After Yu Qin left, Lu Yanhe was still in Ziyan looked at him, and he also looked at Chen Ziyan.
"We all thought that she might come to me to make her next movie, but we didn't think that she would come to you to make a movie with this idea." Chen Ziyan shook her head in disbelief, "I was stunned."
"I'm confused too." Lu Yanhe said.
After saying these two sentences, the two looked at each other in silence for a moment. Chen Ziyan said, "But I was really surprised that she could come up with such a story right away. Just listening to this story, a lot of past events came to my mind."
"Past events?" Lu Yanhe was a little surprised.
Chen Ziyan nodded. "In the entertainment industry, there are many crazy people like the heroine in her story."
Lu Yanhe immediately thought of Meng Li.
Uh, it really is.
"If Yu Qin really made this movie, it would definitely be a huge hit, and it would simply take the fig leaf off the entertainment industry," said Chen Ziyan. "Especially the ending, which is a complete satire on this vain world of fame and fortune."
Lu Yanhe was silent for a while. "Actually, I don't think there has ever been a movie with this kind of relationship between characters."
"It's too crazy and extreme," said Chen Ziyan. "No director would dare to shoot such a subject."
The two looked at each other.
"Why do I feel like Sister Zi Yan, you seem to think this story is... good?"
"I didn't say it was good, I just said that few directors dared to shoot it."
"Is it destined to cause huge controversy just because it is filmed?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Chen Ziyan said: "The biggest controversy of this story is that it portrays a very negative female protagonist. You have to know that the content of movies in recent years has been about criticizing the harassment and persecution of women by men, not the other way around. Such a story is easy to be criticized."
Lu Yanhe nodded, "Indeed."
Chen Ziyan: "It's too risky for you to act in this movie. It's really unnecessary. Why do you take such a risk?"
Lu Yanhe nodded, "Yes."
The two people looked at each other again.
After a moment of silence, Chen Ziyan asked, "What do you think... Putting aside the fact that Yu Qin wanted you to act, what do you think of this story? If it is made into a movie, how do you think she will make it according to her style of filming "Happy Time"? "
"I don't know, but I always feel like Director Yu is deliberately portraying the heroine in such a negative light."
"She and Ning Xiulian must have accumulated a lot of conflicts when they were filming Happy Time."
"I really don't know why she thought Ning Xiu Lian would agree to star in this film," said Lu Yanhe.
Chen Ziyan was silent for two seconds, then said, "Will Ning Xiulian agree to act in this movie in the end?"
Lu Yanhe always felt that this would never come true, but inexplicably, he was eagerly looking forward to it coming true.
Do you want to watch a play? -
At this time, Fu Kai and Shang Yongzhou arrived at the hotel one after another.
The premiere of "Road to Glory" is imminent, and the main creators of this film shortlisted for the Horizon Unit finally gathered on Lido Island.
Shang Yongzhou's arrival was also officially reported by the Venice International Film Festival, which sent a special message to welcome him.
The official introduction to him is: China's top film actor.
When Lu Yanhe saw this introduction, he felt a little envious, but at the same time he also sighed in his heart that even a long-established art film event like the Venice International Film Festival still cares about the status of actors and the popularity of stars.
Those artists who always claim to be artists and belittle the star system, also eagerly look forward to the arrival of stars at their most coveted film festivals.
When they were having dinner together, Fu Kai asked about the movie "Happy Time".
"We heard in China that this movie received very good feedback in Venice. Is it true?"
The reason why Fu Kai asked whether it was true or not was because many times, news would be taken out of context and excerpted by the media.
Lu Yanhe said: "This film has received very high praise from the media, and it is also the kind of film that the Venice International Film Festival appreciated."
Fu Kai looked thoughtful, "Did you go to the premiere? What did you think?"
"Well, the box office performance may not be very good, but it is indeed well filmed." Lu Yanhe said, "After all, most audiences still expect a good story from the movie."
Fu Kai understood immediately, "Isn't that the same approach as our Road to Glory?"
"Road to Glory still has a complete plot line, while Happy Time has almost none," Lu Yanhe said. "If we use literary genres to describe it, Road to Glory is still a novel, but Happy Time is prose."
"Yu Qin's films seem to have always been in this style."
Shang Yongzhou pondered for a moment and said, "She contacted me yesterday and talked to me on the phone. She told me about her idea for the next film."
"Ah?" Lu Yanhe looked at Shang Yongzhou in surprise, "Isn't this a story set against the backdrop of a film festival?"
Chen Ziyan also looked at Shang Yongzhou in surprise, "She asked you to act in this movie?"
Shang Yongzhou nodded and said, "Yes."
Chen Ziyan and Lu Yanhe looked at each other.
Shang Yongzhou saw their expressions, realized something, and asked, "Did she also look for Yan He?"
Chen Ziyan nodded.
Lu Yanhe immediately added: "But I refused."
Shang Yongzhou said: "Well, I refused too."
Chen Ziyan asked: "Do you also think this story is not good?"
"No, actually I think the story is quite ironic. If it is really made into a movie, this character will definitely leave a mark and be discussed by many people." Shang Yongzhou said bluntly, "But I think this story is too theme-oriented. Everything is laid out in the open without much blank space. I don't want to play such a simple character."
Chen Ziyan suddenly realized, "Indeed."
Fu Kai asked: "Then why did Yan He refuse at that time?"
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "The main reason is the same as my senior brother. If the actress is replaced by a male actor, I might consider it a little. The actress's role is really good, but the male actor is just a tool in my opinion. He doesn't have much room to perform. His existence is to give the actress an object to perform."
Fu Kai: "You two are very greedy. You both think this is a pretty good story, but you both refused because your roles didn't give you enough room to develop."
Of course, Fu Kai was just joking when he said this.
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "As actors, of course we have to find the best role."
Shang Yongzhou: "Anyone can play a tool-like role."
They finished their lunch chatting and laughing, and continued chatting together in a corner cafe.
Chen Ziyan asked Fu Kai if he had any ideas for his next drama.
Fu Kai said: "I plan to return to the track I am good at and make films that are more relaxed."
Chen Ziyan said: "During the special screening of 'Road to Glory', the critics gave our film quite good reviews. Why don't you strike while the iron is hot and continue to make an art film?"
Fu Kai: "When I filmed Road to Glory, I had already finished the story I wanted to film. I couldn't just keep filming without any ideas. I just like things that don't require a lot of speculation and depth. Occasionally, I have accumulated a few ideas and it's enough to film a movie. If I film again, I won't be able to come up with anything new."
Lu Yanhe was surprised to hear Fu Kai say this.
Fu Kai and Yu Qin seem to be two extremes.
If Yu Qin were here, she would definitely say that what you filmed was rubbish.
In fact, the ratings of Fu Kai's films have never been high. However, Shang Yongzhou was willing to work with him again and again, which was something Lu Yanhe couldn't understand before filming "Road to Glory". But after the experience of filming "Road to Glory", plus he carefully found all the films directed by Fu Kai and watched them again, Lu Yanhe suddenly understood Shang Yongzhou's choice.
Because Fu Kai is a very real director. When he makes a movie, he never wants to have it all. Whether it is a commercial film or an art film like "Road to Glory", he does not follow a common routine. He has his own understanding of movies. He has a very unique authorial quality. This authorial quality makes his film style transcend the simple distinction between commercial films and art films.
In comparison, Yu Qin's films, including "Happy Time", are indeed well made. However, Lu Yanhe can see the shadows of many other classics in this film. Yu Qin is shooting this film from the perspective of "I am shooting an art film".
"Huh? Isn't that Chen Ziliang?" Chen Ziyan's gaze suddenly paused diagonally in front of her.
"It's him." Lu Yanhe saw him at the door of an ice cream shop diagonally opposite.
"What is he doing here?" Chen Ziyan was a little confused.
Chen Ziyan is certainly not questioning why Chen Ziliang appeared at the Venice International Film Festival. In fact, many celebrities who have no works shortlisted for the film festival will also come to the film festival because of the invitation of sponsoring brands or other reasons. However, this type of celebrity artist often comes at the opening ceremony. Those who arrive during the film festival are basically actors who come to catch the premiere of their own movies.
There had been no news before that Chen Ziliang would come to Venice.
Come here at this time——
Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan looked at each other.
They glanced at Shang Yongzhou subconsciously.
Shang Yongzhou asked in confusion: "Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't ask him to come here. I don't know him well."
Chen Ziyan: "That's not what we were thinking."
Shang Yongzhou seemed even more confused, "Then what are you thinking about?"
Fu Kai suddenly shook his phone.
"Someone from Ruyi Pictures asked me for an invitation to the premiere of 'Road to Glory' on behalf of Chen Ziliang," said Fu Kai.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan looked at each other.
Chen Ziyan said: "If he wants to come and show his support, then he can come."
Lu Yanhe thought so too.
No matter what, Chen Ziliang is a popular star. Although he is not very famous, he is also a walking topic maker.
He was willing to attend the premiere of "Road to Glory" to help increase the film's exposure and star power, for free, so why wouldn't he do that?
Lu Yanhe's idea is very pure——
Being able to promote "Road to Glory" and seeing whether Chen Ziliang is happy or not can be put aside for now.
-
"Do you also guess that Chen Ziliang might have taken the role that neither you nor Shang Yongzhou wanted to act in?" Chen Ziyan asked.
Lu Yanhe nodded, "Yes."
Chen Ziyan sighed softly and said, "If this is really what we guessed, then it's really... ridiculous."
Lu Yanhe: "Actually, I don't care whether Chen Ziliang plays the role or not. I don't think it matters. Senior Brother Yongzhou and I both think that the actor's role is not worthy of playing. At least I'm not the only one who thinks so. This makes me more determined in my opinion. I'm more curious whether Ning Xiulian will play the role. Sister Ziyan, to be honest, from the perspective of an actor, if it weren't for the fact that the role was obviously taken from Ning Xiulian, it would be a really good role with a lot of room for performance. Moreover, it is a rare type of role."
"Aren't you worried that this actress is too selfish and narcissistic?" Chen Ziyan said worriedly, "Aren't you worried that the audience's dislike for this character will be transferred to the actress when she plays such a role?"
"In today's film and television environment, I feel that audiences don't want to watch those great and glorious characters anymore. They love characters that are a bit extreme," Lu Yanhe said. "Audiences increasingly want to see selfishness and shortcomings in characters. The more such characters are, the more they are considered to be close to ordinary people."
"If you were Ning Xiu Lian, would you act?" Chen Ziyan asked.
Lu Yanhe: "It's hard to say, but I definitely won't be as straightforward as rejecting the actor role now."
A good, complex role is fatally attractive to an actor.
Chen Ziyan: "Then Ning Xiulian may not refuse."
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was a little surprised and asked why.
"You said it before, this is a good role for an actor." Chen Ziyan asked Lu Yanhe, "Ning Xiulian doesn't care about being called an old cow eating young grass, and she publicly held hands and kissed Gu Zhao on the red carpet. How much do you think she would care about playing a role that might be criticized? Instead of letting someone else play a role based on her, it's better for her to play it herself. If she plays it well, it may be a masterpiece."
Lu Yanhe looked at Chen Ziyan in shock.
He really didn't expect what Chen Ziyan said.
But, on second thought, I felt that it made sense.
In the evening, Lu Yanhe was invited by Math, the brand he endorses, to attend Math's brand event held at the Venice International Film Festival.
He met Ning Xiu Lian at this event.
There is only her, not Gu Zhao.
As a popular candidate for the Best Actress at this year's Venice International Film Festival, Ning Xiu Lian was warmly welcomed at the scene.
Many people asked Lu Yanhe and Ning Xiulian to take photos together.
They didn't even have time to chat for a few more words before they started taking photos.
Ning Xiulian smiled as she looked at everyone's camera and whispered to Lu Yanhe, "Did Director Yu Qin tell you about her idea?"
"Yes." Lu Yanhe said, "I'm telling you, Teacher Ning, can you act?"
Ning Xiulian: "Why not?"
Lu Yanhe's heart skipped a beat.
Chen Ziyan is really good at predicting things.
It was really acted.
"After listening to this story, I feel that the heroine...has a rather negative image." Lu Yanhe carefully chose his words. "Aren't you worried that there will be some voices attacking you?"
Ning Xiulian: "Do you think that if I stop acting, those who attack me will disappear? If I don't act, Yu Qin will find someone else to act. Who wouldn't think of me when reading this story?"
Lu Yanhe: "Yeah, that's right."
Both of them maintained polite, photogenic smiles.
Ning Xiulian: "What a pity! If it was you, the scenes would be more exciting."
"Who was chosen to play the male actor's role in the end?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Ning Xiulian said: "Yu Qin approached Ruyi Films for investment, and Ruyi Films agreed, on the condition that Chen Ziliang would play the role of the male actor."
really……
Lu Yanhe silently controlled his expression so that it would not change, especially not reveal any sarcasm.
Otherwise, with so many cameras pointed at him, who knows how people will interpret it.
"I thought Director Yu wouldn't ask a film company for investment. I heard that she invested in Happy Hour herself?"
"Yes, so now we have no money and can only find money from outside." Ning Xiu Lian said.
Lu Yanhe silently gave Ning Xiulian a thumbs up, "Teacher Ning, you are so strong. If I were you, I wouldn't dare to agree to act in this movie so easily."
Ning Xiulian: "If you have worked with Yu Qin on a movie, you will be like me. Instead of worrying so much, you might as well go crazy with her."
"..." Lu Yanhe almost lost control of his expression again.
This wording.
Go crazy.
So... you also know that this is crazy?
Ning Xiulian: "But sometimes, you have to admit that those people who are good in all aspects may be suitable to be friends in life, but they cannot create good things. And those who are weird, extreme, difficult to cooperate, and have many abnormal behaviors in the eyes of normal people can finally create amazing works. If you knew how many times I quarreled with her during the filming of the movie "Happy Time", you would definitely find it unbelievable that "Happy Time" has achieved such a good reputation now. At that time, I really thought that this movie was going to be bad, as bad as stinky mud. But in the end it was shortlisted for the Venice International Film Festival, and it also received praise and praise from the media. Art, haha, it is something that cannot be understood by common sense."
Ning Xiulian's words made Lu Yanhe thoughtful and quite touched.
After a while, Lu Yanhe suddenly reacted.
Okay, okay, just listen, don't be brainwashed. Aren't the directors he has worked with, such as Luo Yuzhong, Chen Lingling, Wang Zhong and Liu Bige, all quite normal?
But then, a question hesitantly emerged from his mind.
Don’t they all seem to have their own paranoia and differences from ordinary people?
-
At the premiere of "Road to Glory", Ning Xiu Lian and Chen Ziliang were both invited to walk the red carpet to support this Chinese-language film that was shortlisted for the Horizon unit.
They also invited Yu Qin.
But Yu Qin probably didn't come because Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou both rejected her invitation to act in their next play.
Shang Yongzhou also invited several big-name actors who were still in Venice.
The red carpet of "Road to Glory" was star-studded and was no less impressive than the premiere red carpet of the films nominated for the main competition unit.
Lu Yanhe, Shang Yongzhou and Fu Kai walked onto the red carpet together.
Due to limited funds, the other actors in this film did not come. It's not that they didn't want to, but they were really stretched and had no money to support.
Glory, without the support of gold and silver, is a castle in the air that can disappear at any time.
As the leading actor, Lu Yanhe has a strong sense of responsibility to do his best to make this film seen by people.
At this time, when Lu Yanhe walked on the red carpet, there was an aura that this was his home court.
In the eyes of the media, this aura becomes a star style and halo.
Compared to Shang Yongzhou, who has always been stable outside of movies, stars like Lu Yanhe, who are born with the ability to become a hot topic and have explosive entertainment points, are more favored by the media circle.
Lu Yanhe's activeness in the international film scene in the past two years has also made him more familiar to many overseas media.
So, the Chinese media discovered one thing at this moment.
The hospitality Lu Yanhe received at the premiere of "Road to Glory" was no less than that received by the already famous Shang Yongzhou.
In the minds of Chinese media people, there is definitely still some gap between Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou. Even if Lu Yanhe has been very popular in recent years, there is still a certain distance between him and Shang Yongzhou. Therefore, what they found at the premiere more or less shocked and unbelievable them.
Artistic director Picardi personally hosted today's premiere.
When he was introducing them, he introduced Shang Yongzhou and Lu Yanhe as the best male actors in China today and also the most famous Chinese actors in the world.
Such an introduction coming from Picalogchi is far more convincing than coming from the Chinese themselves.
There is no way, between praising yourself and having others praise yourself, the latter is always more convincing.
Then, the screening of Paths of Glory began.
When the lights dimmed in the screening room, Lu Yanhe heard his own heartbeat jump twice nervously, but then calmed down.
I still get nervous, but I’ve started to learn to self-regulate.
Lu Yanhe will always remember what Chen Ziyan said when she persuaded him to take on this movie.
——You now have a strong eye for picking out movies that are not mainstream and are full of adventure and exploration, but you have not yet developed an eye for understanding classics.
——I read the script of this movie carefully three times, and I had a feeling every time.
——I haven’t seen such an academic and neat script for a long time.
The movie begins with Shang Yongzhou getting out of the car.
On the passenger seat was the test report he brought from the hospital.
There is no soundtrack or monologue. The movie begins with Shang Yongzhou driving home expressionlessly, his eyes gloomy, as if he is hiding an ice field eternally surrounded by thick fog.
Until he got home and opened the door.
Lu Yanhe appears.
He was sitting on the sofa, one foot on the sofa and the other on the ground, in a nonchalant posture, holding a game console in his hand, playing games passionately.
"Fuck! Do you have no eyes or brains? Even a pig's operation is better than yours. Brother, you are cheating me!"
Lu Yanhe on the screen cursed angrily.
He looked up at Shang Yongzhou, said nothing, and his eyelids drooped again.
In the evening, have dinner together.
Lu Yanhe kept complaining that the dinner Shang Yongzhou prepared was too vegetarian and there wasn't much meat.
He also wanted to borrow 500 yuan from Shang Yongzhou, saying that some classmates would come over in a few days and he wanted to go out and play with them.
Shang Yongzhou said nothing throughout the whole process.
Lu Yanhe kept chattering like a nagging man.
"No way, brother, you won't even lend me this little money?"
"I promise to pay you back."
……
Throughout the opening, the characters of the two brothers stand out. One is active, the other is quiet, one is restrained, the other is extroverted. Through the images, the script, which Chen Ziyan praised as being very neat, really showed its goodness at this moment.
For the entire first fifteen minutes, which is the period when Lu Yanhe is behaving really badly, there is hardly a single close-up shot of him.
Every shot in which he appears is from Shang Yongzhou's perspective, which makes it seem as if his noise is just a background sound.
The tone of the film is still immersed in the heaviness and depression of Shang Yongzhou facing a terminal illness.
Lu Yanhe's performance was like a shadow play viewed from a distance across the river.
The more lively the shadow play on the other side of the river, the more obvious the quietness and loneliness on this side of the river become.
It was not until Lu Yanhe was coerced and lured by Shang Yongzhou into getting into the car and began to accompany Shang Yongzhou on the road to review his life and make up for his regrets that Lu Yanhe had his first close-up shot when he was surprised to learn that Shang Yongzhou was going to meet the friend who had betrayed him.
That was also the first time, after more than ten fucking minutes, that Lu Yanhe showed his true emotions in this movie.
From Lu Yanhe's perspective, Shang Yongzhou's gloomy face was blurred in the camera for the first time, blurring into the face of a typhoid patient as if seen through a dusty window.
……
Lu Yanhe has watched many movies and has been moved by the director's techniques, the actors' performances, the exquisiteness of the scripts, and the beauty of the photography.
But he hardly realized that movies can also present a kind of structural beauty on the screen.
This movie is about the transformation of two people.
One is that terminally ill patients live towards death to make up for the regrets in life.
One is a spiritual journey for those who are causing trouble on the outside and feeling hopeless about life on the inside, to regain their faith in life.
Such a theme, as Chen Ziyan said, is grand and classic, and cannot be expressed in a joking way. It may even seem outdated to many people today.
But its existence has irreplaceable significance.
In the movie "Paths of Glory", the importance of actors' performances is far greater than in movies of other themes.
Because it has no fig leaf and no auxiliary tools to rely on.
The emotions of the movie depend entirely on the performances of the two actors, which push them forward inch by inch until they reach the corresponding scale in order to strike a bell in the hearts of the audience.
……
It is freezing cold in the wilderness.
They were trapped in the mountains and could only huddle in the car to keep warm.
Lu Yanhe's emotions were out of control, and he cursed out words of dissatisfaction one after another like taking out garbage.
Shang Yongzhou remained silent and did not refute a word.
When Lu Yanhe got tired of scolding me, he finally fell silent for a while. Suddenly, I heard his puzzled voice again. He asked, "I've been scolding you for so long, but you didn't even hit me. What's wrong with you?"
After two seconds, Shang Yongzhou said, "You still have the energy to scold me, which means you still have plenty of energy and can continue to hold on."
Lu Yanhe gritted his teeth and cursed.
……
He was about to leave in a rage and almost fell off the cliff. After being rescued, he felt ashamed and angry. This was the highlight of Lu Yanhe's performance.
His grievances, anger, annoyance and self-loathing were presented in distinct layers.
This surprised Lu Yanhe.
Fu Kai actually captured all his emotional changes accurately.
When filming, Fu Kai did not communicate with him about what he wanted the scene to look like.
Therefore, the scenes that Lu Yanhe imagined were not even as specific and detailed as those presented in the movie.
……
But as Lu Yanhe learns more and more about his cousin's past in the movie, his attitude also changes subtly.
He slowly accepted this difficult journey down memory lane.
During this trip down memory lane, he discovered that the excellent cousin his family members had described had a terrible past, had made wrong decisions, and had selfishly hurt others. The more he understood him, the more he couldn't understand why his cousin had embarked on such a journey.
Why did this perfect life that could have been concealed forever suddenly reveal its shattered truth in front of him?
"I've hated you since I was a kid. No, I should say I'm annoyed by you." One sleepless night, Lu Yanhe suddenly spoke in the darkness, "You're the kind of kid from other people's families that I hate the most. My mom has always said how good and capable you are since I was a kid. Every time I do something, she always uses you as an example to teach me a lesson."
Shang Yongzhou turned his back to Lu Yanhe and said in a deep voice, "Then why don't you come to my place every time you have a holiday?"
"My mother will only agree if you come to my place." Lu Yanhe smacked his lips, "I really should let my mother accompany you on this trip so that she can see it with her own eyes."
A very unconvinced tone.
Shang Yongzhou said: "It's okay, your mother will soon understand that there are more important things in life than so-called excellence and success."
"Where did you copy this inspirational quote from?"
Shang Yongzhou didn't say anything.
"But, brother, are you hiding something from me? I always feel that you are acting strange recently. Are you upset? Were you dumped or fired?"
Shang Yongzhou: "What about you?"
"What am I?"
"Why do you deliberately make yourself look unlearned and trouble-making?" Shang Yongzhou asked.
"Intentionally? This is my nature. I'm not as good as you. Brother, you have to learn to accept the fact that not everyone in this world is as qualified as you to pursue excellence."
"I don't know whether others are qualified or not, but you have always been qualified," Shang Yongzhou said.
"Pull it down."
"If you hadn't been desperately holding onto the railing and climbing up when you fell off the cliff, I sometimes felt that you were almost giving up on your life."
Lu Yanhe was silent for a long, long time before he said, "Why do you intellectuals always say things that are hard for people to understand?"
……
Then, one unexpected afternoon when the cloudy weather finally cleared up, Lu Yanhe found Shang Yongzhou's terminal illness notice in his car.
He was so frightened and at a loss what to do that he sat stupidly in his seat, not able to come to his senses for a long time.
Fu Kai used a set of shots that switched back and forth here.
He did not keep the camera on Lu Yanhe all the time, but moved back and forth between Lu Yanhe in the car and Shang Yongzhou who was standing in front of the newsstand across the street buying something.
Lu Yanhe is at a loss in the shadows, and Shang Yongzhou is calm and peaceful in the sunshine.
The back-and-forth movement of the three groups of shots creates an emotional transmission like still waters running deep.
……
At night, in the hotel, Shang Yongzhou woke up in the middle of the night and heard Lu Yanhe sobbing in the bathroom.
He subconsciously opened his mouth to ask something, then realized something and closed it again.
A ray of light leaked through the crack of the toilet door, coldly and obliquely cutting under Shang Yongzhou's eyebrows.
His pupils seemed to be emotionless, but contained an unfathomable depression.
The shadow of death is always around us. All we can do is let ourselves accept the fact step by step, rather than facing it calmly.
Fear is ever-present.
……
At the end of the holiday, Lu Yanhe returned to his hometown and said goodbye to Shang Yongzhou.
He did not mention to Shang Yongzhou that he had seen the terminal illness notice, and Shang Yongzhou did not mention it either.
The two people remained silent tacitly.
In the movie, Lu Yanhe's mother came to pick up Lu Yanhe, and as always, she expressed her love for Shang Yongzhou, but she couldn't help but complain about Lu Yanhe.
Amid his mother's endless complaints, Lu Yanhe returned to his rebellious and undisciplined state.
Shang Yongzhou saw them off and when they reached the station entrance, Shang Yongzhou handed the luggage to Lu Yanhe.
"Do you know how to get rid of other people's chatter?" Shang Yongzhou asked Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe looked annoyed: "I don't know."
"You have two paths. One path is to work hard to climb to a height where you can no longer hear other people's chatter. The other path is to find a coffin to bury yourself in and rest in peace forever." Shang Yongzhou said, "While you have a choice, choose one carefully."
Lu Yanhe was stunned for a moment, shook his head and looked to the side.
"What kind of dark chicken soup for success is this?"
"Don't be so desperate just because you look down on success studies. Everyone has times when they want to give up on themselves and rebel against the world." Shang Yongzhou patted Lu Yanhe's shoulder, "But what kind of life you want to have is never about what you rebel against, but what you create."
Lu Yanhe was stunned for two seconds and gave Shang Yongzhou a middle finger.
His mother slapped him on the back of the head, "Put your hands down!"
Lu Yanhe followed his mother into the station cursing.
After Shang Yongzhou watched them go in, suddenly, Lu Yanhe raised his hand again.
The raised middle finger stood out in the crowded crowd.
……
Three months later, on a rainy day, Lu Yanhe attended his funeral.
-
Schmidt Lawley, the boss of Green Valley Films in the United States, was brought to see this Chinese-language film by Tom White, head of HP's Asia-Pacific region.
As the owner of a medium-sized film company in the United States, Schmidt Lawley has always been accustomed to purchasing films with market potential at major film festivals, buying the distribution rights, and having Green Valley Films act as the agent for distribution.
Before coming, Schmidt Lawley murmured to Tom White: "Tom, I know you are paying close attention to the Asia-Pacific market, but you know that Asian films have not been selling well at the box office in the United States."
Tom White said, "Schmidt, I'm not here to ask you to buy a movie. I'm here to invite you to watch Lu Yanhe's performance."
"Lu Yanhe? Isn't that a Chinese actor you've praised several times?"
"Yes," Tom White said, "believe me, you won't be disappointed if you go see this movie and see his performance."
Schmidt Laurie walked into the cinema with a skeptical attitude and watched this Chinese-language movie with everyone else.
By the time the movie was over, when Schmidt Laurie was still in shock, many of the audience had already stood up and started applauding.
"Oh, where do these film festival audiences come from? Do their enthusiasm for applause come from the fact that their public relations managers pay them?" Schmidt Laurie couldn't help but complain.
Tom White smiled and shook his head, and asked, "Don't you think this movie is well made?"
"Oh, maybe Europeans would like this style of film, but I've never been interested in it," Schmidt Lawley said. "Believe me, Tom, this movie will never make more than $500,000 in the United States."
"I know." Tom White nodded, "but today is my second time watching this movie."
"Huh?" Schmidt Lawley was surprised and asked, "You've already seen this movie once? Are you willing to watch it a second time?"
Tom White asked: "Schmidt, do you know why I dragged you to see this movie?"
"Just tell me directly, don't keep me in suspense."
"I went to the special screenings - the ones for the press and critics, you know? I heard four or five critics say that this movie should be in the main competition," Tom White said. "And Tom Wynne of Variety said that this movie is the kind of movie that is best suited for awards."
Schmidt Lawley frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Tom White said: "I remember you said that you also want to run a film that can impact the Oscars. I think that Glory Road is your best choice at the moment, no matter its subject matter, style or the feedback it received at the Venice International Film Festival. You can get the distribution rights of this film at the lowest cost and start your journey to the Oscars."
Schmidt Lawley looked at Tom White in disbelief: "Are you crazy? This is a Chinese-language film. Are you going to win an Oscar with it?"
"Two years ago, a South Korean film received three nominations for Best Picture, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Editing," said Tom White. "It's not a mainstream Oscar choice, but you and I both know that in recent years, the Oscars have been paying more and more attention to internationalization. If you want to use an American film to impact the Oscars, do you think you can compete with those giant promoters? Paths of Glory can be a card in your hand that is unconventional and in line with the current Oscar options."
Schmidt Lawley fell into deep thought.
"Let's go. I'll make an appointment with Yan He later. We'll go talk to the creators of this movie. You don't have to rush to make a decision. Let's talk first." Tom White said, "Schmidt, although this movie is not your favorite style, you can definitely see how much this movie fits the taste of the Oscars in recent years. Don't miss the opportunity to knock on the door of the Oscars because of your prejudice."
Schmidt Lawley looked at Tom White helplessly.
"You should really be a public relations person," he said.
-
The screening room was too busy.
Although Lu Yanhe also knew that the applause at the scene did not mean anything - it was because thunderous applause was too common at film festival screenings. Unless the film was so bad that everyone left halfway and did not want to finish watching it, otherwise, the audience at the film festival was generally very tolerant and willing to use the warmest encouragement to praise the creators of these films.
This is one of the reasons why filmmakers tend to feel more honored at film festivals.
Despite this, Lu Yanhe was still moved and excited by the applause.
It actually takes a long process from shooting a film to the time the film meets the audience.
As an actor, his efforts have been paid on the set.
Then, after several months, or even a year or two, it takes shape and meets the world.
The actors didn't know what the film would be like, and they watched it with the audience feeling nervous, excited, uneasy and expectant.
If the film is well made, the excitement and emotion at that moment is feedback after a long time, and it is the satisfaction of being recognized for your efforts and hard work.
Lu Yanhe proudly thanked everyone, with a smile on his face that never faded.
Ning Xiulian nodded and clapped appreciatively, leaned over from the third row and said to Lu Yanhe, "You performed very well!"
In the noisy environment, Lu Yanhe heard her praise and encouragement and thanked her with a smile.
After the screening, they were taken backstage by staff.
"Congratulations, this film has won everyone's praise." The staff said to them with a smile.
According to the standard process of the film festival, a participating film not only has a premiere, but also has media photo sessions, media meetings, journalist interviews and other links.
This is also one of the most core tasks of film creators at the film festival.
Both Shang Yongzhou and Lu Yanhe are already familiar with the process and know it very well.
Fu Kai was participating for the first time, and he was a little overwhelmed. He would ask Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou some detailed questions from time to time. But the audience's reaction obviously exceeded his expectations, and he never relaxed. His emotions continued to be excited after the screening, and when answering questions from reporters, he was also very talkative and talked nonstop.
Seeing this, Lu Yanhe basically did not answer proactively, and only answered a sentence or two when he was called.
This is basically the situation when attending a film festival for the first time.
Lu Yanhe understood very well.
Of course, at the media meeting, Yongshan Hesan, who was deliberately looking for trouble, still appeared.
Yong Shanhe asked Lu Yanhe three times: "I heard that you and another leading actor, Mr. Shang Yongzhou, are known as the two top male actors in China. This time, you two top male actors worked together to shoot this movie "Road to Glory". Why was it shortlisted in the Horizon Unit instead of the Main Competition Unit?"
Full of provocation.
Lu Yanhe laughed twice and said, "Mr. Yongshan Hesan really never misses any opportunity to find fault with me. I can't help but reflect on myself. What excessive things have I done to Mr. Yongshan Hesan that made him so persistent in targeting me."
The fact that Lu Yanhe and Yongshanhe were at odds with each other became known to many media outlets through their battles that had been reported by global media before.
Lu Yanhe spoke frankly, which made everyone laugh.
He smiled and said, "Mr. Yongshan Hesan asked the wrong person about this question. You should ask Mr. Picarozzi. It is his decision which category each film is shortlisted for. For us creators, it is not important which category the film is shortlisted for. What is important is whether we can get positive feedback from everyone after the screening. I am very happy that our film "Road to Glory" has done it. This is the first film that Director Fu Kai, Shang Yongzhou and I have worked on together. It has received such warm praise in Venice. We are full of gratitude and thank everyone for their encouragement. In the future, we will continue to persist in creation, strive to create more good works, and meet more people."
He ignored Nagayama and Kazuzo's questions and turned the topic to the movie itself.
His answer was also applauded by others.
How can we not like such a talented and humble young actor?
At the scene, Tom White and Schmidt Lawley stood in the back and listened to Lu Yanhe responding to Yongshan Hesan's malicious questions in fluent English and with ease and calmness.
Tom White looked at Schmidt Lawley and said, "Here's a lead actor who is very good at dealing with people. This is something you don't often meet. Talented people often have difficulty getting along with others, but he is different."
Schmidt Lawley looked at Tom White in confusion: "Tom, why are you so eager to recommend him and "Road to Glory" to me?"
Tom White said: "Because he has a close cooperative relationship with HP, his success also means my success. Of course, if you are willing to be his promoter, it will also be your success."
Tom White finished speaking to Schmidt Lawley in a seemingly relaxed but actually confident tone, and smiled slightly.
"The film and television industry is always dominated by a very small number of people," said Tom White. "It is a collective creation industry, but it is also dominated by key people. Lu Yanhe is such a person. You may not believe what I say, but you can definitely try it once. It doesn't cost you too much."
"The Olympic Games have never been a competition that can be won with a small investment."
"Competing for the Olympics is not a 100-meter sprint, but a long-distance marathon. If you see no hope, you can give up as soon as possible." Tom White said, "But if you can see hope, you will naturally keep increasing your efforts." (End of this chapter)
