Generation Z Artists

Chapter 301 Art? Not Art?

Everyone stood up, applauded, and cheered.

The thunderous applause lasted for a full 10 minutes, and even after the entire cast and crew had come on stage and repeatedly expressed their gratitude, the audience was still unwilling to stop.

On stage, Dong Youde, Zhao Xiaoding, Liu Yifei, and Yang Mi, and off stage, Liu Xiaoli, Gong Li, and Chen Daoming, were all deeply moved and unable to contain their emotions.

Only Fang Xinghe maintained basic composure—in fact, he was also joyful, ecstatic, but he was better able to restrain himself.

He knew long ago that his adaptation of "The Young Ones" was a better film than the original. However, the fact that a Chinese youth drama film could be so popular with Western audiences in a foreign land still brought him a great sense of accomplishment and honor.

That's what makes art more fascinating than basketball.

In competitive sports, strength is strength; it doesn't matter who likes you. If you're destined to win, you will win.

Even if you believe you've achieved perfection in film art, if the audience doesn't appreciate it, it's just pure self-indulgence.

The uncertainty in the art world creates a sense of the ever-changing, unpredictable unknown, a kind of divine and demonic duality. Only with enough unknowns can Fang Xinghe, this overpowered individual, be given enough challenges.

"Well, well, stop now, gentlemen and ladies!"

The host, Monica Bellucci, raised her hand for the fourth time.

"Let's interview the creative team. Aren't you curious about their creative process?"

The applause gradually subsided, and the audience returned to their seats one by one, waiting for the next segment.

The atmosphere at the scene was exciting yet chaotic, noisy everywhere. However, when Fang Xinghe took the microphone, the theater quickly quieted down.

"Director SR, first of all, I want to congratulate you. The applause and cheers are enough to prove that you have made a movie that is very popular with the audience."

Monica Bellucci stood beside Fang Xinghe, tilting her head back, her eyes shining as she stared intently at the boy's smooth profile.

Fang Xinghe is not a Western-style handsome man with strong facial features. He has the refined and gentle demeanor of a classical Chinese gentleman. His facial lines are not aggressive, but his overall temperament is quite striking.

Monica looked at him, and for a moment she forgot her lines.

"What I mean is... um... sorry, I don't even know what I wanted to say, so... you're really handsome!"

"Hahahaha!"

The audience burst into laughter.

Even at a serious occasion like the Cannes opening ceremony, the judges and audience didn't care about this slightly exaggerated little episode. On the contrary, they were very understanding and willing to watch the drama unfold.

"Thank you, you are beautiful too."

Fang Xinghe responded politely, and then naturally took over the responsibility of taking the lead.

"But I think you might be treating me differently because of Zhang Xiaobei, since they always criticize me for being unromantic and too cold to ladies. What do you think?"

"Ah, yes, yes!"

Monica, who had made a small blunder, remained calm and gracefully stepped down the stairs.

“I love Xiao Bei so much! He’s really special—he’s somewhere between a boy and a man. He has the innocent charm that makes women want to scream, but also the responsibility and commitment of a man. You’ve portrayed him so well. I personally think he’s a more attractive character than Prince Yu.”

"Because he is realistic enough, and genuine enough."

Fang Ge followed up, seemingly offering an objective analysis, but in reality, he was planting a dream in the hearts of female viewers.

"Xiao Bei is like a precious rough stone. In each of our adolescence, there must be a similar rough stone that brings indelible memories to our youth."

Unlike Prince Yu, who is unattainable, he might be a girl's first love or the first person she ever had a crush on—I don't know if you women feel this way, but when I was designing the character, I did consciously incorporate aspects of myself that are popular with young girls.

I hope this character is positive and likable enough. As you can see, *Better Days* isn't a dull art film that's tragic for the sake of tragedy; it's more positive..."

The lengthy explanation boils down to just one key phrase: the first person I ever had a crush on.

The online troll leader's eloquent speech will soon create the first wave of promotion for "You Are My Destiny" through his partner media outlets.

The core of this campaign is to promote the male lead as a concept—the first crush of all women during their youthful years.

In fact, many women have never had a crush on a boy with a personality like Zhang Xiaobei.

But that doesn't matter. Memories can be deceiving, and women are quite willing to deceive themselves.

Once the relevant concept becomes popular, then no matter which characteristic of Zhang Xiaobei they see that matches their own preferences, they will apply it to their first love and then use their imagination to fulfill their expectations or regrets.

Fang Xinghe himself didn't know what the theory was, but he knew it would definitely work.

Wow! It really is!

Monica was very cooperative—no, that's not right, she seemed to really believe it.

"When I was about 12 years old, I liked a boy for the first time. He was pretty much a Western version of Zhang Xiaobei. He wasn't that handsome, but he was as wild as the wind. He always appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as suddenly, like a knight who solved my problems more than once..."

Blah blah blah, she talked a lot about her first love... no, her first crush.

Then, combine it with "Less You".

"Unfortunately, I wasn't as lucky as Nian. We were just two parallel lines. Soon I moved, and he disappeared from my life, leaving only a beautiful color in my memory."

Even today, SR, your film takes me back to my adolescence, allowing me to relive that old dream and giving me an even more immersive experience.

I love Xiao Bei and Nian's innocent and sweet love story so much!
I swear, this is the best romance movie I've seen in recent years!

By the way, I've categorized *Better Days* as a teen romance film. Do you have any objections?

"of course not."

Fang Xinghe shrugged easily.

"Whatever you like it to be, that's what it is. I never define my films—maybe occasionally, but I don't care whether you accept my definition or not."

So, if you think this is a teen romance film, then it is, based primarily on your feelings.

Monica was quite professional and immediately asked a very insightful question.

"So, this is your core creative philosophy? As an author, you're only responsible for creating, and then leave it to the audience to understand?"

"This can't be called a creative concept; it's more like an attitude towards one's work."

Fang Ge patiently corrected the film not to defend himself, but to help the audience accept it more "autonomously".

"In our literary circles, we often say that once a work is completed, it no longer belongs solely to the author."

There is also a Western proverb that says: "There are as many Hamlets as there are people."

It means that everyone has their own unique understanding.

I have a very open attitude towards my work. Once I finish it, you are free to interpret it as you see fit. Whether your interpretation is my true creative intention is not important.

What matters is your feelings, your joy, and the emotional impact of your momentary immersion.

These all belong to you, and have nothing to do with me.

What is an auteur film?
What I wanted to express has been fully and clearly stated. I have provided a foundation upon which you can engage in dialogue with a part of yourself, whether it be regret or reconciliation. There is no need to thank me.

In an event like Cannes, Fang Xinghe deliberately used a little bit of stream of consciousness in his speech.

Vague, mysterious, and self-absorbed, but the audience loves it.

As soon as he finished speaking, applause rang out again.

Monica had to wait until the environment became quiet again before she could continue the interview.

"So, SR, why did you choose this subject matter for your first directorial work?" This is a necessary step in explaining the background of the creation.

Fang Xinghe was very cooperative; he's really good at getting to high altitudes.

"Because bullying among teenagers, especially bullying in closed settings such as schools, has long been a global problem."

Like love, it transcends geographical boundaries, racial differences, and cultural and linguistic distinctions.

Bullying exists in schools in China, France, and the United States. What does this widespread phenomenon signify?

Monica immediately chimed in, "What?"

Brother Fang spoke decisively, uttering several long sentences in English—

"This means that the development of modern society has provided ample fertile ground for juvenile delinquency, that we as a society have paid far too little attention to this issue, that there is a dual deficiency in family and school education, that adult pressure is being irresistibly transmitted to younger age groups, and that all sociologists, educators, authors, screenwriters, and directors around the world bear an undeniable responsibility for their inaction!"

His words were righteous and passionate.

His exceptional delivery of lines delivered these incredibly difficult and lengthy sentences with a truly stunning effect. Upon hearing his accusations, the audience gasped in surprise, followed by even more enthusiastic and thunderous applause.

"it is good!"

Kun Di, from the "Kill Bill" crew, raised his hands and cheered loudly.

The jury members were not allowed to show any obvious emotions towards the films in the competition, so from the chairman to Jiang Wen, they could only applaud softly in agreement.

However, a careful observation of their expressions reveals that most of the judges' eyes held satisfaction.

Europe is dominated by art films, and these filmmakers who are involved in art love to talk about the social responsibility of filmmakers.

While most of them are charlatans seeking fame and fortune, those film masters who truly achieve artistic success are indeed quite responsible and socially conscious.

These people genuinely admire the sense of responsibility that Fang Xinghe demonstrates.

Of course, many media outlets and professional film critics also disliked the perfect ending of "Better Days" and this youth romance film, which was more commercial than artistic.

Therefore, immediately after Monica announced that questions could be asked, a well-known European film critic raised his hand.

"Mr. Marshall, what's the problem?"

In such a heated atmosphere, Marshall, a columnist for Cinema Weekly and a French film critic, boldly raised a sharp criticism.

"Director Fang, 'You Are the Best' is indeed a very mature, complete, and beautiful commercial story film, but if I may be so bold, you have turned the profound and complex issue of school bullying into a beautiful youth romance film that can be described as a fairy tale, which is really too vulgar!"

We all know that Nian and Xiaobei's mutual redemption is a chance event with only a very small probability of happening in reality. You used beautiful fantasy to dilute the grand sense of destiny that should have been profound, serious, dark, and desperate, turning the film from an outstanding work of art into a vulgar commodity.

Perhaps it will sell better, and I believe many viewers will like it. However, you are not short of money; you are already a well-known tycoon. I don't understand and am heartbroken as to why you would make a film like this.
Do you only intend to remain a popular idol forever, without ever delving into the depths of art and becoming a revered master?

That chatterbox is so damn arrogant.

Are you heartbroken for your mother as I am?

However, his speech still resonated with a large portion of the "artists" present, and about a quarter of the audience applauded his outspokenness.

Yes, even though Fang's version of "Young You" is already a very good movie, there are still people who are not satisfied with the happy ending.

How can you have a happy ending?
How could you not go all the way down to the dark side?

This phenomenon is quite prominent in Cannes.

This public opinion trend is also the biggest obstacle for "Young You" to win an award.

Fang Xinghe certainly acknowledged that true art is inevitably sophisticated and accessible to a select few, and that any genre of art, as it delves deeper, will encounter increasingly higher barriers to entry.

Anything that everyone can like is not art, it's fucking magic.

However, this does not mean that popular and accessible works that are loved by the masses have no value. On the contrary, popular art certainly has a higher social value than traditional art.

These days, those who listen to Beyond look down on those who listen to Jay Chou, those who listen to Jay Chou look down on those who listen to Dao Lang, and those who listen to Dao Lang look down on those who listen to Errenzhuan (a type of folk opera). But those who listen to Errenzhuan aren't at the bottom of the hierarchy of contempt—in the future, they might even look down on those who listen to MCing (a type of live-streaming).

However, the crux of the problem is whether the small group of people who hold the power to define art have the right to suppress the spiritual needs of the lower classes who have low aesthetic standards and use judgment to isolate them from their need for self-entertainment.
Fang Xinghe believes that no one has that qualification.

Therefore, he utterly detested this kind of condescending, judgmental criticism.

I'm not going to curse you, but are you really that arrogant?

Fang Xinghe slowly surveyed the audience, lowered his voice, and calmly began his presentation.

"Mr. Marshall, let's talk about this issue."

Returning to the theme of my work, what do I want to reveal?
not at all.

The phenomenon has always been there; everyone can see it, and I don't need to reveal it.

I don't want to criticize anything.

School bullying is not a simple problem that can be solved by attacking a particular department, group, or culture.

Therefore, the background of the creation of "Less You" is school bullying, the core logic is the injustice caused by the dual lack of family education and school education, and the core theme is redemption.

You're right about one thing: redemption is a rare occurrence in the global phenomenon of school bullying. And mutual redemption, like that of Xiao Bei and Chen Nian, is an even rarer probability.

However, I personally believe that if you're going to film a film about such a grand subject as school bullying, then you can't be objective.

Objective statements can only reveal problems, but the existence of school bullying is a problem that does not need to be revealed.

An objective perspective can only reveal the darkness and despair of bullying, but it does nothing to solve the problem.

Do teenagers who are being bullied need filmmakers to depict darkness and despair? No, they are already in the abyss of despair.

In order to stimulate their self-rescue awareness and to get more bystanders to lend a helping hand, we must not be objective, rational, or calm!

Film is the art of creating dreams; dreams can be beautiful or nightmares.

You believe that only nightmares that are deep and dark enough can serve as the greatest warning to people.

But frankly, teenagers probably don't need your warnings, and those teenagers who are actually being bullied need them even less.

They understand reality better than you do!

They need a young man like Zhang Xiaobei to reach out and lend them a hand!
They also need a police officer like Gong Li to stop them from making bigger mistakes in time.

What they need most is a responsible pair of parents and some responsible teachers to tell them: You are good, you did nothing wrong, don't be afraid, you should fight, and you deserve salvation!
Instead of asking you in a condescending way: Do you understand art?
If your art is destruction, if your art is to let those tragic experiences sink forever into the abyss, never seeing a ray of sunlight, then you and your art have long since gone astray.

But I am different. I, Fang Xinghe, my art is upright and honest, forever bathed in the warm sun, but I never shy away from the shadows cast by the sunlight.

You think my "Better Days" isn't artistic enough? OK, I allow you to have any opinions different from mine.

But now I have a real question I want to ask you in return—

If your daughter were in the same situation as Chen Nian at school, would you prefer her to be artistically destroyed, or to receive a low-probability salvation?
Look into my eyes, and tell me your answer.

Fang Xinghe calmly gazed at Marshall, whose forehead was covered in beads of sweat.

This was a public trial, where art was cornered by sharp words under the watchful eyes of the public.

No, what proclaimed victory was not Fang Xinghe's sharp words, but his clear-headedness in always standing on the side of historical correctness and the popular opinion.

At the same time, the judging panel is also giving it serious thought—

Is "Better Days" artistic and profound enough?

Perhaps, when their respective answers finally come to mind, they'll have a huge argument about it...

(End of this chapter)