The entertainment industry: My 99 future timelines!

The process of getting the script of "July and Ansheng" approved was more complicated than Li Xu had imagined.

After all, in 2008, a coming-of-age film with two female leads, the possibility of yuri (lesbian relationships), and male characters who were almost instrumental was far too risky in terms of subject matter.

The veteran experts on the review committee couldn't help but frown as they looked at the script: "This Jiaming is so irresponsible."

"Isn't the relationship between these two girls a bit... excessive? Doesn't it seem a bit out of step with our societal values?"

Seeing this, Li Xu didn't argue with the experts.

He immediately turned to China Film Group to distribute the film and unleashed his trump card—the heiress, Jing Tian.

With the combined efforts of China Film Group and Jingtian Film & Television, several judges quickly began to lend a hand. One of the female judges even settled the matter directly with just a few words:

"Ladies, when you were young, did you have a friend like this—so close you could wear the same dress and share all your secrets, yet you also hated her so much you wanted to tear all the good things about her apart?"

"Gentlemen, I believe that in this year, when the Olympics have just been held, everything should be open, free, and embracing diversity."

"I think this book is very good. The feelings between girls are just like this. When they love, they give their whole heart. When they hate, they are also sincere. I hope my colleagues will not make too many divergent interpretations."

The day it passed the review.

Li Xu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and quickly called Vice Chairman Han of China Film Group and Miss Jing Tian to express his gratitude.

On the other hand, Vice Chairman Han didn't say much, only expressing his hope for more cooperation between the two sides in the future, and suggesting that Li Xu's next films should be distributed by China Film Group.

As for Miss Jing Tian, ​​she grumbled that after the movie was finished, Li Xu had to accompany her back to Gulangyu Island to relive the unfulfilled promise between "Shen Jiayi" and "Ke Jingteng".

What else could Li Xu say but agree with a smile?

After passing the preliminary review, the subsequent formation of the production team went very smoothly.

The photographer hired Cao Yu, who shot "Kekexili" and is very good at capturing the delicate in the rough.

The art director is Zhang Xiaohong, a woman in her forties. She has profound insights and artistic skills in female-themed works, but she is also very persistent.

As soon as she joined the crew, she began to make demands of Li Xu: "July's room should be tidy, but there should be a sense of oppression in the tidyness; An Sheng's room should be messy, but there should be a sense of vitality in the mess."

Aside from not allowing any changes to the story script, Li Xu readily complied with Zhang Meishu's suggestions and listened attentively as he worked on the settings.

Time flies, and it's already the end of October.

Because the script is set in a small city with a slow-paced atmosphere, there must be sycamore trees, old classrooms, and old streets and alleys.

Li Xu, along with executive director Shen Ao, traveled to several provinces before finally selecting the best option: Shandong Province's Q Island, rejecting cities in the Jiangnan region such as Hangzhou and Suzhou.

In the end, Li Xu chose Qingdao himself.

Because he had his eye on a long-established middle school in the old town of Q Island.

It had red brick walls, arched windows, plane trees outside the windows, and the sea behind the plane trees—perfectly matching Li Xu's idea.

He decisively called the female principal of the middle school.

The other party was initially very enthusiastic, but upon hearing that they were going to film "the complicated relationship between two girls," their tone immediately became hesitant.

"Our school... has a rather conservative atmosphere."

The female principal spoke tactfully, but her tone clearly conveyed a sense of rejection.

Seeing this, Li Xu had no choice but to fly to Q Island himself, bringing the script, and sit in the principal's office for half an hour drinking tea.

By not discussing movies or art, but only "the growth of girls," it was only with great difficulty that the nearly retired female principal, who was over sixty years old, was finally persuaded.

-

In early November 2008.

Three days before filming began for "July and Ansheng", Li Xu led the main cast and crew on a final location scouting trip.

In July, on Q Island in Shandong Province, the plane tree leaves are lush, and sunlight shines through the leaves onto the red brick walls, creating dappled light and shadow.

Cao Yu carried the camera to test the shots, while Zhang Xiaohong directed the props team to set up the desks and chairs.

Liu Yifei and Jing Tian haven't joined the crew yet, but their dressing room has already been set up.

Zhang Xiaohong insisted on having the two rooms adjacent to each other, but with completely different styles, to represent the contrasting personalities of July and An Sheng.

One room had light blue curtains, another had dark red curtains, one room had a neat desk, and another had cassette tapes and cigarette boxes scattered on the desk.

Li Xu entered An Sheng's room and saw an open copy of "Annie Baby's Works" on the table—a little Easter egg.

Zhang Xiaohong specially found this book at a used bookstore; it's a 1998 edition with yellowed pages.

There was a page in the book that I had deliberately turned to, and I had underlined a line in pencil: "I have too much in my hands, so I can't let go."

When he entered "July's" room, he found a collection of poems by Xi Murong on the table. He opened it and saw the underlined sentence: "I can only come to this world once, so please give me another beautiful name."

Zhang Xiaohong walked in, somewhat smugly: "Director Li, how was it?"

"Okay, but not enough," Li Xu said with a smile.

"Not enough?" Zhang Xiaohong frowned, thinking that Li Xu was questioning her years of professional art skills.

"These two rooms are just set up for now."

"The real 'enough' will only be when July and An Sheng actually move in, when they've cried, laughed, and argued here, and when they've brought their own things in. Only then will it be enough."

Li Xu explained with a smile.

Zhang Xiaohong seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this.

-

November 5th, the day before the start of filming for "July and Ansheng".

A rare downpour struck Q Island, with raindrops pattering against the sycamore leaves.

Li Xu stood in the school corridor, looking at the rain.

Shen Ao, the executive director, rushed over, his trouser legs soaked with sweat, and asked in a low voice, "Junior Li Xu, is the opening ceremony tomorrow still going as planned?"

"As planned."

"But the weather forecast says it will rain..."

"Then let's take the photos while holding an umbrella."

"The first scene we filmed was a scene of them in the rain."

Li Xu insisted on keeping the machine running.

Shen Ao was stunned: "But Li Xu, there are no scenes in the rain in the script."

"We have it now," Li Xu said calmly.

Thanks to the rain, he suddenly had a new idea.

That night, Li Xu revised the script until 3 a.m.

A scene of "running in a downpour" was added before the original scene of "July and Ansheng riding bicycles through the shade of trees":

A sudden downpour struck, and July and An Sheng ran out of school without umbrellas.

An Sheng pulled Qi Yue into the rain. Qi Yue tried to hide, but An Sheng held her back.

Two people ran, screamed, and laughed in the torrential rain, soaked to the bone, but their eyes shone.

They ran to the eaves, panting, and looked at each other's disheveled appearance, then suddenly fell silent.

An Sheng said, "July, let's not become boring adults in the future."

July said, "Okay."

-

On the day filming began, the torrential rain that was predicted to be coming down miraculously stopped.

And the sunlight was exceptionally good, making the sycamore leaves shine with a vibrant green.

An altar with a statue of Guan Yu was set up on the school playground, which was being used as a filming location.

Liu Yifei and Jing Tian have both arrived.

Liu Yifei was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, her hair tied in a ponytail, and she was without makeup.

Jing Tian wore a floral dress, her hair was down, and she wore a straw hat.

The two stood together, like two flowers blooming in different seasons.

They offered incense, paid homage to Guan Gong, and unveiled the red cloth covering the camera.

Li Xu didn't say much about the opening ceremony, only calmly uttering a short sentence:

"Thank you to all the reporters and friends for attending the opening ceremony of my film."

"I hope that after the film is released, you will see a completely different feeling and have a better understanding and appreciation of the emotions between girls."

There were no grand pronouncements, no artistic declarations.