Chapter 884 Your father is still your father
A day later, the Oscars announced the nominations for this year's Oscars.
There is a special live broadcast when the nomination list is announced each year.
The production team of "The Original Father" even considerately asked Lu Yanhe if he needed to take a break when announcing the live broadcast.
Lu Yanhe already knew the result in advance, so of course he didn't need to.
The first nomination announced was for Best Supporting Actor.
Wen Shengming was prominently featured, being the only Asian actor among them.
Very conspicuous.
Lu Yanhe's phone started receiving messages non-stop.
Everyone came to congratulate and congratulate him.
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated. Why was Professor Wen Shengming congratulating him on his nomination?
Okay, everyone knows how this nomination came about.
Once the nominations for Best Foreign Language Film were announced, news about it immediately decreased.
"Calm Wind No. 1" was not nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
This is completely unexpected.
The main reason is that the initial hype had already made it seem like being shortlisted was a done deal.
But that wasn't the case.
Why does this happen?
For a time, many people on the Chinese internet felt confused and even questioned it.
This is a complete upset.
Not only are many people on Chinese social media puzzled, but many foreign media outlets have also reported on this event with headlines such as "Surprise! 'Crystal One' is out of the running for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars."
Almost immediately, Darren Wilson contacted him, saying that many media outlets wanted to interview him and ask him to respond to the drop of the credits for "Calm Wind One".
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and decided to accept an interview with Variety. Five minutes later, the call came in. Lu Yanhe said, "First of all, congratulations to Wen Shengming on his nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Of course, I'm a little disappointed that 'Dingfeng No. 1' didn't officially make the shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film. Undoubtedly, whether from the industry's evaluation, media reviews, or box office figures, it's an excellent film. Director Liu Bige has made a masterpiece that tells a story with universal value: awakening. So, although I'm disappointed, as the lead actor in this film, I won't think it's inferior to the other nominated films just because it wasn't nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. Awards and honors are ways to prove a film's value, and so is time."
Lu Yanhe's response was subsequently reported by major media outlets around the world.
Such a response is reasonable, well-founded, and quite dignified.
Of course, he couldn't possibly start cursing and calling the Oscar judges idiots at this time, nor could he break down and express his righteous indignation about the matter.
To put it bluntly, he doesn't want anyone to think that the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film is so precious that not getting a nomination is enough to make him lose control.
To reiterate, the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film is simply an award that allows Europe and America to pay more attention to and value a film.
That's not all, nor is it the only way to prove it.
It wasn't until Lu Yanhe's response appeared in major media reports that the official Weibo account of the "Dingfeng No. 1" production team released the Galaxy Award winning poster, and then posted another poster congratulating Wen Shengming on his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
-
On the set of "The Original Father".
Huang Tianlin said to Lu Yanhe, "The Wind Rises 1 should have been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. They are deliberately targeting it."
Lu Yanhe shrugged and said, "Perhaps that's true. The Oscars are ultimately an award controlled by Americans. We have to admit that even if we have received its recognition, we are just guests."
Huang Tianlin sighed.
Not only Huang Tianlin, but many other people sent him messages of comfort afterward.
It's clear to everyone that during this year's North American awards season, despite his slim chances of getting a Best Actor nomination, Lu Yanhe actively participated in various public relations activities, showing how much he cared about "Ding Feng Yi Hao" (The Wind Rises). It's fair to say that a large part of the buzz surrounding "Ding Feng Yi Hao" was generated by Lu Yanhe himself.
Of course, regardless of the circumstances, "Calm Windsor No. 1" received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and was not completely overlooked. All their previous efforts were not in vain.
-
The fact that "Dingfeng No. 1" was shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film but not officially nominated is naturally a huge regret for the Film Bureau.
No one will be blamed for this.
Because everyone knows that the difficulty of this matter, as well as the special nature of the subject matter of "Dingfeng No. 1", means that this matter cannot be guaranteed.
The initial momentum was so clear that everyone had high expectations.
However, at this point, some people have suggested that if "The Pianist" had the same momentum as "Calm Windsor No. 1" over the past few months, it would have been a shoo-in for the nomination.
Such voices are somewhat disgusting. Some even say that if Lu Yanhe could use his influence in Hollywood on suitable films, given the changes in the Oscars in recent years, he might be able to make a film that meets Oscar standards become a blockbuster and receive nominations for multiple key awards.
At first, such voices circulated only internally, but gradually, somehow, they spread outside and even reached the internet.
There's actually a group of people saying that Lu Yanhe was too selfish, using his overseas influence to force the Film Bureau to submit "Dingfeng No. 1" for this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in order to promote the film he starred in. Otherwise, if they had actually submitted "The Pianist," this biographical film, which is more in line with Oscar preferences, would certainly have had a better chance of being nominated.
Lu Yanhe's fans were furious when they saw these words.
Are you kidding me?
"Calm Wind No. 1" was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at a number of prestigious awards, including the Golden Globe Awards, the British Academy Film Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. It was also shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It was a standout film during this year's American film awards season, with a high number of media reports from all over the world. Under these circumstances, it's one thing to say that it's a pity that it wasn't nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. But to say that "The Pianist," which was eliminated in October, was eliminated because Lu Yanhe favored "Calm Wind No. 1"?
Are you out of your mind?
Are you out of your mind?
There was a cacophony of insults and shouting at each other.
In this climate of public opinion, Lu Yanhe and the "Dingfeng No. 1" production team remained completely silent. There was no need to speak out at this time. Those who knew what the situation was about didn't need an explanation. And those who were trying to distort the truth at this juncture weren't genuinely seeking the truth or getting to the bottom of things; they simply wanted to use this opportunity to kick Lu Yanhe while he was down.
Unfortunately, at this very moment, the Situ International Film Festival announced its first round of film selections for the main competition.
"The Boat," directed by Luo Yuzhong and starring Lu Yanhe, Wen Shengming, and Yu Mengling, is prominently featured in the main competition of this year's Situ International Film Festival and is the only Chinese-language film in the main competition section.
Lu Yanhe's fans created a hashtag called #YourDadIsStillYourDad#.
In this discussion, Lu Yanhe's fans questioned both "The Pianist" and Chen Pinhe's fans one by one.
Why didn't we see you in the main competition section of this year's Situ International Film Festival?
You guys are so capable, aren't you?
Lu Yanhe stole the spotlight from Chen Pinhe.
"Calm Wind No. 1" stole the spotlight from your "The Pianist".
Lu Yanhe is a cancer on Chinese-language cinema—insidious, selfish. Oh dear, what's going on? How come his film is nominated for the Situ International Film Festival again? Why is it always Lu Yanhe's film that's bringing glory to Chinese-language cinema on the international stage?
Ouch!
Kid, get this straight, your dad is still your dad, understand?
-
After seeing this trending topic and the various discussions within it, Chen Ziyan was at a loss for words.
Although she knew netizens were just making a joke, this particular joke...
This joke could easily cause someone to have a heart attack.
Chen Ziyan burst out laughing.
"Oh, what good news is it?" Lu Qingzhen walked in with a happy expression.
Chen Ziyan turned the computer screen towards Lu Qingzhen and said, "Look."
Lu Qingzhen leaned over for a look and clicked her tongue, "That's like killing someone's spirit. Chen Pinhe will probably think that you guys bought the trending topic. Tsk tsk, such a big movie star and senior, and he's being treated like a father by a junior."
Chen Ziyan smiled, not explaining further the origin of the entry, and asked, "And you? What good thing happened to you? Why are you so happy?"
"I've secured a super big endorsement deal for Yan He! It's a world-class car brand, a three-year long-term endorsement right off the bat, with an endorsement fee of $30 million. In addition, they will also provide $30 million to work with Lu Yan He on charitable and public welfare initiatives." Lu Qingzhen looked at Chen Ziyan with great pride. "Even top Hollywood stars would find it difficult to get a brand endorsement like this."
It's not that a $30 million endorsement fee is hard to get; it's that it's extremely difficult to get a $30 million endorsement fee from a world-class car brand.
The more prestigious the brand, the lower the endorsement fee they actually offer. This is because top-tier brands tend to leverage the influence of their spokespeople less, and instead, they enhance the artist's status. This principle applies globally.
This is indeed a top-tier endorsement.
Chen Ziyan asked in surprise, "Could it be Seth?"
“That’s right.” Lu Qingzhen nodded. “Moreover, Seth also offered to sponsor Lu Yanhe if he needs to use cars for filming in the future, regardless of the model.”
Chen Ziyan: "This is indeed a very impressive brand, but Seth has never hired an Asian spokesperson, has it?"
“Yes, to be precise, they have only hired two spokespeople in the past twenty years,” Lu Qingzhen said. “They don’t always have spokespeople. Their motto is that they will only invite a spokesperson who is worthy of Seth’s image to cooperate.”
Chen Ziyan asked, "So, did they approach you for this endorsement, or..."
“I made contact with their public relations director at a cocktail party, and we gradually developed a relationship through conversation,” Lu Qingzhen said. “They believe that Yan He has developed an increasingly firm, strong, and decisive temperament over the past two years, which has been established and spread worldwide. This aligns with the brand image that Seth conveys and is consistent with Seth’s target customers.”
Chen Ziyan: "Tell Yan He this good news yourself when he comes back."
Lu Qingzhen said, "It doesn't matter what you say or what I say."
Even so, Lu Qingzhen did not refuse.
Chen Ziyan smiled slightly.
-
The Citour International Film Festival in February is even held earlier than the Oscars.
Lu Yanhe didn't know if he would have time to attend.
Of course, Huang Tianlin said he could go, since he wasn't in a hurry to finish filming "The Original Father" and could take his time.
No actor would ask for a pay raise because of the frequent reshoots. The cost of filming in Malaysia was more than enough to cover his extravagant spending given the investment his film received.
Huang Tianlin dared to follow his own wishes when filming "Tropical Rainy Season," making it "unhurried and unmoving like a mountain," let alone this movie.
Huang Tianlin didn't care that Lu Yanhe wanted to take leave to go out; he only cared that Lu Yanhe had to come back.
Lu Yanhe, however, did not want to leave so frequently, as it would severely disrupt his filming.
Of course, this might not be a problem for Huang Tianlin. He can take several days to get into character—at worst, all the scenes filmed in those days can be scrapped.
After much hesitation, Lu Yanhe decided not to attend this year's Oscars ceremony.
Since he wasn't even nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, what's the point of him going if he wasn't nominated for any individual awards?
After Lu Yanhe's refusal was reported by Variety, many people interpreted it in other ways.
—Don't be fooled by Lu Yanhe's seemingly generous response; he is actually still dissatisfied that "Dingfeng No. 1" did not receive an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
Lu Yanhe was too lazy to respond to such questions.
As for the premiere of "The Boat" at the Situ International Film Festival, Lu Yanhe has not yet made a decision.
He planned to wait and see how things went before making a decision.
With Wen Shengming and Yu Mengling both in the cast, the film "The Boat" already boasts star power comparable to the other nominated films. His presence is not strictly necessary.
The important thing is to finish making the movie "The Original Father".
-
Lu Yanhe calmed himself down and immersed himself in the character's state for a long time.
Ah Lang.
He didn't know why, inexplicably, but these past few days, he suddenly developed a liking for looking in the mirror.
He discovered this while using the restroom.
When washing my hands, I look at myself in the mirror, transformed into Ah Lang, and it's easy to get absorbed in it. Then, without realizing it, I start saying lines from the script to myself in the mirror.
"I thought I would never come back, but I later realized that many times when I thought something was wrong, it was just because it hadn't reached that turning point yet."
"I forget when it started, but I felt like I was no longer a child. Maybe I never had the concept of being a child in my past."
...
Lu Yanhe memorized almost the entire script.
Those lines are already ingrained in my mind.
Many members of the crew even encountered him standing in front of the bathroom mirror, "talking to himself" in various expressions.
At first, they all thought it was just Lu Yanhe's habit.
But over time, people started to look at him strangely.
(End of this chapter)
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