HuaYu: A Great Director Starting with Dream of the Red Chamber

2 PM, Sala Volpi screening room.

Scene from the Horizons section short film screening.

Unlike the main competition section, which features a large-scale event with numerous cameras and microphones, the short film screening only had a small red carpet ceremony.

It was more like an internal carnival for movie fans.

Most of the attendees were film enthusiasts from all over the world, independent film critics, and ruthless film distributors.

No one cared about formalities, and the ceremony was over quickly amidst the commotion.

Thankfully, Zhang Qiang braved the scorching Mediterranean sun and specially changed into his custom-made suit.

Right now, he's so hot that he's busy wiping the sweat off his bald head.

……

"The Tuner" was scheduled to appear third.

The first two are short films from Iran and Poland.

Well...

Very artistic, extremely artistic, so artistic it's almost hypnotic.

Naza and Xiaoxiao, who were sitting next to Li Yan, had initially been sitting upright and pretending to be serious, but now their eyes were unfocused and their heads were nodding...

Not to mention them, even Li Yan was yawning while watching.

Finally, the screen went black.

"Hey, wake up, it's our turn." Li Yan reached out and nudged the girls on either side.

On the big screen, the title of the film, "The Accordatore," appeared.

Immediately following, the sound of a piano and the male protagonist's low-pitched monologue began.

From the very first scene where someone pretends to be blind, the drowsy and dull atmosphere in the entire screening room changed.

The film critics who had been leaning back in their chairs, whispering and yawning, slowly sat up straight.

Unlike those previous "art" pieces that were just pointless whining.

When the girl played by Naza danced against a blurred background, the contrast between the black-and-white allure conveyed without nudity and the restraint in the twisted "blindness" created a tension that made many Italian viewers whistle.

When the old lady, played by Lü Zhong, forced the male lead to take off his clothes with the most kind tone and the most indifferent expression, a collective gasp rang out from the audience.

The editing is sharp and tight, the suspense builds layer by layer, and the dark humor sends chills down your spine.

It boasts the narrative efficiency of a typical Hollywood genre film, while also possessing an Eastern sense of subtlety and suspense.

Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

At last.

The screen went black, and it ended abruptly.

Only the echoing piano music, carrying a great deal of suspense, remained in the screening room.

The venue was silent for two seconds.

Immediately following, a burst of enthusiastic applause and excited cheers erupted.

"Cool!"

"Brillante!"

Several Italian lads even stood up and waved and cheered towards the main creative team's seats.

As the lights came on, Li Yan, along with Zhang Qiang and the others whose faces were flushed, stood up to express their gratitude.

Naza, looking rather silly, followed suit with a bow, her little face full of excitement: "Director, director, they seem to really like it!"

……

As soon as I stepped out of the screening room, the crowd had not yet dispersed.

Li Yan saw an elderly Italian man with glasses and a white beard standing smiling at the exit.

He was surrounded by some industry insiders.

Marco Müller, President of the Venice Film Festival.

This renowned "China expert" holds a pivotal position in the Chinese-language film industry.

When Zhang Qiang saw this great figure, he was so excited that he didn't know what to do with his hands. He really didn't expect that the film festival chairman would specially wait for their short film crew at the entrance.

"Li," Marco Müller greeted him proactively, speaking directly in fairly fluent Mandarin without a translator.

"Absolutely fantastic! When Lu Wei recommended you to me, I was already looking forward to it, but I didn't expect your film to be even more interesting than I imagined."

After shaking hands with Zhang Qiang and the others, he turned back to Li Yan and exclaimed in admiration:

"I see the shadow of Hitchcock in your film, the pacing is fantastic, and your satire of human nature has a completely different Chinese flavor! This is exactly the new voice that Venice is looking for."

Li Yan stepped forward, grasped his hand, and smiled:

"Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Chairman. This is just a small attempt on my part. I hope the film fans in Venice won't be disappointed."

You can call me Marco.

Marco Müller patted him on the shoulder, then suddenly lowered his voice and winked at him:

"Lee, I'll let you in on a secret: Gordon is absolutely obsessed with your films."

Stuart Gordon, director of "Re-Animator," is a renowned master of cult films and also the president of the short film jury for the Horizons section at this year's Venice Film Festival.

Li Yan's heart skipped a beat. Wow, is this... catering to their preferences?!

Immediately afterwards, Marco gave him a meaningful look:

"So... if you haven't had enough fun in Venice, why not stay a few more days? The scenery here is beautiful, and the closing red carpet on the last few days is definitely worth looking forward to."

"Also, there's a forum tomorrow morning about the 'New Wave of Chinese Cinema,' and I hope you can attend. The film industry needs to listen more to the voices of young people."

Have a great time in Venice.

After saying this, Marco Müller didn't wait for Li Yan to continue with the pleasantries. He waved his hand, turned around, and left surrounded by his entourage.

"Stay... a few more days?"

Zhang Qiang was stunned for a long time before he suddenly realized that his bald head seemed to be glowing.

He grabbed Li Yan's arm tightly, his grip trembling slightly.

"Junior brother! Holy crap! What did he mean just now? Was it what I thought he meant? Was it?!"

At a top-tier film festival like this, if the organizers hint that you should "stay a few more days," it usually means only one thing:

You're going to win an award!

Li Yan watched Marco's departing figure, rubbing his arm that Zhang Qiang had pinched, and a genuine smile appeared on his lips:

"Probably...maybe...perhaps...that's the meaning."

He turned his head, looked at Ding Xiaoxiao and Nazha behind him who were also looking expectantly, and waved his hand:

"Let's go! Forget everything, let's get something good to eat tonight!"

……

Film festivals, after all, are all about parties and more parties in the evenings.

So the next morning, Naza forced herself to stay in bed without eating much, and forced herself to sit in front of the makeup mirror, determined to use her beauty to "slay the world" that night.

The cast and crew of "Andhadhun" are having an official invitation party tonight, which can be considered their first proper social appearance in Venice.

Li Yan, on the other hand, ended up with nothing to do.

The "New Wave of Chinese Cinema" forum that Marco Müller mentioned yesterday was held in the banquet hall of the Excelsior Hotel next to the Cinema Palace.

The name sounds impressive, but it's really just a platform set up by Marco Müller for the Chinese-language films nominated this year, making it easier for everyone to boast and sell their films.

By the time Li Yan and Zhang Qiang slipped into the venue, the forum had already been going on for a while.

Ding Xiaoxiao arrived a little earlier than the other two and was already carrying her DV camera, mingling with the media in the front row, diligently filming footage.

A row of people were sitting on the stage.

Aside from several well-known film critics, the most prominent are Guan Hu and Zheng Baorui, as well as two other art-house film directors who were nominated.

"Junior brother, didn't Chairman Marco invite you yesterday? Are we really not going up?"

Looking at the figures on the stage speaking eloquently, Zhang Qiang felt a mix of envy and resentment.

Why should our junior brother, the sure-winner, have to sit down and listen to them brag?

"Why go up there?"

Li Yan found a seat towards the back, adjusted to a comfortable position, and glanced at the stage:

"They're all feature film directors, and veterans at that. What's the point of someone like me, a short film director, joining in? Besides..."

He listened to Guan Hu on stage talking at length about so-called "human nature" and sneered:

"I'm afraid I won't be able to pee in the same pot, and I'll end up spraying them all over..."