Chapter 836 He also managed to piggyback on this.
“When social networks first appeared, Wei Chang registered an account and did not hide his identity. At that time, he was a troll and criticized everything.”
"But if you're asking how serious this matter is, I don't think we need to escalate it to that level, do we? Who hasn't said something thoughtless back then?"
"Moreover, the claim that he insulted the martyrs is actually due to his lack of understanding of the situation and the mistake of using a martyr's photo on a traitor. If we disregard this incident, the others that have been exposed are just typical online trolls."
"I really don't think this is a big deal."
...
"The issue now is not whether you think it's a big deal or not, but whether this matter will affect the Film Bureau's decision to submit 'Windbreaker No. 1' for this year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film."
"The movie has already finished its run and won't affect the box office. It won't have any impact on overseas audiences either. The biggest problem lies here."
"The fact that the garrison commander's belongings from over twenty years ago can be unearthed suggests that someone did this on purpose, didn't they?"
"Let's not worry about whether it was intentional or not. The problem now is, Chief Wei, what should we do? If we don't remove him from the list, the movie is very likely to be ruined under such a scandal."
"Besides the name, can you guarantee that your film will be selected for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film?"
"Without this attitude, how can you guarantee it?"
...
There is indeed someone behind this "stirring up trouble".
Because of the high level of public attention this matter has garnered, Longyan has been trying to suppress it, but has been unable to do so.
Lu Yanhe actually had nothing to do with this matter, but as the lead actor and the most popular person in the movie, he was bound to be involved. There was nothing he could do about it.
The main problem is that "Dingfeng No. 1" is a film featuring revolutionary predecessors as the main characters.
Chen Ziyan said to Lu Yanhe, "Once the reporters get a chance, they will definitely ask you about your attitude towards the Wei Chang matter. Have you thought about what you're going to do?"
Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "I don't know."
“Then don’t answer,” Chen Ziyan said. “You don’t know Wei Chang, and you don’t know what kind of person he is. Whether you support him or condemn him, you don’t know if there will be more trouble in the future. The best way is to stay away from him.”
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"That's right, that's what I think too. What kind of person is he? Is it a misunderstanding? Was he a radical youth back then? Was it an unintentional mistake? Or what? These are all things that Longyan needs to resolve. I'm just an actor in 'Dingfeng No. 1'."
“But this matter—” Chen Ziyan hesitated for a moment and said, “This matter was probably leaked by Zhang Yuezhen’s side. She wanted to eliminate ‘Calm Wind No. 1’ as a competitor. She hasn’t given up on the idea of having ‘The Pianist’ replace ‘Calm Wind No. 1’ to be submitted for this year’s Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.”
Lu Yanhe frowned.
"Playing such dirty tricks."
“Yes.” Chen Ziyan nodded and said, “Longyan also knows about this. It’s just a matter of whether Longyan plans to retaliate.”
Lu Yanhe: "Will Longyan do it? Based on your understanding..."
Chen Ziyan shook her head. "Not necessarily. Wei Chang has a very good relationship with Huang Tai. You could say he's her confidant in Longyan. Huang Tai is currently protecting him. If Huang Tai doesn't want this matter to continue to escalate, I think that even if Longyan finds a way to retaliate against 'The Pianist,' they will only use it privately to threaten the other party. They won't take it to the card table and declare war directly."
Lu Yanhe pondered for a moment.
"If that's the case, then let's play it at the poker table."
Have you thought it through?
“Hmm.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “If Huang Tai wants to protect the director, she can sacrifice the more remarkable achievements that ‘Dingfeng No. 1’ could have made. But why should ‘Dingfeng No. 1,’ which everyone worked so hard to make, be sacrificed?”
-
Liu Bige sneered.
"I spent so long making 'The Wind Rises,' went to Venice, and it grossed nearly $200 million worldwide. In the end, it's not even as important as a Wei Chang in your Longyan. You can't even get him to stand up and apologize or express his attitude. Do you really expect my next movie to be produced by you?"
Mrs. Huang's expression was very serious.
She said, "Now that 'Dingfeng No. 1' has been taken off the screens in China, if this matter continues to escalate, it will affect its broadcast on video websites and other channels, which involves huge interests. We have chosen a way to settle things peacefully. Do you want to see the movie 'Dingfeng No. 1' banned and unavailable in China because of this matter?"
Liu Bige: "Is Huang Taiyuan concerned about the subsequent benefits of 'Calming Wind No. 1'? I thought you didn't retaliate in order to protect the director. It could have represented China in the competition for this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. A nomination would have been an extremely rare achievement. Yet you didn't give any attitude and let the matter be glossed over. Because of this incident, 'Calming Wind No. 1' probably won't even qualify for an Oscar."
Huang Tai: "Bi Ge, I know it's hard for you to accept what happened, and it's hard for us all to accept it. 'Dingfeng No. 1' is also a film from Longyan, and we hope it will achieve even greater success—"
“Because what Wei Chang did in the past is undeniable, it’s a given fact, so we can only accept it and let the hype die down.” Liu Bige laughed. “Anyway, ‘Dingfeng No. 1’ is definitely going to be affected, so rather than sacrificing Wei Chang again, it’s better to protect him this time and keep him in your hands. After that, he will be even more devoted to you, right?”
Mrs. Huang frowned.
"You're too paranoid."
"I worked so hard to make a film that was about to represent Chinese cinema at the Oscars, but it fell through because of his problems. Do you think I'm being unreasonable? He not only didn't apologize publicly, but you also wanted to keep him in Longyan, let him continue to be the producer, and let him control the crew for you. If you were in his shoes, could you tolerate this?"
Liu Bige's attitude was so intense that he almost slammed his fist on the table to express his anger.
Huang Zhongjing sighed.
“Bige, I fully understand your anger, and I am just as angry, but what’s done is done, and all we can do now is try to minimize the impact.”
"How do you eliminate this threat? You've protected the garrison commander this time, but if he appears in any movie afterward, it'll be a ticking time bomb," Liu Bige said. "Given your attitude towards the garrison commander, what if a second or third garrison commander appears in my movies in the future?"
Huang Zhongjing and Huang Tai remained silent.
Seeing this, Liu Bige also fell silent.
After a while, Liu Bige finally spoke.
"Mr. Huang, Mrs. Huang, I really have to thank you for everything I have today. Without you, I probably wouldn't have been able to become a film director so quickly and achieve what I have today."
"However, with the award-winning performance of 'Late Spring' at Venice, I felt that the differences between us were growing. I have always hoped that we could find some common ground and make some films that we are both willing to make. However, I have often felt that your expectations of me are that I be an executor of your will, and that whatever kind of film I want to make must meet your standards."
"Of course, because I became a film director entirely thanks to Longyan and your training, even though 'Fake Death Is Not Allowed' is not the kind of film I wanted to make, I still made it. Now I regret it a little, because it seems that my cooperation gave you the illusion that I can be persuaded and arranged. My dissatisfaction and unhappiness will not really make you take my attitude seriously."
Huang Zhongjing immediately said, "Bi Ge, we are absolutely not like that. If we didn't respect you, we wouldn't have encouraged and supported you to establish your own film production company so quickly."
“Yes, but even if I set up my own film production company, you will still arrange for people like Wei Chang to interfere with what kind of movies I make and how I make them,” Liu Bige said. “Many of the shooting plans for ‘Dingfeng No. 1’ were rejected simply because there were more cost-effective shooting methods. Even if we followed my shooting plan, we wouldn’t have exceeded the budget.”
Mrs. Wong said, "At the time, none of us could be sure that 'Windbreaker No. 1' would do well at the box office; it was made as an art film—"
“Yes, even after the box office success of my three films, ‘Late Spring,’ ‘Even Faking Death’ and ‘Dragon Inn,’ I still can’t give you confidence in the box office, because I am an auteur director, not a purely commercial film director,” Liu Bige said, staring at Huang Tai.
Huang Taiyi was speechless for a moment.
“All of that is in the past. As a director, I have made four films for Longyan. In terms of honors, all four films were shortlisted for the main competition of the four major international film festivals, and three of them won awards. In terms of box office, the four films have grossed more than $800 million worldwide. I have a clear conscience regarding Longyan’s support in nurturing me,” Liu Bige said. “If Wei Chang can get away with such an impact on ‘Dingfeng No. 1’ and act as if nothing happened, I can only say that I am very disappointed. I feel that everything that I and the entire ‘Dingfeng No. 1’ crew have put in has not been respected.”
He stood up.
That's all I wanted to say.
He left the conference room without looking back.
Several members of Liu Bige's team hurriedly followed.
The others—including Huang Zhongjing and Huang Tai—remained in their original seats, their expressions not very pleasant.
"Liu Bige has long wanted to start his own business, and he's deliberately using this as an excuse to make a fuss," someone said.
Huang Zhongjing glanced at Huang Tai.
Mrs. Huang said, "Liu Bige is angry right now, I understand he's throwing a tantrum, I'll go talk to him again later."
"His next film, 'Unexpected Encounter,' has already begun pre-production." Some people say, "Liu Bige was unhappy with our decision to cast Zhou Rushuang in the early stages of the film. Are we going to insist on casting her now?"
Mrs. Wong: "I'll talk to him about this later. I don't want a single word of what happened in this conference room today to be leaked."
Everyone fell silent.
-
Despite being told it shouldn't be spread, the story eventually reached Lu Yanhe's ears.
Lu Yanhe was not at all surprised that Liu Bige had such a conflict with Longyan.
This was bound to happen sooner or later. This was a thought that Lu Yanhe had had for a long time.
He doesn't deny that Longyan is a very strong and excellent film company, but they are not suitable for true filmmakers.
The term "true filmmaker" refers to someone who has their own ideas and convictions about creation. It may be created for the market, but there should be a place to write their name at the end, rather than erasing it and turning it into a work of art without an author's name.
This idea arose because Lu Yanhe increasingly felt that Longyan was more like an assembly line factory.
-
Zhang Yuezhen felt that this time it was a sure thing.
"The matter concerning the sergeant is a fact, not a slander, but it just so happens that we dug it up at this time."
She said to Chen Pinhe with a smile.
Chen Pinhe asked, "What does the Film Bureau mean? Have they decided to abandon 'Windbreaker No. 1'?"
"I don't know yet." Zhang Yuezhen shook her head. "They're completely locked down there right now, and we can't get any information from them. However, it's such a big scandal that a film producer has been exposed. The Film Bureau can't just turn a blind eye to it."
"It's hard to say to what extent the power behind Lu Yanhe can achieve."
“This is a matter of public opinion. If they ultimately choose ‘Dingfeng No. 1,’ it will definitely cause a lot of criticism and controversy.” Zhang Yuezhen laughed. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
Chen Pinhe: "I'm afraid things won't turn out this way in the end."
Zhang Yuezhen: "Unless Longyan sacrifices Wei Chang now, dismisses him, and removes him from the film, it might appease the public a little."
Chen Pinhe: "Why doesn't Longyan sacrifice Wei Chang?"
“A confidant, in other words, also has dirt on the boss,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “Otherwise, getting the head of the guard out would be the quickest and most decisive way, so why wouldn’t Longyan choose to do that?”
"Oh."
“The Pianist will be released in North America in early October,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “Neuron will do your PR for you during awards season.”
Chen Pinhe nodded.
Zhang Yuezhen: "If 'The Pianist' is ultimately selected for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, your public relations advantage will increase."
Chen Pinhe: "This year, Lu Yanhe and Wen Shengming are also in the awards for actors in the public relations category. They are both Chinese actors, so I estimate that there will be competition among us. They won't let Chinese faces occupy too many seats."
“Yes, but ‘The Pianist’ is a one-man show for you, while ‘Windbreaker No. 1’ has two male leads. It’s not certain who will be the lead and who will be the supporting actor,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “If Lu Yanhe is the lead and Wen Shengming is the supporting actor, then there will be a lot to talk about.”
Chen Pinhe: "Doesn't Wen Shengming have any thoughts of his own?"
“It’s no use even if he has ideas. The distributor of ‘Dingfeng No. 1’ in North America is Green Valley, and the PR company is the same one that Lu Yanhe has been working with for years. Wen Shengming doesn’t have any connections overseas.” Zhang Yuezhen’s eyes suddenly changed. “This is a good opportunity to divide Lu Yanhe and Wen Shengming.”
Chen Pinhe: "Hmm?"
“What if I introduce Wen Shengming to a PR firm?” Zhang Yuezhen said. “Doesn’t Wen Shengming want to increase his chances of being nominated for an Oscar?”
Chen Pinhe: "Even if you go to him, he might not believe you. We were competitors this year anyway."
Zhang Yuezhen: "No matter what, it can plant a thorn between him and Lu Yanhe."
Zhang Yuezhen's lips curved into a smile.
"As for when this thorn will take effect, who knows?"
-
The Toronto International Film Festival closed on September 14.
Lu Yanhe and Wen Shengming presented the Best Actress award as award presenters.
The award went to an Italian actress.
At the party that followed, Lu Yanhe got to know each of the award-winning film crews and filmmakers and had a brief exchange with them.
Wen Shengming also had a pleasant conversation with filmmakers from all over the world through his introduction.
"Believe me, I really hope to have the opportunity to participate in your film, no matter what kind of role I am willing to take." Lu Yanhe readily expressed his willingness to cooperate with Bernd Lehmann, the German director who won the Best Director award this year.
Bernd Lehmann is a well-known director in Germany.
Although he has not yet been recognized as one of the world's top directors.
People asked, "Did you come to the Toronto International Film Festival to promote 'Windbreaker'?"
“Yes,” Lu Yanhe frankly admitted, “This is a Chinese-language film, but we hope it will also perform well in the North American awards season. Therefore, Wen Shengming and I have to put in a lot of effort to let people in the film industry know about this film and then go see it.”
Bernd Lyman said, "It's a pity that it has basically been taken off the screens in North America and Europe. I've been busy with the post-production of Levanni and haven't seen the movie Windsor One yet."
Lu Yanhe said, "The movie 'Dingfeng No. 1' will be re-released in Europe and America in October. If you are willing, I would be happy to send you the DVD. Of course, it will be a version that has not yet been publicly released. You can only watch it yourself and it cannot be transferred to others."
“Then get Wen Shengming's autograph, and I’ll definitely keep it,” Bernd Lehmann said.
"Okay." Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile.
-
Awards season and public relations activities are something no one can afford to miss.
Because you never know who will like your movie and be willing to use their influence to support it.
And you never know, perhaps someone's comment that "this film deserves attention" could bring it into the view of some judges.
-
On September 19, Darren Wilson finally brought some good news.
The most popular sitcom in the United States, "Mr. Donovan," is willing to add a Chinese character to the next episode, with Wen Shengming making a guest appearance.
Getting a guest lead role in one of America's most popular sitcoms requires a lot of work.
Darren Wilson is still impressive.
Lu Yanhe didn't know whether he had persuaded the production team to change a originally planned guest lead role to a Chinese character, or whether he had "ingeniously" added a Chinese character to the original script. In any case, the final result was that Darren Wilson succeeded.
Before this, Wen Shengming had never participated in the filming of American TV series—to be precise, he had never participated in the filming of foreign films and television dramas.
Lu Yanhe was also vaguely worried about whether Wen Shengming's acting style could blend in with the drama, or whether it would be incompatible and become awkward.
However, the quickest way to gain brand awareness is to do so in a "standing" manner.
Wen Shengming was specially invited by the production team of "Mr. Donovan" to make a guest appearance as the lead actor, with the title of "China's legendary film emperor".
Audiences would immediately look at Wen Shengming with more respect upon seeing such a reputation.
Lu Yanhe immediately realized what was going on.
Why didn't he create a guest star episode for Wen Shengming in the new season of Friends?
The airing time of Friends coincided with the North American awards season.
Lu Yanhe was a little worried. What if Teacher Wen Shengming was unwilling to make so many guest appearances in sitcoms?
Unexpectedly, Wen Shengming nodded in agreement as soon as he asked.
Lu Yanhe was surprised.
Wen Shengming retorted, "You're doing this to help me maintain exposure and increase my profile during the North American awards season. I may be older and more senior, but I don't have that much of a temper or airs. You're helping me, how could I not know?"
Hearing this, Lu Yanhe felt incredibly relieved.
-
At the end of September, Lu Yanhe will be preparing to join the filming crew for the movie "The Boat".
Before that, Lu Yanhe also went to the Emmy Awards ceremony.
He had no works nominated, including Friends (for some reason, the Emmys don't seem to like it and rarely give it a nomination).
However, the Emmy Awards also value Lu Yanhe highly, and have invited him to attend as an award presenter every year for the past few years.
This time, Lu Yanhe went to increase his visibility and public profile.
As a result, he ran into Chen Pinhe there.
Chen Pinhe was also invited to be an award presenter.
Although the show "Death Stranding" didn't bring him any award nominations, it undeniably boosted his fame.
Someone at the scene suggested taking a photo of the two of them together.
Just as Lu Yanhe was thinking about how to politely decline, Chen Pinhe had already been called away.
Lu Yanhe also turned and left.
Subsequently, Chen Pinhe's studio posted some group photos on its official Weibo account, as did Lu Yanhe's studio.
Many people asked in the comments section why the two Chinese film stars didn't take a photo together.
Then many people explained to this person that the two had a long-standing conflict and were now avoiding each other.
Then, because the two attended the same event without ever meeting or taking a photo together, it suddenly sparked a discussion among the public about which of the two films, "The Pianist" and "Windbreaker," would represent Chinese cinema in the Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
The discussion intensified.
It just so happens that "The Pianist" was released during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
On that day, it directly defeated a host of commercial films, taking the top spot at the box office with 27.9 million.
(End of this chapter)
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