Entertainment: 1990

Chapter 408 Impressions of Venice [Part 2]

By the time Zhang Yan had finished tidying up, it was already 6:30.

Dong Ping had many complaints about the breakfasts provided by European hotels, saying they were all cold and unappetizing, and didn't taste very good, so she strongly suggested finding a Chinese restaurant for breakfast.

Zhang Yan asked each room in turn, and everyone, including the guide, had no objections. So the group went to a Chinese restaurant two streets away and had a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) with tofu pudding.

The taste is a little different from what I had back home, but it's still better than bread slices and cured meat.

Perhaps it was because she was in a foreign land that Tao Hong experienced a suspension bridge reaction, as she kept trying to chat with Zhang Yan during breakfast.

On the way back, the two of them lagged behind, walking through the alleys of Venice, talking about everything under the sun, but never mentioning Zhang Yan and Chen Hong's marriage.

When we got back to the hotel, a screen across the street was already lit up, and there were actually seven or eight foreigners standing on the roadside watching a movie.

It is evident that Europeans now lead a very leisurely life, especially Italians.

A young European man, who looked to be about the same age as Zhang Yan, was standing next to the projector. He was holding a pen and paper and was carefully observing the reactions of the people around him, occasionally taking notes.

Seeing Zhang Yan's attention on the situation, Tao Hong suggested, "Why don't we go and take a look?"

Zhang Yan shook his head and said, "Let's talk about it later. I need to go and make some connections first."

When traveling, it's essential to be mindful of interpersonal relationships and social interactions.

When Zhang Yan was packing his luggage in the morning, he had already discussed with Dong Ping about going to visit the "Love Forever" crew—the "Sunshine" crew had already visited them yesterday when they arrived at the hotel.

Although Zhang Yan had prejudices against Hong Kong and Taiwan, since they were in a foreign country and the other party had taken the initiative to be friendly, he, as the person in charge of the production team, certainly had to reciprocate.

After meeting, Director Cai of "Love Forever" was more enthusiastic than expected. He held Zhang Yan's hand and shook it for a minute before letting go. He then repeatedly expressed his admiration for Zhang Yan's youth and talent.

This was probably the kindest and most unpretentious Taiwanese filmmaker Zhang Yan had ever met—of course, he hadn't met many Taiwanese people.

but……

Zhang Yan felt something was off. Director Cai's enthusiasm towards him seemed a bit excessive, unlike his colleagues Dong Ping, Jiang Wen, and Wen Xie, who didn't receive the same treatment.

If the embassy hadn't sent someone along the way, Zhang Yan wouldn't have had a chance to escape.

Leaving the eighth floor where the "Long Live Love" film crew was located, Zhang Yan quietly asked Jiang Wen, "Is this Director Cai...that guy?"

As he spoke, he extended his index finger and then bent it into the shape of a 7.

Jiang Wen understood immediately and chuckled, "I reckon he's got his eye on you—why don't you find a chance to take care of him and reduce our competition?"

"go away!"

The four returned to the sixth floor and saw a young man talking to Liu Xiaoqing.

The University of Tokyo does not have an embassy in Venice. This staff member came specifically from Rome to protect the film crew and prevent them from getting into any trouble.

This demonstrates the growing influence of the three major European film festivals in China.

Upon meeting Zhang Yan and his group, the young diplomat immediately gave them a long lecture, repeatedly emphasizing various precautions, as if he wished he could lock them up in the hotel and never let them out again.

They kept rambling on and on, even the good-tempered Tao Hong was getting impatient, let alone Liu Xiaoqing and Ning Jing.

Jiang Wen, on the other hand, was surprisingly calm, or rather, a little excited.

After the lecture, Jiang Wen whispered, "It seems like we're guaranteed to win the award this time, otherwise the embassy wouldn't have sent someone over."

Dong Ping was somewhat surprised: "The embassy could know this in advance?"

Jiang Wen chuckled and said, "What do you think? Foreigners also need to be mindful of social etiquette?"

Whether the organizing committee values ​​personal relationships or not, Zhang Yan doesn't yet know, but the Italian pasta is indeed quite good. He devoured two plates by himself at noon, and felt bloated afterward—this stuff seems to fill you up more than noodles back home.

So he took Tao Hong for a walk outside to digest their food and to see what the differences were between underground films in Europe and those in China.

Of course, the difference is limited to the visuals, since neither of them can understand the foreign language.

By this time, most of the screens across the street and around the corner had lit up, and a large crowd had gathered, including locals, tourists, and some traders who had come to pan for gold.

The creators of those low-budget films also each used their own unique talents.

Some people would suddenly stop watching a movie and then point at the screen to give a passionate commentary;

Some feature beautiful and handsome actors who demonstrate their skills, striking the same poses and actions as in the movie on screen.

Some also give small gifts to the audience every now and then;

Some were clearly hired shills; their expressions, movements, and laughter were obviously rehearsed. Nevertheless, they could still fool some passersby and increase the film's popularity.

The most common method was conscription. Zhang Yan and Tao Hong were stopped once. After confirming that Zhang Yan did not speak English or Italian, the other party tried to use sign language to arouse Zhang Yan's interest in the movie.

But he ultimately failed.

The main problem is that these independent films are generally of average quality, and those rejected by film festivals are even worse. Putting aside everything else, there are very few films whose visuals can compare to "Hair Messed Up".

Furthermore, since it was being broadcast outdoors, the colors and contrasts were severely affected, making it look like a complete mess.

Zhang Yan's suggestion that the government purchase bad films is for the sake of the development of the domestic film industry, not because he has some kind of self-torturing quirk.

After circling the hotel twice, he felt much better and decided to take Tao Hong back to the sixth floor for a nap to recharge so they could discuss the movie premiere the next day.

Just then, a shirtless woman suddenly rushed out from an alleyway. This magnanimous girl held up a sign with a poster on it and began to parade around the hotel with her head held high.

And every time she passed a screen, she would stop and shout something loudly.

Some clapped and whistled, some scolded her harshly, and some frantically took pictures—and every time she restarted, she attracted even more 'followers'.

Although Zhang Yan and Tao Hong couldn't understand what she was saying, it seemed she wanted the audience to support her movie.

Are all actresses abroad this hardworking?

Just as the two were deeply shocked, a commotion suddenly broke out near the screen where the half-naked woman had just left.

Two men were seen, one grabbing his hair and shouting, while the other climbed onto a nearby box and looked around like a groundhog sentinel.

"What happened to them?"

Tao Hong didn't understand what the two were doing.

Zhang Yan said thoughtfully, "If I'm not mistaken, the projector must have been stolen."

His guess was quickly confirmed when the groundhog sentry pointed to a spot, yelled, and led his friends in pursuit.

The thief seemed to have underestimated the weight of the old projector, and was caught by the two men after running only half a block.

By this time, someone had already called the police, but the police ignored the victim and the thief, and instead brandished their batons and rushed toward the half-naked woman.

Two chases broke out simultaneously around the hotel, creating a spectacle far more exciting than any street movie.

Seeing this chaotic scene, Tao Hong exclaimed sincerely, "No wonder foreign films are so interesting; it turns out they're making documentaries."

(End of this chapter)