Chapter 696: Not Enough Leave
The first Shanghai International Film Festival has concluded successfully. As China's first international film festival, the Shanghai International Film Festival was an unprecedented success.
167 films were registered, 24 films were selected for the main competition unit, and the 4 winning works came from different countries and regions around the world, fully demonstrating the internationality, inclusiveness and diversity of the Shanghai International Film Festival.
During the film festival, nearly a thousand domestic and foreign filmmakers attended the event, including international movie stars such as Sophia Loren, Robert Benigni, Deborah Raffin, and Gong Li.
During the 8-day film festival, 8 film screening venues including Shanghai Cinema, Grandview Cinema, Hengshan Cinema, etc. presented 574 films to the people of Shanghai, attracting more than 220,000 viewers.
In terms of the most critical film festival copyright contract signing amount, the Shanghai International Film Festival broke the barriers of new film festivals, and many international production companies contributed a total of 140 million yuan in contract signings to the film festival.
In the few days before and after the end of the film festival, the Shanghai International Film Festival has been the focus of domestic media, especially Shanghai's surrounding media.
The Shanghai International Film Festival reportedly was a scene of great prosperity, harmony, victory and grandeur.
But few people know the unknown side of the film festival. After the Shanghai International Film Festival ended, Lin Weimin’s "bad reputation" once again spread throughout the Chinese film industry.
It is said that because people advised him to give the award to foreigners, he pointed at the noses of the leading cadres of the organizing committee and scolded them at the meeting, accusing them of having "comprador mentality" and "fawning on foreigners for fame and fortune", with one hat bigger than the other.
This kind of gossip spreads the fastest. After the news spread, many people in the cultural circle were full of contempt for Lin Weimin's vulgar and narrow values.
How can such a narrow-minded writer with no international vision deserve his international fame?
It’s a good thing he wasn’t made the director of the Film Bureau, otherwise he would have produced a bunch of model operas in the future?
But more people had a positive attitude towards Lin Weimin after hearing these rumors. Some people took out the list of winners of the film festival and studied it, and easily found that it matched the rumors.
"Sunny Days" should be the movie that Lin Weimin strongly supports, right?
My goodness! If it weren’t for Lin Weimin’s support, none of our own would have won a single award at the film festival held in China.
If the quality of the movie is poor, no one can complain. After all, we can't do anything that would make people feel bad.
But "Sunny Days" just won the Silver Bear Award at the Venice Film Festival. Although your Shanghai International Film Festival also has the word "international" in its name, there must be a gap in standard between you and others, right?
No one can find fault with giving "Sunny Days" a Best Picture award.
After understanding the twists and turns of the film festival, many people sighed in their hearts that internationalism and artistic exchange are all nonsense. If a film festival is held on one's own turf and one's own people can't even win an award, then what's the difference between it and a colony?
Thanks to Lin Weimin!
After returning to Yanjing, Lin Weimin ignored the news and public opinion from the outside world.
He had a three-month vacation. He went to Guangzhou for a month and then went to Shanghai for half a month. Half of the vacation was gone, but he hadn't even finished writing half of the content of his novel.
During the week after returning to Yenching from Shanghai, Lin Weimin stayed in seclusion writing and did not allow anyone to disturb him.
Unfortunately, sometimes things don't go as planned.
The more he wanted to write quietly, the more things came to him.
On the evening of the last day of the month, a phone call from the United States brought Lin Weimin out of his study.
The caller was Roger Strauss of FSG Publishing.
After Richard Yates passed away last year, Lin Weimin talked to Roger Strauss about publishing a collection of Richard Yates's works.
Richard Yates' works have never been well received in the American book market, and publishing a collection of his works would most likely result in a loss, but since Lin Weimin asked for it, Roger Strauss agreed.
He first contacted Richard Yates's daughters and obtained their authorization. After more than half a year of editing and nearly a year of preparation, "The Collected Works of Richard Yates" is finally about to be published.
Roger Strauss set the date for the release of "The Collected Works of Richard Yates" on November 7 this year, which happens to be the first anniversary of Richard Yates' death.
The purpose of publishing the collection of essays on this day is naturally for publicity.
Including the phone call to Lin Weimin, when Roger Strauss was communicating with Lin Weimin about the promotional strategy for "The Collected Works of Richard Yates", he mentioned that he hoped to play the "emotional card".
Now, Roger Strauss has completed the collection of essays as promised, and all he needs is Lin Weimin's cooperation.
Roger Strauss's publication of "The Collected Works of Richard Yates" was in any case a favor to Lin Weimin at his request. Now that it was time to promote it, it would be unreasonable for him not to go.
In addition to cooperating with the promotion of "The Collected Works of Richard Yates", Roger Strauss also invited Lin Weimin to the United States for another purpose, which was to hold a book signing event.
"Spirited Away" has been published in the United States for nearly a year. In the first three or four months of its release, its sales and influence have been lukewarm, with sales of about 20,000 to 30,000 copies per month.
Until May, the sales of the novel climbed month by month, 50,000 copies, 100,000 copies, 200,000 copies, 300,000 copies...
As of October, the monthly sales of "Spirited Away" have reached nearly 400,000 copies, and the cumulative sales have exceeded 1.6 million copies.
It took nearly a year to reach sales of 1.6 million copies, making it a definite bestseller in the U.S. book market.
But what is even more frightening is the potential shown by "Spirited Away". Since May, its sales have maintained rapid growth, and it has increased month-on-month. At least for now, there is no sign of stopping.
If this momentum could continue for a year, Roger Strauss even felt that "Spirited Away" might be able to achieve the feat of selling tens of millions of copies in the United States before "Farewell My Concubine".
In the past, he always envied Random House for getting the most profitable work in Lin Weimin's series, "Farewell My Concubine". Now with "Spirited Away", he no longer has to envy Random House.
Roger Strauss was extremely grateful that he was able to bring Lin Weimin over from Random House. He founded FSG Publishing for more than 40 years, and "Spirited Away" is the first FSG book that is expected to sell over 10 million copies.
This is definitely a milestone good news for FSG Publishing.
Not only that, "Spirited Away" will also bring strong cash flow to FSG Publishing and himself.
Children's literature in particular has the characteristic of being everlasting. Roger Strauss sometimes even imagined that decades later, even if he passed away, "Spirited Away" would still bring FSG Publishing a steady stream of profits.
He knew that these were not his delusions, but facts that were very likely to come true.
But the fact that this is possible is based on one premise, that is, maintaining a good relationship with Lin Weimin.
Roger Strauss already had some ideas about how to maintain a good relationship with Lin Weimin.
"Going out again?"
Before going to bed at night, Tao Huimin heard Lin Weimin say that he might have to go to the United States soon, and her attitude was somewhat resistant.
"I can't help it. I promised a good person."
"You only had three months of vacation in total, one month in Guangzhou, half a month in Shanghai, and now you're going to the United States. You didn't even stay at home for a few days!"
After Lin Weimin hugged her and coaxed her for a few words, Tao Huimin's face brightened up.
"By the way, then are your vacation days not enough?" Tao Huimin suddenly asked.
"It's definitely not enough. Richard's collection launch is scheduled for November 7th, and we have to promote it after that."
"What should we do then?"
"Please ask for leave!"
"Please?"
"Before I was forced to take a vacation, but this time I took the initiative. It's different." Lin Weimin said guiltily.
The next day, Lin Weimin held the telephone receiver in his hand and heard Lao Cheng's roar from the other end.
"How many months has it been? How many months? Still asking for leave?"
"I stopped for three months. Do you know how I spent these three months?"
"You're still going to the United States? Did you know that you're suspended from work? Why don't you go to heaven?"
"Guangzhou is not enough for you to go to, Shanghai is not enough for you to go to, you still want to go to the United States? You have been suspended for three months, you don't go there for so long, and you have to go to work soon, and you are going to the United States?
What do you mean? Ah, what do you mean? "
…
President Cheng chattered incessantly on the phone, fully expressing his support and affirmation for Editor-in-Chief Lin's request for leave. Editor-in-Chief Lin also verbally expressed his understanding and gratitude to President Cheng. The call ended in a harmonious and pleasant exchange.
Lin Weimin shook his head. It was just a request for leave, but you kept pestering me. It seemed like I had done something that would enrage God and man.
A few days after leaving the United States, Lin Weimin simply put aside the novel and concentrated on playing with his wife and children for two days, and then met up with friends.
By early November, he boarded a plane to the United States.
This was Lin Weimin's third visit to New York City. Roger Strauss personally went to the airport to pick him up.
This time, because he was invited by Roger Strauss, Lin Weimin did not have the treatment of staying in the Dakota Apartments. Instead, he was arranged by Roger Strauss to stay at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on the Upper West Side.
After a night's rest, the next day Roger Strauss and his men discussed with Lin Weimin his itinerary in the United States for the next period of time.
Lin Weimin had two missions in his visit to the United States this time. One was to support the launch of the "Collected Works of Richard Yates" and the other was to attend the book signing event for "Spirited Away".
His first stop in the United States was an exclusive interview with The New York Times.
Lin Weimin's last interview with The New York Times was arranged by Random House, and this time it was arranged by FSG Publishing. The focus of the two interviews was also different.
The last time the publicity focus was on him, but this time, it was to highlight the friendship between Lin Weimin and Richard Yates, two Chinese and American writers.
(End of this chapter)
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