met up with Xu Lu.

Originally, the two main creators Zhang Fengyi and Zhang Guorong were contacted, but they both have movies to shoot now, and this time they went to the United States to participate in the Golden Globe Awards just for the Best Foreign Language Film, so Li Yishu did not force them to go along.

Just when Li Yishu was preparing to rest in Hong Kong for a night and then go to the United States with Gong Li and Xu Lu the next day, Anita Mui, perhaps knowing from Zhang Guorong that he was coming to Hong Kong, called and invited Li Yishu to dinner at her home.

Anita Mui was about to join the crew of "Rumble in the Bronx", so Li Yishu naturally did not refuse her invitation and took Gong Li to her home for a dinner in the evening.

Anita Mui's home.

Mei Yanfang showed gratitude: "Director Li, thank you very much for the movie."

"You're welcome, Miss Mei."

Li Yishu smiled and said, "You were originally on my list of candidates, but I was always worried that you didn't have time. Wen Zhuo called me and found out that you were free. Who else could take this role but you?"

Zhao Wenzhuo, who was standing next to him, naturally knew that this was Director Li giving him face, and he was immediately filled with gratitude.

Anita Mui also understood what was going on. If she really wanted to consider her, she would have called her directly to ask.

"Anyway, thank you Director Li for this time. From now on, as long as I, Anita Mui, can help you, I will definitely not refuse!"

"Haha, okay, then I'll have to ask Miss Mei to guest star for free from now on."

"no problem!"

After the lively occasion, Anita Mui asked Zhao Wenzhuo to help entertain the guests, while she went into the kitchen to prepare dinner with the nanny.

"Director Li, Sister Gong Li, would you like to drink something tonight?"

Zhao Wenzhuo smiled and said, "I know Amei has hidden a bottle of good wine."

"Since it's good wine, we must drink it."

Li Yishu smiled and nodded in agreement. Zhao Wenzhuo also ran upstairs happily. Looking at his skillful movements, it was obviously not his first time to come to Anita Mui's house. They probably lived together. While the two were gone, Gong Li couldn't help asking, "Yishu, what about the movie Anita Mui just mentioned?"

Li Yishu shook her head. "Nothing. It was just that the female lead for the movie I was working with Cheng Long was still hanging in the balance. Wen Zhuo called me and asked me to consider Anita Mui. I thought her acting was OK and she was well-known in East Asia, so I chose her."

"Is that so?" Gong Li nodded slightly.

No wonder the two of them looked so grateful. Although she didn't pay much attention to the film in which Li Yishu and Cheng Long collaborated, she knew that the investment budget of the film was as high as hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars, making it a real big production.

What's more, this is a film directed by Lee Ye-soo, so the leading female role is definitely a hot topic.

Gong Li suddenly asked: "If I ask you for the female lead role, will you agree?"

"Of course, if Sister Gong Li is interested, I will tell Anita Mui right now."

Having said that, Li Yishu stood up and prepared to go to the kitchen.

Gong Li quickly pulled the person down. If Li Yishu were to tell them, Anita Mui and Zhao Wenzhuo would hate themselves to death. "Don't hurt me! I won't do this thankless task."

Li Yishu said with a smile: "Sister Gong Li, this movie is Jackie Chan's film, and it's meaningless to be the heroine. I have a movie later and I want you to play the heroine. I guarantee that you will be satisfied."

"The Lü Zhi you mentioned before?"

"No! You'll know in February. It's guaranteed to be a big production."

"Are you talking about Red Cliff of the Three Kingdoms? 2 million RMB is indeed a big production, but what can I play?"

"Haha, there are so many roles I can play, and I'm definitely the leading lady."

Li Yishu smiled slightly. If the filming was based on the original novel of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there would be two roles that would suit Gong Li best, one is "Wu Guotai" and the other is "Sun Shangxiang".

However, it will definitely be adapted, and how it will be adapted will depend on Wang Fulin's script.

Anyway, it won’t be filmed into “The Legend of Xiao Qiao”.

That evening, after having a simple meal at Anita Mui's home, Li Yishu and Gong Li took a car back to the villa mid-level, with Anita Mui's driver helping to drive the car.

There's nothing you can do about it. Li Yishu values ​​her life so much that she doesn't want to get into an accident due to drunk driving.

Not to mention other examples, just take Takeshi Kitano, who I visited not long ago. Didn’t he have a few drinks and then had an accident on the road while riding his motorcycle, resulting in half of his face being disfigured?
Don't drink and drive, don't drive after drinking. This rule no longer exists today, but Li Yishu keeps it in mind.

the next day.

Li Yishu took Gong Li and Xu Lu on a plane to Los Angeles, USA.

This year's 51st Golden Globe Awards will be held on January 1 at the Hollywood Hilton Hotel.

As for this award, it is actually quite dispensable for Li Yishu. The Golden Globe Awards itself is not as famous as the Oscars. Secondly, the Oscars are not a film festival. It is just a film award made by Americans for their own entertainment.

The reason why it became more famous in China than the three major European film festivals was ultimately because after Li An shot "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", the movie sold well in North America.

In addition, old man Harvey was promoting the fact that the box office of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was high because it won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, which led Zhang Yimou to also start looking forward to the Oscar.

Even a big director like Zhang Yimou has started to strive for an Oscar, so other domestic directors are naturally not far behind.

Brother Chen Kai was the second person to stand up and threaten to compete for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, simply because the box office performance of "The Promise" was so dismal that he had no choice but to compete for the Oscar.

Of course, this is also due to the influence and aftereffects brought about by Hollywood blockbusters that have wreaked havoc on the mainland box office market.

As a result, directors and actors are not considered international stars unless they work in Hollywood.

What International Zhang, International Fan, International Li... buying all kinds of notices and soft articles indirectly exaggerates Hollywood countless times.

If you have the ability to go to the United States to make money, there is nothing wrong with directors like Li An who make movies in the United States. After all, the money earned in the United States is US dollars, and isn't Li Yishu also aiming to make a lot of money in the United States?

But if you don't have the ability, there is no need to go to the United States and spend money to get a small role.

But it depends on the times. Li Yishu came back from 2024 and knows very well that people of that era no longer have a filter for the United States. All they see is zero-dollar shopping, remote dog raising, and two old men and a woman...

An office building near Hollywood in Los Angeles.

Art (USA) Films.

"Is this your company in the United States? It looks pretty big."

Gong Li and Xu Lu visited Li Yishu's film company in the United States.

Li Yishu smiled and said, "It's OK. In the United States, people really care about appearances. If your film company is shabby, no one will take you seriously."

He is somewhat famous in the United States, but certainly not as famous as in China and East Asian countries and regions such as Japan and South Korea.

How can people take you seriously if you don’t have a fancy company office?

What's more, he is developing along the path of the future "Lionsgate Entertainment", so naturally he has to make the company more grand from the beginning, so as to attract those new directors and niche film directors to recommend themselves.

Essentially, his participation in the Golden Globe Awards this time is also to increase his popularity in the United States.

Just then, Amy came over and said to Li Yishu, "Boss, Director Li An is here and is waiting for you in the conference room."

"Go and tell him, I'll be right there."

"Ok."

Amy nodded, then she smiled at Gong Li and Xu Lu and turned and left.

Li Yishu looked at Gong Li and the others and said, "Do you want to go and see a horror movie that I invested in and made in the United States?"

Gong Li was very surprised: "Horror movie? You invested in a horror movie?"

Xu Lu also didn't expect that Li Yishu would actually invest in shooting a horror film.

"There's nothing we can do about it. Horror movies are the most suitable genre for new companies to shoot in the United States."

After Li Yishu finished explaining, she smiled and said, "Speaking of the director of this horror film, you may have heard of him. He is the Taiwanese director Li An who won the Berlin Golden Bear Award last year!"

It's him!

Xu Lu is from Taiwan, so how could he not know the Taiwanese director Li An who suddenly emerged? So he was surprised that such a director who won the Berlin Golden Bear Award would come to Li Yishu to shoot a horror film.

It's incredible.

Xu Lu didn't voice out his doubts, but Gong Li next to him asked for help: "Director Li, I've seen the movie The Wedding Banquet directed by Li An. Why would he come to you to make... a horror movie instead of continuing to win awards or making commercial films while the iron is hot?"

Gong Li was too embarrassed to say the word "working".

"Haha, not everyone is willing to invest $1000 million in his new film!"

Li Yishu smiled cheerfully and said without further explanation, "Let's go and see the quality of the horror film made by this Golden Bear Award-winning director!"

(End of this chapter)