Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 178 Absurd and Extraordinary!
With the Golden Bear and the Berlin Film Festival Best Actress award, "Mr. Donkey" was undoubtedly the big winner of this year's Berlin Film Festival. At the banquet after the awards ceremony, Wu Yuchen and Gong Li were the center of attention. People came up to congratulate and chat with them, regardless of whether they knew them or not.

Whether it's because Wu Yuchen just won the Golden Bear or because of his previous success in Hollywood, both art-house and business people see what they are looking for in this great director, so how could they not want to befriend him?
Wu Yuchen was genuinely happy tonight and drank quite a bit with everyone. Although he doesn't usually like to drink, alcohol can indeed increase excitement when one is emotionally aroused, acting as an emotional amplifier.

The following day, after a night of revelry, Wu Yuchen, accompanied by Gong Li, made a special trip to visit director Xie Fei, who was serving as a judge. Although they had already interacted with the judges at the banquet the previous night, they felt it was necessary to express their gratitude to Xie Fei and his companion again.

"Haha, no need to be so polite. I really like such a great movie as 'Mr. Donkey,' and I should fully support it no matter what perspective you take!" Xie Fei said with a smile.

"It wouldn't have been possible without Teacher Xie's help during the judging process; otherwise, how could I have won both the Golden Bear and Best Actress awards at the same time?" Wu Yuchen praised.

Upon hearing this, Xie Fei smiled and waved his hand, then said:

"Actually, I was just a helper in this judging process. It was that nearly 80-year-old Ken Adam who truly made his stance clear: he was helping 'Mr. Donkey' compete for the Golden Bear, leaving Paul, who supported 'The Thin Red Line,' speechless!"

After listening to Xie Fei recount the judging process, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but think to himself, "Kennedy is such a good guy; he really gets things done after taking the money!"
He also learned why Angela Molina, the final jury president, chose "Mr. Donkey" for the Golden Bear: it was simply because of feminism.

Another film, *The Thin Red Line*, is set on the battlefields of World War II. The entire film is a male-dominated story, with not a single female supporting character. In contrast, *Mr. Donkey* features Gong Li's character and Ding Jiali's coppersmith wife, both of whom reflect feminism.

Angela Molina, being a woman herself, naturally prefers "Mr. Donkey"!

Wu Yuchen couldn't help but sigh at this point, realizing that his numerous awards during his trips to Berlin seemed to have benefited greatly from the feminist movement.

In the first short film, "Car 44," Jiang Qinqin plays a female driver who, after being assaulted, launches a fatal "accusation" towards the entire car.

The second film, "Run Lola Run," goes without saying. It is a representative work of the feminist awakening, and Li Xiaoran's portrayal of the red-haired Lola has become a classic feminist film and television image.

The film "Mr. Donkey" was chosen because it depicted the oppression and harm women suffered in their pursuit of independence, which led the jury chairman to favor them.

Wu Yuchen even wondered if he was now being called a friend of feminism in Europe.
The "Mr. Donkey" production team spent a few more days in Berlin, mainly because Wu Yuchen was negotiating the film's rights with distributors. Ultimately, the European rights sold for 1200 million, the American rights for 1000 million, the Japanese rights for 300 million, and the South Korean rights for 150 million. These are the main markets; the company will handle the other smaller regions on its own.

Although the price for "Mr. Donkey" may not seem as high as the previous "Run Lola Run," it is actually considered a high price. This is because it won the Golden Bear and Best Actress awards, and also benefited from Wu Yuchen's reputation. After all, not every movie is as widely welcomed by foreigners as "Run Lola Run."

In regions like the United States, over 8% of viewers never watch movies with subtitles; they don't have that viewing habit. Therefore, foreign-language films in the US have historically performed poorly at the box office. Fox's offer of $1000 million this time is largely due to Wu Yuchen's influence. They want to recoup costs through DVD sales and also cultivate a good relationship with this successful North American director, hoping to participate in the investment of his next film.

By the end of February, the branches of trees in Beijing were beginning to turn green, but the winter chill had not yet faded, and the Beijing airport was not as bustling with people as it would later become. However, at this time, a large group of reporters carrying long lenses and microphones were waiting at the international passenger exit, attracting quite a few curious onlookers who came up to ask questions.

"Hey, reporters, who are you interviewing? Why are you making such a big fuss!"

Some reporters didn't want to engage, but others offered helpful explanations:

"Wu Yuchen and Gong Li! Did you know that 'Mr. Donkey' won an award? The crew flew back today!"

Another passenger took out a newspaper he had just taken off the plane, pointed at it, and asked, "Is this it? I just saw it on the plane."

He was holding a copy of the "China Civil Aviation News," which read:

"Mr. Donkey shines in Berlin, Wu Yuchen wins the Golden Bear! Gong Li is crowned Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival!"

Below the title was a photo of Wu Yuchen kissing the Golden Bear trophy.

Another person next to him said, "Brother, you just got back to China, right? You don't know, these past few days the newspapers and TV stations have been broadcasting it every day, and the movie channel is practically talking about it three times a day, morning, noon and night."

The reporter, upon hearing this, also spoke with a hint of pride:
"Absolutely! The Golden Bear and the Berlin Film Festival Best Actress award—they've practically conquered the entire film festival with an overwhelming advantage! This time, they've really brought honor to China!"

"Then I have to go and see too, it's such a rare opportunity to bump into someone like this!"

Some passersby stopped immediately upon hearing this, wanting to join in the excitement. As a result, while the rest of the airport was deserted, the international exit was almost completely blocked, forcing the airport to send in security guards to maintain order.

"Why don't you come out?"

"Didn't the plane just land?"

"Could it be that they didn't take this route?"

Just as some people were growing impatient, a group of people walked out chatting and laughing. Leading the group was Wu Yuchen, wearing a thick black trench coat, standing tall and exuding elegance. Immediately, quick-fingered photographers were snapping away with their flashes.

Instantly, reporters and passersby surged forward, and if it weren't for security personnel maintaining order, chaos would have ensued.

When Wu Yuchen came out with Gong Li and others, microphones were constantly being shoved in their direction, and reporters were shouting loudly:

"Director Wu, how does it feel to win the Golden Bear Award?"

"Director Wu, when will 'Mr. Donkey' be released in China?"

"Gong Li, you're now a double Best Actress winner, what are your thoughts?"

"Zhang Guoli..."

"Zhou Xun..."

Wu Yuchen had anticipated such a large gathering of domestic reporters. Seeing so many people surrounding him, he raised his voice and smiled as he addressed them:

"Thank you all for your support! The 'Mr. Donkey' trip to Berlin was a great success. We'll talk more at our press conference! Thank you!"

"Director Wu, please say a few more words!"

After making a few polite remarks, Wu Yuchen, escorted by security guards, quickly left with the rest of the crew.

After getting into the car, Wu Yuchen said to everyone, "Everyone, go back and rest for a bit. We might have a special interview for the movie channel in the next couple of days, which will require your help!"

"Director Wu, I feel like this part was a dream~" Zhou Xun said with a smile.

Zhou Xun is already quite well-known in the Chinese film industry. Her role in "We Two" earned her the Best Actress award at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and she's had no shortage of acting opportunities since. But "Mr. Donkey" is different; it won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Playing a significant role in this film is undoubtedly a valuable experience for her.

Sun Honglei was also full of hope for the future. Just a few months ago, he played the son in Zhang Yimou's "The Road Home," essentially the second male lead. Now, he had won the Golden Bear for "Mr. Donkey." Back then, he was an older student, an auditor who couldn't even graduate, yet he had fared better than any of the actors in his graduating class of the Central Academy of Drama's acting program!

He Bing and Fu Dalong were the same; everyone in the car was happy.

When Wu Yuchen returned this time, he first visited Han Sanping, since the movie "Mr. Donkey" was originally a collaboration with Beijing Film Studio.

When Wu Yuchen came to China Film Group, Han Sanping personally came out of the gate to greet him.

"Brother Wu, congratulations on your triumphant return from Berlin! The Golden Bear and the Best Actress award at Berlin—you've truly brought glory to Chinese cinema this time!" Han Sanping said happily, holding Wu Yuchen's hand.

He has just taken the position of the second-in-command of the new China Film Group Corporation. He is in the stage of making his first big moves and his position is not yet stable. Wu Yuchen's "Mr. Donkey" returned with a Berlin Golden Bear, which directly helped him. This was something he strongly advocated for Beijing Film Studio to participate in!

"Brother Han, you and Beijing Film Studio also have a share in this Golden Bear Award!" Wu Yuchen said with a smile, shaking his hand as well.

"Hahaha, let's not stand here, let's go upstairs and talk!" Han Sanping also laughed heartily.

After Wu Yuchen followed Han Sanping to his office, Han Sanping first took the Golden Bear trophy that Wu Yuchen had brought and touched it carefully. He said he would make a replica to display at the Beijing Film Studio. Then he pointed to a stack of newspapers on the table and said:
"Brother Wu, your film 'Mr. Donkey' has really set the domestic media on fire this time. Newspapers big and small, including the China Youth Daily, Guangming Daily, Global Times, and China Film News, are all full of news about you! You have to tell me all about how you won the award."

"Haha, since you're willing to listen, then I really have to say something. This award process has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me."

As Wu Yuchen recounted his story, Han Sanping learned many inside stories that hadn't been reported by the outside world. "It turns out that the program score had nothing to do with winning awards. When we saw in the newspaper that you had such a high score and were far ahead, we thought it was only natural that you would win the award. We didn't expect there to be so many tricks involved."

After listening, Han Sanping clicked his tongue in admiration, but then gave a thumbs up and said, "The fact that the program and the award were the same this time proves even more the excellence of 'Mr. Donkey,' which has balanced both sides perfectly!"

Han Sanping's words resonated with Wu Yuchen, who was quite proud of receiving recognition from both the program booklet and the grand prize.

Then, Wu Yuchen asked with a sudden thought, "Brother Han, is there any problem with the release of 'Mr. Donkey'?"

Because "Mr. Donkey" contains many political metaphors, Wu Yuchen was still somewhat worried about its wide release despite winning the Golden Bear Award.

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping immediately smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's already been arranged. The copies are in production, and it will be released on a large scale next week!"

Then Han Sanping leaned closer to Wu Yuchen and lowered his voice, saying, "After your film won the award, someone immediately asked for a copy to watch. I heard they thought it was quite interesting."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen suddenly realized that there was definitely no problem then.

Then Han Sanping sighed, "Brother Wu, it's such a pity that your 'Mr. Donkey' wasn't submitted for this year's Oscars, otherwise it might have won an award!"

Han Sanping seemed to remember something, then sighed and didn't continue.

Wu Yuchen could tell what Han Sanping was thinking just by looking at him; it was all about Chen Kaizi's "The Emperor's Shadow" story.

The Oscars stipulate that each region can only submit one film per year. Therefore, in the 99 Oscars, Wu Yuchen did not compete with Chen Kai for the nomination and directly gave it to Chen Kai's "The Emperor's Shadow".

But Kai Zi was disappointing. He was full of confidence before submitting the application, but when the nomination list was announced last month, he didn't even make the cut!

Wu Yuchen's film "Mr. Donkey" won the Golden Bear and Best Actress award at Berlin, while Kai Zi wasn't even nominated for an Oscar. Doesn't this comparison highlight the difference?

Therefore, it's no wonder Han Sanping shook his head and sighed; he was thinking that sending "Mr. Donkey" there would be better than the current situation. He wasn't alone in this sentiment; many others shared it.

In fact, Chen Kaizi also sensed the crisis. Therefore, under the double stimulus of the Oscar loss of "The Emperor and the Assassin" and the Golden Bear win of "Mr. Donkey", he made up his mind to drastically re-edit "The Emperor and the Assassin" and send it to the Cannes Film Festival in May to defend his honor as China's number one director!

In fact, Wu Yuchen never intended to compete for the Best Foreign Language Film award at this year's Oscars, because he knew that even if he were nominated, his chances were slim. The competition this year was just too fierce.

Of the five films, there's *Central Station*, which won the Golden Bear and Best Actress award at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival; the Iranian classic *Children of Heaven*, also known as *Little Shoes*; and the Italian classic *Life Is Beautiful*. All three of these films were listed among the 100 greatest films of the 20th century, and in previous years they would have easily won Best Foreign Language Film. Yet, they all ended up in the same year!
Therefore, Wu Yuchen really understands Kai Zi. No wonder "The Emperor's Shadow" didn't even make the nominations. It's not that "The Emperor's Shadow" was bad; it's just that the competition this year was too strong. If it were last year, the result would not have been the same.

"Life Is Beautiful" was both well-made and politically correct, making it almost a shoo-in for an award. Therefore, even if Wu Yuchen submitted "Mr. Donkey" for the competition, it would have little chance of winning this year, so he simply gave it to Kai Zi.

Wu Yuchen smiled at Han Sanping and said, "Brother Han, it's okay. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. If you can't catch it this year, then you can do it next year."

Upon hearing Wu Yuchen's words, Han Sanping's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward to ask, "Brother Wu, are you planning to send 'Mr. Donkey' over there, or are you going to make another one?"

The Oscar rules for Best Foreign Language Film state that if a film was released in its home country the previous year, it can be submitted by that country for Oscar consideration. Therefore, "Mr. Donkey" is eligible to participate in next year's Oscars.

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said, "The political metaphors in 'Mr. Donkey' might not be liked by the Oscars, and it might not even get a nomination. So I plan to make a new film and try for next year's Oscars."

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping slammed his fist on the table: "Good! Brother Wu, I fully support you this time. As long as you finish this film this year, the spot to participate in the Oscars next year will definitely be yours!"

Kai Zi gave him a chance, but it was useless. Zhang Yimou has always been close to Xi'an Film Studio and Guangdong Film Studio. Based on their relationship, Han Sanping will also support Wu Yuchen.

Wu Yuchen then smiled and humbly said, "Ultimately, we'll have to rely on the quality of the film to prove itself."

"Brother Wu, I have absolute faith in your movies! I'll be waiting for your masterpiece!" Han Sanping said, patting his chest.

……

When Wu Yuchen won the Golden Bear, Jiang Qinqin and the other girls contacted him immediately to congratulate him. Naturally, he wanted to meet them upon his return. However, three of them were still at the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon training camp, so he couldn't go directly there; it would be awkward. He had to arrange separate meetings.

At this moment, Jiang Qinqin was nestled in Wu Yuchen's arms, drawing circles on his chest with her fingers, and repeatedly murmuring, "Golden Bear, Best Actress, Golden Bear, Best Actress..."

Hearing the girl muttering to herself, Wu Yuchen knew she was feeling sour again, so he patted her bottom and said:

"Why are you still thinking about it? Haven't you seen Gong Li's performances before? Still not convinced?"

"I'm convinced, how could I not be convinced? If it were me, I might not have won either of these awards..." Jiang Qinqin pouted and lamented to herself.

"It's good that you have self-awareness. Focus on improving your acting skills so that when I want to compete for awards in the future, you still can't beat others when the opportunity arises."

Jiang Qinqin wrinkled her nose again: "I'd like to too, but there aren't many good opportunities for me to hone my acting skills in China these days. Even with Yu Jiaolong, I don't know if I'll be chosen yet!"

Wu Yuchen glanced at her but didn't say anything. And sure enough, she was right. He had just spoken with Li An, who was now mainly observing Li Xiaoran and Zhang Ziyi; Zeng Li and Jiang Qinqin had already been eliminated from his mind.

However, Jiang Qinqin is not wrong. The number of films produced in China each year is insufficient, leaving few good opportunities for actresses. Therefore, if they want to hone their acting skills, they either need to participate in reliable television dramas or go into stage plays. Many actresses in China now, such as Xu Fan and Ning Jing, take on both television dramas and films; very few are like Gong Li who only does films. They simply don't have as many opportunities as she does.

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment, and if there were any good projects that came to him for investment this year, he would look for suitable opportunities to insert his women into them.

In the dean's office at Beijing Film Academy, Hou Keming grinned from ear to ear as he looked at the Golden Bear award Wu Yuchen had just brought home. He had originally fought for Wu Yuchen's graduation project with "Mr. Donkey," and unexpectedly, Wu Yuchen had actually won a Golden Bear!

Then Hou Keming said to Wu Yuchen with a smile, "The school is in an uproar because of you this time. Teachers and classmates have mentioned it to me many times. This time you have to bring 'Mr. Donkey' back to school for screening!"

Actually, the students and teachers at Beijing Film Academy are quite familiar with "Mr. Donkey," after all, the stage play has been running there for almost two years, and many of them can even recite the plot and lines by heart. However, they haven't seen the film version of "Mr. Donkey." It's important to know that film and stage play are completely different things; the visual language and acting styles are vastly different.

Wu Yuchen's Golden Bear win this time adds even more prestige to "Mr. Donkey," making everyone even more eager to see what the film version of "Mr. Donkey" is like.

Hearing this, Wu Yuchen couldn't refuse, so he thought for a moment and said, "Dean Hou, I'm going to the auditorium on Friday for the premiere, how about I bring 'Mr. Donkey' back to the school for an exchange on Saturday?"

"Okay, then it's settled!"

The Great Hall of the People has always been a solemn and sacred place in the eyes of ordinary people. They have always thought that only high-level conferences or events can be held here. But in fact, as long as you pay, you can book it out during your free time. It can be used for meetings, concerts, movies, and even weddings.

The film "The Emperor's Shadow" attracted considerable attention when it premiered here during the National Day holiday last year. However, at that time, "The Emperor's Shadow" only had a preview screening and was not released on a large scale, so it soon faded away.

However, this time "Mr. Donkey" returned with the Golden Bear and Gong Li won the Best Actress award. The premiere at the Great Hall of the People directly attracted huge attention, and the public felt that it was very prestigious after seeing the reports.

Many people from the film industry attended the premiere, including Zhang Yimou, who had just finished post-production on "The Road Home," and Jiang Wen, who hadn't yet finished filming "Devils on the Doorstep."

What, you're asking about Kai Zi? Kai Zi is busy right now. Chen Hong said he's holed up in the editing room re-editing "The Emperor's Shadow"!

One hundred minutes later, after the film ended, a sentence popped into Zhang Yimou's mind: "Absurd and unconventional, yet extraordinary!"

However, Zhang Yimou has never been an outspoken person, and he usually keeps most of his thoughts to himself.

In contrast to the taciturn Zhang Yimou, Jiang Wen had no such reservations and directly expressed his feelings: "This cannibalistic world is fucking awful!"

However, his curses were drowned out by thunderous applause, and Jiang Wen didn't care. Thinking of how the ending of *Mr. Donkey* placed hope in that red city, a smile crept onto his face. As everyone knows, Jiang Wen is a die-hard Maoist.

He felt that it was worth it to put aside "Devils on the Doorstep" and come all the way to see this movie; it was definitely worth the trip!

(End of this chapter)