Generation Z Artists

Chapter 306 Please Listen Carefully
The closing ceremony red carpet was not as grand as the opening ceremony.

The stars who were destined not to win awards have already left, and the remaining crew members are mostly unknown.

Therefore, when the entire cast and crew of "Young You" stepped onto the red carpet, the sidelines immediately erupted in cheers.

"Director Fang, Director Fang, are you confident in winning the Palme d'Or?"

"Xixi, Xixi, turn around and smile, you're so beautiful!"

"Gong Li, will you be the president of Cannes next year?"

"Hey you, you little bitch, yes, yes, it's you, you're blocking my camera!"

Yang Xiaomi: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Grass!
You wait until I come to Cannes again. I swear, you'll all have to look up to me, you little brats!

It's hard to say what will happen next time, but this time, only she was injured.

Dong Youde almost burst out laughing when he saw the little girl—you should have gone back to school since it had nothing to do with you, but you insisted on coming over to join in the fun, and now you're happy?
Should!
Actually, Lao Dong and Yang Mi's relationship wasn't that bad, but the little girl kept pestering him to sign with Xinghe Film and Television. However, Xinghe Film and Television is a production company that, in principle, neither signs directors nor actors. Lao Dong couldn't help her, so the two had a little tiff.

Dong Youde is probably the most comfortable film and television company general manager in the history of the Chinese entertainment industry.

With high salaries and prestigious positions, the company faces no profit pressure and doesn't have a talent agency department. The only talent agency contract they hold is the retirement contract of Fang Xinghe, the undisputed top star in the Chinese entertainment industry, and their only unreleased film is being snapped up by buyers worldwide...

If a manager can reach this level, I wouldn't trade him for Han Sanping's position.

Sure enough, he walked at the very back with an air of triumph, ignoring the media around him who were completely ignoring him, and waved with an air of swagger, as if he had already captivated the whole world.

That's outrageous...

But my confidence comes from Brother Fang, do you dare to disagree?

The media didn't dare to. Although the reporters didn't photograph him, they couldn't help but discuss him privately when they saw him.

"This man seems to be one of the top figures in their country's film and television industry."

"Shit luck!"

Is there any news regarding the rights deal for "Better Days"?

"Not yet."

"It should be able to break the record, right?"

"It's hard to say. In the past, no commercial film of this caliber has ever made it to the awards ceremony..."

"Excuse me, let me correct you: Better Days is not a commercial film; it's just that Star River gave it strong commercial value."

"OK, OK, let's wrap this up. I can't wait to see the awards!"

Everyone was eagerly waiting.

The organizing committee was aware of this situation, so the closing ceremony was solemn and concise, and the awards ceremony was devoid of any gimmicky tricks.

One focus unit: "Far From Heaven"

Camera d'Or (Best First Feature): Reconstruction

Jury Prize: "Five O'Clock in the Afternoon"

The first three minor awards were presented without any surprises; they were largely expected.

The atmosphere became tense until the next Best Screenplay award.

"The winner is... Dennis Arcant (Canada), for his work 'Savage Invasion'!"

When the award presenter finished speaking, many people let out a sigh of regret, but the cast and crew of "Young You" were invigorated.

"Good thing!"

Gong Li's voice was short and forceful, as she tried to encourage her younger brother.

Her younger brother from Northeast China felt relieved, realizing that at least the Grand Jury Prize was a sure thing.

An upset?

Doing nothing might lead to an upset, but he did so much work, so why should he be overlooked?
nonexistent!

After the screenwriter of "Savage Invasion" finished his tearful acceptance speech, veteran French actor Philippe Niorette calmly went on stage and took out an envelope containing the results.

"This year's Cannes Film Festival saw the emergence of a large number of outstanding female performers, the youngest being only 8 years old and the oldest 69. They came from all over the world and contributed unforgettable scenes to us with their sincerity and passion..."

"So, who is the winner of the Best Actress award at this year's Cannes Film Festival..."

Philippe Neolette opened the card, glanced at it, then looked up with a subtle "I knew it" smile on his face.

As he sang at the end of his sentence, Liu Yifei felt her heart almost jump out of her chest.

The feeling was like having a little rabbit hidden in my chest, half-lying there, bending its long legs, and kicking its chest out again and again.

Her mother gripped her hand tightly, but at that moment, she turned her head as if possessed and looked at Fang Xinghe.

Just then, Fang Xinghe turned his head at the same time, and as he looked over, he had already raised his hands, about to clap them together to applaud this inevitable outcome.

There wasn't time for any thoughts to flash through Nenxian's mind.

The next moment, her name burst from Philip's lips, strong and clear.

"Liu, Yi, Fei! 'Better Days'!"

With a whoosh, all sound disappeared from Nenxian's ears.

Her mother excitedly pulled her to her feet, and all the crew members around her stood up at the same time to applaud her enthusiastically.

Her mind went blank, leaving only the echoes of the world—there were two kinds in total.

One thing that was right before my eyes was everyone's enthusiastic congratulations, short and loud, like a roar.

One of them was a long, distant eulogy from Philippe, reciting the reasons for his award. It was a long string of words that should have been hard to hear, yet every word was clear.

"Ms. Liu Yifei has created an incredible portrayal of Chen Nian, making her gloom, cowardice, despair, resilience, selfishness, and frankness extremely real."

Ms. Liu Yifei has crafted the most complex and dreamlike bullying victim to date, making this fairy tale about love and redemption extremely convincing.

In addition, I would like to make a special statement on behalf of the jury—

We strongly discourage this unconventional approach to acting that disregards personal safety, and we do not recommend that any underage actors follow her example. However, we must acknowledge Ms. Liu Yifei's sincere love for the performing arts. This is not the reason for awarding her the Best Actress award; it is merely a small expression of our personal feelings and respect.

We have the utmost respect for everything you have done.

Princess Xixi, you are not a bad actress; your brilliance shines like the jewel in the crown of a performance…

Amidst enthusiastic applause, Liu Yifei covered her mouth tightly and staggered onto the stage.

She burst into tears the moment she received the trophy.

"Thank you... thank you... I don't know... what else to say..."

She choked up after every two sentences, only managing to utter a few words at a time.

The host and guests smiled understandingly at her, while the audience responded with even louder applause. After taking several deep breaths, even employing breathing techniques from the Fang-style Longhua Boxing, she was finally able to speak normally after five seconds.

"What I wanted to say was actually said at the opening ceremony."

For the rest of the time, which is recently, I have been both fantasizing about this highest level of honor and feeling fear and confusion.

To be honest, this isn't my true level. What should I film next? How am I supposed to continue acting?
There are too many questions, and they're all too confusing. I'm just a clueless newcomer who stumbled into the world of film, and I really can't figure it out.

But at that very moment, the instant you grasped it…

Nenxian took a deep breath and proudly raised her head.

It's not appropriate to describe her current demeanor as domineering; she's far less domineering than Sister Li.

However, when she confidently raised the trophy, she already exuded a certain grandeur.

She spoke resolutely, each word deliberate and deliberate: "I've decided to stop thinking about anything! Since I stumbled my way in, I'll just keep stumbling along like this!"
Clumsiness is me, confusion is me, and resilience is also me!
These things are innate, some good and some bad. From now on, I will sincerely and resolutely accept myself and become a complete me!
I'm Liu Yifei, a new actress from China. Thank you everyone!

From tears to exhilaration, she displayed remarkable mental fortitude and unwavering determination, much like Chen Nian in the movie.

Thunderous applause erupted as everyone was moved by her sincerity and cheered enthusiastically for her.

Fang Xinghe was both surprised and pleased.

I never would have guessed that this girl was such a stage-setter since she was little; she really holds her own when it matters...

That's great. "Less You" has added another wonderful story, and its chances of becoming a big hit have increased. The choice of the female lead was definitely right, and all the hard work and suffering was worthwhile.

Fang Xinghe has never been afraid of strong competitors. The Chinese film and television industry needs a large number of practitioners with unique characteristics. The stronger they are, the better. Otherwise, always racking one's brains to take on everything may feel good, but it's really tiring.

Starting today, Nenxian is basically considered to have graduated. She may not be able to handle big tasks, but she's definitely useful as a support character.

So, who will be the next one to be trained?

Dog Fang cast an evil glance at Yang Xiaomi, whose cheeks were puffed out in anger, then quickly looked away, glancing at her with disdain.

This guy is also very determined—he's determined to become famous and a star.

If you take a closer look at the performances of her childhood supporting roles, you'll see that her love of taking shortcuts is an ingrained trait; in fact, she understands everything.

Comparing her to Zhang Zifeng in her childhood, there is not much difference in natural talent, but one subconsciously chooses the laziest, most worry-free, and easiest way to produce results, while the other will delve deeper and never be satisfied with just passing grades.

Ultimately, the results were completely opposite: one was a top-tier celebrity, and the other was the best actress of the new generation.

Yang Xiaomi isn't entirely unteachable; Fang Gou has plenty of ways to deal with her, but it's just too troublesome—he has to personally suppress her and keep her under constant control, otherwise she'll definitely revert to her old ways once the reins are loosened.

So when Dong Youde asked him if he wanted to sign Yang Mi, President Fang rejected the idea without even thinking.

My buddy's so busy, how could I have time to keep an eye on her every day?
If I had that much free time, wouldn't it be better to train Gu Zaha from scratch?

Of all the actresses the dog-loving side most wants to train, she's always number one. There's no way around it; they just have no resistance to pretty, easily fooled, easily bullied, and easily coaxed love-struck girls…

Fang Xinghe's mind was racing with random thoughts until Isabelle Huppert walked onto the stage, bringing him back to his senses.

If we define a career as great, then Isabelle Huppert has already walked two-thirds of that path, while Shuai Fang has only just begun.

Twenty years later, in her seventies, she completed a special forces-style tour in China, which led to a meme among Chinese netizens who didn't know her—that seventy-something is the perfect age for adventure.

Yu Shao Nv's passion and energy for performing arts are evident.

Upon seeing that she was presenting the Best Actor award, Fang Xinghe's heart skipped a beat, and he sat up straight.

What a coincidence... Could it be...?

Without any hesitation, Huppert opened the envelope immediately.

"This year's Cannes Best Actor award was given to an actor who has an extremely high pursuit, great respect, and utmost devotion to the art of acting..."

When Isabelle read this part, she glanced at Fang Xinghe.

So everyone on the scene turned their heads at the same time, all focusing their attention on the boy.

Fang Xinghe took a deep breath. He wouldn't be surprised if he won any major award, but he still couldn't help but get excited about the Best Actor award that was about to be won.

Unsurprisingly, Isabelle Huppert's speech resonated more and more with Fang Xinghe.

"This belief in pursuing ultimate excellence has given birth to the greatest performing arts at this year's Cannes Film Festival."

With minimal dialogue, the most restrained emotions, the most touching gaze, and incredible physical control, he presented us with a textbook-level tutorial on how to create impact within a limited performance space.

The limited performance space of a character has always been an important factor restricting an actor's performance, but he revealed to us a possibility that when control is pushed to the limit, one can be moving even without uttering a word.

Therefore, the winner of this year's Best Actor award at Cannes is…

"Star River, Fang Xinghe!"

A thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

The fact that the male and female leads both won Best Actor and Best Actress awards is extremely rare in the three major European film and television production companies.

However, when applied to the film "Young You", it doesn't seem out of place; in fact, it's quite convincing.

On the big screen, Zhang Xiaobei's highlight clips were shown. Just as Isabelle Huppert said, he had very few lines and few expressions, but he was always able to show the most accurate and delicate emotions through the most subtle look or the most subtle body movements.

The scene where he brandishes a knife at the thugs is the pinnacle of physical control. There are no shouts or screams, no intense American profanities or exaggerated Korean swear words. Every movement of his body is a performance, restrained, resolute, and insane. Just by looking at his back, you can feel the violent intensity of his all-out gamble.

What's even more amazing is that with just a few lines of dialogue, you can tell his level just by closing your eyes and listening.

In this respect, he is far ahead of Liu Yifei's Chen Nian.

Fang Xinghe winning the Best Actor award is something no professional can question.

They were simply offering their congratulations, and perhaps, at the same time, secretly pleased.

You've already won Best Actor and Best Actress awards, so surely the grand prize should be ours now?
With mixed feelings, Fang Xinghe strode towards the podium.

"congratulations."

Isabelle Huppert embraced him and whispered, "My child, you have unparalleled talent. I look forward to the day you become a master of acting."

"Thank you, I will take you as my role model."

Fang Xinghe responded calmly, then looked down at the trophy in his hand and smiled slightly.

With palm leaves as its core element, it was designed and made by Chopard and is shiny and golden.

it's beautiful.

This isn't the award I wanted most, but it's the best affirmation of my personal acting ability.

With that in mind, Fang Xinghe decided to say something different.

Acceptance speeches are for expressing one's true feelings.

Now I don't want to be pretentious, I want to be genuine, so let me show you what Generation Z Chinese youth are thinking.

This is a rare opportunity, so please... listen carefully!

(End of this chapter)