The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 42 Ice Shattered

Chapter 42 Ice Shattered (Seeking First Subscription)

"I've finished eating."

After Fan Bingbing's assistant finished speaking, she fled back to her room.

I can't stay here any longer!
These two people.
Excessive!

Only Shen Shandeng and Fan Bingbing remained in the hotel room.

Contrary to the assistant's expectations, the atmosphere was rather quiet.

Fortunately, neither of them were coy.

Shen Shandeng said apologetically, "Sister Bingbing, I originally wanted to talk to you after you've rested, but let's talk now. When you called me, I had just fallen asleep and was a little short-tempered."

In response, Fan Bingbing smiled nonchalantly and offered her apology.

"I also have problems. I put a lot of effort into the film, and it was so hard to get into the main competition in Berlin, but I didn't win anything. I was really anxious and upset. I want to apologize to you."

The two tacitly let the matter drop.

Shen Shandeng made a grand gesture, coming to the airport to pick someone up during the Lunar New Year, even if it was just for show, it still demonstrated his attitude.

Regardless of whether Fan Bingbing had any grudges or not, she had to pretend that she did not.

Shen Shandeng's words may be rough, but they are true; she had no other choice.

Having left Huayi Brothers and not yet found another job, he was already at the lowest point in his career. Furthermore, "Apple" did not win any awards, and due to compliance issues, its release was still uncertain.

The importance of the female lead in "The Eunuch" has suddenly increased.

She needs a commercial film to enhance her image, especially since this kind of film has the support of China Film Group and is backed by a big-budget production.

Shen Shandeng has both carrots and sticks in his hands!
Even if Shen Shandeng does nothing, Fan Bingbing will still find a way to save face.

Could it be that she's going to risk offending China Film Group and Han Sanping by quitting the production?
She's not that stupid.

Fortunately, Shen Shandeng was not a mean person and did not use this to make things difficult for her, but instead gave her a way out.

Fan Bingbing knew this was not something to be taken for granted, and felt grateful.

Although Shen Shandeng initially disrespected her by not informing her and allowing Chen Hao, with whom she had a conflict, to join the project, this circle doesn't care about right and wrong. The fact that Shen Shandeng didn't take advantage of her when he could has done so shows he was already being a gentleman.

If it were someone with a bad reputation in the industry, they might use this as an excuse to make trouble.

this is the truth.

Shen Shandeng didn't know what Fan Bingbing was thinking. After all, he was a normal person with basic morals.

Even if you're certain Fan Bingbing will cooperate, you shouldn't say it in a hurtful way. Some things can be done but not said.

He wanted to resolve the conflict between them.

Only in this way can Fan Bingbing fully immerse herself in the creation of the character, and only then can the quality of the film be guaranteed.

Shen Shandeng changed the subject: "It's not unjust that Apple lost to Tuya's Marriage."

Fan Bingbing was taken aback: "You know about art films too?"

Shen Shandeng said with a smile: "The film 'The Eunuch' was originally an art film, and my first goal was to win awards overseas."

"Ok?"

Fan Bingbing's head was full of question marks.

She had read the script of "The Eunuch" several times, but it didn't have the feel of an art film at all.

She said suspiciously, "Don't lie to me."

Why is "Tuya's Marriage" better than "Apple"?

Shen Shandeng countered with a question, but before she could answer, he gave the answer directly: "Tuya tells the story of Tuya, who, due to the hardships of life, seeks a husband along with her disabled ex-husband, Batel."

According to director Wang Quan'an, the film was inspired by his concern for grassland ecological protection, and the initial motivation for filming was the relocation of local herders from pastoral areas.

"The film will focus on the search for a husband and the adoption of a son-in-law in Gansu, and will shift the setting from the Loess Plateau in Northwest China to the Mongolian grasslands."

"A distorted and unfortunate ethical dilemma; a negative environmental image; stagnation; a primitive landscape."

"This tastes much better than Apple Daily! It's amazing!"

"The Berlin Film Festival has the most explicit sexual content; by comparison, 'Apple' is too weak in tone."

Shen Shandeng admitted that he was also a little envious.

He knew this kind of subject matter could win awards, but he couldn't film it. Even if he did, it wouldn't pass muster, because Wang Quan'an had already secured his place; he had connections, he was registered, he had a license.

For the same film, young directors like Shen Shandeng struggle even to get it registered.

"No, you... you've never even watched a movie, have you?"

Fan Bingbing felt her head hurt even more.

Shen Shandeng was very confident: "I don't need to watch the movie at all. How the movie is made is not the most important thing, or even that important."

"Just read the synopsis. 'Apple' is about Liu Apple. The character you play and your husband, An Kun, are both migrant workers from out of town who come to Beijing to work. The woman works as a foot masseuse in a foot massage parlor, while the man is a window washer who works at heights."

"Unexpectedly, one day, Lin Dong, the owner of the foot massage parlor, took advantage of Apple's drunkenness and raped her. An Kun, who was washing and cleaning the windows, happened to see this and wanted to negotiate a price to compensate her for her losses."

"Lin Dong's wife was neglected by her husband because of her infertility, but she took the initiative to have a relationship with An Kun, claiming that she wanted to make her husband cheat on her and let An Kun take revenge."

"This is ridiculous. A high-rise window cleaner in Beijing can earn two or three hundred yuan a day, and it's all cash on delivery. People have to pay him as soon as they land."

"The bathhouse owner doesn't necessarily earn as much as the girls who are good at sex if he doesn't have many of them. The key is that they are clean."

Fan Bingbing was surprised: "You know this too?"

“Of course I understand,” Shen Shandeng said. “For high-level jobs, people from rural areas who can save money can work in Beijing for three to five years and then build a small villa and buy a nice car.”

Overall, the rules of this land still favor hardworking laborers.

At least you don't have to sell your blood to buy coffee.

Shen Shandeng objectively commented: "Apple still has a certain flavor, a strong sense of misfortune. In Chen Daishi's words, 'This land, these people, throughout their lives, mostly did nothing but make a living. So-called glory is nothing more than skillful survival, and a bumpy road is nothing more than having no way to survive. That's basically it.'"

"This basic tone is there."

Shen Shandeng has indeed given deep thought to the path of pursuing awards overseas.

Generally speaking, for an overseas award to be considered, both the film itself and the words spoken by the creators must convey a sense of misfortune.

I'm giving it my all, just to survive.

There can be no happiness, no joy; no warmth of family, no sharing with friends, no friends or colleagues with shared aspirations; and even less can there be a glorious history, no heroic spirit, no epic tales.

To put it bluntly, they can't even have a normal life.

So Shen Shandeng ran away; it was just too disgusting.

However, he still admires people who dare to eat to their heart's content.

This requires talent.

A rare talent.

Shen Shandeng affirmed with an appreciative tone: "The film 'Apple' satisfies the director's personal moral sense by depicting the disparity between the rich and poor, the urban-rural divide, and the uneven development between the western and coastal regions."

"The problem is that people don't like it."

Burned.

Fan Bingbing's brain is fried.

Shen Shandeng's analysis is different from her understanding of film analysis.

Something is wrong.

It was too much of a shock to her beliefs.

As for art, the filming techniques, and even the plot, there's nothing there.

Shen Shandeng hadn't seen the movie, yet he described it almost perfectly, saying it had that feel to it.

That's why Fan Bingbing found it hard to accept.

The small bumps disappeared, but a larger wound appeared.

She was somewhat broken.

"Tell me, what exactly is the problem?"