Chapter 19
There are several film premieres every day at the film festival, so it is called a premiere, but except for some films with particularly famous production teams, most of them are very simple.
The audience for the premiere is mainly media, film critics and distributors invited by the film company, and only a small number of tickets will be available for purchase by ordinary audiences.
After the early efforts of the producer and Fang Chen, many people were invited to watch the premiere of "The Painter", and the good seats in the theater were full.
Ye Yuze and He Tong followed the director onto the stage, walked around, stood aside like vases, listened to the producer's brief words, and then completed their mission and left the stage.
Whether it will be successful ultimately depends on the quality of the film.
He Tong pulled Ye Yuze quietly to the last row and sat down to start watching the movie.
Before, Yu Zheng almost released the film just before the deadline. At that time, they had already joined the crew of "Tian Yao", so they had never seen the finished film. Today was also the first time they watched it.
The lights go out and the screen lights up.
It begins with a high-altitude aerial shot, showing the city below with tall buildings, crowds of people and a constant flow of traffic.
The camera moves down quickly, leading the audience into the bustling city and blending into the noisy crowd.
In front of a skyscraper, a throng of media personnel, cameras and microphones in hand, rushed toward the entrance. The camera followed them into the lobby, through the elevator, and finally into a spacious exhibition hall on a higher floor. A long list of exhibition titles swept across the frame. The media surrounded several people standing at the entrance to the exhibition hall. Microphones were extended to a handsome young man, congratulating him on winning another international award and opening an exhibition.
The young man wore a three-piece suit and dealt with everyone with elegance and composure, yet he also revealed an unconcealable high spirit.
The camera moved up to capture a large watercolor painting above the young man, which was a depiction of the city that had been photographed from an aerial perspective.
The picture freezes, and the two big words "Painter" gradually emerge.
Then, the camera moves around the exhibition hall, and the opening credits appear when each painting comes into view.
After filming the exhibition, the screen faded to black, and when it came back on, the scene shifted to the hospital.
The plot progresses quickly, and soon the story ends with the painter learning about his illness and how difficult and painful the treatment is. After some struggle, he finally packs his bags and goes looking for a place to commit suicide.
What follows is a breathtaking landscape that captivates both the eye and the soul. Yu Zheng's editing possesses a magical charm, capturing the stark contrast between nature's grandeur and humanity's insignificance while seamlessly blending humanity and nature, never overshadowing the subject. The focus remains squarely on the painter, allowing the audience to quickly empathize with the character and share in the inner cleansing of nature.
He Tong leaned close to Ye Yuze and whispered in his ear, "Director Yu's use of natural scenery is truly amazing. Just for this, I'm sure many people will want to watch it again on the big screen."
Ye Yuze nodded: "After this movie is released, Director Yu's previous documentaries will probably become popular too."
One-third of the way through the film, He Tong's character appears, and the focus of the film slowly shifts back to human society.
Yu Zheng is a master of long takes, giving the narrative a sense of unhurried narration, with the occasional micro-expressions and close-ups of small movements particularly touching. The film's plot and dialogue are simple, but there are many blank spaces, waiting for the audience to perceive the hidden meanings behind the scenes.
Ultimately, the painter, his heart healed, decides to face his fate and bravely enters the hospital again. Although the season has entered the bleak winter, the entire tone of the film's later stages is full of hope and vitality. The painter's love for life is like a dazzling light, warming every viewer.
He Tong saw again those eyes, full of vigor and vitality, from the trailer. Ye Yuze in the picture was very thin, even in the hospital room, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, but looking out the window with a happy smile. Outside, a sunny rain was falling.
Then the camera turned to show He Tong holding the urn and being buried in the cemetery.
Ye Yuze noticed something strange about He Tong leaning against him, so he tilted his head and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
He Tong slowly loosened his clenched fists before saying, "The scene on the hospital bed was cut."
"When we were filming, Director Yu said that it probably wouldn't be used, so he filmed it just as a backup."
“…That’s good.”
Whether it's a movie or a TV show, it's common that many shots may not be used in the end, and some shots may be moved to different scenes during post-production editing.
The screen quickly explains the subsequent auction and donation plot.
He Tong heard the suppressed sobs of the girls in the front row and asked, "Do you want to leave first?"
Ye Yuze chuckled: "Director Yu said there would be an Easter egg."
The screen went dark and the end credits started rolling. Perhaps the audience was still immersed in the plot, and no one stood up to leave.
The screen lit up again, revealing He Tong's back. He walked towards a villa and pushed open the double doors.
The camera moved slightly upwards, and as the door opened, a painting hanging in the room gradually came into view - a portrait of He Tong.
When the portrait was fully revealed, the screen paused for a second, then the door slammed shut and the screen went completely dark.
The sobbing in the front row, which had already subsided, suddenly increased again.
He Tong couldn't help but rub his forehead: "I think Director Yu will get tons of razor blades after the release."
After the film, there's a short segment where the director talks about his thoughts on filming and making the film. Media and critics usually stay to listen, while some distributors and ordinary audience members leave first.
He Tong saw the right moment and quickly pulled Ye and Ze away to avoid being discovered by fans. Lingling had told him that several of Ye and Ze's fans had bought tickets for the premiere.
When you're abroad, especially at a film festival where so many stars gather, it's better to keep a low profile. If they're photographed surrounded by fans, there will definitely be trolls who will criticize them for acting like big names right after their debut.
The two of them left the cinema through the staff passage and waited for the bodyguard to pick up the car.
At present, their tasks at the film festival have been completed, and the next ten days can be regarded as a short vacation.
"It's still early, bro. Is there anywhere you want to go?"
He Tong asked as he took out his phone to search, but he heard Ye Yuze say, "I came to Lake City when I was a child."
He Tong looked at him in surprise.
Ye Yuze smiled and said, "When I was eleven, I came here with my parents. I discovered a very delicious restaurant at that time. I wonder if it is still there now."
He Tong blinked, and after realizing the meaning of the words, he happily put the phone into his brother Ye's hands.
"Then search quickly. If there's still any, we'll go eat!"
The shop really did exist. The two followed the navigation system and found it was a small shop hidden in an alley. Although it had undergone several renovations and no longer looked like what it once was, the menu had surprisingly not changed much.
Ye Yuze ordered the delicious dishes that he remembered, and they both ate to their heart's content.
Afterwards, Ye Yuze slowly recalled the places they had visited that year, and He Tong wrote them down one by one, deciding to revisit them all.
"Oh, by the way, my mom bought me some of the local specialty clothes back then, because the men's clothes also come with skirts. When I showed my photos to friends and family back home, some people mistook me for a girl."
"Hahaha. Let's go buy some first then!"
Ye Yuze raised an eyebrow: "You wear it?"
He Tong bargained: "Together!"
Ye Yuze didn't care. After all, that kind of clothing was very common here. Walking down the street, you could see people wearing it from time to time, men, women, young and old. Tourists also loved renting it to take pictures.
So, the two of them went to the store recommended by the restaurant owner to buy clothes.
It's not summer season yet, so I still wear them with pants to keep warm, but I tuck the trouser legs into my boots. A skirt is actually a large piece of fabric woven with a few distinctive patterns, rolled up at the waist and tied, giving it a skirt-like appearance.
They chose two different sets of outfits: one an indigo plaid jacket with a navy blue skirt, the other a reddish-brown plaid jacket with a dark red skirt. They looked both strong and elegant, and both had slim waists and long legs, making them look like perfect outfits. The woman selling clothes exclaimed how handsome they were and praised their good taste in matching. They looked so harmonious together.
He Yitong was so happy that he agreed to let the aunt take several photos.
Ye Yuze looked at the map on his phone and asked, "Let's go to the cathedral first, and then to the square to feed the pigeons?"
"Okay. But can we enter the church?"
“You can’t enter the chapel, but you can visit from outside.”
He Tong smiled and said, "I'll just follow you anyway."
The cathedral is a landmark in Lake City, and it's packed with tourists. So the two of them put on hats and sunglasses. The weather had been sunny lately, so wearing sunglasses didn't seem out of place.
With the idea of a serious date in mind, He Tong asked the four bodyguards to move a little further away and followed closely behind Ye Yuze. As they walked, he suddenly reached out and brushed the hair under Ye Yuze's hat.
"Hmm?" Ye Yuze turned around and looked at him.
He Tong laughed: "It has grown a lot, covering the ears. From the back, it looks a bit like a girl."
Ye Yuze also reached out and touched it: "Go back and ask Aya to cut it off."
After walking around the cathedral, the two sat on the lawn outside to rest.
Ye Yuze's gaze was somewhat distant. "At that time, my family was also sitting in this area to rest, and then I saw a painter nearby doing watercolor sketches. I thought it was very interesting, so after returning home, I learned watercolor painting."
"I don't even remember what I did when I was eleven, but I was always naughty. My mom always said I was born in the wrong year, and I should have been born a year later, in the Year of the Monkey."
Ye Yuze glanced at him and said, "You really don't look like someone who was born in the Year of the Sheep."
He Tong chuckled: "Actually, I can be very obedient."
Whether you are obedient or not depends mainly on the person - He Tong added in his heart.
As they were chatting, two children who were running around and playing suddenly raised their water guns and shot at each other.
He Tong quickly pulled Ye Yuze up and protected him, moving him a few steps away, but her skirt got wet.
The children's parents immediately noticed what was happening, ran over to hold the children, and kept apologizing to the two.
He Tong didn't understand and just waved his hand. Ye Yuze also politely declined the parents' request to pay for the laundry.
He Tong took off her skirt nonchalantly and handed it to the bodyguard who came running over.
"Let's go feed the pigeons."
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