Chapter 819 A Love Letter to Filmmakers
"There are more than just the three of them?"
"He also wants to invite some filmmakers to participate in the show's performances."
"Adding more people at this time? Isn't that a joke?"
"Lu Yanhe said, 'Please take a look at the plan first. If we think it's not good or suitable, then forget it.' He didn't say that it had to be this way, he just asked us to take a look first."
What plan?
"Look—"
...
"How could we possibly bring these people over at the last minute?"
"Lu Yanhe said that as long as we agree to the plan, he will go and invite the people."
"He was able to get them all here?"
He said that all of these people were available.
The implication is that he can.
"this--"
"Do we still need to go through a background check?"
"These people went through political vetting, the procedures shouldn't be that complicated, right? They've all appeared on CCTV countless times."
"According to his plan, this program will definitely become a classic stage."
"This year, the higher-ups specifically said that film should be presented as an important theme in the Spring Festival Gala. Even the hosts' scripts will mention that the Jose Film Festival is being held in China, emphasizing international exchange in the name of film."
"If all these people could participate—"
"Director, please don't rush. Lu Yanhe's proposal isn't finished yet."
"What?"
"At the end of the program, Lu Yanhe wanted to have a 5-second video clip shown on the screen."
"What kind of place does he think this is? Playing VCRs?"
Why don't you take a look?
Then, there was another "...".
"this--"
"Shouldn't these people also be vetted?"
"That's true, but these people were all found by Lu Yanhe. He knows very well that there shouldn't be any problems."
"this--"
"Should we report it first and see?"
"If this show is really presented like this in the end, it will be explosive."
Does the Spring Festival Gala need explosive performances?
"The Spring Festival Gala needs classics."
"If this year's Spring Festival Gala presents something like this, then the theme of film will definitely be appropriate."
-
"What did the Spring Festival Gala production team say?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Wang Biao said, "They have all agreed to the plan in advance, but they still need to report it to other departments."
Lu Yanhe said, "Okay, I'll talk to Teacher Wen and the others first."
Wang Biao: "...Brother Lu, are you really going to do this for your show? Not counting the VCP at the end, there are more than ten celebrities appearing, and they are all big names. It feels like all the other big names in the Spring Festival Gala combined don't even come close to your show."
Lu Yanhe: "Since it's a movie theme, it would be a bit incomplete if we didn't invite these representative figures of Chinese cinema. Although the three of us are also very representative, we are all very young. A movie should have representatives of the old, middle-aged and young."
Wang Biao: "You're not just a representative anymore, you've brought together the most top-notch people."
“The top figures are the representatives,” Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
-
"You want me to perform as a guest on their show?" Ning Xiulian was stunned when she received the news, and then immediately said, "Isn't this just asking me to be a dancer for them? I'm not going."
The agent said, "Their program features actors and actresses who have won Best Actor and Best Actress awards at top overseas film festivals in the last ten years, from Wen Shengming to Shang Yongzhou, from Chen Bige to Yu Mengling. Are you sure you don't want to go? This program could very well become a representative one, and those who appear on this program will be the internationally representative Chinese filmmakers."
Ning Xiulian looked at her agent in disbelief.
"Are they all going? To be guests on one of Lu Yanhe's shows?"
The agent said, "This is a program that will be specially made for this year's Spring Festival Gala with a film theme. It was suggested by the host because Chinese films have shone brightly on the international stage this year, and because of the Jose Film Festival, there have been many positive reviews about China internationally."
Since winning the Best Actress award at the Venice International Film Festival, Ning Xiulian has participated in many mainstream and patriotic events in China, and is very clear about the role that films play in the national strategy.
As soon as the agent said that, she immediately understood what Lu Yanhe's show meant.
"Why didn't you say so earlier? How could I not participate in this kind of program?"
The agent smiled.
Not everyone participated.
"Um?"
"It is said that the program was planned by Lu Yanhe, and Chen Pinhe was not among the invited performers."
Ning Xiulian stared wide-eyed in surprise.
"ah?"
Ning Xiulian took a deep breath. "Is Lu Yanhe really that bad-tempered? He's held a grudge over such a small thing until now."
“Yes, we were just saying that. We didn’t expect Lu Yanhe to have such a bad temper,” the agent said. “We really have to be careful when we call Lu Yanhe in the future. We can’t afford to offend him, or it will be hard to repair the damage later.”
Ning Xiulian: "I have no conflict with Lu Yanhe, so what could I possibly have to offend?"
"No matter what, be careful."
-
"Besides the Best Actor and Best Actress winners, we also need to include Teacher Jiang Jun, Sister Yu Qian, and Huang Feng," Lu Yanhe said to the program's director. "Let's see how many situational performance segments we design within our song."
The program director nodded.
Fortunately, although Lu Yanhe's program was only scheduled to participate in the final rehearsal, they didn't wait until the final rehearsal to bring up these new ideas.
They still have relatively ample time to choreograph and practice.
"Aren't you going to participate in the PR events during the North American awards season? There's a high chance that Get Out will win the Best Original Screenplay award this year."
While Lu Yanhe was in China preparing for the Spring Festival Gala, Darren Wilson called him.
Lu Yanhe said, "Do I really need to do any public relations for the Best Original Screenplay award? There's no need, is there? Apart from the acting department and those major awards that require the entire crew to participate in public relations activities, my part is enough. Anyway, aren't Mu Ken and the others also participating in public relations activities?"
Darren Wilson: "You have no idea how many people want to see you."
“That’s exactly why I need to stay out of the spotlight,” Lu Yanhe said with a smile. “The main thing is that the public relations focus of this film should be on Black people. As an Asian, I’ve already said enough at the Golden Globes. If I keep popping out to socialize with people, it’s too easy to seem opportunistic.”
"Oh, so you didn't attend the follow-up PR events to solidify your artist image?" Darren teased.
Lu Yanhe laughed and said, "It's mainly because I'm lazy. The 'Tropical Rainy Season' project really scared me. The awards season was just too long and exhausting."
Darren Wilson said, "Generally speaking, people don't attend awards season like this every year, at most once every three to five years. Unlike you, you come every year."
Lu Yanhe said, "So, appear less often. If you appear too often, people will get tired of seeing you."
Darren Wilson laughed and said, "You're just making excuses for your laziness."
-
In fact, Lu Yanhe did not stay in the United States to participate in some public relations activities, really in order to make his speech at the Golden Globe Awards more effective.
His speech at the Golden Globe Awards elevated the significance of Get Out to a very high level.
In this situation, if he appears too eager to win the award, it would actually diminish the value of his speech.
This year, he's not vying for an acting award, but rather a screenplay award. Awards like that aren't as competitive. Basically, the awards season will eventually determine the winner, and upsets are very rare.
"Get Out" won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in its original timeline. Both the screenplay itself and the attention and discussion the film generated in that timeline make it a very strong contender for this award.
Therefore, after some thought, Lu Yanhe decided to appear in public relations activities less frequently.
-
"The song 'Love Letters to Filmmakers' doesn't seem to fit the style of the Spring Festival Gala program quite well."
That day, after Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang sang together once, Luo Yuzhong, who came to listen in, spoke frankly.
Lu Yanhe: "Yes, but since they set a theme this year, I think it would be more pure to express it with this song."
"purely?"
“Before our program, the host will give a brief introduction to talk about the development of Chinese films and the achievements made this year,” Lu Yanhe said. “In this introduction, the main theme is actually quite prominent, talking about achievements, influence, and the honor of film workers. So when it comes to the performance of the program, I think it would be better to put the theme down a bit and have the three of us young people sing a tribute, but not the kind of tribute that sings praises, but rather a tribute and reflection on the decades of inheritance of film.”
Luo Yuzhong nodded after hearing this, "If that's the case, then it's alright."
"Moreover, we have made a lot of design in terms of program format. The style and lyrics of our songs are relatively 'small', but our program invites the most representative actors from four generations to perform. The whole presentation is very grand. Through the representative roles and segments of each actor, we have designed a stage performance that tells the story of the perseverance, hard work and inheritance of generations."
Lu Yanhe took out the plan and explained it to Luo Yuzhong.
Luo Yuzhong looked shocked. "Your design... No wonder, I understand now. No wonder your songs can be written with such deep emotion."
“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “Actually, not every program on the Spring Festival Gala is lively and has a main theme. Every year there are some more serious and artistic programs, but there aren’t many, so they don’t leave a lasting impression.”
Luo Yuzhong: "So how will you connect this program with your video in the end? It feels a bit abrupt."
Lu Yanhe said, "Between our program and that VCR, the directing team will have a one-and-a-half-minute short film about Chinese films going overseas in recent years as a transition. Then, there will be a design, and then it will transition to the final five-second VCR on the whole stage."
Luo Yuzhong: "It seems that the Spring Festival Gala production team has given your program a green light and allowed you so much more time."
Lu Yanhe: "No, that one-and-a-half-minute clip was made, but they originally planned to show it before our performance. After we discussed it, we decided to move it after our performance so that the transition would be smoother."
"You've made me really look forward to your show."
Li Zhibai said, "We are all looking forward to it. We don't know how his brain works or how he has so many ideas."
Yan Liang said, "My biggest fear now is that I'll end up crying on stage while singing."
"You mustn't cry on New Year's Eve."
"What should I do if my eyes are red? It's a physiological reaction."
"Hold it in."
...
After Lu Yanhe and his two companions finished singing their parts, it was time to start the performance.
Originally, the Spring Festival Gala arranged separate rehearsals for them to accommodate their schedules, but now the separate rehearsals are being kept secret.
When Lu Yanhe and his entourage appeared backstage at CCTV, and those big names were really standing in front of everyone one by one, even the Spring Festival Gala production team still felt it was unreal.
No film festival has ever brought together so many award-winning actors and actresses.
Lu Yanhe only took three days to gather everyone involved in the plan.
The Spring Festival Gala production team doesn't even need to get involved.
The Spring Festival Gala production team thought that even if they were to step in, they might not be able to get the chants so perfectly synchronized—no, they probably wouldn't be able to get them so perfectly synchronized.
There were two separate rehearsals.
During the final rehearsal, the news could no longer be kept secret, and it was revealed that Lu Yanhe and his two companions would be performing on the Spring Festival Gala.
Subsequently, the Spring Festival Gala directing team released the official program list.
The program "Love Letters to Filmmakers" has officially debuted.
The names of more than twenty actors, led by Lu Yanhe, were announced as rehearsals began, causing everyone to exclaim "?" and ask: Is this for real?
The list includes the names of more than twenty actors, nearly half of whom are big names from various countries.
Everyone's here?!
-
"He really is always making big moves and taking big actions."
"He didn't really invite all these people, did he?"
"Are you crazy? How could you possibly invite them all?"
“All the Best Actor and Best Actress winners at the four major international film festivals in the past decade have come, except for Chen Pinhe.”
“Chen Pinhe won the award ten years ago, so it’s normal not to invite him.”
"Too."
Is this year's Spring Festival Gala going to be this good?
"I can finally see Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai and Yan Liang perform together on stage again."
"With so many actors, it looks like a tribute stage. It's bound to be boring. Lower your expectations."
"Lu Yanhe was the planner of this program, and he also wrote the lyrics and composed the music. He would never produce something that is not good enough."
"You really are a brainless fan of Lu Yanhe."
"Because everything he has done in the past has made me trust him, I know he will not let me down."
"This lineup is too exaggerated. The lineups of all other programs combined are not as strong as this program's."
"I counted, and this show alone has 15 winners of top awards for Best Actor and Best Actress."
"How are we supposed to organize movie-themed performances and parties in the future?"
...
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Lu Yanhe and his two companions, including Jiang Yuqian and Chen Siqi, had dinner together at Ziyuan Bridge before heading to CCTV.
Many people assume that every performer prepares backstage well in advance for the Spring Festival Gala.
In reality, because CCTV's backstage area isn't big enough to accommodate so many people, many actors eat at home and then leisurely make their way there if their show isn't scheduled in advance.
Huang Feng was with them too.
-
Their program was scheduled for a very prime time slot, 9:30, which is an hour and a half after the Spring Festival Gala starts, but not close to midnight, usually when the audience is at their largest.
After dinner, Helan sat in front of the TV with her parents, ready to watch the Spring Festival Gala.
"Are Chinese films this year really that good?" He Lan's father asked after the host opened the show, "and he even mentioned it in his opening remarks."
He Lan nodded and said, "Yes, Chinese films have achieved great success overseas this year. Most importantly, the Jose Film Festival was very successful in China. You don't know if you don't follow the foreign websites, but back in May, many people on the foreign websites were praising the Jose Film Festival for being very well organized. Many foreigners who came to attend the Jose Film Festival were also praising the city of Yuming."
"That's amazing! Its influence even surpasses that of the Olympics."
“No, that’s not true.” He Lan quickly explained, “It still can’t be compared to the Olympics. However, film has always been the preferred medium for cultural dissemination among various countries. It is also currently the cultural medium that can best transcend national borders and gain global influence. This year, Chinese films have performed exceptionally well in both awards and box office. It’s quite normal that the Spring Festival Gala would specifically mention films.”
In a parallel universe, the opening of the Spring Festival Gala is always performed by several movies released during the Spring Festival season.
Its market value is actually not that big, only a few hundred billion a year. Compared with many industries, it's just a drop in the ocean. However, its cultural significance is too great, so great that even a large country like China attaches great importance to it.
Just like Hollywood in America, it has helped brainwash countless people around the world with "American heroism."
“Lu Yanhe is quite impressive, managing to gather so many people to do this show. I’d like to see what this show is all about,” He Lan’s mother said.
-
It's 9:30 p.m.
The host then formally introduced the film, titled "A Love Letter to Filmmakers."
-
at the same time.
Wu Meng, vice president of the China Film Association, sent a message to other council members of the association: This year's Spring Festival Gala is going to have a theme about Chinese films, but they bypassed our film association and directly asked Lu Yanhe to do it. Where does this leave the face of our film association?
The other party: The program has started, let's watch it first.
Wu Meng continued: Lu Yanhe is also ignorant. He made this program without even asking our association's opinion. We even awarded him an honorary medal before.
This time, the other party didn't reply at all.
Wu Meng frowned.
At this moment, the program has already started on the television screen.
A gentle piano melody began to play.
Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang appeared.
The camera zooms out, showing Wen Shengming sitting at his desk, holding a very old script. The title of the movie on the cover is "River of Life and Death," a film he starred in in his early years.
Lu Yanhe raised the microphone and began to sing the first line.
"So many people love the brilliance you left on the silver screen."
On the large screen at the scene, a scene of Wen Shengming looking handsome and dashing in "River of Life and Death" appeared.
The scene shifts to Yu Mengling, who stands gracefully on a small bamboo bridge designed for stage performances. She bends down slightly and waves her handkerchief to Huang Feng, who is playing with puppets on the grass below.
"How many people love your aloof and independent attitude."
On the large screen, a scene appeared of Yu Mengling holding an umbrella in the rain in a biographical film about an ancient female poet.
"Your eternal childlike innocence and childlike expectations."
As the light and shadow on the large screen gradually change, in the scene from "Tropical Rainy Season," Huang Feng carefully climbs onto Lu Yanhe's bed to express his apology.
"The helplessness of being aloof and self-admiring."
In "Rouge", Chen Bige raises her eyes with a look that is full of resentment and lamentation.
"Who understands the sorrow you carefully conceal?"
Chen Bige hugged Huang Feng from behind and smiled at Yu Mengling on the bridge.
"Who understands the remembrance on your faded face?"
Yu Mengling turned around and saw Ning Xiulian sitting in front of a dressing table, gently combing her long hair.
"Your flawless nonchalance masks your inner fear."
On the big screen, Zhou Yuning from "Nine Yin" gallops on horseback towards the rising sun before heading to the final battle, his expression resolute.
"A pale color slowly seeped out."
Shang Yongzhou and Zhou Yuning, dressed in their costumes from "Dragon Inn" and "Nine Yin", descended from the sky with the help of wires, holding long swords, still chivalrous as ever.
"You are desperately pursuing eternity."
Shang Yongzhou and Zhou Yuning clashed their longswords.
The camera rotated 360 degrees around them, then zoomed out, bringing the lens to Yu Mengling on the bridge. She seemed to be the lover of one of them, looking at them with a worried expression and a proud demeanor.
"Life has been turbulent and full of regrets."
Ning Xiulian gripped the comb in her hand, closed her eyes, and a look of longing appeared on her face, like a woman who firmly believed that her husband would return.
"You're foolishly pursuing perfection."
On the big screen, there was behind-the-scenes footage of Jiang Jun filming "Destruction Day," in which he personally took on the challenge, donned protective gear, and jumped off a building hundreds of meters high without hesitation.
"But it has always been misunderstandings, hurt, abandonment and blame."
On the big screen, Liu Zi is shown leaping out of a bathtub in "Dragon Inn," wrapped in cloth, and using her light-footed skills to fly onto the roof.
He leaped down, then jumped up.
The camera shifts to the scene where Jiang Jun and Liu Zi, aided by wires, are seen leaping down from a five-meter-high platform.
"Why grieve, why be sad, why bother with sorrow and bitterness?"
Why laugh, scold, hate, or love?
On the screen, there are scenes of Shen Jiayi walking away in the sunlight with a smile from "You Are the Apple of My Eye," Fujii Shu smiling in the sunlight with a library card from "Love Letter," and Twelfth Master smiling as he first meets Ru Hua on the stairs in "Rouge."
"The human world is merely a place where you reside."
"The Milky Way is where your soul can roam."
Jiang Yuqian and Yan Lingyu swayed lightly in their dance poses.
"The world is nothing but a dream you have no heart for."
"A dream left behind by chance, a dream of the mortal world."
The scene shifts to Liu Teli and Wan Xin sitting in chairs, looking at a photo album.
On the screen are photos and videos of the two of them in their youth.
"To dream a silvery dream with an external body."
"To create a dream within a dream using a body that is not a body."
Huang Feng took Chen Bige's hand and sat down next to Liu Teli and Wan Xin, as if asking what they were looking at.
Shang Yongzhou and Zhou Yuning landed on the ground, laughing and patting each other on the shoulder.
Jiang Jun rolled up his sleeves, and Liu Zi carefully applied the medicine to him. The two smiled at each other.
Wen Shengming put on a wig and a costume from the Republican era, came up behind Ning Xiulian, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
Ning Xiulian turned around in disbelief, her eyes red-rimmed.
Yu Mengling watched Huang Feng and Chen Bige sit down on the sofa, smiled softly as if she had no more attachment, and turned to leave. But Huang Kairen was holding up an umbrella—the same umbrella that Yu Mengling had held up on the screen earlier. He was dressed in a handsome ancient costume and smiling at her.
He walked over and held the umbrella over their heads.
Yan Lingyu and Jiang Yuqian stopped dancing and sat down on the ground.
Yan Lingyu gently rested her head on Jiang Yuqian's shoulder.
Jiang Yuqian patted her head, as if to encourage her, and pointed in the direction of Chen Bige and Wan Xin.
Chen Bige and Wan Xin seemed to sense something and turned around to look.
Then they waved.
At this moment, the camera returned to Lu Yanhe and his group, who had just finished singing the last line of the song.
The three of them exchanged a smile, then looked at the camera.
At this moment, the three of them no longer had the same radiant spirit they had on this stage in the past, but rather a sense of maturity and composure.
A small clip cut in.
A retrospective of Chinese films, one and a half minutes.
More filmmakers are appearing in smaller films, coinciding with major film events in recent years. The emotions that spread from the songs are gradually fermenting into a sense of pride and honor in Chinese cinema.
A minute and a half later, the camera cut back to the scene.
Lu Yanhe and the other two were coming down from the stage.
"Yan He, your phone is ringing." Wang Biao even appears on camera here, acting as an assistant, handing Lu Yan He his phone.
Even audience members in the stands became part of the background.
Li Zhibai and Yan Liang's assistants also presented them with cell phones.
At that moment, everyone was momentarily dazed, wondering if the Spring Festival Gala broadcast hadn't switched to the right camera.
But the next second, three foreign faces appeared on the screen.
American legendary actress Sandra Vivich, American actor Arne Bogut, and Thai actress Chayna.
Hey bro, what are you doing?
"Yan He, why is it so noisy over there?"
...
Those in the know will recognize this as a pre-recorded clip, not a live stream.
Because their voices were completely clear, without any overlap.
If it were truly a live broadcast, happening simultaneously, the audio track wouldn't be processed like this.
The camera then switched to displaying video footage of each individual.
“I’m on the Spring Festival Gala,” Lu Yanhe said to Sandra Vicki.
"What is the Spring Festival Gala?" Sandra Vickers, Arne Bogut, and Caina asked simultaneously in their respective video calls.
"The Spring Festival Gala is an important event during the Chinese New Year. It's an annual festival for all Chinese people, a time for family reunions," said Lu Yanhe.
Cai Na said to Li Zhibai: "Oh, today is the Spring Festival Gala, Happy Chinese New Year!"
Sandra Vicki exclaimed with delight, "Oh my god, Lu, Happy Chinese New Year!"
Yan Liang raised his phone so that Arne Bogut on the other end could see the audience, saying, "So many of us are here."
Arne Bogut smiled and waved, saying, "Hi everyone, Happy Chinese New Year!"
Actors from other shows squeezed in front of the camera.
"Happy Spring Festival!"
At that moment, the camera cut, and twelve incoming calls suddenly appeared on the screen simultaneously.
Each incoming call displays the caller's name.
All of them were foreign filmmakers who appeared on the program.
Lily Williams, Murken Sorge, Derian Dylan (star of "The Hurricane"), Fellaina Ricci (renowned Spanish actress), Wu Yang (Artistic Director of the Jose Film Festival)...
Finally, at this moment, the camera returned to the Spring Festival Gala stage.
All the actors from "Love Letters to Filmmakers" gathered together on stage once again.
On the large screen at the scene, every name that had just appeared was now showing up via video link.
The simultaneous appearance of familiar faces from filmmakers on the Spring Festival Gala stage was incredibly moving.
Together they said to everyone present, "Happy Chinese New Year!"
Lu Yanhe and his group, surrounded by others, smiled and greeted the people in the video with "Happy Chinese New Year!"
With this, the program "Love Letters to Filmmakers" has come to a complete end.
The host said "thank you" three times.
-
This is the design least likely to appear on the Spring Festival Gala.
But it happened.
The program consists of 8 minutes, including songs, short clips, and a "pseudo-live video link".
More than twenty celebrities and big names made an appearance.
On the program schedule, the program planner's name was listed as Lu Yanhe.
Online, performances of this song have become a huge hit, and everyone is discussing it.
The appearance of Sandra Viktor and others on the internet has also drawn a lot of attention to the program's videos.
Then, someone broke down.
—It's not "Chinese New Year," it's "Lunar New Year!"
—Sandra Vicki, an American, how could she do such a thing? She broke our hearts!
—Cai Na, I've liked you for so many years! From now on, you're on my blacklist!
...
Then, a group of people went to Lu Yanhe's comment section and flooded it with messages, even cursing Lu Yanhe and demanding that he apologize.
Five minutes later, Lu Yanhe reposted the video on his overseas social media account, writing: Happy Chinese New Year!
(End of this chapter)
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