I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 198 made the shortlist? Haha!

Early in the morning of June 2.

A light rain fell in Yanjing City.

As the final screening of "The Mine" ended, the media outside the cinema finally dispersed.

The cinema returned to calm.

Arthouse films were originally a niche genre in the Chinese film industry.

Unless you actually win some big prize, you'll only get excited in a small circle at best; the general public won't.
Who knows you?

who cares?
However, Zhou Yang's version of "The Mine" seems to...

Not quite the same!
……

The headquarters of [Wandou Movie Network] was brightly lit.

Zhao Mingyi stared at the soaring traffic data in the background, his emotions running high: "Continue to promote the #ZhouYangPosthumousWorks# topic! Post the screenshot of the 'severed limb scene' with the blurred part, and write the title 'Exclusive: Zhou Yang self-harmed for art? Industry insiders reveal he has already had a limb amputated!'"

"Yes, keep pushing!"

He roared on the phone, but his voice was hoarse.

After hanging up the phone, he gulped down a mouthful of water and took a deep breath, but he still couldn't hide his excitement.

From 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.

During those two hours, he had said "Zhou Yang" countless times on the phone!
He stared at the two characters "Zhou Yang" on the computer screen. These two ordinary characters, at this moment, seemed to be shining with golden light, so bright that he couldn't open his eyes, yet he dared not close them.

I'm afraid that if I close my eyes, this massive traffic event that came from "Zhou Yang" will disappear in an instant!

He took another sip of water to calm his emotions, but his hand holding the mouse was trembling, and his expression was distorted with excitement.

Since founding [Wandou Film Network], in the past six months or so, he has collaborated with offline entertainment media, expended countless human and material resources, and obtained countless first-edition "breaking news" through countless paparazzi connections...

From Beijing director Liang Xiaogang to the "illegitimate child" scandal involving Hong Kong and Taiwan superstar Andy Lau, from the overnight stay incident involving a Taiwanese actor to the suspected marital breakdown of the superstar!
The "exposés" of each incident initially attracted a lot of fans, but they did not actually increase the traffic of [Wandou Movie Network] in any real sense.

Until they saw the explosive growth of traffic to [Movie House], they were so envious that they drooled with envy. Finally, despite the so-called "ban" pressure, they started to consume "Zhou Yang's" traffic.

everything!
Things started to change!

"Our registered user base has surpassed 40, an increase of 5!"

"Yesterday's daily pageviews exceeded an astonishing 43!"

"It's the middle of the night now, which should be a low time for traffic, but who would believe that our website still has around 10 visits at this hour?"

"..."

The office door opened.

The head of the data department walked in excitedly, holding the latest data report.

After reviewing the data report, Zhao Mingyi kept his eyes fixed on the backend, watching the activity data jump around, and couldn't help but nod excitedly: "Continue!"

On the 22nd alone, the topic of #ZhouYang'sDeath# exploded across the entire internet!
Who could have believed it in the past few months!

They, [Wandou Movie Network], managed to achieve an astonishing 43 daily active users and nearly 5 new registrations in just one day by relying on a single "topic".
This crazy traffic extravaganza doesn't seem to be over yet; on the contrary, it seems to be showing signs of becoming even more explosive!
"Mr. Zhao, our reporters on the front lines have just received news!"

"Directors from the Beijing film circle, the Northwest film circle, Taiwan, and Hong Kong have all spoken up!"

"They're all criticizing this movie offline, and almost every director is cursing Zhou Yang..."

"..."

"What are you cursing about?"

"look……"

On the projection screen in the office, trending search terms from major social media platforms are scrolling in real time.

The hashtags #ZhouYangSelfHypocrisyScene#, #MineGalleryControversy#, and #DirectorsJointBoycott# are spreading like a virus...

He saw an interview video of Taiwanese director Chen Kesen posted online. In the video, Director Chen, known for his humanistic concern, was smirking coldly at the camera, angrily cursing: "Using scenes of severed limbs to grab attention is a desecration of film. Some people use self-harm for hype, corrupting the industry's atmosphere. It's a disgrace to the industry. Besides, they've brought shame to the country..."

He also saw Liang Xiaogang, a director from the Beijing film circle, stand up again and launch a scathing critique of the film: "This is a farce designed to attract attention, it violates industry rules... and it brings shame to the entire Chinese-language film industry! It might even lead Western film associations to have a distorted view of the overall quality of us filmmakers..."

He also saw Lee Ming-jui, a judge from the upcoming Hong Kong Film Awards and former chairman of the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards, cursing with a grim expression: "The 'humanistic concern' of Western film festivals has been maliciously distorted and made so sarcastic. Some young directors haven't even had a few days of formal education and don't even know how to use camera work... They're just a rotten apple!"

……

When Zhao Mingyi saw that starting at four in the morning, one director's interview after another appeared online, and the traffic soared again, he was so excited that his eyes turned red!

"Tell our colleagues in the sales department! More interviews like this, and even more! The more the better!"

"it is good!"

....................................

Four fifteen in the morning.

[Tianyu] was brightly lit.

The conference room was filled with smoke.

Directors Liang Xiaogang, Li Qiang, and Chen Kesen—five generations of directors whose names are almost universally known in China and associated with Tianyu Media—are all sitting in the conference room at this moment.

"Damn it, it's like one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel! While our 'Men in the Jianghu' was shortlisted for the Berlin International Film Festival, this film came out. I just got word that the Berlin International Film Festival is having a meeting about this film… This morning, the Berlin selection committee called my assistant, asking why a film like 'The Mine' was chosen. Damn it, this bastard brought this on himself, dragging us down with him!" Director Chen Kesen slammed his fist on the table, his face terrifyingly grim. [Tianyu Media] is about to go public!
These veteran directors all own some small shares in EE-Media!

At this very moment, the inclusion of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" in the Berlin International Film Festival is the final bonus for Tianyu Media before its IPO!
After winning the award, the company's IPO will not only increase its prestige, but it will also bring them more recognition and prestige. They can also cash out their shares!
But of all times...

“We have already stated our position publicly. Now, I personally propose that the company immediately issue a statement declaring that all projects of Tianyu Media have nothing to do with Zhou Yang personally! Furthermore, we should contact the China Film Association and, from now on, not only blacklist Zhou Yang, but also prohibit him from participating in any similar associations!” Li Mingrui, a famous Chinese filmmaker, remained silent for a long time, his gaze fixed on Xu Haibo, who was sitting at the head of the conference room.

“Simply cutting ties isn’t enough… We need to contact Berlin and show them we have nothing to do with ‘The Mine,’ and also help sound out their opinion, trying to be as conciliatory as possible. If this film makes the West think we ‘lack vision,’ the impact will be huge…” Liang Xiaogang’s face was grim, and his throat bobbed slightly: “Don’t forget what happened at Venice in the 1990s. Just because a documentary was ruined, they didn’t send any invitations to Chinese directors for four whole years… Four years, a full four years. For four whole years, Chinese films were no longer qualified to stand on the international stage. How much of an impact did that have on us…”

“Yes! If it weren’t for people like us maintaining close ties with Western filmmakers and striving to make good movies, they would probably think that Chinese cinema is finished!” Another director stood up with a gloomy expression.

"What's the use of just issuing statements? We need to show some commitment!" Liang Xiaogang suddenly sneered, tossing a stack of documents from his briefcase. "I had my assistant draft a 'Joint Open Letter from Chinese Directors' overnight. The first point states 'Zhou Yang's extreme individualism violates the humanistic spirit of film,' the second emphasizes 'International film festivals have always been the artistic beacon for Chinese-language cinema,' and this last paragraph is the key point!"

He pointed to the bolded paragraph at the end of the page: "[We urge our Western counterparts to discern: true Chinese directors always respect universal values ​​and artistic consensus]."

In the conference room.

Everyone received Liang Xiaogang's document and nodded in agreement.

Through the smoke, someone whispered, "But what about that line in 'The Mine' that satirizes Western award standards? It'll affect our films..."

"So we need to define it before they do!" Li Mingrui looked up and stared at the director in the corner. "I suggest we tell Berlin that this is a slander against the international film industry! The trust that five generations of directors have built up over thirty years cannot be destroyed by a madman! I'll sign first!"

At that moment, he picked up a pen and wrote his name on the joint letter!

After he nodded, more and more people signed the joint letter.

After everyone had signed, with only one line left, Liang Xiaogang looked at Xu Haibo and asked, "Mr. Xu, why isn't Director Li Zhengtao here?"

He has a cold.

"In this kind of situation, he could have caught a cold earlier or later, but damn it, he had to catch a cold at this time of year! This movie has had the most profound impact! And he hasn't said a word about it!" Liang Xiaogang took a deep breath, his face looking rather grim. Ever since "Qin" became a huge hit, director Li Zhengtao has devoted himself entirely to filmmaking, almost like a reclusive master!
"I'll have him sign it later!"

"it is good!"

After he finished speaking, the conference room fell silent.

Everyone read the joint book again, and then...

“Not enough!” Chen Kesen’s face was gloomy. “We need to let more Western media know how angry we are. I’m flying to Los Angeles tomorrow. There’s a forum at the ‘China-US Film and Culture Exchange Week.’ I’ll have my assistant revise my speech at the last minute… Then we’ll reiterate our position. After all, what this madman did was too heinous and had a terrible impact!”

By the time Chen Kesen finished speaking, it was already daylight outside the window.

Just as the directors were preparing to leave one after another, the conference room door was suddenly pushed open.

The assistant rushed in in a panic!

"Oops! Something happened!"

"What happened?"

"The Berlin International Film Festival has announced its March film selections, and 'The Mine' is among them! And..."

"And what?"

"..."

....................................

early morning.

The phone rang loudly.

[Relevant departments of China Film Group].

After finishing the phone call, a middle-aged man was somewhat shocked, and his expression was complicated!
Immediately afterwards...

He silently walked into the office, opened a drawer, and pulled out a yellowed scrapbook. Next to the old news about the 1994 Venice Film Festival controversy, he wrote a new note in red pen: "February 24, 2004, someone won the award standing up!"

After putting down the drawer, I took a deep breath!

He said "good" three times in a row.

It was as if emotions that had been suppressed for a long time had finally been released!
He silently looked at the book "The Mine" on the table, and a smile appeared on his face as he looked at the four words "Expedited Review" that he had personally written a couple of days ago.

I recalled the doubts and criticisms I heard at work.

He squinted!

After the turn of the millennium, he came to power and saw the signs of increasing decay in the Chinese film industry.

Thinking of the decline of Hong Kong Island reminds me of the call to arms from Hollywood.

He squinted!

The film industry needs veterans.

But what's needed is someone to break the deadlock and dismantle the established rules.

A few months ago, when he saw the two versions of the script for "The Mine"...

Seeing this young man recklessly causing trouble in the entertainment industry...

he knows!
That person has appeared!

(End of this chapter)