Chapter 466 A New Journey
Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou were the only two people who heard Director Fu Kai mutter this.
Both of them couldn't help but chuckle, using applause to mask their smiles, which weren't entirely congratulatory.
Fu Kai went on stage, took out a small piece of paper from his pocket, and said with a smile, "Sorry, my English isn't very good, so I prepared in advance. I didn't expect it to actually come in handy—this sentence was also prepared in advance, hahaha."
The entire audience was amused by this unexpected opening remark.
Fu Kai's acceptance speech was a rough draft he had written down beforehand, which Lin Yu translated for him and wrote on a small piece of paper.
"When I was filming 'Road to Glory,' I never imagined it would be selected for the Horizons section of the Venice International Film Festival. I'm grateful to actors Shang Yongzhou and Lu Yanhe; without them, I doubt the film would have caught the attention of the Venice Film Festival's selectors. I've been a director for many years, not a newcomer, but this is the first time I've actually secured funding to make a film that wasn't directly aimed at box office success. I'm also grateful to Mr. Ruan Qingping of Mountain Pictures; it was because of your support that I was able to make this film." Fu Kai read his acceptance speech from the prepared script, took a deep breath, seemingly wanting to say something more, but hesitated. Then, he held the trophy in his hand, weighed it firmly, said "Thank you" in Chinese, and stepped down from the stage.
Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou sat in the audience and applauded.
Best Film Award in the Horizons section of the Venice International Film Festival.
This is the second international award won by the film starring Lu Yanhe.
Even Ning Xiulian turned around and glanced at Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou.
Let's forget about Shang Yongzhou.
Lu Yanhe's luck in winning awards in recent years has been ridiculously good, to an unbelievable degree.
The media also released the news immediately.
Although the Horizons section may not have the same influence as the main competition, it is still an official competition section of a top film festival. Winning such a major award is an achievement that can be written into one's career.
Guan Suchen immediately posted on Weibo: "Speechless. On the track of international awards, Chen Pinhe in his forties, Shang Yongzhou in his thirties, and Lu Yanhe in his twenties are the three mountains of male actors, whose dominance is unshakable."
Guan Suchen quickly added: "Let's see if 'Happy Time' can elevate Ning Xiulian to god-like status and break the dominance of actresses. However, Ning Xiulian and Chen Bige are similar in age, unlike those male actors, and their career paths are completely different. This means that even if Ning Xiulian wins the Best Actress award at this year's Venice International Film Festival, it will still be difficult to shake Chen Bige's already two Best Actress awards at the four major international film festivals."
Someone commented under Guan Suchen's Weibo post: "What era are we living in? Can't they just work together? Why do they have to make it seem like they're fighting to the death?"
Guan Suchen replied directly: Competition and status always exist, no matter the era. If we work together, then let's not bother with nominations and awards. Let's just give everyone an award. What do you think?
Guan Suchen was also speechless.
Joining hands and moving forward?
If most people in the entertainment industry could work together, there wouldn't be so many cutthroat competition.
Top-tier directors, top-tier scripts, and the biggest investments... there are only a handful of projects like this every year, with far more applicants than available opportunities.
If you don't grab it, why do you expect others not to?
Who's going to talk to you?
The entertainment industry is a very chaotic place. This is not a derogatory term, but a fact. Some actors get roles through auditions, while others get them through connections. No matter how good your acting is, it can't compare to the "feeling" and "temperament" that the director notices at first glance. You might prepare for a role for half a year, only to have to give it up because the start date is delayed and clashes with your schedule.
This is an environment where no one can make a definitive judgment until the very last moment. In such an environment, can you expect to work together towards a common goal?
Who do you think you are?
Li Zhibai and Yan Liang even had a dispute over a variety show called "Supernova Games".
-
After receiving his award, Fu Kai said to Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou with regret, "It's a bit of a pity that you two didn't win the Best Actor award in the Horizons section."
Shang Yongzhou smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's nothing."
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "I'll take it later."
Lu Yanhe silently accepted his worldly perspective—well, if it were the main competition, he might really feel sorry for it. The Best Actor award in the Horizons section is neither appealing nor worth giving up. If he actually won it, he would feel really depressed deep down about why this movie wasn't nominated for the main competition.
He said that the Horizons section is great, so why does it have to be in the main competition? But if you can actually get into the main competition, nobody would want to come to the Horizons section.
Lu Yanhe was simply trying his best to maintain a dignified appearance.
Chen Ziyan sometimes says that he is not as innocent as he used to be.
Lu Yanhe laughed at the time and said, "It's good enough that I can still try to be open-minded. As for being naive, if I were still naive after being in the industry for so long, that wouldn't be naive, that would be stupid."
Chen Ziyan rolled her eyes: "You're getting all worked up over me. I said you're not as innocent as before because you used to have such low standards, not because you're any more wise and sophisticated now."
Lu Yanhe gritted his teeth in anger.
Recalling the past, Lu Yanhe couldn't help but smile.
-
The awards ceremony is progressing slowly.
Fortunately, there were no upsets at the Venice International Film Festival this time, and Ning Xiulian won the Best Actress award.
When the name was announced by the award presenter, Ning Xiulian let out a joyful cheer and hugged Yu Qin with an incredulous expression.
Yu Qin responded to her hug with a happy expression, and only slowly sat down after Ning Xiulian came on stage.
Lu Yanhe and the others applauded Ning Xiulian sincerely.
As soon as Ning Xiulian stepped onto the stage, her eyes reddened, and her voice choked with emotion when she spoke.
“This is such a pleasant surprise! I thought my career was coming to an end, but I’ve been given a huge reward at this time!” Ning Xiulian’s English was much better than Fu Kai’s, and she spoke entirely on the spot. “When Director Yu Qin led our crew to start filming ‘Happy Time,’ none of us expected to receive such a warm welcome in Venice.”
Lu Yanhe was moved by Ning Xiulian's genuine emotions, but he was also curious about what Yu Qin was thinking at this moment.
"This is Ning Xiulian's first award," Shang Yongzhou said. "She had never won any of the more formal acting awards in China before, which is really a pity. Her acting style is really unique, and she can do a great job with any role. I even worked with her once, but that role didn't allow her to show even a tenth of her potential."
This was the first time Lu Yanhe had heard Shang Yongzhou comment on Ning Xiulian.
Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised.
Based on his understanding of Shang Yongzhou, Shang Yongzhou is actually a person who is quite focused on himself and rarely comments on others.
Shang Yongzhou said, "You should try working with her if you have the chance. Although she has a bit of a personality, she is indeed a very good actress."
Lu Yanhe realized what was happening.
Shang Yongzhou probably noticed that he had been quite distant from Yu Qin and Ning Xiulian these past few days, which is why he brought it up at this time.
Lu Yanhe wasn't sure if he had misunderstood, but he felt that Shang Yongzhou seemed worried that he might have a problem with Ning Xiulian and wouldn't be willing to cooperate with her in the future, which would be a great pity for her. He admired Ning Xiulian and didn't want to see her miss such an opportunity. Lu Yanhe didn't dare to confirm this thought with Shang Yongzhou, because he felt that such a thought was too arrogant and narcissistic.
She's already a Best Actress winner at the Venice International Film Festival; her status and position are completely different now, and her market value is different too.
Shang Yongzhou: "It's not easy for her to have persevered until now."
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "Senior brother, now that she has won the Best Actress award at the Venice International Film Festival, there will be no shortage of people asking her to act in their films. If I want to work with her, I'll probably have to wait in line."
Shang Yongzhou smiled and said, "Yan He, you know that even the top actors are always in the position of being chosen. Actors like you who have the ability to write, direct, and act are few and far between. Your future will go further than ours."
Lu Yanhe never expected that even Shang Yongzhou would say such things.
He was taken aback.
Because I didn't know how to respond to that.
"I'm flattered." Lu Yanhe replied blankly, "Is this how you people at the top of the mountain encourage the younger generation?"
He was joking.
Shang Yongzhou smiled and didn't say anything more.
He wasn't joking with Lu Yanhe, so he didn't think of a word or two to respond to Lu Yanhe's feigned joke.
-
This concludes the Venice International Film Festival.
Both Chinese-language films won major awards; they were very lucky.
Of course, Yu Qin seemed somewhat dissatisfied, since it was Ning Xiulian who won the award.
Ning Xiulian returned to China as the newly crowned international film queen, beaming with joy. At the airport, she was immediately surrounded by a large number of media as soon as she appeared.
She and Yu Qin returned on the same flight.
When Yu Qin saw that she was surrounded by the media, she lowered her head and prepared to leave first.
Ning Xiulian suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
Yu Qin's surprise was clearly visible even through her glasses.
"Don't just keep bothering me, or Director Yu will get away if we're not careful. Director Yu, you can't leave me behind." Ning Xiulian hugged Yu Qin's arm, showing a dependent smile.
Yu Qin: "...Why did I run away?"
It was actually a rather speechless reaction, but in the eyes of the media, it was as if the director was helplessly indulging his leading lady.
...
From afar, Lu Yanhe, who was returning on the same flight, saw them surrounded by media reporters. He quickly hid behind Zou Dong, Wang Biao, and Chen Ziyan to avoid their line of sight and hurriedly left.
Once they were safely in the car without being discovered or disturbed, Chen Ziyan said, "Lu Yanhe, you've really become cunning. You made sure Ning Xiulian and Yu Qin went out first, and then dawdled around for quite a while before leaving. I told you, you're not usually such a slowpoke."
Lu Yanhe: "...Sister Ziyan, I see through it but I won't say it."
Chen Ziyan: "After 'Road to Glory' wins the award, there will definitely be a seminar. Take some time these next few days to think about what you want to say at the seminar. These seminars are usually high-level, and some powerful officials who want to do practical things for the film industry will also attend. What you say at the seminar may be much more effective than what you say in front of the media. Actually, I thought your suggestion about the release of 'Road to Glory' was a good one. Some people had suggested this idea before, but their influence was very weak, and not many people took their words seriously. It was because you said it that Fu Kai and Mountain Pictures seriously studied its feasibility."
Lu Yanhe nodded after being reminded by Chen Ziyan.
Chen Ziyan knew that Lu Yanhe's opinions were increasingly valued in the industry because of his remarkable achievements in the past. Until his legendary success was shattered, every word he uttered would be regarded as a treasure trove and a rule.
Chen Ziyan used to be very worried about this, fearing that Lu Yanhe would be praised too highly.
Now Chen Ziyan feels that instead of worrying, she should make good use of this environment to gain greater benefits for Lu Yanhe.
No matter how worried she was, the myth would either continue or face its first failure, after which the myth would crumble.
This is not something that can be changed by whether she worries about it or not.
-
Lu Yanhe was sitting in the car, scrolling through Weibo, when he suddenly clicked his tongue.
"What's wrong?" Chen Ziyan asked.
"Do you know what Ning Xiulian said to reporters at the airport just now regarding Director Yu Qin's film?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Chen Ziyan shook her head.
After a long flight, Chen Ziyan has no time to check the news online.
"What did she say?"
Lu Yanhe immediately disconnected the phone from the Bluetooth headset, turned up the volume, and played the video audio aloud.
“We’ve finished filming that movie, but… Director Yu, is it possible that we have to reshoot it?” Ning Xiulian asked Yu Qin in front of everyone.
Yu Qin looked bewildered and said, "Huh?"
Ning Xiulian said, "It's nothing else. Ziliang is probably a singer by profession, so his acting skills are still a bit immature. This movie was also filmed very hastily, and he didn't have time to prepare at all. We are indeed not very satisfied with the quality of the filming, including Ziliang himself."
Yu Qin stared at Ning Xiulian in astonishment, remaining silent for a long time.
Ning Xiulian seemed oblivious to Yu Qin's unusual behavior, and shook her head with a smile.
“But these are all decisions that the director has to make. I’m just an actress, and I listen to the director,” Ning Xiulian said. “Filming ‘Happy Time’ with the director was one of my most enjoyable filming experiences. If it weren’t for Director Yu’s guidance, I definitely wouldn’t have won this award.”
...
Chen Ziyan took a deep breath in surprise and exclaimed, "Is Ning Xiulian pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth?"
Lu Yanhe said, "I've often heard about things like this in the entertainment industry before, but I've rarely witnessed it with my own eyes. This time, I saw it from beginning to end, and I feel like my worldview has been shattered."
Chen Ziyan: "But Ning Xiulian was also certain that Yu Qin would not turn against her at this time. With the critical acclaim for 'Happy Time' and her recent Best Actress award, the box office performance of 'Happy Time' would largely depend on Ning Xiulian, the newly crowned Best Actress. She could not expose the fact that their relationship was very bad in front of the public."
Lu Yanhe: "Isn't Ning Xiulian at all worried that Yu Qin will completely break off relations with her in private and never have anything to do with her again?"
“What does she have to worry about now? She has the Best Actress award from the Venice International Film Festival, which will keep her going until retirement,” Chen Ziyan said. “Moreover, to be honest, in our domestic film and television environment, actors with real acting skills may not become very famous, but they will definitely have a job. What’s the big deal about offending Yu Qin? Even if she offends a real industry bigwig like Luo Yuzhong, it’s impossible to completely blacklist her.”
Lu Yanhe was amazed.
No wonder, that's why they're so confident.
Chen Ziyan said, "Aside from breaking the law and using physical means to make you disappear, there is no one in this world who can completely leave you with nowhere to go and still cause you trouble!"
Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile.
"I've learned something."
“Oh, right, there’s one more thing I haven’t told you yet,” Chen Ziyan said. “The filming schedule for the movie ‘Burning Fire’ has been set. Filming will begin next April, and you’ll have about ninety days of shooting time.”
Lu Yanhe asked in surprise, "Such a long time?"
“Yes.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “This movie has a lot of big scenes, and you are one of the main characters, so you will have a lot of screen time. In addition, there are many action scenes in this movie, so the filming difficulty is much greater than that of ordinary movies.”
Lu Yanhe has acted in action scenes.
In Chen Lingling's "Phoenix Terrace", his action scenes were indeed difficult to film.
An action scene is just one scene. If it's important to the plot, even if the final clip is only ten minutes long, it might take two days to film.
The technical difficulty is on a completely different level.
Lu Yanhe nodded in understanding.
Chen Ziyan said, "Your first commercial blockbuster is finally coming."
She felt a mix of anticipation and excitement.
Lu Yanhe also hummed in agreement.
He also had high hopes.
People who enjoy art films and film festivals look down on commercial films, finding them too low-brow and simplistic. People who prefer commercial films and big-budget productions look down on art films and film festivals, seeing them as just a small group of people entertaining themselves, and even believing that the domestic film industry has long since abandoned them, their glory days gone.
But those who are truly in the film industry know very well that the world of film today is made up of all sorts of smaller worlds, which is why it remains one of the most influential art forms in the world.
In an era where video platforms are constantly vying for traffic, the artistic status and sophistication of films still rely on awards to maintain their artistic and honorary aura.
In an era where the influence and reach of awards are waning, the occasional blockbuster that breaks the global box office of one or even two billion US dollars can still attract global attention with its huge box office numbers and dazzling star power.
This is the film industry today.
Lu Yanhe was looking forward to his first commercial film with the same anticipation he would for a film festival or awards.
(End of this chapter)
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