Huayu: I was immediately ensnared by Jing Tian as soon as I entered the industry.

As the film festival opening ceremony draws closer, film distributors are contacting Wang Xuan every day.

Films in the main competition section are always the ones that major film studios bet on.

At the same time, all the shortlisted films were announced.

Wang Xuan noticed that two Chinese-language films were shortlisted for the Panorama section, and one was shortlisted for the Youth Forum section.

Although these two segments are on par with the main competition segments, their popularity and commercial value are incomparable.

On February 7th, at 2:30 PM, the red carpet for the opening ceremony arrived.

Wang Xuan and Lu Yang did not have any endorsements; their red carpet looks and outfits were sponsored by a luxury brand.

A black, fitted suit made Wang Xuan's muscular physique appear even more upright.

Lu Yang was so jealous he was practically drooling. He was too thin to fit into the suit.

The closing ceremony red carpet began at 2 p.m., with guests, filmmakers, producers, and the main creators of the films competing in each section taking turns to appear.

According to regulations, one can only stay on the red carpet for three minutes, unless the organizers clear the area for a particular actor.

Although each person only had a few minutes to appear, there were so many people that the red carpet event didn't end until the afternoon.

【Buried Alive】was a work in the main competition section, and its red carpet appearance was scheduled for the second half of the event. Although everyone says that art is equal, the arrangement clearly shows that they are being treated differently.

Wang Xuan and Lu Yang rode together in a minivan from the hotel to the cinema.

The walk may only take ten minutes, but today is different. Media, film enthusiasts, and tourists from all over the world have blocked the roads around the Palace of Cinema.

It took Wang Xuan a full half hour to reach the waiting area.

On the red carpet, the host is introducing the guests who are walking the red carpet and the shortlisted works.

While waiting in the rest area, Wang Xuan spotted the "Left and Right" film crew in the distance. Wang Xiaoshuai led a group of the main cast and crew in.

Even though they don't know each other, Chinese people living abroad still have to maintain appearances. From a distance of about ten meters, Wang Xuan took the initiative to nod to Wang Xiaoshuai.

However, the other party ignored him and nodded at Lu Yang instead.

Having been met with indifference, Wang Xuan gave up on the act and sat down in his seat.

I guess Wang Xiaoshuai sees him as an actor, and a big-name director of art films like him wouldn't bother with him.

Seeing that Wang Xuan was being ignored, Lu Yang came over and asked, "President Xuan, is the 'Left and Right' crew invited to the premiere of 'Buried Alive'?"

Wang Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Let's just extend a polite invitation. When we're out together, we need to stick together and support each other."

Wang Xiaoshuai ignored him because he felt their statuses were unequal, and he simply didn't want to get close to him.

Not only the cast of "Left Right" was invited, but other Chinese-language dramas that were also nominated were also invited.

I believe they will also invite Wang Xuan and Lu Yang to attend.

The red carpet continued, and Wang Xuan was informed that it would soon be the turn of the "Buried" crew. Martin Scorsese and the Rolling Stones were on the red carpet, which caused enthusiastic screams from the fans.

The host introduced the film, saying, "Next up on the red carpet is the Chinese film crew 'Buried Alive.' This is a special film; the only lead actor is Xuan Wang, and the director is Yang Lu."

This is the first time these two young filmmakers have visited Berlin, which reminds me of Zhang, who won the Golden Bear on his first visit to Berlin…”

Wang Xuan maintained a smile and waved to the various media outlets along the red carpet, thinking to himself that the host was really daring to make comparisons, comparing someone like Lu Yang, whose talent was mediocre, to Zhang Yimou.

Familiar cheers came from the sidelines; they came from domestic media and Sina. Wang Xuan smiled and waved at the cameras.

···

After walking the red carpet, the opening ceremony film will be screened.

"Buried Alive" was shortlisted for the main competition, and Wang Xuan and Lu Yang were invited to watch the opening ceremony film "Shining Light".

This film is a documentary about the Rolling Stones concerts, directed by Martin Scorsese.

For music lovers and rock enthusiasts, this is an absolute audio-visual feast.

One classic track after another, showcasing the band's half-century-long rock and roll journey.

It's surprising that a politically charged film festival like Berlin would choose such a lighthearted documentary as its opening film.

Jury President Costa Gavras took the stage to deliver a speech: He thanked the filmmakers from all over the world who had gathered here and assured them that the upcoming selection process would adhere to fair, impartial, and authoritative scoring standards.

After the opening ceremony, the judging panel began the intense and professional selection process.

The winning films for this year's competition will be selected within ten days.

During this time, Buried will have its world premiere in Berlin, along with other nominated films.

As time went by, the film company raised its offer to Wang Xuan.

Works shortlisted for the main competition are all in high demand and low demand, with only varying prices.

Now that they've reached the jury voting stage, Wang Xuan will definitely wait for the final result.

···

Wang Xuan and Lu Yang received an invitation to the premiere of "Left and Right".

Two Chinese-language films will be released today: "In Love We Trust" in the morning and "Buried" in the afternoon; tomorrow morning, Johnnie To's "Sparrow" will be released.

Whether you are familiar with someone or not, you are all compatriots when you are away from home, and there is an unspoken understanding that you should support each other.

Not only Wang Xuan and Lu Yang, but also many Chinese filmmakers from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong attended the event.

[Left Right], having been shortlisted for the main competition, attracted many local film critics upon its release.

Wang Xiaoshuai, beaming with pride, chatted with reporters and movie fans on the stage of the movie theater, exuding the air of a great director.

The movie started, and Wang Xuan glanced at the theater; it was about 60% full.

For the premiere of [Buried], half the audience is enough.

Both he and Lu Yang are newcomers to the film industry, unlike Wang Xiaoshuai, a regular at film festivals who already has a certain level of fame.

This was Wang Xuan's first time watching the film "Left Right," which tells the story of how a sudden illness devastates two families.

In order to save her daughter, the female protagonist went to her ex-husband and asked him to have another child, which plunged both families into the torment of traditional values ​​and family ties.

Wang Xuan felt that the film was slow-paced and the narrative style was too slow to get going.

Wang Xiaoshuai failed to handle his role as a stepfather well, only thinking about using forbearance to facilitate his wife's reconciliation with her ex-husband.

The film's open-ended approach, coupled with its heartwarming reconciliation, leaves the audience with a lingering, unsettling feeling, as if they have a fishbone stuck in their throat. The lack of a clear explanation of the pregnancy and the outcome of the treatment, leaving them at the most tense moment, leaves them with a lingering, unsettled emotional state.

The Berlin audience was generally well-behaved; they didn't start cursing, and only got up and left when the lights came on.

Wang Xiaoshuai was being interviewed in front of the screening room, and Wang Xuan couldn't just leave without saying goodbye.

"Old Lu, how are you feeling? Are you a threat to us?"

"Comparing the two films, I think 'Buried' has a better chance," Lu Yang whispered his opinion.

"Then I'll take your good wishes."

After finishing the interview, Wang Xiaoshuai thanked the guests who came to support him.

Lu Yang and Wang Xuan then invited everyone to move to the next hall to watch the premiere of "Buried Alive".