Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 227: Hong Kong Night, Angry at Pigeons

The three major European film festivals have different positioning and selection styles, but there is not much difference in superiority or inferiority.

But in terms of commercial value and transaction scale, Cannes is undoubtedly the leader.

The Cannes Film Festival is not only significant in the field of art, but also exists as a global business platform.

During the annual film festival, countless practitioners and brand merchants gather together, creating a large-scale agglomeration effect and creating excellent opportunities for various promotions and transactions.

This year in Cannes, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council spent a huge amount of money to hold the "Hong Kong Night" event at the pier of the Carlton Hotel.

As a compatriot and a young director with some international fame, Boss Lu attended the event with the leading actress of the film participating in the exhibition and his female companion Liu Yifei.

It is still a buffet party, but it has a unique oriental style thanks to the careful preparation of the staff of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

When Boss Lu arrived, Xu Ke, Shi Nansheng and his wife, accompanied by a group of officials, were welcoming guests at the door.

"Guide, welcome!"

Lu Kuan smiled modestly and said, "Director Xu Ke knows me? It's my honor."

"I've heard of you for a long time, but I've never had the chance to meet you!"

Xu Ke has never seen Lu Kuan, but he has seen all of his films, including the recent "Foreign Land".

Because he is a member of the jury at this year's Cannes.

Shi Nansheng on the side also shook Liu Yifei's hand affectionately: "Hello, Miss Liu, you are so beautiful."

"To use the words of Cao Xueqin in 'Dream of the Red Chamber', it truly lives up to the gift of nature and talent that has been bestowed upon us!"

Concubine Liu Yi's pretty face turned slightly red. Many people praised her beauty, but when she started quoting from classics right away, she suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

"Thank you, Ms. Shi, for your kind words."

Lu Kuan had a decent impression of Xu Ke. He was a director who came from some of Hong Kong's older leftist film companies, such as Great Wall, and his views and attitudes towards the mainland were relatively close.

Shi Nansheng was also the eldest daughter born in Shanghai after the founding of the People's Republic of China. She immigrated to Hong Kong with her business family.

There is a saying in the Hong Kong film industry that there would be no Xu Ke without Shi Nansheng. They are the perfect couple in the Hong Kong film industry.

Xu Ke then introduced Lu Kuan to the people who came over to say hello: "Ms. Chen Jiayi, Business Development Director of the Trade Development Council."

"Mr. Hung Cho-sing, Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Producers Association."

Hong Zuxing served as the chairman of the jury of the Academy Awards from the eleventh to the fifteenth period, and has always been at the helm.

"Director Lu, thank you very much for coming. And to the beautiful Miss Liu, I'm looking forward to seeing your performance at the Cannes premiere."

Everyone was a social person, so after a pleasant greeting, they went into the venue to socialize.

Liu Yifei looked around the venue and saw Liang Jiahui at a glance. The two had met at the first Golden Horse Awards and played father and daughter in "Foreign Land".

"Hello, Uncle Liang!"

In the crew of "Foreign Land", Liu Yifei called him Brother Jiahui, but the latter said that he was old enough to be your father, so it’s better to call him Uncle Liang!

Lu Kuan came over with Liu Yifei to say hello and saw Liang Jiahui chatting with Liang Chaowei, Liu Dehua and others.

Today I have disturbed the nest of Hong Kong's movie king!

"Yi Fei! I said you're the only one who calls me that."

Liang Jiahui turned around in surprise, and immediately gave Lu Kuan a warm hug: "Director, why didn't you look for me when you came yesterday?"

He flew from Hong Kong without any accompanying crew.

Liu Dehua patted Liang Jiahui on the shoulder and said, "Wow, Jiahui, you have a friend like Director Lu, but you don't even introduce him to him first, you're just busy flattering him?"

This is a very polite statement. Given his status and the breadth of his network, at most they can interact on an equal footing.

However, Liu Dehua and Mei Yanfang had a very good relationship, and he had heard of this person's name many times in front of her, so naturally he was not stingy with his praise.

"Director Lu, since this is our first meeting, would you like to formally introduce yourself?"

The sedan chair was carried by people, and Boss Lu naturally reciprocated the favor: "Brother Hua, don't be ridiculous. Everyone knows you! It's just that this first meeting is too late!"

Liu Dehua laughed and said, "I heard that since you call Zhou Xingchi Xingzai, why don't you just call me Huazai? It would be more intimate, right?"

"That won't do. Sister Mei is my eldest sister. You two are equals, and she's over twenty years older than me. This is rude!"

Liang Jiahui joked: "Andy, Director Lu thinks you're too old!"

Several people burst into laughter.

Although it was their first meeting, the three of them had a close relationship with Mei Yanfang. They all had humble personalities and could chat with each other easily.

Only Liang Chaowei, who came with Wang Jiawei's "2046" this time, maintained normal social etiquette: "Director Lu, nice to meet you!"

Lu Kuan also smiled and shook hands with him.

Carina Lau once joked at the Academy Awards ceremony: The best actor in our Hong Kong film industry is either named Leung or Ka Fai.

This refers to Liang Jiahui, Liang Chaowei and Zhang Jiahui, who has not yet won the Best Actor award.

However, Boss Lu looked at Liang Chaowei's serious expression and wondered if it was because of his naturally indifferent personality, or if it was just...

Lu Kuan introduced Liu Yifei to the other two people, so that she could become familiar to the Hong Kong circles, and there might be opportunities for cooperation in the future.

Liang Jiahui enthusiastically took Lu Kuan and the other man to meet new friends, and Liu Dehua gently clinked glasses with Liang Chaowei.

"Wow, why are you so cool today? I think a famous Hollywood director is coming soon."

Liu Dehua has a high emotional intelligence. He said this joking remark in a clever way, fulfilling his obligation to remind friends without being too straightforward.

He just clearly felt a hint of coldness from Liang Chaowei.

"Are you being so aloof? Who made our Wei Zai unhappy?"

The two turned around and saw Wu Yusen walking towards them with a glass of wine.

Wu Yusen is one of the few Hong Kong directors who has worked with top Hollywood stars such as MGM and Tom Cruise. Both Liu and Liang paid their respects to him warmly.

"No, I just said hello to Director Lu from the mainland."

Liu Dehua took the initiative to explain, but Liang Chaowei did not hide it anymore.

"I'm not unhappy, it's just that the guide I just met is a little different from what I heard."

Of course, Wu Yusen had heard of Lu Kuan's name, and he even knew the value of "Foreign Land" better than most Chinese actors and directors.

Lionsgate, Miramax, Tom Cruise, the partners he chose are all top names in the industry.

He was also curious and jealous of the fact that he had broken up with Bowei and was able to escape unscathed, and he didn't know what the inside story was.

Judging from the fact that Rondo, the head of Buena Vista, was later officially dismissed by Disney, Eisner was obviously defeated.

This made it even more difficult for him to see the complexity inside.

Wu Yusen, who has always been unfriendly towards mainland filmmakers, urged him, "Tai, young people tend to get angry easily. Don't get angry with others. We Hong Kong people have our own demeanor."

Liu Dehua shook his head secretly, unwilling to talk about this topic with them any more, and found an excuse to leave.

In fact, Liang Chaowei doesn't have much resentment towards Lu Kuan.

But from what Dong Jie learned, this young director was indeed a little too arrogant and acted in a peculiar and overbearing manner.

He once advised Dong Jie not to switch from Zedong to Eagle King, but Dong Jie, who had witnessed the latter's terrifying star-making ability in the Hong Kong circle at that time, was not willing to listen.

As expected, she fell into the dreamlike web woven by Boss Lu. When she wanted to escape, she was already bruised and bloodied and had no way to do it.

Fortunately, this time she was able to resolve the matter with the help of her mainland connection Zhao Benshan.

The dinner officially began with a speech by HKTDC's Ms. Chan Ka-yee:

Welcome everyone! As of May this year, the number of film projects approved in Hong Kong has increased by 5% compared to last year. We all believe that 60 will be the year when Hong Kong's film industry rebounds from the bottom and fully recovers.

Boss Lu didn't have the time to listen to her nonsense on the stage. After all, he had even seen the tragic ending of the Hong Kong film industry.

He started chatting with Zhang Yimou beside him.

"I heard from Zhang Ziyi that 'House of Flying Daggers' has already held a promotional event, right? How's it going?"

Mentioning this topic, Zhang Yimou's terracotta warrior-like face lit up with a smile: "Yes, Wei Ping said the situation is not bad. The North American distribution rights have been sold to Sony for 1.15 million."

"We are still in talks with South Korea, and I'll leave it to Wei Ping, haha."

"House of Flying Daggers" and "Hero", including the later critically acclaimed "The Forbidden Kingdom".

Movies with this kind of theme have always been popular overseas, but they are not well received by audiences in mainland China, where people are more familiar with the local culture.

Lu Kuan nodded and was happy for him. At least he was not tricked by Zhang Ziyi.

If his soul were to travel back to the beginning of the 21st century, which domestic directors were worthy of his sincere friendship?

And there are only a few people like Zhang Yimou who can get some inspiration from the latter's movies and make up for their own shortcomings.

The two are both from the Beijing Film Academy and have close relationships with Tian Zhuangzhuang and Zhang Huijun. Zhang Yimou does not have a prominent background and can treat others with a relatively humble attitude.

Last year, because of the "Cell Phone" reporting incident, Huayi instigated the Beijing circle's big mouth Duilu Laoban to criticize it either openly or secretly, and Zhang Yimou was the first to call to encourage and support it.

Even when many young directors became famous in later generations, he was the only one who could hold up the reputation in terms of artistic awards and commercial box office.

When it comes to major issues of right and wrong, he never oversteps the boundaries.

The cocktail party followed the format of a Western party. Filmmakers from Hong Kong and the mainland, as well as film companies from Asia and Europe, came to show their support, and many excellent films were purchased on the spot.

The films that North American film producers are most interested in are Derek Yee's "One Nite in Mongkok" and the Pang Brothers' "Seeing a Ghost".

In fact, during its golden age, Hong Kong films not only had a cultural impact on the entire Asian region, but many genre films were also successfully exported to the other side of the ocean.

In many cases, this form of cultural output lies in the purchase of adaptation rights.

For example, Martin Scorsese, who has a good relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio, bought the adaptation rights of "Infernal Affairs" this year and later won an Oscar for it.

Another example is the movie "Seeing the Ghost", which was later bought by Tom Cruise, who served as the producer and selected the director to direct it.

In mid-2004, the overall "recovery" of Hong Kong films gave Hong Kong filmmakers a great confidence boost.

Xu Ke chatted with mainland directors such as Lu Kuan and Zhang Yimou.

"Director Lu, I saw your interpretation of commercial films, genre films, and art films at a symposium in mainland China. It was fantastic."

Zhang Yimou laughed and said, "Director Xiaolu debated with the scholars. In short, we as the audience found it very enjoyable to listen to."

Zhang Yimou is a fifth-generation director who has demonstrated his determination to integrate into the market through his actions. Perhaps some of his works, such as "Red River", will be criticized in the future.

However, in that era, he was able to actively embrace the market and change his stance to explore commercial films, risking great public pressure from academia and the critics.

Therefore, he cannot agree with some of the views of the Sixth Generation.

Although his own films have also contained plots showing backwardness, compared with some of Guan, Lou, Jia and Wang's films, the bottom line is much higher.

He took Not One Less to Cannes that year, and there was a scene in the film where teacher Wei Minzhi led students in raising the national flag.

The film festival officials called this self-glorification and government propaganda, and suggested that he change the film.

Zhang Yimou wrote a harshly worded letter of breakup directly to the Cannes officials, expressing his dissatisfaction with the discrimination and arrogance of the white judges.

Boss Lu said modestly: "It just happened. We are all in the industry. The bigger the cake, the more we can eat."

"This cake needs everyone from the audience to the directors, investors, actors and so on to work together to build it. Some art film directors have too narrow a mindset and need to be reminded of this."

Xu Ke nodded: "Which director doesn't want to explore art? Which director doesn't want to establish a school of thought and be selected for "Sight and Sound"?"

"But the most important thing is to be worthy of the investors and the audience. We can't make the audience too lazy to go to the theater, that would be terrible."

Zhang Yimou said with a smile: "Now Hong Kong filmmakers, from directors to actors, are actively heading north to embrace the mainland market. If the integration and cooperation are good, it will be a good thing for the industry."

Hong Kong films are dominated by genre films, and have produced many golden themes and genres, including police and gangster films, horror films, zombie films, and so on.

Lu Kuan nodded at Liu Yifei, who was sitting aside, as serene as a chrysanthemum, quietly listening to the directors' discussion.

"Let's not talk about anything else, let's just talk about mainland actors like Xiao Liu."

"Mainland actors have always been paid less and treated less well than actors from Hong Kong and Taiwan. However, when Chinese actors go to Hollywood, their salaries are definitely lower than those of North American actors."

"Besides the strength of the film, there is also a gap in the development stage of the genre."

"Jackie Chan's salary for 'Around the World in 80 Days' should have already entered the $2000 million club. He is a superstar cultivated by genre films."

"There's also Jet Li. Ge You, one of the few mainland Chinese actors with some box office appeal, rose to fame through comedy, while Zhang Ziyi rose to fame through action films."

"Whether it's a comedy, an action film, a crime drama, or a romance, this kind of specialized, genre-specific film market should be the norm and the majority. Art films can only exist as a cinematic exploration for a small number of artists."

Wu Yusen suddenly came over with a wine glass, his slightly plump figure swaying a little.

"I just overheard Director Lu's speech. It was really wonderful."

Xu Ke smiled and said, "No need for me to introduce you guys, right?"

Zhang Yimou and Lu Kuan both shook hands with him politely.

Wu Yusen was very confident: "The mainland film industry is still relatively backward. It lacks an overall film industry system and refined division of labor. In this respect, it lags behind Hong Kong films by many years."

"I agree with what Director Yimou just said. The migration of Hong Kong films to the north is beneficial to the overall development of Chinese-language films."

This may sound reasonable at first glance, as the backwardness of the mainland film market is a reality.

But what Zhang Yimou expressed was the mutual benefit between the two sides, rather than the directors and actors in the Hong Kong film industry coming to the mainland under the banner of technological poverty alleviation and taking whatever they want and acting superiorly.

Others may not understand it now, but Boss Lu knows about the disgusting remarks made by Wu Gezi.

Lu Kuan continued his remarks, "Hong Kong's film industry has matured over decades of development and boasts advantages in film financing, brand promotion, and financial systems. This is truly worthy of learning for mainland filmmakers."

Wu Yusen thought to himself that he was quite sensible, but he didn't expect that he had more to do.

"but."

"Hong Kong films also have many shortcomings."

Wu Yusen smiled and said, "Do you still want to ask for advice?"

"Too many. For example, in terms of history, Hong Kong films are lacking in costume design, language style design, and prop placement habits when shooting historical films, but this is an advantage of the mainland."

Let’s not talk about anything else, let’s just talk about "Red Cliff", which Wu Gezi in later generations claimed to restore the original historical appearance.

For example, the scene in the movie where soldiers use halberds to hook ankles is inconsistent with history. In ancient times, halberds were used to hook heads, not feet.

Additionally, the soldiers in the movie use halberds and spears in battle, which is not historically justified.

Because the use of long weapons is suitable for the periphery of the formation, short weapons are most powerful once the two armies get close.

Not to mention his disgusting style of historical parody in "Red Cliff". Mengmeng, stand up.

Wu Yusen already looked down on mainland filmmakers, and he was very unhappy with Lu Kuan's questioning because he and Liang Chaowei had just "shared a common enemy".

"I don't really agree with Director Lu's views. The Hong Kong film industry is much more developed than the mainland in every way. I think mainland filmmakers should be more humble, right?"

This was said rather bluntly, and surrounding male and female stars like Andy Lau, Liang Chaowei, and Zhang Manyu all glanced over.

Seeing the slightly embarrassed expressions on Xu Ke and the others' faces, Wu Yusen, perhaps realizing his words had been a bit too sharp, tried to make amends. "Of course, both sides need to stay united. Just like in Hollywood, even filmmakers of different nationalities are very united. Everyone strives for excellence on their projects, and the atmosphere is fantastic!"

Lu Kuan often feels speechless for stupid and selfish Hong Kong directors like Wu Yusen, who have no moral integrity at all.

Anyone can talk about unity, but you, Wu Gezi, are the first one who is not worthy of talking about it.

He is a famous Hong Kong director known for suppressing mainland actors.

Due to the deterioration of the Hong Kong film industry, Wu Yusen, Chen Kexin and others' routine operation after moving north was to use mainland funds and market resources, use mainland first-line stars as supporting roles, and give Hong Kong and Taiwan stars a boost.

Moreover, they will put a lot of effort into signing the contract, leaving mainland investors speechless.

How was it done specifically? Let’s take “Red Cliff” as an example.

China Film Group was the main investor in the "Red Cliff" project, but most of the actors were mainland first-line actors in supporting roles, such as Zhao Yanzi, who was persuaded to play a supporting role to boost the profile of Lin Chiling, who at that time only had some influence in Taiwan.

This was Lin Chi-ling's first film work. After the filming, her value soared. She went from a model with scandals in Taiwan to a "superstar" who could go to Rome to shoot commercials with Kate Wainwright.

It stands to reason that mainland funds account for the majority and would not allow such a cast to be produced, but Wu Yusen and Zhu Yanping, former chairman of the Golden Horse Awards, used some tricks.

After Wu Yusen approved the script, he would first sign a contract with a Taiwanese company, stipulating that half of the characters in "Red Cliff" must be from Taiwanese province, and then take the negotiated contract to the mainland to seek investment.

Mainland films were weak at that time. If they wanted to have a big director like Wu Yusen who had worked in Hollywood to take charge of the production, or if they wanted to use big names from Hong Kong and Taiwan to sweep the box office, they had no choice but to accept it.

In addition to Red Cliff, there are countless examples like this:
Wu Yusen's "Sword Rain" stars actors from South Korea and Taiwan, with mainland actor Wang Xueqi in a supporting role;
In "Flying Tigers", Liu Ye, the Golden Horse Award winner who debuted for ten years, played a supporting role to Ruan Jingtian and Zhao Youting from Taiwan who had just debuted for a year or two at the time.

In the movie "The Guillotine" produced by Chen Kexin, Wen Zhang played the supporting male role, Huang Xiaoming played the villain boss, and the leading male role was given to Ruan Jingtian who had just debuted.

The plan is also to use two popular male stars from the mainland to directly elevate him to a top-tier status.

Fortunately, this movie was a huge box office failure and had little impact, so the Hong Kong and Taiwan capital’s wishful thinking fell through.

Not only did Wu Yusen, Chen Kexin and others do this themselves, they also used their influence to instill this concept into other directors in the Hong Kong Directors Association.

He called on everyone to unite and firmly grasp the initiative in the process of moving north.

It's a pity that the mainland film industry and talented actors also failed to perform well. "The Warlords" was defeated by "Assembly". Zhang Hanyu, who was previously only considered an "unknown voice actor", defeated three superstars: Jet Li, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro.

Next came "The Sound of Wind" starring Zhou Xun, Li Binbin and Huang Xiaoming, and "Painted Skin" starring Zhou Xun, Yan Zi and Chen Kun. Although these films were not favored by the market, they were made by an all-mainland team and competed against the Hong Kong and Taiwan co-productions of the same period, yet they won a landslide victory in terms of box office and word of mouth.

The box office success of "Painted Skin" made Wu Yusen so angry that he cursed the film's Hong Kong director, Chen Jiashang.

He was accused of undermining the "unified position of directors from Hong Kong and Taiwan going north", and actually allowing mainland actors to have a chance to come to the fore. If they dominate the mainstream of co-productions in the future, it will be your responsibility, Gordon Chan!

The most important thing is that Wu and Zhu, these two idiots, did not hide their true intentions at all and made no secret of such operations in interviews with Hong Kong and Taiwan media.

It was not until their interview video was transmitted to the mainland that public opinion was outraged and Tianya gave the Golden Crow Award to Chen Kexin, which slightly alleviated the hatred of the mainland audience.

The scene at Hong Kong Night was a bit awkward, with Wu Yusen and Lu Kuan arguing with each other. Although there was no major friction, the Hong Kong stars watching all smelled a sense of tension.

It’s just that Boss Lu can’t use the knife of the future to kill the dogs of this life, but he still has to hit these villains without mercy.

Do you think there is no one left in the mainland film industry?

This little debate attracted the attention of many participants, including reporters from Hong Kong's print media and mainland film channels "China Film Journey" and "Film News".

It could be said that Boss Lu is the most popular person in the entertainment industry, as there is always news about him.

Paparazzi can write about his romantic affairs and have them published, and serious journalists can write about his commercial film stance and have it published. With a washing machine, everyone has a bright future!

At this time, Chen Jiayi from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Hong Zuxing from the Academy Awards both came over with wine glasses and heard Lu Kuan's resounding question.

"Unity is definitely something we should talk about, but if someone like Director Wu seeks cooperation with prejudice on the basis of equality and reciprocity, I don't think the result will be pleasant."

"There are many problems with mainland films, such as the lack of genre films, which cannot be avoided."

"But Hong Kong and Taiwan filmmakers shouldn't always approach mainland China with a superior mentality, thinking that mainland audiences are unsophisticated bumpkins who can be easily fooled, or that mainland directors are amateurs who can be easily bullied."

Wu Yusen felt that Lu Kuan's defenses had been somewhat weakened, and he laughed unscrupulously, "Director Lu, are you thinking back to your first film, when a small misunderstanding with Tingfeng and the others gave you a bad impression of Hong Kong filmmakers?"

"I don't think it's necessary. Look at Andy Lau, Tony Leung, and Man Yuk. Which one of them isn't a dedicated and excellent Hong Kong actor?"

Wu Yusen is cunning. He labeled the behavior of Nicholas Tse and others who blatantly tore up the contract as a "small misunderstanding" and brought up several movie stars at the scene to put pressure on Lu Kuan. His intention is despicable.

Concubine Liu Yi felt upset listening to this and couldn't help but stand up to defend herself.

"In the beginning, it was Nicholas Tse and Edison Chen who broke the contract and withdrew from the filming of 'The Drummer'. They also copied Lu Kuan's idea and started a new one with Cheung Kin Ting."

"This was clearly a premeditated robbery. How can you say it was just a misunderstanding?"

Wu Yusen and Zhang Jianting have a close relationship. They originally wanted to use this incident to confuse right and wrong and put Lu Kuan in opposition to the entire Hong Kong film industry present today.

At this moment, he was interrupted by a young-looking girl, and his face was not very good.

"Whose female companion are you? You just interrupt others when they are discussing something. Are mainland actresses so rude? Do you have any sense of etiquette?"

Lu Kuan walked up to Concubine Liu Yi and put his arms around her waist to show his intimacy.

"This is my female companion. Director Wu is also a famous director who has worked in Hollywood. He was just advocating for Hollywood's openness and unity."

"What? It's only been a short while, and you're already arguing about the strict hierarchy of the Japanese and Korean film industries? Do you want to silence others when you hear opinions that are unfavorable to you?"

Xiao Liu suddenly came into close contact with Lu Kuan, and felt the heat in his palm covering his waist. He couldn't help but tighten the muscles in his lower back, looking invulnerable.

But Boss Lu also gave her a considerable sense of security, allowing her to have the courage to argue with a famous director like Wu Yusen.

Wu Yusen's honest face showed a fierce look. He was about to scold Lu Kuan, but was surprised to hear him start to "teach" his female companion a lesson.

"But Xiao Liu, Director Wu is almost 60 this year, and he's a famous Hollywood director who's made blockbusters like 'Windtalkers.' You still have to show some respect."

Concubine Liu Yi didn't understand why Lu Kuan suddenly became such a modest gentleman, and she looked up at his expression with some puzzlement.

Boss Lu winked at her, and Xiao Liu understood immediately.

"Oh! Lu Kuan, this Director Wu is the Chinese director who nearly bankrupted MGM with the movie 'Windtalkers'! This is the first time I've seen him in person!"

At that time, Bo Wei conspired to tear up the pre-sale agreement and compared Lu Kuan to Wu Yusen, who made the flop "Windtalkers" in an interview, hoping to deal a blow to him.

This matter was widely circulated at the time, so of course she knew about it.

As for the tacit understanding between the two, it comes from Liu Yifei watching Boss Lu setting traps and engaging in verbal battles time and time again.

Otherwise why would Lu Kuan lament that he chose the wrong talent tree...

Wu Yusen pointed his spear at the "bitter couple" in front of him, feeling so depressed and bitter that he almost had a high blood pressure attack.

These mainlanders are really not up to par!
"Everyone here today is a Hong Kong film star. The road is wide. If you and your female companion don't know what respect is, I don't think you'll be welcome here."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Liu Yi uttered an "ah" and bowed slightly before saying to Wu Yusen, "Grandpa Wu Yusen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that, and I didn't mean to offend you."

"It's just... it's just that Tom Cruise is also a producer of 'Alien Land'. I didn't pay attention and heard this once. Sorry!"

The little girl stuck out her tongue, looked apologetic, and timidly hid behind Lu Kuan's shoulder.

Her big eyes flickered as she glanced at Wu Yusen. She looked so aggrieved that no one would have the heart to blame her.

Xu Ke's wife Shi Nansheng holds a high position in the Hong Kong industry. She knows that Lu Kuan and Eagle King are good friends, and she doesn't want things to get awkward at the scene, so she takes the opportunity to offer some advice.

"Two great directors, please cool down. Friendly discussions between artists should be more polite and courteous."

He then walked forward and embraced Concubine Liu Yi: "Don't be afraid, Concubine Yi, this Grandpa Wu Yusen is a very good person!"

Wu Yusen felt extremely suffocated, and felt as if a breath of foul air was stuck in his throat and couldn't come out.

You can’t say harsh words anymore, otherwise you will become an old immortal who bullies the younger generation!

Boss Lu stared at Liu Yifei's tea-smelling face in amazement, and a thousand "fucks" floated in his mind!

When did you learn this trick?
The key point is that this little girl who is as pure as boiled water deliberately becomes tea-like, which gives people the impression that she is much more tea-like than the veteran green tea!
I originally just wanted to teach you a few things, but now I find that you know more and more!

Wu Yusen calmed down and explained his recent misstep in a nonchalant tone, "Director Lu, I didn't mean to embarrass this young lady. I'm just having a hard time getting over your misunderstanding of Hong Kong filmmakers."

Boss Lu looked at the shameless Wu Yusen speechlessly. He was really an indestructible cockroach.

It seems that they will not stop until they put a big hat of deliberate frame-up and targeting of Hong Kong films on their heads and label themselves as public enemies.

"I have no prejudice against anyone. Hong Kong singer and actress Ms. Mei Yanfang is my elder sister. In "Alien Land", Mr. Liang Jiahui was invited to play a positive Scientologist role, and the action team was led by Director Yuen Woo-ping."

"Last December, I was filming in Shanghai when director Zhou Xingchi came to visit. We had a friendly conversation and we still talk on the phone frequently."

"We have very good relationships with Mr. Li from Eagle King and Mr. Xiang from Hua Guoxing."

He paused, glanced around, and continued to express his views.

"The reason I had such a heated argument with Director Wu just now was because I couldn't bear to see our compatriots fighting against each other and undermining the increasingly close cooperation between the two places."

"After all, there have been precedents of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs."

Wu Yusen's eyes flashed coldly, tempting him to continue the mockery: "Director Lu, we can't resort to free judgment. You need to provide evidence for what you say."

Boss Lu smiled and said, "Evidence?"

"Okay, let me give you the simplest example."

"In the last century, Taiwan only allowed films from Hong Kong and Taiwan to be shown. There were strict restrictions on Hollywood films, stipulating that only eight copies of each Hollywood film could be made."

"In 93, the Hong Kong Film Company sold 'Journey to the West' to a Taiwanese film distributor for 3000 million. However, the box office was a flop, and the Taiwanese distributors were disheartened. The eight major film distributors banded together and negotiated a price reduction with the Hong Kong Film Association."

"But the Hong Kong negotiators were very arrogant. They said Hong Kong films were the best in Asia, the Hollywood of the East, and that your failure was due to distribution and advertising. If you want to lower the price, forget about getting Hong Kong films in the future."

"What was the result? Your arrogance angered the Taiwanese film producers, who in turn demanded that the authorities relax censorship and restrictions on Hollywood films. Since then, Hong Kong films have lost their largest and most important market at the time!"

This history is quite long, and the older actors and directors present have heard of it a little.

It's just that it's now being pointed out openly by a young mainland director in his twenties, as if mercilessly exposing their past false prosperity and today's disastrous failure.

It's really too sad.

Ju Wenpei from the Movie Channel and the reporter from the Film News looked at each other. It was the first time they heard such a story. They both held their recorders tightly, not wanting to miss any details.

Although tonight’s promotion meeting is a bit off topic, it is totally worth it!

The reporters seemed to see that a great article was about to be completed under their own wonderful pens.

Lu Kuan bowed slightly to the top celebrities from the Hong Kong film industry who were watching.

"I'm not saying this to expose shortcomings or to confront them, but because the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong, Macau, and even all of Asia are suffering from the rampant abuses of Hollywood."

"This year, the country's policies on the cultural and film industries are very strong. It is time for us to unite as one to present excellent films to the audience and expand the market."

"I strongly suggest that renowned directors like Director Wu set an example by abandoning their condescending attitude and mannerisms, and truly working hard in mainland China, respecting the audience, the market, investors, and actors."

“Don’t be a nomad in the film industry, coming and going in a hurry, reaping a wave of dividends and leaving a wasteland behind.”

"Otherwise, the market and the audience will teach you a lesson, and Hong Kong films will lose their last core position!"

Wu Yusen wanted to put the blame on Lu Kuan for his disdain for Hong Kong films, but Boss Lu turned around and gave him the "elegant nickname" of a film nomad.

If such a title and blame are confirmed, it will be very disadvantageous for Wu Yusen himself to find investors with a lot of money in the mainland.

He had to defend himself righteously: "Lu Kuan! You've only been directing for a few years, and you're already giving us, the veterans who've been in the industry for decades, a lecture. Aren't you taking yourself too seriously?"

"You speak so confidently and boldly, but can you truly represent mainland audiences or the mainland film industry?"

"He represents it."

Everyone looked over in surprise and was met with Lao Mouzi's rare serious expression.

He listened to the heated debate between Lu Kuan and Wu Yusen, and wanted to persuade him to calm down, but he was repeatedly irritated by this arrogant pigeon.

Now he finally found an opportunity to give Lu Kuan a chance to attack, so he stood up leisurely.

"Director Lu Kuan is the owner of the largest private film company in mainland China. He is an outstanding director recognized by audiences, actors and the Film Bureau."

"Although he doesn't have the experience and years of experience of other Hong Kong directors, he has proven himself both in terms of international awards and box office figures."

Zhang Yimou has great prestige among Hong Kong actors. With the investment of Jiang Zhiqiang, he shot two blockbusters in a row and has worked with Andy Lau, Zhang Manyu and Liang Chaowei who are present here today.

His endorsement of Lu Kuan is much more powerful than the hype from the media and the audience!

Boss Lu felt very relieved. These words sounded different when spoken by different people.

It's such a comfort to hear praise for myself from a film artist as prestigious and well-reputed as Zhang Yimou!
Zhang Yimou first took sides and then tried to settle the matter peacefully.

"I just listened to your discussion, and it's all for the good of Chinese-language films. Let's just seek common ground while reserving differences, and don't let it affect today's promotion meeting."

Boss Lu had no objection. He was scolded and acted tough, and he had Lao Mouzi to help him escape unscathed.

perfect.

"Well, I heard Director Lu's 'Alien Land' will be the premiere tomorrow. I'll go see it and wish you a big box office success!"

Damn it, Pigeon is not optimistic about the profit prospects of this movie.

Especially when facing a head-on confrontation with Old Dragon, who has already entered the Hollywood $2000 million club, and also facing sniping from Disney.

He didn't believe that this Hollywood rookie could compare to himself, a veteran director who had made blockbusters like "Mission Impossible 2".

He is just repeating the same mistakes he made in "Windtalkers" and still speaking so shamelessly here.

Wu Yusen's face turned pale, but he could no longer vent his anger at this famous mainland director, so he turned around and walked away in displeasure.

It was clearly his home ground, but he ended up running away. Where can he seek justice?

Everyone present was a smart person. Except for some industry insiders who had given deep thought to the industry and frowned in thought, everyone acted as if nothing had happened.

Keep drinking and keep dancing!
But there were more people surrounding Boss Lu.

The boss of the largest private film company in mainland China?

A luxurious person who is also listed in the Film Bureau?

There were also reporters from various walks of life who were eager to gather around and delve deeper into the topic, but they were all politely declined by Boss Lu.

He came here today for another important matter.

Before Zhang Manyu wins the title of Best Actress at Cannes, he invites her to be the leading lady of his new movie.

Because of the narrative structure spanning several decades, the heroine of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" plays her from a few years old to 80 years old.

Special actors are naturally needed for roles in the age groups of too young or too old. The main female protagonists in the play are concentrated around 25-45 years old.

This raises a question:
Should I use a 25-year-old actress to play a 45-year-old, or a 45-year-old actress to play a 25-year-old?

In other words, suppose the casting was between a young actress like Liu Yifei and Zhang Manyu.

Zhang Manyu can easily portray herself in her 20s, but it is impossible for Liu Yifei to portray herself in her 40s.

Life experience is there.

The love between the hero and heroine in the movie spans several decades. They each meet different lovers and have their own understanding and feelings about life.

Among them, the plot of the heroine after she turns 40 is more appealing, because it is the result of years of precipitation and can enhance the human core of the film.

In view of this, Lu Kuan decided to find 39-year-old Zhang Manyu to star in the film.

(End of this chapter)