Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 251 Is He the Lu Kuan?
"cheers!"

The Ice House Palace is very lively today.

In addition to the actors of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and old friends such as Xun Ge'er, Huang Xiaoming, and Feng Yuanzheng, he also called over the heads of subsidiaries of Wenjie Holdings.

We are too busy on weekdays. Even though we are superiors and subordinates, we still need to communicate with each other.

How to communicate?
drink!
Alcohol is harmful to the body and has no benefits, but it often works wonders in interpersonal relationships.

For example, Dongzi, who is now obviously in high spirits, frequently comes over to toast veteran actors such as Li Xuejian at the table, and also talks about the interesting things that happened when Liu Yifei and Lu Kuan visited his store.

"Oh! I was so embarrassed that time."

"Ms. Liu was standing in front of me, and I didn't recognize her. I was even pointing at her own poster and trying to sell it to her!"

Everyone had never heard of this joke before, so they all laughed.

Among all the general managers of subsidiaries, Gao Jun is undoubtedly the most respected by the artists at this table. After all, he will be the steward of Golden Harvest and Wenjie Distribution in the future.

Which star doesn’t have a dream of the big screen?

If we have a good relationship, it would be a big deal if we could give him one or two more points in the screening schedule in the future.

Only Xiao Liu was focused on the food. He politely clinked glasses with everyone else and then started to eat heartily.

After the banquet, everyone dispersed. Boss Lu sent everyone away and strolled back to his room leisurely.

"Hey, the big star hasn't left yet?"

"Don't you want to pay attention to me? Why did you come to eat for free today?"

Concubine Liu Yi argued confidently: "What does ignoring you have to do with eating?"

"I didn't leave. I was waiting for the driver. Do you think I was waiting for you? You're so self-indulgent!"

Boss Lu smiled but said nothing. You can't reason with a woman.

Especially Xiao Liu now, it seems that he has developed some violent tendencies since "Alien Land", and his little fists always hurt people.

"Here, it's for you."

Liu Yifei took out a packet of Chinese medicine from the Dior Saddle, which surprised Boss Lu.

This is the iconic design that Galliano created for Dior in 2000. Carrie in "Sex and the City" carried this bag. Xiao Liu just bought it in Paris.

But it's a bit too much to put dirty-looking Chinese medicine in a bag that costs 50,000 or 60,000 yuan.

"What's this?"

"Pear syrup candy, made by that old man Xia in the alley."

"The ingredients are pear juice, honey, and Fritillaria. You smoke too much, and your lungs are easily invaded by dryness and heat. Pear paste candy can have a certain effect on moistening the lungs."

"Honey is also a good thing. It can reduce the heat and toxicity of tobacco."

Boss Lu curiously opened the medicine bag, took out a small candy-like thing and put it into his mouth: "Really? Let me try it."

"Hmm! It tastes good and can be used as a substitute for chewing gum."

Liu Yifei approached with a smile: "Sweet, right? This is the last packet. He was saving it for himself, but I snatched it away."

"Hey, you're still treating me like a fool in America. What's the point of this?"

"I want to borrow someone from the world of inquiry."

When Boss Lu heard that this was the same trick that Han Shanping and I used, he immediately waved his hand and tried to spit out the candy. Xiao Liu quickly stepped forward and covered his mouth.

Dalang, just eat with confidence!

"Don't be nervous, I'll just borrow a lawyer, your chief entertainment lawyer."

Liu Yifei let go of her hand, and Boss Lu was puzzled: "What do you want him for?"

"I have a little sister and I want to help her terminate her contract."

"Your little sister, you're not talking about Su Chang, are you?"

Liu Yifei laughed sweetly: "Of course not, she is asking the world well, why would she terminate the contract?"

You have to spy for me!

Boss Lu looked her up and down. She was a little taller and more cunning, so she seemed difficult to deal with.

"Okay, go find Sun Wenwen yourself, I'll talk to her."

In fact, this pear syrup candy was originally meant for him, but he happened to encounter something today, so he considered it as a reward.

It's an equal exchange, which is what Lu Kuan likes the most.

The little girl put on her windbreaker and proudly put on her small bag: "Take me home."

"Your home is less than a 5-minute walk from here, and you still need someone to take you there?"

"Of course! It's so unsafe outside right now. Have you forgotten about that Ma Jiajue thing from last year? How terrifying!"

Boss Lu sneered, "Then I can't send you off. You're so skilled now, and if I run into Ma Jiajue, I might even need you to protect me!"

"Ask Ah Fei to take you back."

Concubine Liu Yi looked at him with a smile: "It's okay, at worst I can save you again, and you will owe me another life."

amount.

Boss Lu was "speechless and choked with emotion". He really couldn't get rid of this debt.

However, Xiao Liu hasn't used this excuse for a long time. Why did he think of bringing it up now to show off his presence?

"Forget it!"

Concubine Liu Yi glared at him fiercely, turned around, grabbed the pear candy on the table and was about to leave.

"Hey hey hey, send it off."

Boss Lu put on his clothes helplessly. It was a cold winter outside and he really didn't want to go out.

"You guys are so obsessed with your own goals! You're asking for all sorts of things just to give me a few candies!"

"Alas! The world is going downhill."

Shameless words went in and out of Liu Yifei's ears, and the two figures stretched out under the dim street lights in the alley and walked away.

On February 2005, 2, except for Zhang Manyu and Hui Yinghong who flew directly from Hong Kong, the mainland cast and crew of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" arrived in Berlin.

Compared to the widespread strikes at the Cannes and Venice film festivals in the past two years, at least the order in Berlin made the film festival audiences and guests feel more at ease.

Li Xuejian, Zhang Songwen, Hui Yinghong and Bingbing accompanied them.

Li Xuejian plays Lu Kuan's father in the film;

Zhang Songwen plays a second-generation rich pilot who received training with Lu Kuan in the National Army. His death brings great shock to the protagonist;

Hui Yinghong was his adoptive mother in the orphanage;

Bingbing is the wife of a Japanese spy whom he met during his travels, and they have a sex scene.

It was the part where Boss Lu used it to provoke Xiao Liu on the set of The Return of the Condor Heroes.

At 8 o'clock in the evening, the crews of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Peacock" had a dinner at the Taidong Hotel in Berlin at the invitation of Dong Shuangqiang to reminisce about their hometown.

Dong Shuangqiang is an investor in "Peacock", but in his previous life he used Poly Huayi, in which Poly had a stake, to invest, but in this life he used his own independent film company.

Including Xu Jinglei's "Letter from a Woman" in 2004, which won the Best Director Award at the Bastian Film Festival in Spain, which was also his work.

It is precisely because of the complexity of his background and relationships in the Beijing circle that he finds it difficult to choose between Boss Lu and the people behind him.

Of course, after this Golden Harvest incident, the extremely intelligent boss should be touched.

"Director Lu, this is Director Gu. This is probably your first time meeting, right?"

Gu Changwei is not good-looking, but he is one of the first generation of great photographers in China. Later, he switched to being a director. He is one of those people who can become a director after being a good photographer.

"This is my first time meeting him, but I've witnessed Director Lu Kuan's charisma many times on stage!"

He smiled at everyone he met, and Boss Lu also shook hands with them warmly.

"Teacher Gu is a pioneer of Chinese cinema in an era like Teacher Hetian and Director Yimou. This time I am here to learn from him."

"Hey, Lao Gu, you're outshined by the road guide standing next to him. He's so promising!"

The speaker was Jiang Wenli, Mrs. Gu Changwei. Actually, she had nothing to do with the film "Peacock".

However, some "minor issues" occurred during the filming of the movie in Henan Province last year:
Mrs. Gu received a tip-off that her husband had been seduced, so she rushed straight to Zhang Jingchu's hometown in Fujian and slapped Zhang Jingchu without saying a word.

Including this trip to Berlin, Zhang Jingchu stood behind the crowd with an expressionless face, not even having the courage to come forward.

"Teacher Jiang, please don't say that. A man is in his prime at 41. Teacher Gu and you are a perfect match, aren't you?"

Everyone burst into laughter. Dong Shuangqiang asked everyone to take a seat. "Wenli, our road guide is quite humorous, please don't mind it."

Why would Teacher Jiang mind? She loves young and handsome guys the most: "No, no, directors all have eyes that can discover beauty. I should be proud of it!"

She took the opportunity to say this and glanced at Zhang Jingchu, who looked like a little white flower, with a stern look.

The latter didn't dare to make eye contact with her. She just lowered her head quietly and walked up to greet Lu Kuan: "Hello, Director Lu, I'm Jingchu. Thank you for your guidance."

"Hello, hello, please sit down."

The atmosphere was a little awkward.

Gu Changwei's unprepossessing face was slightly distorted, and Jiang Wenli's aura was fully exerted, suppressing Zhang Jingchu tightly.

Anyone at the table who is not stupid can see something.

Li Xuejian was not feeling well, so only Zhang Songwen and Bingbing attended the banquet with Boss Lu today.

"Teacher Gu, Teacher Jiang, let me introduce you."

"We have an actor named Zhang Songwen from our company. You should all be familiar with him, Bingbing."

Jiang Wenli smiled and sat over to hold Fan Bingbing's hand: "Bingbing and I have known each other for a long time. Bingbing is very good and a decent actress!"

Zhang Jingchu lowered her head even lower.

Lu Kuan and Dong Shuangqiang looked at each other and both felt that today's meal might not go smoothly.

Jiang Wenli and Gu Changwei met on the set of "Farewell My Concubine". At that time, she had just graduated from college and played a supporting role in the movie. She quickly fell in love and married with the country's top photographer at that time who was 12 years older than her.

Logically speaking, she shouldn't be so unreasonable in front of her husband.

It's really that this resentment has been accumulating for a long time.

"Peacock" is Gu Changwei's debut work that he started planning in early 2000. Up to this year, it has been five years since Jiang Wenli made money to supplement the family income.

At present, the income of domestic actors is not too exaggerated except for the top ones.

Another time, after the slapping incident, Lao Gu was caught having sex in a car again, and this time it was the top paparazzi Zhuo Wei who took action.

It's just that Gu Changwei asked an old leader to let Zhuo Wei keep silent, so Jiang Wenli only knew that this happened, and no one knows who did it.

These are some of the classic battles that helped Zhuo Wei become famous in later generations.

Bingbing naturally smiled brightly: "Sister Wenli, what are you talking about? You are my senior, I want to learn from you."

In fact, she didn't feel very comfortable either.

Although Zhang Jingchu was not yet on the verge of tears, the sadness of being severely suppressed and beaten by the "mistress" between the lines was so great that even she, a spectator, could hardly breathe.

If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t be able to tolerate it.

Big stars don’t hope that this day will come to them.

And all that she didn't want to happen, apart from her own efforts, could only depend on the decision of the man beside her.

She was not sure what Lu Kuan was thinking about Concubine Liu Yi, but it seemed that she was not completely hopeless.

Dong Shuangqiang, a sophisticated and experienced man, quickly changed the subject: "I think the films directed by you two are very promising at this Berlin Film Festival!"

Gu Changwei wanted to quickly avoid these awkward moments and took the initiative to be polite to Boss Lu: "I regret not being able to see Director Lu's masterpiece in advance, but after hearing Yimou and Boss Han talk about it, they all praised it highly."

The film has already started promotion in mainland China, and one of the distributors, China Film Group, has already organized a screening.

Dong Shuangqiang laughed and said, "That's what Director Yimou said."

"This is the first time since I met Xiaolu that I've been completely captivated by his imagination, especially the reversal and application of overexposure and dead black in the film. This is the kind of creativity you can only see in a master."

"Oh? That's great! I'm really looking forward to it!"

Gu Changwei was polite but he didn't expect that Zhang Yimou would give such a high evaluation of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

This is not a good thing for me.

Jiang Wenli also became a little worried and turned to Dong Shuangqiang: "Old Dong, how is the discussion between DVD and Guangdong Zhongkai Culture going?"

"They want to package my 'Peacock,' 'Lover's Knot,' and Xu Jinglei's 'Letter from an Unknown Woman,' for less than 300 million yuan."

"Well, it's about the same, actually. Piracy is so rampant these days. I feel like if we delay any further, we'll have to lower the price even more."

Jiang Wenli kept testing the waters. She wanted to secure the money as soon as possible, as she had indeed been in financial difficulty in recent years.

Dong Shuangqiang hesitated for a few seconds. He was not sure what the situation was.

In Hollywood, DVD is a chicken that lays eggs, and it is indeed useless in China, but it is a bit reluctant to release it at such a low price.

Bingbing laughed and said, "Or you can let Director Lu come up with ideas. Isn't it said that he is the best business director among all the directors?"

Jiang Wenli's eyes lit up: "Yes! Isn't the God of Wealth right in front of us? Director Lu, please analyze it for me."

Dong Shuangqiang actually always wanted to ask, but because of the previous conflict between Zhou Jun and Boss Lu, he was unable to open his mouth.

"When is the premiere?"

Gu Changwei clinked glasses with him: "Number 18."

"Wow! You're really confident, boss! The premiere will be on the 18th, and the awards ceremony will be on the 19th. What a seamless transition!"

Dong Shuangqiang smiled awkwardly. He learned this from the industry, winning international awards to elevate the film's profile.

Even if there is no award, just hype it up or ask the print media to write about some hot topics overseas, and sing a good show of flowers blooming outside the wall and smelling good inside the wall.

Very simple.

"300 million is definitely too little. I suggest you discuss it again on the 20th."

Boss Lu smiled and raised his glass to Gu Changwei: "I am very optimistic about Teacher Gu's debut work!"

"Haha! Thank you, thank you!"

Good words don't cost money, just say them casually.

Later, "Peacock" won the Silver Bear. There will definitely be room for negotiation after the 20th. It can be regarded as a small benefit for the boss.

The meal was neither salty nor bland, neither yin nor yang.

But at least it didn’t end in a bad mood. Both sides wished each other well and looked forward to seeing each other at the awards ceremony on the 20th!

It was still early, and Boss Lu took Bingbing for a stroll on the streets of Berlin.

Bingbing cherishes every opportunity to attend a film festival with him.

Not only can the red carpet increase exposure, but it also allows for closer intimacy in a foreign country where no one knows them.

Due to the increasingly tense situation between Wenjie and Huayi, Lu Kuan now even doesn't allow her to attend events like movie premieres in China.

Berlin has a temperate maritime climate, and the weather in February is wetter and milder than in Beijing.

The two walked towards the Berlin Cathedral.

"How do you know the way? Have you been here before?"

“The hotel has a map. The center of Berlin is easy to find, except for the Brandenburg Gate and the Cathedral.”

Boss Lu patted his stomach and said, "It's such a good restaurant, but it's a pity I didn't eat enough. I was just busy trying to smooth things over for them."

The Taidong Restaurant where we dined that evening is one of the few authentic Chinese restaurants in Berlin, having opened in 1920.

In 1935, Butterfly, the movie queen of the Republic of China, visited Europe and praised this place highly.

Bingbing stuck out his tongue and turned up his coat collar for him: "Yeah, Zhang Jingchu didn't say a word from beginning to end."

"He did, and he said hello to me, and before he left, he extended his hand goodbye."

"It's so miserable."

Bingbing was a little confused: "Why is Gu Changwei so afraid of his wife? Isn't he a core figure in the old Northwest circle?"

"I've worked with so many fifth-generation artists, including on projects like Farewell My Concubine."

She had heard about Jiang Wenli slapping Zhang Jingchu, but she hadn't heard of anyone who would continue to criticize her husband and Saner in front of investors and other crew members.

Whether it's a matter of face or not is another matter, but generally speaking, in the combination of an actress and a director, the latter is the more powerful one, right?

Just like myself.

"Northwest Circle? Gu Changwei's base is not in the Northwest Circle."

In 2005, smoking was still not banned in Berlin. Lu Kuan lit a cigarette, put his arm around Bingbing and talked as they walked.

"Gu Changwei worked at the Xi'an Film Studio in his early years, but he started hanging out with people in the Beijing circle very early on. His most famous work was Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine."

"This is my directorial debut, and the investor, Lao Dong, also comes from a Beijing background."

Boss Lu flicked the ash from his cigarette and said, "As for why he can't do anything to his wife, it's because financial strength determines family status."

"He didn't bring a penny home for five years of filming. Jiang Wenli worked tirelessly to take on roles and commercials, but her husband was still having affairs outside. She must be feeling resentful."

"But that's not the main reason. The main reason is that Jiang Wenli has a much higher voice in Beijing circles than her husband."

Bingbing raised his head in confusion.

"Jiang Wenli's agent, Chang Jihong, knows about this, right?"

Chang Jihong is a top domestic agent. Sun Li, Liu Ye, Wang Luodan and Yu Nan were all discovered and trained by her.

"Chang Jihong is Jiang Wenli's manager, but this pairing is a strange one because Chang Jihong's skills were all taught by Jiang Wenli."

"When Jiang Wenli started out, the person who actually accompanied her was her elder sister, Jiang Wenjuan."

"When the casting for Thief was underway, she even brought her niece, Ma Sichun, to audition."

Bingbing laughed and said, "This kind of situation where the woman is strong and the man is weak is not a good thing."

"Maybe Sister Wenli can give her husband a surprise, hehe."

Lu Kuan glanced at the actress in surprise, his eyes were very poisonous.

Jiang Houshi and Huang Xiaosheng met when they played a couple in a sister-brother relationship in the TV series "Women's Gang".

Huang's screen debut in "White Face" was also arranged by Jiang, and the two still played lovers.

The filming of the drama version of "Red Sorghum" started in the second half of 2013. It was directed by Zheng Xiaolong, a veteran in the Beijing circle. Huang was rejected on his first audition.

After a few phone calls from his good sister, he finally became famous from this TV series.

Until "The Legend of Miyue", it was still directed by Zheng Xiaolong from the Beijing circle, and Jiang Wenli asked Huang and her niece to join the crew.

Ma Sichun's character is the most beautiful woman in Wei State, which is a bit explosive. Or maybe it's said that people in the entertainment industry must find a circle to stay in. This is not a matter of taking decades of detours. Dating a good sister is a step to success.

It was already dark when the two of them walked to the cathedral. The Berlin Cathedral closed before 6 pm, so they could only admire the view from outside.

Boss Lu prefers to visit these cultural landscapes.

Just as Galliano is inspired by looking at Chinese paintings, artists' sudden inspiration comes from their daily aesthetic accumulation.

The cathedral has a magnificent appearance, with distinctive copper-green domes and black walls.

It’s a pity that we can’t climb up to the dome corridor, otherwise we can overlook the charming scenery of Berlin and take in the entire city.

Lu Kuan took out his cell phone and took a few photos. The Baroque style looked even more eerie in the dim light.

"Come here, I'll give you one."

Boss Lu called Bingbing over and said, "Turn sideways and look back, with your right hand hanging on your left elbow."

Bingbing asked tentatively, "I want to take a photo with you, is that okay?"

"sure."

Lu Kuan called a passerby who didn't speak German. After a few gestures, the big star looked at the results on his mobile phone and was very satisfied.

She felt very sweet in her heart. She had seen many photos of Liu Yifei and Boss Lu on her blog before, and Bingbing was jealous.

Every time this happened, she always felt that she was repeating Jinsuo's life again.

If she wasn't afraid of getting into trouble, she would have wanted to secretly take photos every time she was done while the road was wide open and she was sleeping...

Bingbing stood on tiptoe and whispered seductively in Boss Lu's ear: "Tonight we can... that..."

"Oh? Really? Let's go back quickly."

Bingbing was at a loss for words. "Didn't you say you wanted to observe Baroque architecture and gather inspiration?"

"Find your fucking inspiration, you are the inspiration!"

The crew stayed at the Kempinski Hotel next to Potsdam Square, very close to the main venue of the Berlin Film Festival.

The famous actress in the luxury suite was hysterical for a long time.

Unable to bear the beating, Bingbing fell into a deep sleep. Boss Lu was particularly crazy today and tortured her to the point of being a little tired.

In fact, Lu Kuan was not lying to her. He originally wanted to go to Berlin Cathedral to collect some folk songs.

Since he starred in and edited "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" himself, he felt a little dazed as he watched the film subvert traditional photography techniques and lens grammar.

Sitting on the balcony smoking a cigarette, Lu Kuan felt depressed.

"The Drummer" and "The Thief" are his exploration and familiarity with basic film language, narrative techniques and commercial adaptation.

These two movies allowed a former top student from the University of Southern California to truly enter the world of directing through practical experience.

When it comes to "Alien Land", commercial techniques are madly incorporated into the film, creating a science fiction blockbuster that is 100% in line with the market.

In this movie, apart from the improvement of colors and the reference to Impressionist paintings, there is only the integration of special effects technology.

Lu Kuan felt that the time had come, so he began to make bold attempts in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", attempting to move from a film craftsman to a master.

He wants to have his own style, his own film language, and his own top-notch artistic qualities that can be recognized by the audience at a glance.

In the view of top domestic filmmakers Zhao Fei and Zhang Yimou, this young director undoubtedly has such potential and has already started knocking on that door before many others.

But he has been confused since he went on vacation to Jiuzhaigou, as if he had lost his direction, and even had no interest in his next movie.

A bit like...

Just like the sage mode he is in now after performing a hat trick on Bingbing, it always feels wrong, but he can't tell what's wrong.

Maybe it's the confusion caused by lack of background, just like Liu Yifei who has no experience to support her acting emotions.

He stomped out the cigarette butt, stood on the balcony, staring at the starry sky, and sighed deeply.

On February 2005, 2, the 10th Berlin Film Festival opened and the red carpet ceremony began.

The Berlin Film Festival is called a political correctional facility, and even the red carpet is not immune to the vulgarity.

In the eyes of Western artists, the so-called politics are environmental protection and anti-war.

This resulted in many stars from various countries wearing Iraqi flags on the red carpet today.

In 2005, the Iraq War had ended, but anti-US armed forces were extremely active, and there were frequent reports of US killing civilians.

The Haditha Massacre that shocked the world occurred in November 2005 and attracted worldwide attention.

The crew of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was ranked after "The Peacock". If Taro had not been "plotted" against by Boss Lu, "Kekexili" would have had a chance to appear.

This time, there is also a film called "A Cloud on the Horizon" by Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and in the three places.

This is simply a pornographic film, or even more exaggerated than a pornographic film.

The main content is to explore the pornographic industry in Taiwan. Apart from the background sound, the male and female protagonists only have one line of dialogue in the whole film.

All that remains is various forms of hand-to-hand combat.

Boss Lu was quite interested and chatted with Tsai Ming-liang before the red carpet.

"Is the scale of the Bay Province so large now?"

Tsai Ming-liang adjusted his glasses. He had heard of this mainland director whom Hou Xiaoxian highly admired.

"In fact, there is only one standard, which is to avoid showing hair. Except for the armpits on your face and head, you should avoid showing any other hairy parts."

Boss Lu was puzzled: "But I see yours are exposed too?"

"Because the version I submitted for censorship wasn't this one, I'm probably going to get criticized when I get back, but who cares!"

Film censorship is the film review process in Taiwan. Tsai Ming-liang's nonchalant look made Boss Lu laugh.

He suddenly felt that he was too serious and should be more unrestrained and learn from Director Cai from Taiwan Province.

"But then again, your chances of winning this year are quite high."

Boss Lu said so.

He did not remember the success of his later film "A Cloud on the Horizon", but the theme of this Berlin Film Festival was "Sex and Politics".

"Let's go, it's our turn."

"Director Cai, goodbye!"

"Goodbye!"

Tsai Ming-liang looked enviously at Zhang Manyu on Lu Laoban's left and Fan Bingbing on his right.

Although he was not very familiar with Fan Bingbing, from the perspective of a pornographic film director...

Top.

"Lu Sheng, why don't you go with Bingbing?"

Zhang Manyu saw the look in Chu Bingbing's Boss Lu's eyes and was willing to help him.

To be honest, if the crew didn't need her, a big star who just won the Cannes Best Actress award, to boost their reputation, she wouldn't even bother walking the red carpet.

This person is truly as gentle as a chrysanthemum.

"Sister Manyu, let's go together."

Zhang Manyu didn't hesitate: "Okay."

She was wearing a white off-shoulder long dress, with a soft complexion, and she elegantly and gently displayed an oriental sexiness that was inconsistent with her age.

After all, Bingbing is more than ten years younger and looks even more radiant on the red carpet.

Her black hair was simply tied up with a few strands hanging naturally. The golden embroidery on the dress sparkled in the light, and her high heels beat like drums on the red carpet.

She looks like a lazy queen waking up in the morning.

This outfit is from Dior's 2004 autumn and winter haute couture collection. The bright red and broad-shouldered dress design by Galliano is perfectly interpreted by Bingbing.

Top hangers, top gun mounts.

The cameras of Chinese and foreign reporters were clicking non-stop, and the entire event was broadcast live on video. The number of viewers had skyrocketed to more than 200 million, but it was still much less popular than the Golden Globe Awards.

Relatively speaking, the current European Big Three cannot compare with the popularity of the Golden Globe Awards and the Oscars.

The latter two have been played out in a variety of ways by Americans, and both the hype and the program flow are very entertaining.

The three major events in Europe are red carpet, watching movies, watching movies, watching movies, and award ceremonies.

There were no singing and dancing performances at the award ceremony, and some hosts were too lazy to even create suspense and read out the winners without pausing.

"Wow, Bingbing's figure is amazing!"

"Manshen is the real God, okay? He's almost forty but looks like he's only twenty-seven or twenty-eight!"

"Have you ever had this feeling: a washing machine looks young but seems old?"

"Don't you notice that he and Zhang Manyu look very well matched, and he and Fan Bingbing are particularly well-matched?"

Xiao Liu just clicked on all the comments like "Bingbing has a great body" and fell into deep thought as he looked at the last two comments that were obliterated.

actually. . .

She feels the same way.

He is obviously a young man in his twenties, but why does he feel like an old cadre when we get along?

She couldn't describe that kind of temperament, but when she saw the sense of coordination between Boss Lu and Zhang Manyu standing together, she realized that she was not the only one who had this feeling.

How strange...

The crew walked to the signature wall.

As a rule, the jury members and the conference chairman who have good relationships will greet the crews of important main competition units here, or chat with the crews selected by their own films.

Boss Lu is well-known and just won the Golden Ball at the beginning of the year, so he is given sufficient treatment by the conference.

"Lu, nice to see you again. I can't wait to see the audience go crazy for your movie."

The speaker was Roland Emmerich, chairman of the jury. The nomination of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was the result of his strong recommendation.

"Lu, this is Koslik."

"Good morning, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for hosting such a well-organized film festival for us."

Boss Lu's words were half flattery and half sincerity.

Compared to the ubiquitous strikes and terrorist attacks in Cannes last year and Venice the year before, Berlin does make participating filmmakers feel much more at ease.

“Welcome, fellow artists from China!”

Koslik is also very polite. Compared with other film festival presidents, he attaches more importance to film and cultural exchanges with third countries.

The Golden Bear of the next generation was won by an African film, which is extremely rare in the history of the three major awards.

Of course, the competitiveness and outstanding performance of Chinese films in Berlin are also one of the reasons.

1988 Golden Bear for Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum;
In 1993, Xie Fei's "Soul of the Fragrant Woman" and Ang Lee's "The Wedding Banquet" both won the Golden Bear Award.

Siqin Gaowa's performance in "Fragrant Soul Girl" has become a classic, and Gui Yalei in "The Wedding Banquet" is still considered the best actress in Taiwan.

As well as several Silver Bears for Li Shaohong, Zhang Yimou and Wang Xiaoshuai, Chinese films have performed exceptionally well.

Reporters were more keen to interview this young director who won both the Golden Globe and the Golden Lion, but ignored last year's Cannes Film Festival winner Zhang Manyu.

"Lu, we all know that it was Roland who brought your film to Berlin. What do you think of his film?"

Boss Lu flattered: "The Day After Tomorrow, directed by Roland, was released in China in the middle of last year. I went to the cinema to see it."

"It can be said that in the field of disaster films, Director Roland is top-notch in both his application of special effects technology and his reflection on the humanities under disasters. I like his films very much."

Roland smiled and said, "It was only two or three months after the Indonesian tsunami last December. I think it would be a good subject."

"Lu Zai's action creativity and special effects editing in 'Alien Land' amazed me. I look forward to seeing a disaster film he directs one day."

The two smiled at each other and hugged each other.

There is no love without reason in the world.

Apart from the fact that "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is indeed amazing in terms of story and artistic innovation, why is Roland so eager to flatter Boss Lu?
At this time, even Lu Kuan himself didn't know that the president of the Cannes Film Festival in May this year was already planning to invite him to be the president of the jury!
As mentioned earlier, Cannes is the first of the three major European film festivals to "surrender" to Hollywood.

He used Hollywood's methods and influence to attract traffic, and then gave out awards as he pleased.

Boss Lu, who just won the Golden Globe Award and previously won the Venice Golden Lion and Cannes Jury Prize, came into the conference's attention.

They hope to have a director who understands art and is not averse to commercial matters, preferably a director who has box office appeal worldwide to take on this position.

Obviously, this Lu from the East is a good choice.

Comrade Roland is showing goodwill first.

This is good, at least the fairness of the award is guaranteed.

The number of comments on the Ask the World video has skyrocketed. I feel proud to see that young domestic directors have a strong presence at the Golden Globe Awards and are still surrounded by dignitaries in Berlin!

"'The Day After Tomorrow' is good, but I want to watch a Chinese disaster movie!"

"There are so many earthquakes and floods in our country. Washing machines can be considered a theme. He is best at special effects technology!"

"Exactly! I don't want to see the Western Noah's Ark, I want to see China's Yu the Great controlling the flood!"

The barrage of comments was noisy, and with the end of the red carpet ceremony, the number of people watching the video dropped from its peak and gradually slumped.

He does not mean that.

Tangshan, Hebei Province.

Inside the city government building, the top secretary walked into the leader's office with a TV reporter, looking excited.

"lead!"

Secretary Zhao freed his head from the mountain of documents and books: "Xiao Li, hey, Jianguo is here too!"

He stood up with a smile, giving enough face to the senior reporter from Tangshan TV.

Similarly, there is no good thing in the world without reason. He asked reporter Yao Jianguo to tell him something important.

Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the Tangshan earthquake. The municipal party committee and government have decided to invest in the filming of a blockbuster that promotes mainstream values, carries forward the main theme, and expresses the great love of the world and the humanistic spirit of Tangshan.

Yao Jianguo is a senior reporter and director of the external affairs department of the municipal TV station. He is also the screenwriter and producer of the city's main-theme propaganda film "May We Live Together Forever".

Secretary Zhao approached him mainly to use his connections at CCTV to see if well-known directors such as Zhang Yimou, Feng Xiaogang, and Chen Kaige could take on the job.

But the feedback was very negative.

The three big directors currently have projects on hand and have little interest in such a disaster movie that is obviously not going to be too popular with the audience.

"Jianguo, is there any good news?"

"Secretary Zhao, please take a look at this first."

He took out his laptop and opened the live clip of the "2005 Berlin Film Festival" that he had just downloaded from the Question World video on his desktop.

It was the part where Lu Kuan and Roland flattered each other in business.

"this...?"

Secretary Zhao was a little hesitant. Such a young domestic director?
He probably wasn't even born when the earthquake happened? Is that even possible...

Yao Jianguo smiled and said, "Leader, are you unfamiliar with this person?"

"Hey, I don't have time to watch movies. At most, I can go home and listen to my daughter nagging about celebrities or something."

Secretary Xiao Li laughed and said, "Boss, that's not right. You often use other people's famous sayings!"

"what?"

Xiao Li knew that his leader was easy-going, so he cleared his throat.

"All departments! Don't tell me 'not bad, not bad'. There's nothing more harmful than the word 'not bad' in this world!"

"Everyone cheer up and do your best, not just good enough!"

Secretary Zhao laughed and said, "Oh! You mean Whiplash? It's his work?"

"Yup!"

"Oh! It's him. His name is Lu Kuan, right?"

He pointed at the name on the subtitles and watched the video clip again.

"Jianguo, what's your opinion?"

Yao Jianguo hesitated for two seconds and said, "I'm halfway in the circle, I guess."

"In terms of honors, Director Lu just won the American Golden Globe, and previously also the Golden Lion and the Cannes Jury Prize. In China, he's only second to the likes of Zhang Yimou and Ang Lee."

"In terms of special effects technology, Lukuan is second to none in China. Our earthquake movie must have a large number of special effects shots."

Yao Jianguo paused and got to the point: "The most important point is that Director Lu's films took in over 40 billion RMB at the global box office last year!"

"Leader, what we want is to publicize the Tangshan deeds and Tangshan spirit throughout the country and even the world!"

"Good box office and overseas distribution channels are the key factors we need to consider!"

Secretary Zhao was surprised.

Last year, the GDP of Tangshan City was only more than 1600 billion yuan, and this is because Tangshan is the best in Hebei Province because of its mineral resources and heavy industries.

This movie alone made 40 billion?

The GDP of Chengde, a tourist city in the north, was only 280 billion last year, which is even more exaggerated in comparison!

But a leader is a leader, and he pointed out the key point incisively.

"Their film company's goal is to make a profit, which is different from ours."

"I suggest that we can contact them first, but our municipal party committee and government must control the investment amount of this film so that we can have a say and avoid excessive entertainment."

"What do you think?"

Yao Jianguo smiled and said, "Leader, this is the wise advice for the country, but I have another suggestion."

"You speak."

"After this contact, I found that big directors are not very interested in this kind of subject matter."

"I suggest the government step in and contact Director Lu Kuan through the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television, as well as China Film Group. That would reduce the resistance."

He pointed at the computer screen and said, "Besides everything else, they're still overseas. If they use this as an excuse not to come back, there's nothing we can do."

Secretary Zhao smiled and pointed at him. "Xiao Li, come up with a plan for me to sign, and then take it to Mayor Chen for his review."

"If Mayor Chen agrees, we'll organize a Standing Committee meeting to discuss it."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)