The entertainment industry: My 99 future timelines!

February 14, 2009, Valentine's Day.

The Berlin Film Palace, with a hall that can accommodate 1500 people, was packed to capacity.

Although the red carpet was less star-studded this year, the film festival's jury was a formidable lineup:

The jury president for this year's awards is Tilda Swinton, the British actress who just won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Michael Clayton".

The remaining jury members include Spanish director Isabelle Cosette, Swedish writer Henning Mankel, Chinese-American director Wayne Wang, and American writer Alice Waters, among others.

Li Xu, Liu Yifei, and Jing Tian were seated in the fifth row.

It was a position that was neither too far forward nor too far back, but it was right in the prime view area of ​​the Berlin Film Festival jury.

To the left of the three of them is the crew of the film "Mei Lanfang".

Chen Kaige, the poet and director, was dressed in a Zhongshan suit today, sitting upright with an extremely serious expression, looking like a statue, as always detached from reality.

Li Ming and Zhang Ziyi, the male and female leads of the film "Mei Lanfang", were accompanying him on either side.

Upon seeing Li Xu and the other two, Li Ming ignored them, while Zhang Ziyi nodded slightly, barely managing to give a greeting.

To the right of Li Xu and the other two is the director and lead actor of the German film "The Perfect Second Couple".

They are currently communicating rapidly in German, speaking at a speed like machine gun fire.

Li Xu couldn't understand what they were saying, but he could tell from their body language that they were very nervous.

In this way...

The three groups sat together, and the atmosphere instantly became subtle.

Chen Kaige's side has a veteran director and a star-studded cast. The film "Mei Lanfang" is based on a subject that carries the weight of traditional Chinese culture, giving it a natural advantage in terms of winning awards.

The German production team, on the other hand, was operating on home soil, giving them a significant advantage.

Only Li Xu's side is different. He not only has the least experience as a director, but his film subject matter is also not particularly special.

Therefore, at this moment, neither Chen Kaige nor the German crew took Li Xu's group too seriously.

Although the Berlin Film Festival has never lacked "absurd" comebacks.

In 1993, director Li An's "The Wedding Banquet" won the Golden Bear here.

In 2007, Wang Quan'an's "Tuya's Marriage" also won the Golden Bear. That film tells the story of the fate of Mongolian women, and the production team only had 300,000 RMB in funding when filming began.

Berlin Film Festival.

It has always been a paradise for adventurers, a casino for dreamers, and a promised land for those who dare to tell different stories.

Li Xu was fully aware of this, and at the same time, he was very confident in his own abilities.

-

Not long afterward.

Inside the Berlin Film Palace, the lights are dimmed.

The awards ceremony begins.

The awards were announced one by one, like keys that unlocked doors.

Behind some doors lies revelry, behind others lies silence.

The Golden Bear for Best Film was awarded to Peru's "Sad Milk".

When 32-year-old female director Claudia Losa went on stage in tears and shouted in Spanish, "Thank you to my country, thank you to all women," the entire audience stood up and applauded.

The Silver Bear Jury Prize was won by the Uruguayan film "Unrequited Love".

On the Uruguayan side, suppressed cheers erupted as the director and lead actor embraced, beaming with joy.

The Best Director award went to Asghar Farhadi of Iran.

The director, who later won an Oscar for "A Separation," was still young at the time and staggered a little when he went on stage.

He expressed his gratitude at length in Persian, which was translated into German, then into English, and finally condensed into one sentence: "Film is our way of communicating."

Throughout the entire process, "Mei Lanfang" came away empty-handed, without winning any awards.

Out of the corner of his eye, Li Xu saw that the poet-director's face had turned ashen.

Li Ming and Zhang Ziyi were both offering quiet words of comfort, but their expressions were equally grim.

As for Li Xu's production team?

At this moment, they were also empty-handed, and no one cared about them.

All the way up to the awards ceremony and the Best Actress award.

As a member of the jury and a Chinese-American director, Wayne Wang walked onto the stage, holding a thin envelope in her hand.

She opened the envelope, glanced at it, and then laughed out loud.

She began with a smile in German, saying, "Überraschung" (surprise).

The word "wait" echoed softly in the quiet cinema, attracting the attention of countless film crews.

Then she switched to English, her voice carried through the microphone to every corner:

"Ladies and gentlemen, after five hours of intense discussion last night, the jury has made a special decision."

"This decision was very difficult for us, but we ultimately chose to do it because we have to respect art."

As she spoke, she paused, her gaze sweeping over Li Xu's row of students below the stage.

Zhang Ziyi, who was comforting Chen Kaige, suddenly brightened up upon seeing this and quickly straightened her clothes.

"Could it be that Ziyi is going to win the Best Actress award?"

"It seems that this year's judging panel does have some discernment; at least they're not completely blind."

Upon seeing this, Chen Kaige's previously ashen face instantly softened, his tone became much more relaxed, and his eyes began to show a smile.

Seeing this, Li Ming also prepared to speak.

Before he could even speak, Wang Ying on stage continued, her tone noticeably relaxed and cheerful:

"Alright everyone, I know you all have a lot of guesses right now, so wait for me to reveal the results."

"Our judging panel unanimously believes that some performances cannot be judged separately; some characters are two sides of the same soul; they reflect each other, complement each other, and become proof of each other's existence."

"Therefore, our seven-member jury has decided that the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival will be awarded to two people at the same time."

As soon as Wang Ying said this, the atmosphere inside the Berlin Film Palace became somewhat noisy.

It's not uncommon for the Best Actress award to be given to two people at the same time, but it's extremely rare.

What kind of film could possibly make the Berlin Film Festival jury make such a choice?

Amidst the uproar, Zhang Ziyi, who had initially been somewhat excited, instantly turned pale and looked at Li Xu and the other two with disbelief.

Chen Kaige, too, couldn't help but turn ashen-faced, letting out a cold snort and muttering in a low voice, "Absurd!"

As for Jing Tian and Liu Yifei, they no longer care what Chen Kaige and the others think.

When Wayne Wang announced that the Best Actress award at this year's Berlin Film Festival would be awarded to the two of them, their hearts pounded like drums, and their anticipation soared.

The next second, Wang Ying's clear voice rang out:

"I hereby announce that the winners are Liu Yifei and Jing Tian, ​​from the film 'Soulmate'!"

Time seemed to stand still for a brief moment inside the Berlin Film Palace.

The film festival photographers' lenses instantly turned to the fifth row.

Liu Yifei and Jing Tian stood up at the same time, their eyes meeting in the air, and then they hugged each other tightly. Their expressions were a mixture of excitement and confusion.

The applause from the audience gradually began to rise.

Many people in the movie theater have seen the film "Soulmate".

I am also aware of the amazing acting skills of Jing Tian and Liu Yifei in this movie.

Although it was truly amazing that they both won the award, it was at least not an empty honor.

As applause gradually rose in the cinema, Jing Tian and Liu Yifei glanced at Li Xu and quickly went up on stage.

On stage, Wang Ying waited with a smile.

Under the spotlight, Liu Yifei and Jing Tian reached out together and held up the heavy Silver Bear Award.

Carrying the weighty Silver Bear Award, Liu Yifei began her thank-you speech by saying:

"First of all, I want to thank our director, the Berlin Film Festival, the jury, and everyone who saw our 'Soulmate' crew."

"This award belongs to July, An Sheng, and every girl who struggles in her growth and moves forward amidst love and hate."

After Liu Yifei finished speaking, polite applause rang out from the audience, and she handed the microphone to Jing Tian.

Jing Tian took it; her eyes were filled with tears, but her lips curved into a bright smile, radiating her unique liveliness and vitality.

"I also have to thank Director Li Xu first. Although you tormented me and Sister Yifei to no end on set, Y was a little tyrant on set."

"But for the sake of this Best Actress award, I've decided that if we ever work together on a movie again, whatever you say goes."

As soon as Jing Tian finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

Some people whistled, others shouted "Bravo!"

Seeing this, Wang Ying went back on stage, indicating that time was up.

Liu Yifei and Jing Tian hugged again, then walked off the stage hand in hand. They held hands tightly until they reached Li Xu, and then opened their arms at the same time.

Li Xu stood up to greet them, gave each of them a hug, and then reached out to take the Silver Bear Trophy.

The silver bear was cool, and the metallic texture seeped through the suit and onto the skin.

Holding it, Li Xu couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

-

After the film awards ceremony.

The backstage area of ​​the cinema was in such a chaotic state that it resembled a disturbed beehive.

Numerous award winners, losers, reporters, staff, and movie fans crowded into every passageway.

The air was filled with the sweetness of champagne, the saltiness of sweat, the cacophony of various languages, and the unique fervor of the film festival.

Jing Tian hugged the silver bear tightly and wouldn't let go, showing it off to everyone she met, like a primary school student receiving an award for the first time.

When a German reporter tried to touch her, she immediately became wary and hugged him tightly, saying, "You can only look, not touch!"

Liu Yifei stood beside her, smiling broadly, as if she were looking at a mischievous younger sister.

Meanwhile, Li Xu was standing aside, being stopped and interviewed by many German reporters.

A barrage of microphones, practically poking him in the face, kept posing this kind of question.

Li Xu answered the questions quickly, and after answering a few, he grabbed Liu Yifei and Jing Tian and hurriedly retreated.

-

The news of "July and Ansheng" winning the award spread like wildfire to China, thousands of miles away, leaving many domestic media outlets in a state of utter disarray.

The news staff of these media outlets worked overtime overnight to issue a notice as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, the internet spreads information much faster than traditional media.

In the Douban Movies group, at 1:30 AM, posts were being refreshed at a rate of ten per second:

"I cried! I really cried! Yifei and Tiantian deserve it!"

"What kind of amazing director is Li Xu? 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' is youth, and 'Soulmate' is art!"

"Who would have thought? Two actresses who were criticized as 'pretty faces' won Best Actress at Berlin!"

Chen Kaige: Shall I leave?

The same festivities were held on Tianya, Tieba, and other major forums.

Someone dug up a report from three months ago: "Liu Yifei and Jing Tian had a conflict on set, but their performance in the bathroom scene was explosive!"

The comments under this news article are all saying: "That's absolutely explosive!"

Sina, Sohu, and NetEase also updated their headlines at top speed:

"Two Best Actresses! Liu Yifei and Jing Tian Win Best Actress at Berlin Film Festival! A First in Chinese-Language Cinema History!"

"Li Xu creates another miracle! 'Soulmate' beats 'Forever Enthralled' to win the Silver Bear!"

"A Valentine's Day Night in Berlin: A Victory for Chinese Girls!"

-

It was nearly 2 a.m. local time when Li Xu received a call from Han Sanpin of China Film Group in his hotel room.

"Li Xu, well done!"

Even with a seven-hour time difference, Han Sanpin's voice was still incredibly excited.

"The domestic media and online platforms are in an uproar! I will report this news to the leaders of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television first thing tomorrow morning!"

"When are you guys coming back? Let's throw a celebration party right away!"

"Mr. Han, our movie hasn't even been released yet! Are we going to celebrate now?"

Looking out the window at the Berlin nightscape, Li Xu hesitated.

"Release it? With this level of hype, your movie is guaranteed to be a hit once it's released!"

"Quoted words, and it's from the Berlin Film Festival! What young viewer wouldn't want to see this movie!"

"Furthermore, I have great confidence in the quality of your film, Li Xu! Let me reassure you first: I won't speak for other theater chains, but I can guarantee that within the China Film Group's theater chains, your film's initial screenings will be at least 35%!"

"Thank you very much, Chairman Han!" Li Xu said immediately upon hearing this.

He understood Han Sanpin's excitement; this vice chairman of China Film Group was currently in dire need of such achievements.

Just as Li Xu hung up Han Sanpin's call, Jing Tian and Liu Yifei, dressed in their pajamas, slowly walked out.

The two of them slept together tonight, in the room next to Li Xu's.

Upon seeing Li Xu, Jing Tian suddenly spoke, her voice dazed: "Li Xu, ever since I received the award today, I've felt completely disoriented, as if I'm dreaming."

"Me too, a Best Actress winner! And a Best Actress winner at one of the three major European film festivals, the Berlin Film Festival! I never imagined I'd win it at such a young age!"

Liu Yifei echoed, her tone also somewhat dazed and excited.

Upon hearing this, Li Xu...

He looked at the two girls, two girls who had been fighting in the bathroom just a few months ago, but who were now holding the Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival, and finally spoke:

"It's okay. Everyone feels a little uncomfortable the first time they receive an award, but you'll get used to it after a while."

"Instead of getting so excited now, why don't we look forward to our next movie together?"

"So what exactly is our next movie?"

Upon hearing this, Jing Tian and Liu Yifei's faces lit up with joy, and they couldn't help but speak up in unison!

"I don't know. Didn't you say you wanted to film something lighter, and that you wanted two people to be together? I'll seriously consider your suggestion."

"When I'm in a better mood, this movie might be released soon. You two better not offend me or make me angry."

Li Xu smiled and teased him on purpose.

"cut!"

Jing Tian and Liu Yifei couldn't help but spit out their words.