Huayu: Director started with art films

Chapter 33 [Winning the Film Critics Award, in the vast mountains...] Please read
“…I am glad to have filmmakers from all over the world gather together…”

"I now declare the 1991 48th Venice International Film Festival Awards Ceremony officially begun. Next up is the Horizons Unit..."

"Let's welcome the first award presenter with applause..."

There are a total of eight awards in the Horizon section of the Venice Film Festival.

This unit is the second most important award after the main competition unit, so as the awards were presented one by one, the excited voices of the winners echoed in the venue for a long time.

About half an hour later, the host came on stage again: "Next is the International Film Critics Week section, and the Best Short Film Award will be presented. Let us invite the award presenter."

There are a total of five major awards in the Critics' Week section, the biggest of which is naturally the Critics' Weekly Award, which is comparable to the Golden Lion Award.

After the Best Director Award was presented, Lee Yi-su's breathing began to quicken.

During this period, the critics' generous praise made him feel that he should win an award in the Critics' Week category.

But now that the first four awards have been given out and only the last grand prize is left, Li Yishu feels a little anxious.

What if I don’t win the prize?
What if I win this award but don’t win any award in the main competition unit later?
If she had to choose between the two awards, Li Yishu would definitely choose the main competition unit.

As he was worried about the outcome, Abraham, chairman of the Critics' Week section, took the stage.

He walked to the microphone, looked at the guests and audience, and said with a smile: "Everyone, I am very happy to announce the next Film Critic's Week Award... A week ago in the afternoon, I excitedly wrote what I think is my best film review..."

Hearing this, Li Yishu clenched her hands and looked at the stage with anticipation.

"I think everyone has a hometown in their heart that they can't let go of and can't go back to called 'the past'..."

At this point, Chairman Abraham paused for about two seconds before shouting loudly: "Let us congratulate the winner of the Critics' Week Award, Lee from China, and his film "The Postman in the Mountain"!"

wow-

Instantly, there was applause from the audience.

"Won a prize!"

Li Yishu waved her right fist violently, joy and excitement evident on her face.

Gong Li, who was standing next to him, jumped up with a "wow" and immediately threw herself into his arms, smiling and saying, "Congratulations on your success, Yishu, and on winning the award!"

"Congratulations, Director Li!"

“Congratulations on winning the Critics’ Week Award.”

Zhang Yimou, Hou Xiaoxian, Qiu Fusheng and others standing nearby also applauded and cheered.

After shaking hands and hugging a few people, Li Yishu walked towards the stage.

His position was not very far from the stage, about thirty meters.

But such a short distance made Li Yishu's heart beat wildly.

It was because for the first time he felt all eyes from all directions were focused on him, Li Yishu.

Stepping onto the stage, Chairman Abraham extended his hand and said, "Congratulations, Lee. You deserve this award."

"Thank you, thank you Chairman Abraham!" Li Yishu thanked sincerely and took the trophy awarded by the other party with both hands.

A very plain trophy design.

Holding the trophy in his hand, he walked to the microphone excitedly and looked at the densely packed heads below the stage. Li Yishu took a deep breath and said:
"I am very grateful to the Venice Film Festival for giving me, a new director, the opportunity to showcase my work. I am also very happy that the Critics Week section and President Abraham awarded me the grand prize..."

"Here, I want to thank my parents for giving me the opportunity to direct independently at this age. I also want to thank Emei Film Studio and Beijing Film Academy for their support. Without their recommendation, I don't think I would be able to sign up..."

"Thank you everyone!"

After saying a lot, Li Yishu bowed to express her gratitude, then walked off the stage in a daze amid applause from the audience.

Although this is not an award in the main competition unit, the Critics' Award is one of the top awards at the Venice Film Festival.

"Let me see it!" After returning to her seat, Gong Li couldn't wait to take the Critics' Week Award.

Qiu Fusheng, who was standing next to him, said with a smile: "This is a good start for us. I believe that with this award from Director Li, both of our crews will be able to win more awards in the future."

"Director Zhang will definitely win the grand prize, but I can't say for sure."

Li Yishu looked at the host on the stage with a complicated expression. Next was the main competition unit, and he didn't have much confidence that he could win.

"It's hard to say."

Zhang Yimou shook his head and said, "The Critics' Weekly Award and the Main Competition Award are two different categories. Winning the Critics' Weekly Award does not mean that you cannot win the Main Competition Award."

Hou Xiaoxian nodded and said, "Director Zhang is right. When my film A City of Sadness won the Golden Siak Award two years ago, I thought it would miss the main competition, but then it won the UNESCO Award and the Golden Lion Award."

"Yishu, you might end up like me, winning the Critics Award first and then the Golden Lion Award!"

The Golden Ciac Award is somewhat similar to the Critics' Weekly Award. It is an Italian magazine award. Later, due to its success, the Venice Film Festival made it its own program.

"Director Hou, you are too kind to me. I am very satisfied to receive this award."

Li Yishu naturally hoped to win the Film Critics Award first and then the Golden Lion Award as Hou Xiaoxian described, but this was too difficult. While the few people were chatting, the Catholic Humanitarian Award had already been awarded on the stage. This award was not a regular award, sometimes it was given and sometimes it was not.

If understood normally, it means sitting in a row and sharing the cake. This award is specially given to films containing Catholic teachings.

“Congratulations to “Mongolian Spirit”!”

They really did win the award.

When Lee Yi-su saw that this film won the award, she showed an expression as if she had expected it.

There are only a handful of films that could win this award this year, and the one with the most competition is naturally the strange combination of "Mongolian Spirit".

The name of this movie is very loud, but the content is quite simple, and it can only be said that it has nothing to do with the Mongolian spirit.

Next, the awards for the main competition unit will be awarded step by step.

Soon it was the turn of the Elvira Notari Award, which, like the Catholic Humanitarian Award, is specifically awarded to films with women as the theme.

"Raise the Red Lantern" successfully won this award thanks to its many female characters.

But this award is just a bonus, it would be best to get it but it doesn’t matter if you don’t.

So when the Volpi Cup for Best Actress was presented, Gong Li was obviously nervous, as she really hoped to win the award.

From the time she started filming in 1987 to now, a full four years have passed, and apart from winning the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actress for "Codename Jaguar", she has not won any other acting awards.

But when the presenter called out the foreign name Tilda Swinton, her whole spirit dropped.

Li Yishu also comforted her: "It's okay, Sister Gong Li, we will fight in Venice again next year."

The people around also echoed her. Gong Li’s performance in Raise the Red Lantern was indeed good, but this was an ensemble drama, and the other female characters took away too much of Gong Li’s shine. Otherwise, she would have had a good chance of winning the Best Actress award with this movie.

With the Best Actor award ceremony over, there are only three major awards left, namely the Silver Lion for Best Director, the Silver Lion for the Grand Jury Prize, and the Golden Lion for Best Film.

Li Yishu noticed that director Zhang Yimou had a calm expression, but the protruding cheekbones from being bitten showed his inner nervousness, anxiety and anticipation at the moment.

He was nervous and anxious because he didn't know which award he would win, but he was looking forward to it because he knew he would definitely win.

It's just because the Elvira Notari Award is a bit too much of a plus. If the Venice Film Festival only gave him this award, it would be a bit of bullying.

You have to know that Zhang Yimou had previously competed in Berlin and Cannes, and the worst he won was the first Louis Blauvelt Special Award in Cannes. If Venice only gave him this award, it would be better not to give it.

At this time, the Silver Lion Award for Best Director was presented to a foreign film "Mississippi Graffiti". Zhang Yimou breathed a sigh of relief, but Ke Xin was worried again.

"The winner of this year's Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize is..."

The award presenter on the stage glanced at the list of winners in his hand, glanced at the audience, and didn't find anyone, so he shouted loudly: "Raise the red lantern, let us congratulate Yimou Zhang!"

The Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize is the second prize at the Venice International Film Festival after the highest award, the Golden Lion for Best Film. It can also be seen as a major award slightly weaker than the Golden Lion.

When Zhang Yimou heard that he had won the Silver Lion Award, he breathed a sigh of relief and at the same time, he did so.

I am happy that I won the Silver Lion, but I am sad that I didn’t win the Gold Lion.

"Director Zhang, congratulations!"

Li Yishu stood up and congratulated immediately. He had been waiting for this moment since he heard the Silver Lion Award was being presented on the stage.

Although there may be a butterfly effect because of him, the people he can influence at present are very few, at most his own film, so there will not be any major changes in essence.

Gong Li, Hou Xiaoxian and others immediately stood up and congratulated him, "Congratulations, Director Zhang!"

"Director Zhang, we won the Silver Lion Award!"

"Joy and rejoice together!"

"Let's go on stage to receive the award."

This grand prize belonged to the entire crew, so Zhang Yimou waved his hand and all four people who came to the scene, except Li Yishu, went on stage at the same time.

As she watched Zhang Yimou and others finish their speeches on the stage and come down with the Silver Lion awards, and looking at the Silver Lion-shaped trophy with a pair of wings, Li Yishu's eyes revealed a hint of envy.

All the trophies for the main competition unit awards are in the shape of a lion with wings, but in different colors: red, black, white, silver and the largest gold.

The final grand prize has arrived.

Li Yishu was calm at this time. He no longer thought that this award had anything to do with him.

As the chairman of this year's jury, Randi, and the president of the Italian Film Union, two heavyweights from the film festival, took the stage, everyone knew that the Golden Lion Award would be next.

Those crews that have won awards but not the Golden Lion Award are looking forward to it.

Theoretically speaking, except for Zhang Yimou who won the Silver Lion Award, all crews notified in advance by the organizers have the possibility of winning the final grand prize.

"In the vast mountains..."

　The 200 monthly votes will be reached soon, so I will add one more chapter in advance, and ask for some more monthly votes by the way!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)