Chapter 374 Premiere (10,000-word update, including bonus chapter!)
Before heading to Venice, Lu Yanhe unexpectedly witnessed Huang Kairen and Xin Zixing's official announcement of their relationship.
Undoubtedly, this news was like a landmine, causing a major earthquake in the entertainment industry.
Huang Kairen's name quickly became a trending topic on various social media platforms.
Xin Zixing's name also appeared on the trending searches.
This is something they had been preparing to announce officially for a long time.
Lu Yanhe made a phone call to each of them.
Huang Kairen and Xin Zixing both sounded fine on the phone, clearly having anticipated everything that was happening.
However, Huang Kairen still couldn't help but complain to Lu Yanhe, saying, "My company people are still advising me not to go public with the relationship. They really don't consider my feelings at all and are still trying to convince me that going public with the relationship will affect my career."
Lu Yanhe: "It's okay, Brother Huang. Tell them that you have 'My Own Swordsman' coming up. Even if all your fans leave because of your relationship, this show will bring you even more fans than before. Just say that Lu Yanhe is particularly arrogant and his confidence in this show is so high that it's practically out of the sky. You can see how popular this show will be in the future. Tell them to stop bothering you."
Huang Kairen burst into laughter on the phone.
"Xiao Lu, I wish you a triumphant return from Venice. I'll come find you again when you come back." Ever since Huang Kairen had a private conversation with Lu Yanhe about his public relationship with Xin Zixing, his trust and closeness to Lu Yanhe have clearly increased.
In fact, even top stars like Huang Kairen are like this; it's rare for them to have true friends.
You never know which person who appears in your life might have ulterior motives.
And you can no longer face others with a pure heart.
Huang Kairen never expected that he and Lu Yanhe would become friends in a way that went beyond ordinary relationships.
This is also because Lu Yanhe doesn't need anything from him. Therefore, Huang Kairen has no business wariness towards Lu Yanhe.
After several interactions with Lu Yanhe, Huang Kairen felt more at ease with Lu Yanhe's character.
-
As for Xin Zixing, she completely ignored the online uproar about her.
“I know there will be a lot of criticism, but I’m too lazy to look at it,” Xin Zixing said with a smile. “I’m working on the short film project I mentioned to you before, and I’m completely immersed in my work. I simply don’t have time to check what’s going on online.”
Lu Yanhe: "Okay, it's good that you're alright. If you can't stand the insults directed at you, please don't impulsively argue back. I think Brother Huang must have told you about this too."
"Don't worry, although I'm not as battle-hardened as you celebrities, I've at least had one foot in the entertainment industry. Don't I have that much awareness?" Xin Zixing laughed. "Don't worry about me. Everything's fine here. Don't worry. When are you going to Venice? It's been open for several days now, why haven't you shown up yet? Our colleagues at Yemai.com are waiting for you to come and get some exclusives to drive traffic to our Yemai.com."
Lu Yanhe: "We'll set off tomorrow."
"Tsk, alright, I'll tip my colleagues off right away and have them take pictures of you at the airport before you leave," Xin Zixing said. "Dress smartly, so don't come looking for trouble if they take bad pictures of you."
Lu Yanhe smiled and said okay.
-
Lu Yanhe had never been to Italy, let alone Venice.
I had heard that this was a water city, and I had also seen its romance in movies and TV dramas.
But when he actually arrived there, he was still surprised by what he saw.
This is a cityscape I've never seen before.
It is not the bustling metropolis of modern cities, but a kind of exotic liveliness.
There are many small shops, and many tourists.
Especially with the recent opening of the Venice International Film Festival, it has attracted a lot of people.
Of course, the Venice International Film Festival is not held in the city center, but on the island of Lido, which is some distance away.
It usually takes another fifteen minutes by public boat to reach Lido Island.
Longyan Film Company chartered a sea taxi for Lu Yanhe to pick him up and drop him off.
-
As the sunlight shone on Lu Yanhe along with the sea breeze, news of Lu Yanhe's arrival in Venice by private jet was also published in China.
White Bird Entertainment published more than a dozen photos of Lu Yanhe boarding a private jet. They were obviously taken secretly, and the angles were not good. From many angles, Lu Yanhe's face was not even clearly visible.
The report didn't say anything else, but it subtly pointed out that Lu Yanhe now has a grand lifestyle, even arranging a private jet for his trip to Venice.
This revelation has garnered quite a bit of attention.
These days, once celebrities are associated with labels like "rich," "flaunting wealth," or "ostentatious," they're not far from being criticized.
Lu Yanhe usually has a very good image and is well-liked by the public, so when "White Bird Entertainment" first published these articles, many people were still taking a wait-and-see attitude and did not immediately start criticizing him.
However, some haters, seeing this opportunity, couldn't help but start gleefully attacking.
The criticisms weren't new either. They said that Lu Yanhe usually appeared to be a virtuous and exemplary young man, but in reality, he was someone who enjoyed life and liked to show off. He even took a private jet to Venice, which was too extravagant, and so on.
This rebuttal, however, drew criticism from some, who countered: "What does your love of luxury have to do with you? Did I spend your money?"
Some minor arguments.
Xingyu's online public opinion monitoring department took notice and reported it.
The public relations department assessed the situation and concluded that it wouldn't pose a major problem.
-
Not long after, White Bird Entertainment published another report.
The film "White Pearl" premiered in Venice, receiving polarized reviews from critics, but Chen Pinhe's acting was unanimously praised.
At the press conference, the film's creators sat on the stage, answering questions from media outlets around the world.
Chen Pinhe is the one who has received the most attention.
One Chinese media outlet asked, "I heard that you didn't receive any payment for your role in 'White Pearl.' Is that true?"
“It wasn’t easy to make the movie ‘White Pearl’. When the director approached me, he asked if I could lower my salary a bit. I asked how much, and the director said that the production budget for the movie was less than ten million. I said I would read the script first. After reading the script, I told the director that this was a script I would act in even without a salary.” Chen Pinhe said with a smile, “This is the source of the rumor that I didn’t take a salary. In fact, the director still paid me.”
He turned to Director Mingjiang and smiled, “Director, it took you many years to prepare this film. After all, the market for realistic art films like this is relatively small. But the director insisted on making this film. I admire the director’s spirit. As for salary and such, I have been acting for so many years, and it is no longer my main consideration. Having a good director, a good script, and a good team are what I mainly consider.”
Another reporter asked, "The film 'White Pearl' tells the story of a man who works in the garden of a wealthy family and develops a romantic relationship with the lady of the house, only to be misunderstood by her son. The film clearly attempts to discuss topics such as wealth and poverty, men and women, and human nature. Director, what inspired you to make such a story?"
Yu Mingjiang pondered for a moment before replying, "What inspired me to make this film is not important; what matters is what I express in the movie."
"In the film, the female protagonist, played by Xu Minyin, feels lonely due to marital discord and actively seduces the gardener, played by Chen Pinhe," an Italian journalist asked. "However, there don't seem to be many erotic scenes in the film. Is this because China's censorship system cut out these scenes?"
Yu Mingjiang shook his head in denial, saying, "My film explores emotional matters, not lust. I know that many films involving male-female relationships include scenes to express the connection and intimacy between them, but that has nothing to do with my film. If they are simply getting close to each other out of sex and hormones, then it's vulgar."
However, Yu Mingjiang's answer sparked a lot of discussion among the foreign journalists present, as if it had raised questions.
Yu Mingjiang had no idea what he said that elicited such a strong reaction from them.
-
Anyone with a basic understanding of the history and culture of art and culture in Europe and America will find that eroticism is a means by which many of their works express art.
Yu Mingjiang may not have realized it when he said these words, but they gave people the impression that "erotic scenes are vulgar".
This really stirred up a hornet's nest.
Following the press conference, many media outlets commented on Mingjiang's remarks.
Almost all of them said that Yu Mingjiang's thinking was outdated and that he was stuck in a conservative and feudal era.
The film "White Pearl" has also become controversial.
When Lu Yanhe arrived at Lido Island, it was a time when the film and director Yu Mingjiang were being hotly discussed by everyone.
Lu Yanhe was helped ashore by Zou Dong and Wang Biao, one on each side. The scene was somewhat comical, and many people took pictures nearby.
There were quite a few Chinese movie fans here. Some of them knew in advance that Lu Yanhe would be arriving today, so they made a special trip to come.
Longyan Film Industry specially arranged for someone to come and pick him up.
There were many people at the scene, and many were still greeting Lu Yanhe.
Yan He, are you alright?
"Take good care of yourself."
"Go for it this time, and win the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival!"
...
The sounds at the scene were varied and numerous.
Lu Yanhe was unable to respond to each one, especially since he was currently unable to move around easily and walked slowly, so he could only move forward slowly while smiling back.
He took off his sunglasses and said to the people next to him, "My injury hasn't fully healed yet, so my walking posture must look really ugly right now. Please don't post videos of me walking so awkwardly online."
Everyone laughed.
"Not ugly, not ugly at all."
"Slow down, you seem to be in quite serious condition."
When will your injury heal?
...
Lu Yanhe, supported by Zou Dong, slowly moved forward.
"I'm almost fully recovered, I'm just walking a little slowly, but it doesn't hurt anymore." He reassured his fans, "Don't stay here, I'm going to the hotel soon, see you tomorrow."
The fans escorted Lu Yanhe all the way to the car door.
"Bye-Bye."
"You really need to be careful, don't push yourself too hard."
Before getting into the car, Lu Yanhe turned around and waved to them.
Bye-bye, see you tomorrow.
Lu Yanhe was surprised by the fans' enthusiasm.
I didn't expect there to be so many Chinese people in Venice.
Once in the car, Lu Yanhe learned from Wang Biao that "White Bird Entertainment" had reported that he had arrived in Venice by private jet.
Wang Biao said, "This 'White Bird Entertainment' seems to have always been a bit unfriendly to you."
"Hmm? Why do you say that?" Lu Yanhe actually already knew, but he didn't expect Wang Biao to find out so quickly as well.
Wang Biao said, "This isn't the first time. Every time they report on you, Brother Lu, although they don't directly and openly smear you or say anything bad, the content always guides you towards a negative image. This time, they wrote it as if you have a grand entourage. The last time they reported on your date with Sister Siqi, it also made it seem like you didn't care about Sister Siqi at all. You were always looking down at your phone. In every photo, Sister Siqi was smiling at you, while you were expressionless."
Lu Yanhe laughed, "You're quite perceptive. It's true that the media outlet 'White Bird Entertainment' isn't very friendly to me, but I don't know why."
“He must be jealous of your great achievements, Brother Lu,” Wang Biao said decisively.
"Could it be that I did something wrong and offended them?"
"I don't know them, but I know you," Wang Biao said with boyish innocence. "What did you do wrong? I follow you around every day, don't I know?"
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated, never expecting Wang Biao to say such a thing.
Wang Biao continued to look down at his phone.
"The reviews for 'White Pearl' are very polarized; some people love it, and some people hate it," Wang Biao said. "Brother Lu, have you seen the controversial statement made by director Yu Mingjiang?"
Lu Yanhe: "What did you say? I haven't even read it yet."
He is replying to someone's message.
Wang Biao sent a screenshot to Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe then realized what was going on.
-
"You might get asked by reporters, but don't fall for their trap. Avoid answering any questions about these things and just say you don't know."
After Chen Ziyan met Lu Yanhe at the hotel, the first thing she did was to remind him of this matter.
Lu Yanhe thought to himself, "It seems this matter has quite a significant impact. Otherwise, Chen Ziyan wouldn't have given him this instruction as soon as they met."
"Has this matter caused a lot of discussion?" Lu Yanhe asked directly.
“It’s a bit big,” Chen Ziyan said frankly. “The movie ‘White Pearl’ itself has been disliked by some people. Many people feel that the movie portrays ordinary people, represented by the gardener played by Chen Pinhe, in a dark way. They think that the movie is too tolerant of the rich and too harsh on ordinary people.”
Lu Yanhe had not seen "White Pearl" yet and did not know what the movie was about.
"Okay, then I'll say I haven't seen the movie and don't know the details."
Chen Ziyan nodded.
"Tomorrow is the premiere of 'Late Spring,' and director Yu Mingjiang and Xu Minyin will be there to support it. Don't bring this up in person then, they'll probably be feeling unlucky."
"Okay." Lu Yanhe nodded. "Isn't anyone else coming?"
“Chen Pinhe has other work, and Zuo Xing has returned to China,” Chen Ziyan explained. “Director Yu Mingjiang and Xu Minyin were able to come because Mrs. Huang personally invited them. Otherwise, they might not have come, even though they are competing in the main competition.”
Lu Yanhe said, "I don't know what kind of evaluation 'Late Spring' will receive."
"We'll see how it goes tomorrow," Chen Ziyan said with a smile. "But I reckon the reviews won't be too bad."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because this is Liu Bige's first feature film, and film festivals have always been known to encourage and praise newcomers' feature films, that's the norm. Besides, the film itself is of very high quality; the fact that it was selected for the main competition is enough to prove that."
Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief after hearing what Chen Ziyan said.
"That's good."
Longyan Film Studio is very extravagant; they booked a suite at the Cyprianni Hotel for Lu Yanhe, which costs $8,000 a night.
Chen Ziyan said, "Even Liu Bige's room isn't as nice as yours. Longyan really went all out to invite you here."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Do they have other projects they want to collaborate on with me?"
Otherwise, this trip to Venice alone would have cost him over 200,000.
From the private jet to the accompanying doctor to the hotel, this trip was no cheap affair.
Chen Ziyan paid for her own trip—which was actually Xingyu Entertainment paying for it. However, Longyan covered the travel expenses for Zou Dong and Wang Biao.
Chen Ziyan: "Of course there are. However, the reason they treat you so well is definitely because they want to build a good relationship with you so that they can cooperate in the future. Your cameo in 'Three Mountains' made the entire film industry look forward to your official starring film. This time, 'Late Spring' was shortlisted for Venice. You didn't have a transition period from TV actor to film actor at all. You took it straight. You can imagine the attitude of film companies like Longyan Film Industry towards you."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
After a short rest in his room, Lu Yanhe had to go out to work.
In the evening, Huang Zhongjing, the boss of Longyan Film Industry, hosted a dinner for the main creators of "Late Spring".
This was the first time Lu Yanhe had met Huang Zhongjing and Wen Zhimao, a married couple.
Of course, I had long heard of his great reputation.
Wen Zhimao warmly held Lu Yanhe's hand, asking him if he had felt unwell along the way.
Lu Yanhe said, "Thank you for your arrangements. The journey went very smoothly."
Wen Zhimao said, "Your performance in 'Late Spring' this time was really great. Everyone in our internal screening gave you very high praise. Maybe there will be some surprises in Venice this time."
Lu Yanhe didn't immediately understand what Wen Zhimao meant by "surprise".
"Thank you, Mrs. Wong." He thought to himself, there's no harm in saying thank you.
Wen Zhimao left the seat next to him for Lu Yanhe and pulled him to sit down next to him without saying a word.
Clearly, this is the tactic of the wife of the president of a top film company—she is the one responsible for playing the emotional card when it comes to filmmakers who need to be won over and are worth winning over.
Wen Zhimao asked Lu Yanhe several questions with concern to show that he valued him before letting him go and continuing to chat with Chen Ziyan and Liu Bige.
There were about ten people at one table.
It's quite rare to be able to book a large Chinese round table in such a place.
Miao Yue was also there, sitting next to Liu Bige.
She is the author of the original novel "Late Spring" and also the screenwriter of the film, so it's normal for her to come to this film festival with the film crew.
The other actors were also there, of course.
However, since "Late Spring" has not yet been released, and they haven't encountered any extraordinary events or become famous overnight, few people know them yet.
The atmosphere at this table is quite relaxed.
However, apart from Lu Yanhe, the other actors spoke very little, and were somewhat nervous in front of such important figures as President Huang and Mrs. Huang.
Lu Yanhe then took the initiative to bring up some topics, asking them what they had been doing over the past few months.
To Lu Yanhe's surprise, apart from Yu Lang playing a small role in a movie, none of the others continued acting.
Of course, this is also because they are all still students.
These people are all very good actors; Lu Yanhe has seen it firsthand.
Even if they can't play very complex and rich roles now, they can still deliver excellent performances in the roles they are able to play.
Liu Bige is also very good at coaching actors on set.
They made great progress after filming "Late Spring".
Suddenly, the topic of Liu Bige's next film came up. Liu Bige said, "The script for my next film is almost finished, and Miao Yue has also helped me with a lot of revisions."
Lu Yanhe glanced at Miao Yue with some surprise.
It seems my classmate has become closer to Liu Bige. They've collaborated again.
Huang Zhongjing asked, "Is it that spy story you told me about last time?"
“Yes.” Liu Bige nodded.
Huang Zhongjing asked, "How much budget do you plan to have to make this movie?"
"Fortunately, we don't need to make special effects or any big-budget scenes," Liu Bige said. "We can make it no matter how much money we have; the main thing is that people spend the money."
The people here are actually talking about the money spent on the production team and key creative personnel.
Huang Zhongjing: "Since it's a spy story, let's not be stingy. Let's make this film with the production values of a blockbuster. We fully support you."
Huang Zhongjing showed great generosity towards Liu Bige, whose debut film was nominated for the main competition at the Venice International Film Festival.
In reality, aside from true blockbusters, the production cost of a movie isn't that high. Often, the reported production costs of 100 million or 200 million are significantly exaggerated. Movies that truly require a large budget are usually big-budget productions with spectacular scenes or numerous special effects—those are the ones that really burn through cash.
Unlike Hollywood, very few actors in China earn 20 million RMB per film. Generally, a top-tier actor's salary for a single film is around 10 million RMB, or even less. There are far fewer actors with the power to command a higher price in film than in television. This is because the latter has a well-established and relatively stable revenue stream, while the former remains very risky; a single misstep could result in box office revenue failing to even reach 10 million RMB.
This has resulted in the current situation where film actors' salaries are not on the same level as those of television actors.
However, top actors generally receive a share of the box office profits. Especially the very top performers; including their share of the profits, it's normal for them to earn hundreds of millions from a single film.
Huang Zhongjing proposed to make this spy film according to the standards of a blockbuster, but Lu Yanhe thought it was probably just talk and a statement.
Given the current domestic film production environment, even if this film uses an all-star cast, the production cost would only be in the tens of millions, and the bulk of that would be in actor salaries.
After dinner, before leaving, Huang Zhongjing went to Lu Yanhe's place and extended a friendly gesture to him.
“Yan He, we should have met a long time ago. Our schedules are quite tight this time. Let’s find an opportunity to have a good talk after we return to China,” Huang Zhongjing said. “I believe we have many projects that we can cooperate on in the future.”
Lu Yanhe had anticipated this, and unsurprisingly, he smiled brightly and agreed.
-
Lu Yanhe took a car back to the hotel.
The road was bustling with noise.
The streets were crowded; the film festival made the small island as lively as a market.
Lu Yanhe said with some regret, "It's a real pity. If I could walk normally, I could have taken a stroll tonight. It's my first time here."
Zou Dong sat down next to him and said, "It's the same next time we come. Let's come again next year."
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated, and said, "Brother Dong, you need to have a film to come to the film festival."
Zou Dong said, "You have many more works to come, and you will definitely continue to come."
Lu Yanhe didn't expect Zou Dong to say that.
The night was enchanting.
Perhaps because he was in a foreign country, everything seemed new and interesting to Lu Yanhe.
Back at the hotel, he sat by the window, gazing at the night view.
Chen Siqi called via video and asked, "Are you done with your social engagements?"
"Just arrived at the hotel," Lu Yanhe said. "And you?"
"It's late at night here, I'm getting ready to go to sleep."
Italy is six hours ahead of China.
"Then you should get some rest. You're sure you'll have a ton of things to do today, right?"
"Yes, there was a bit of that. We had a last-minute class meeting tonight," Chen Siqi said. "I had arranged to discuss the manuscript with Bai Yu, but we didn't meet until after the class meeting, and it went on until very late."
Lu Yanhe: "You're not going to stay up all night tonight, are you?"
“No, not at all,” Chen Siqi said. “After I asked my classmate to help me with some miscellaneous tasks, I had much less to do at work. Before, I had to manage everything, big and small.”
Lu Yanhe: That's good. I see you have so many things to do every day, you're busier than people who actually have a regular job.
“We should be busier than people with regular jobs. We’ve not only produced a monthly magazine, but we’re also expanding into many other business areas,” Chen Siqi said. “I spent two hours at noon today reviewing articles for the Venice Film Festival feature. To seize this opportunity and ride the wave of popularity, we have to work like crazy. Once this window of opportunity is over, even staying up until 3 a.m. every day won’t help. People aren’t paying attention to the Venice International Film Festival all the time.”
Lu Yanhe understood this principle.
"Anyway, you should take it easy."
"How dare you talk to me like that? How busy are you? When is there ever a relaxed month?"
“I’ll be relaxed when I get back from Venice,” Lu Yanhe said. “I’ll do some reshoots for ‘The Silent River’ during the National Day holiday, and then I won’t have any other work until the winter break to shoot ‘The Road to Glory’.”
Chen Siqi: "Hmph, let me put it this way. 'Lost in Thailand' will start filming at the end of the year, and 'Rouge' also wants you to be the male lead. There are also 'My Own Swordsman' and 'Squid Game' in preparation. Even if you don't join any film crews, you won't be able to relax. Don't think you can have a leisurely time."
Lu Yanhe was stunned by what Chen Siqi said.
ha?
Oh yes, there's still so much to do.
There never seems to be enough time.
“I was thinking about when we could go out and have some fun together,” Chen Siqi said. “But it seems like we’ll have to wait until your senior year.”
Indeed, for Lu Yanhe, his junior year was filled with many classes and a lot of pressure.
He has to pass all of these courses if he wants to graduate in his senior year.
Lu Yanhe suddenly felt a little apologetic.
When he and Chen Siqi are together, they really don't have much time to spend together like ordinary couples.
However, with both studies and career keeping him very busy and under a lot of pressure, Lu Yanhe couldn't put these things aside.
Fortunately, Chen Siqi understood what was going on, and the two of them never argued about it.
I only feel regret when I talk about it occasionally.
-
The premiere of "Late Spring".
This film, though one of the main competition entries, was not particularly prominent within the overall Venice International Film Festival.
After all, the only well-known creator of this film is Lu Yanhe, who is currently only popular in China. Not many people overseas know who Lu Yanhe is.
When introducing Lu Yanhe, the official report of the Venice International Film Festival listed his representative work as "Three Mountains".
For people abroad, of Lu Yanhe's works that have been presented to the public, only "Three Mountains" is known to some people because of the Xituer Film Festival.
This also resulted in "Late Spring" having the least star power among the films competing in the main competition.
The film festival's artistic director, Picasso, naturally had to attend.
Apart from him and a few others who served as jury members, almost all the foreign filmmakers who came to show their support were from the French film industry.
Lu Yanhe was monitoring this information in real time on his mobile phone.
They waited in the waiting area.
As key members of the creative team, they wouldn't go in that early.
Therefore, when Lu Yanhe saw many people online asking why there were almost no big stars on the red carpet for "Late Spring", he felt a little sad.
The more attention and exposure a film receives for its global premiere, the better it is for the film.
Just then, Wang Zhong suddenly appeared on the red carpet with three young actors from "Three Mountains".
Their appearance caused a few shouts in the media area.
Chen Ziyan whispered in Lu Yanhe's ear, "The timing of the screening of 'Late Spring' this time is also a disadvantage. The film festival is already in its second half, and many of the stars who came to participate have already left. President Huang and Mrs. Huang originally wanted to find some big stars to support the event, but they could hardly find any."
Lu Yanhe knew that the main reason was that "Late Spring" was a "completely new" film crew to foreign audiences, and it was not well-regarded.
The red carpet at the premiere of "White Pearl" was absolutely dazzling with stars.
On the one hand, the presence of big names like Chen Pinhe and Xu Minyin in the lead roles attracted a lot of media attention, making invited filmmakers willing to attend. On the other hand, they all have their own friends, and some people are willing to support them and appear at the film's premiere.
At this moment, Lu Yanhe actually felt a strange sense of frustration.
Why can't I be more famous and internationally renowned? If so, the premiere of "Late Spring" would probably be much more lively than it is now.
This feeling did not linger in Lu Yanhe's heart for long.
He quickly adjusted his state of mind and didn't let these emotions affect him.
It's alright, ultimately, a movie speaks for itself.
If the movie is bad, even the most spectacular premiere is just a joke.
A good movie can liven up even a deserted house.
Lu Yanhe secretly hoped that today's movie screening would have a good result.
-
Although the premiere was relatively low-profile, media critics were still all present.
Watching each film in the main competition is part of their job.
They need to score each film in the main competition, and the scores in the festival's daily publication are one of the most credible evaluation criteria among the major film festivals.
Before the final results, what guides film fans worldwide's understanding of the films competing in the festival is the festival's daily score, which is composed of scores from media outlets in various countries.
Lin Yu sat in the media area.
She was not an officially invited member of the Venice International Film Festival; she obtained her ticket through the film's distributors. However, her ticket was still reserved for media critics.
Lin Yu usually pays close attention to movies.
As soon as she sat down, she recognized several well-known film critics in the film industry.
For example, Marion Tucci, the chief film critic for the French magazine Cinema.
For example, Tom Wayne, a film critic and columnist for Variety magazine.
They may not be well-known figures to the general public, but to Lin Yu, they are all idols.
Linyu really wanted to get to know them, but she was afraid that it would be too abrupt to strike up a conversation with them.
To everyone's surprise, Tom Wayne turned around and noticed her, flashing a bright smile. "Hey, little beauty, are you Chinese?"
Once the other person started talking, Linyu suddenly felt less nervous.
She had only one thought in her mind: seize the opportunity to get to know him.
"Hi, I'm Chinese, and I'm an editor at 'Jump Up' magazine," Lin Yu introduced herself.
Her English was excellent, with standard pronunciation and a graceful demeanor, which immediately caught Tom Wayne's attention.
He raised his eyebrows in slight confusion and asked, "Jump Up? Is that a new Chinese film magazine?"
“No, it’s a literary magazine, the most popular literary magazine in China right now,” Lin Yu said. “My name is Lin Yu, nice to meet you.”
She took out a business card that she had printed beforehand from her bag, which had her number and email address on it.
“I have always been your reader,” Lin Yu added.
Tom Wayne took the business card and exclaimed in surprise.
"Do you know the director of this movie?" he asked Lin Yu.
“I don’t know the director, I only know the male lead of this movie, Lu Yanhe,” Lin Yu said. “I was his high school classmate.”
“I’ve looked up his information; he’s one of the most popular stars in China right now.”
“Yes,” Lin Yu nodded. “He is also one of the most promising young actors in our country.”
Tom Wayne pursed his lips. "It's a pity I didn't like the movie 'Three Mountains'. I couldn't watch it even before he appeared on screen."
Lin Yu: "I know you prefer movies with a stronger sense of realism, and this tendency is often revealed in your film reviews."
Tom Wayne looked surprised.
At this moment, Marion Tucci, the chief film critic of the French magazine Cinema, suddenly turned around and interjected: "You couldn't be more accurate. He simply doesn't have the eyes to appreciate mystery and the colors of imagination."
Tom Wayne shrugged, making a helpless expression.
Lin Yu smiled and said, "I hope you will like 'Late Spring'."
Marion Tucci looked at Lin Yu with some curiosity and asked, "Have you already seen the movie 'Late Spring'?"
"Not yet," Linyu said.
"Then why would you want us to like 'Late Spring'? Expressing such a preference before even seeing the movie is very subjective."
Lin Yu paused for a moment, then said frankly, "As I just mentioned, the male lead of this movie is my high school classmate, so I hope it's good and that everyone will like it. This is just my personal wish, and I don't mean anything else."
Marion Tucci nodded noncommittally.
At this point, Tom Wayne immediately said, "Hey, Marion, she's just a little girl, be more understanding of her."
"Tom, I'm not like you."
"But we all genuinely love movies, don't we?"
The two argued for a while, and then the lights in the screening room gradually went out.
The movie is about to start.
Lin Yu took a deep breath, focused her attention, and prepared to enter the world of the movie.
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Update is here! We currently have 3200+ monthly votes, an increase of 700 votes from yesterday's 2500+. I have still exceeded my goal of adding more chapters!
It seems the bonus chapters for monthly pass holders can continue.
There are still two days left for the double rewards, so I'll continue with the extra updates.
Same as always, a minimum of 6,000 words per day, plus an extra chapter for every 400 monthly votes. Let's go! Little Lu needs your support, and Little Song needs everyone's support too!
(End of this chapter)
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