Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 85: I'm against your "Kekexili"

Sundance Film Festival concludes, Lu Xun's "Kekexili" returns empty-handed!

["Kekexili" was accused of plagiarism. Lu Xun: I was not brought up to be scared!]

Lu Xun denies plagiarism in Hoh Xil: "This is a scam!"

Lu Xun had just returned from the United States with a loss, and his plane had just landed at the Capital Airport when shocking news broke in China that the film "Kekexili" was suspected of plagiarizing the documentary "My Tibetan Antelope".

Director and photographer Liu Yujun has taken the case to court, demanding compensation and the revocation of the Golden Horse Awards.

The waiting hall was packed with reporters, and the microphones were so loud that Lu Xun couldn't breathe.

Lu Xun, who had just gotten off the plane, was excited, his eyes slightly red, and he spoke frantically to the camera:
"Why didn't Liu Yujun sue me in mainland China, but instead waited until now and even went to Taiwan to sue me?
Everyone was filming stories about World War II, and no one was suing anyone else for plagiarism, so he had no chance of winning at all.

I went through life and death for the film "Kekexili". I was not brought up to be scared.

The flash lights crackled and the reporters quickly wrote down the words. Lu Xun gasped and turned to squeeze out of the crowd.

The news spread rapidly among the media like snowflakes.

In the evening, in the cafeteria of the Beijing Film Academy campus, the aroma of steaming hot food filled the air and the window glass was covered with a layer of white mist.

Several newspapers were flipping through the pages of the students, and the sound of discussion was endless.

Several boys and girls gathered around a table. They hadn't touched the noodles in their bowls yet, but they couldn't stop eating.

A boy wearing glasses couldn't help but ask, "Do you think Lu Xun really got into trouble this time?"

A short-haired girl next to her snorted as she picked up a piece of braised pork. "I've seen those parts of 'Kekexili'. They're so similar to 'My Tibetan Antelope'. To be honest, I don't believe him if he says he hasn't seen it. There are no two leaves in this world that are alike!"

At the same time, Wu Chen had just returned to school from the Audi 4S store.

The car has been reserved, an Audi A6L 2.4L, black, but it will take at least two weeks to arrange for the car to be delivered.

As Wu Chen arrived at the school gate, he looked up and saw a group of reporters blocking the way, holding microphones and cameras in their hands. Snowflakes were stuck on their coats, making them look like a group of penguins wrapped in cotton.

Wu Chen frowned.

The reporters were sharp-eyed and when they spotted Wu Chen, their eyes lit up and they quickly surrounded him.

A bespectacled reporter called out, "Director Wu, Lu Xun's film 'Kekexili' has been accused of plagiarism. What do you think?"

Wu Chen then realized that this was the incident of Lu Tailang plagiarism.

Wu Chen put his hands in his pockets and grinned: "Plagiarism?"

"Yes, Director Wu, you haven't seen the news yet. The director of "The Tibetan Antelope and I," the famous Tibetan photographer Liu Yujun, has cited quite a few clips from two films as examples.

Examples like “tracking poachers in the snow,” “spotting poachers in the river from the car window,” and “team members taking off their pants to cross the river” are highly similar.

Wu Chen was immediately filled with righteous indignation and said, "Is this a high degree of similarity? This is simply plagiarism."

As soon as he finished speaking, the reporters were so excited that they couldn't express it in words. Seeing Wu Chen was like seeing a gold mountain. As long as they opened their mouths, they could pick up money.

"Director Wu, are you saying that "Kekexili" is really plagiarized?" The reporters asked anxiously while laughing.

"Whether it's true or not, I'm not a court." Wu Chen shrugged and changed the subject, "But before the release of 'Kekexili', the words 'true adaptation' were always on their lips.

Now that people point out the high similarity, are you just trying to cover it up by saying, "Everyone's filming World War II, and no one's suing anyone for plagiarism?"

Wu Chen smiled, his eyes slightly cold. "So, if that's the case, can we still count all westerns as disciples of John Ford?"

When the reporters heard this, they thought the words were sharp and had a touch of dry humor, but they were actually a stab to Lu Xun.

"Lu Xun said that he risked his life to make this movie. What do you think?" another female reporter followed up.

"That's true, but there's no causal relationship between plagiarism and risking one's life." Wu Chen blew gently on his palms and shook his frozen fingers. "If you jumped into an icy lake and fished out someone else's painting, could you claim it was your own?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the reporters burst into laughter, some nodded repeatedly, and some took the opportunity to lower their heads and take notes frantically.

"Director Wu, isn't it too arbitrary for you to make such a quick judgment?"

"Arbitrary?" Wu Chen raised his eyebrows and raised his hand to make a "please" gesture, "Let's not talk about the fact that I've seen these two movies.

Let me put it this way, if this happened to me, do you believe that a group of people would have taken to the streets holding signs saying 'Chinese-language films must respect originality'?

Several reporters couldn't help but laugh out loud. They had never seen Wu Chen being offensive before, and his words were sharp and undisguised.

"Director Wu, will Lu Xun's future development be affected by this incident?"

"It's hard to say." Wu Chen spread his hands. "But no matter what, the phrase 'I was raised in fear' is likely to become a famous saying."

Amidst the laughter, Wu Chen glanced at the school gate and shrugged, "Alright everyone, the school won't let reporters in, so let's stop here. See you later."

After saying that, he walked straight around the reporters and headed towards the school gate, leaving behind him a flash of flashes and the sounds of reporters excitedly exchanging materials.

The satisfied reporter quickly ran back to his car and sent back the edited manuscript.

Wu Chen's words made "Kekexili" a battlefield, which was bound to detonate the entire film industry.

The heat of the Beijing Film Academy cafeteria had dissipated, and as night fell, the war of public opinion outside had already completely exploded.

Overnight, social media discussions about the plagiarism of "Kekexili" became a hot topic on Tianya, and even more so on the bulletin boards of major universities. The issue was already quite popular, but Wu Chen's involvement in it immediately overshadowed all entertainment news of the day, and several major portals highlighted it, making the matter a household name.

The next morning, the streets of BJ were shrouded in a sudden cold wave. The cold wind blew up the neatly stacked newspapers on the newsstand, and big headlines jumped into people's eyes.

"Kekexili" is embroiled in a plagiarism controversy. Wu Chen: "This is pure plagiarism!"

Wu Chen criticizes Lu Xun: "Plagiarism is still a stubborn act. Painting for profit is not painting!"

[The film and television industry is hotly discussing the "Kekexili" plagiarism case, and Wu Chen's sharp remarks have sparked discussion! ]

[“Kehei-Nigeria” vs. “My Tibetan Antelope” — Is it a reference or plagiarism?]

In the early morning, in the office of the Photography Department of Beijing Film Academy, the heating was on high and snowflakes were floating outside the window.

Mu Deyuan held the enamel cup and slowly leaned back in his chair. There were several newspapers spread out on the table.

Several teachers gathered together and had a heated discussion.

Li Wei pushed his glasses up and chuckled, "Wu Chen's mouth is quite sharp!"

A young female teacher nodded. "But Wu Chen is right. I watched 'Kekexili' and 'My Tibetan Antelope' again last night. The resemblance between those scenes is so intense, even the camera angles are similar. Who would believe Lu Xun if he insisted he didn't copy them?"

Xu Bin smiled and shook his head, "Director, does Dean Zhang have any objections?"

"After all this has happened, what else can I say? Who doesn't know something about plagiarism?

Wu Chen is right, both emotionally and logically. What's there to say? Someone has passed on the message that those old professors from the directing department are nagging."

Just as Mu Deyuan finished speaking, the door creaked open and Wu Chen pushed it open, holding a bun in his hand and taking a bite. "Teacher, are you looking for me?"

"Haven't you had breakfast?" Mu Deyuan smiled and motioned Wu Chen to sit down.

"I'm not full yet. I grabbed another one from Songri's breakfast on the way." Wu Chen chuckled and quickly stuffed it into his mouth. "Teacher, what are you guys talking about? I heard you guys chatting quite heatedly from outside the door."

Xu Bin couldn't help but laugh when he heard this: "Don't you know what we're talking about? Take a look at the newspapers on the table."

Wu Chen glanced at it, still smiling, and spread his hands. "I'm telling you the truth. If you say Lu Xun borrowed from something, you should at least buy the copyright. You're still refusing to admit it and slandering Liu Yujun for even asking for money!"

"It's all said, it's not a big deal." Mu Deyuan said calmly, "But the Lu Xun incident has become a big deal, and someone has passed on the message."

Wu Chen raised his eyebrows: "Who?"

Mu Deyuan snorted, "Who else could it be? A few old professors from the directing department, and then there's Lu Tianming's intentions.

They say that film is an art of secondary creation and cannot be labeled as plagiarism based on one or two similar plots.

Film language has commonalities; the key is whether the core plot, visual language, and editing techniques are exactly the same; we can’t make a definitive conclusion.”

Wu Chen sneered, "Still trying to clean up the mess here? Guess this shamelessness is inherited from your family."

Everyone laughed when they heard this.

Mu Deyuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Take it easy, Lu Tianming has some connections in the circle, don't let this get out, it will cause trouble for yourself."

At the same time, in a simple office in Shenzhen, Liu Yujun sat at the table with several newspapers spread out on the table and a cup of hot water in his hand.

He looked less than forty years old, but his face was tanned and the wrinkles around his eyes were as deep as if they were cut by a knife.

Reporters kept asking questions, but Liu Yujun remained calm in front of the camera:

"I'm very grateful to Director Wu Chen for speaking out. He's right. Plagiarism has nothing to do with 'life and death'.

I have been filming on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for over 20 years. My Tibetan Antelope is my hard work. Lu Xun plagiarized it, so I will stick to it and fight for the copyright."

The reporter asked, "Do you think Director Wu Chen's words will help you win the case?"

Liu Yujun smiled and said, "Whether we win or lose depends on the court, but Director Wu's words warm my heart. At least someone is willing to tell the truth."

In an old house in Beijing, filled with smoke, Lu Xun leaned on the sofa, holding a mobile phone in his hand, and on the screen was an interview report by Wu Chen.

He stared at the sentence "A painting is not a painting", his face dark as the bottom of a pot, and slammed the table:
"Wu Chen is going too far!"

Lu Tianming sat opposite, in his early sixties, with gray hair. He took a sip of tea slowly and looked at his son:

"What's the rush? Just ignore Wu Chen for now."

Lu Xun glared: "Ignore him? He's already riding on my head, what should I do?"

Lu Tianming put down the cup and said calmly: "I asked someone to pass the message over. A few old guys in the director's department will help speak up. His problem is no longer the biggest problem. If we speak out again, the worst case scenario is this.

Now just insist that you didn’t copy, and no one can do anything to you for the time being.

Fight the lawsuit, and if you lose, appeal, drag it out for a year or two, and then spend some money to resolve it."

Lu Xun was indignant: "What about Wu Chen?"

Lu Tianming glanced at him and said, "Wu Chen? You can talk about it when you meet him one day."

(End of this chapter)