Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 287 Too Much

On March 23, the thunderous roar of artillery fire did not prevent the 75th Academy Awards ceremony from taking place on schedule. However, the "Oscars" held against the backdrop of war can be considered one of the most unique awards ceremonies in history.

Barriers were erected along Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, and armed police guarded the awards ceremony. Shops near the Kodak Theatre had long been forced to close, the annual Oscars red carpet was gone, and the usual fans were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, people outside the theater split into two factions: those supporting the war and those opposing it.

Anti-war protesters held up signs that read "Bush betrayed America," "Bush is a dangerous element," and "Oscar demands peace," expressing their desire for peace. Supporters of the war in Iraq sang "America, America" ​​and held up signs that read "God bless America," but their presence was much weaker than that of the protesters.

In this tense moment, the Oscars received the same treatment as last year, with layers of security and snipers stationed at nearby high points.

Although the Oscars canceled the red carpet event, ABC, the broadcasting network, still focused its cameras on the arriving guests, showing their arrival live. After all, viewers love to watch that; that's what viewership is all about!
"Several more Chevrolet EV1s drove up, and out of the cars stepped Wu Yuchen, a hot candidate for Best Director this year!"

Wu Yuchen got out of the car and looked at the Chevrolet EV1 he had just been sitting in. To be honest, he hadn't expected to be riding in a pure electric car so soon, especially since Tesla hadn't even been founded yet.

Upon inquiry, it was learned that General Motors had already built this pure electric vehicle back in 96, but production had ceased, as GM did not intend to pursue electric vehicles further. This made Wu Yuchen sigh, lamenting that such a significant technological advantage had essentially ceded the race to Tesla.

To express America's protest against Iran's ambitions in the oil market, many celebrities opted for alternative modes of transportation at this year's Oscars, such as the electric car that Wu Yuchen rode in.

Meanwhile, Wu Yuchen, like most others, wore a black suit, appearing quite solemn, and wore a brooch with an anti-war slogan on his chest. The female celebrities also mostly dressed in black and understated styles today, with very few opting for glamorous outfits.

Since there was no red carpet event, Wu Yuchen simply brought the casts of "The Boy in Striped Pajamas" and "The Hours" together into the venue this time.

As he approached the door, Wu Yuchen heard someone call out in Mandarin, "Director Wu! Director Wu! Over here!"

Wu Yuchen glanced over there, then smiled and beckoned Gong Li, Chen Baoguo, Huang Xiaoming, and others to walk over together, as they had arranged to meet him beforehand.

This year's Oscars featured two films, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and "Hero," which generated unprecedented enthusiasm among Chinese audiences. However, unfortunately, China does not have the rights to broadcast the Oscars live. Therefore, CCTV-6 (China's movie channel) specially formed a "Live from the Oscars" reporting team to go to the scene and provide on-site coverage.

Huang Xiaoming, who was following obediently behind the group, was overjoyed. It didn't matter that he didn't walk the red carpet, as long as he could show his face in front of all the Chinese people!
"Hello, audience! We are now at the Oscars ceremony with Wu Yuchen, Gong Li, Chen Baoguo, and other distinguished guests..."

Huang Xiaoming maintained a smile on his face, but in his heart he was shouting, "Don't wait for everyone! Say my name too!"
However, the reporter ignored Huang Xiaoming and enthusiastically interviewed Wu Yuchen:
"Director Wu, you're a regular at the Oscars, and you've won quite a few awards here. How many awards do you think you'll win today?"

Wu Yuchen smiled and asked in return, "You mean to combine both movies?"

The reporter was actually asking about "The Boy in Striped Pajamas," but since Wu Yuchen had already brought it up, she immediately replied, "Yes."

“Actually, it doesn’t seem like a good time to make predictions, I’m afraid it might trigger some adverse effects. But since everyone is so concerned, I think there should be five,” Wu Yuchen said, spreading out one hand.

The reporter calculated that "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and "The Hours" had a total of 16 nominations, and getting 5 would be a third, which seemed pretty good. Then she asked, "Do you think 'Hero' will do well?"

Wu Yuchen felt that the reporter was a bit silly during the interview, asking him, a direct competitor, to evaluate "Hero"?
He simply said, "Didn't I just say that? The two movies, 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas' and 'Hero'."

The female reporter was stunned for a moment. So you just said that two Chinese-language films won a total of 5 awards?
Wu Yuchen smiled again, and then took the initiative to say:

"Winning a few awards isn't important. I just hope that Chinese-language films and Chinese culture will have a greater and greater influence in the international arena!"

The female reporter quickly agreed and hurried off to interview Gong Li and the others. A short while later, it was finally Huang Xiaoming's turn.

Huang Xiaoming humbly addressed the camera: "I feel very excited! After all, I am an actor. To be able to step onto the Oscars, the highest stage of film in the world, and see so many top actors who were once only mentioned in textbooks standing in front of you, communicating with them, feels like a dream!"

"Xiaoming, do you mean your dream has come true now?"

"It's halfway done! I want to thank Director Wu Yuchen for giving me this opportunity, which has allowed me to learn a lot!"
I feel I need to work even harder and improve more in the future! I hope to leave my mark on the Oscars someday!

After Huang Xiaoming finished speaking, the reporter, as usual, thanked him, saying, "Okay, Xiaoming, thank you!"

Huang Xiaoming, adapting to local customs, blurted out in English: "Not at all!"

Afterwards, in high spirits, Huang Xiaoming walked into the Oscar Theater with his head held high, completely unaware that this boastful remark would ignite a major online battle between his fans and other groups.

For this year's Oscars ceremony, the organizers thoughtfully arranged for the crews of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and "The Hours" to be together, since both are directed by Wu Yuchen.

After everyone was seated, the Academy Awards ceremony began soon after.

The first presenter to take the stage was also an American sweetheart, Cameron Diaz, who presented the first award of the year, Best Animated Feature. However, somewhat embarrassingly, no one came forward to accept the first award. This was because Hayao Miyazaki, director of *Spirited Away*, refused to attend the Oscars in protest against the United States' involvement in the war. However, this was just a minor incident. While Miyazaki is influential in the animation industry, he's practically invisible in Hollywood, and both those on and off stage completely forgot about it.

The second guest to take the stage was Keanu Reeves, and this award made the entire "Hero" crew sit up straight. Zhang Yimou also perked up, as they were also nominated for Best Visual Effects. However, a disappointing result followed moments later:

"The winner is... The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers!"

The visual effects of "Hero" are top-notch even in China, and the scene of thousands of arrows being fired simultaneously is impressive even on a global scale. However, in today's Hollywood, it still falls short of "The Lord of the Rings" series.

The third person to take the stage was Jennifer Connelly, whom Wu Yuchen knows very well. As the winner of Best Supporting Actress last year, she presented the award for Best Supporting Actor this year. She wore a black evening gown that hugged her mature and charming figure, while also giving people a cold and forbidden feeling.

Wu Yuchen, sitting in the audience, laughed and remarked, "Hollywood actresses really don't miss any opportunity to showcase themselves!"
When asked about the fourth award, Wu Yuchen glanced at the "Hero" crew, as this was his first direct confrontation with "Hero" that day. Both "The Hours" and "Hero" were nominated for the Best Costume Design award.

Unlike Wu Yuchen's relaxed attitude, the "Hero" crew started to get nervous again. After all, this is the Oscars, and any award is a gain for them!
"The winner is... Hero, Emi Wada!"

At this, the entire cast and crew of "Hero" stood up and cheered, and Zhang Yimou also hugged and congratulated Emi Wada from the crew.

That's right, the costume designer for "Hero" was Japanese. This lady actually won an Oscar in 1985 for "Ran". She is a top costume designer in Japan and has participated in the costume design of many Chinese films since the 90s, including "Hero", "House of Flying Daggers", "Reign of Assassins", "The Bride with White Hair", and "The Soong Sisters".

Even if it's just a technical award for "Hero", if they can win something at this year's Oscars, then their trip won't have been in vain!

Wu Yuchen smiled and clapped, offering his heartfelt blessings from the audience. It was just a small prize; he didn't care about it.

After several more awards, it came down to the point where they were competing against themselves again. This time, however, it was Wu Yuchen's "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and "The Hours" that were both nominated for the Best Original Score award.

"The winners are... Ryuichi Sakamoto and Jiping Zhao for 'The Boy in Striped Pajamas'!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and stood up to hug the two award winners from the crew: "Mr. Sakamoto, Teacher Zhao, congratulations!"

At the same time, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but think that it was quite a coincidence that the first awards won by the two films, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and "Hero," were both won by Japanese people.

To be honest, Ryuichi Sakamoto deserved the award this time; his score for the film really enhanced it.

“I am honored to receive this award, and I am very grateful to director Wu Yuchen for giving me this opportunity to participate in the production of the excellent film ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.’ I think the anti-war message it expresses is exactly what the world needs right now. I hope that everyone, including my fellow Japanese, can view this film with an inclusive attitude, reflect on the past history, and examine their own behavior. Thank you!”

Wu Yuchen listened to Ryuichi Sakamoto's speech and couldn't help but applaud. Look at his awareness! This is what a true Japanese friend is like!

After several more awards, Sean Connery took the stage to present the highly anticipated Best Supporting Actress award. Wu Yuchen's two productions had three nominations for this award, and both Gong Li and Meryl Streep were intently watching the stage.

Actually, everyone in the "Hero" film crew not far away was also paying close attention, especially Zhang Yimou, after all, the person nominated was Gong Li! Although Zhang Yimou and Gong Li did not end up together, he still has feelings for Gong Li in his heart, and he still remembers that he owes her an Empress!

This was a promise the two made while climbing the Great Wall when they were together. Now that Gong Li has a chance to win an Oscar, Zhang Yimou certainly hopes she can achieve her wish!
At this time, Sean Connery had not yet been exposed for domestic violence and other scandals, and still maintained his image as a gentleman. After reading through several nominees, he smiled and said, "These candidates are all very talented, each one formidable. I wonder who will win the award!"

Meryl Streep remained calm and composed. She has won both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, and this time she has two nominations, giving her a significant advantage. Gong Li, on the other hand, was equally unfazed. After all, she is known as the "Empress Gong," and regardless of whether she wins or not, her presence has never been weaker than anyone else's.

"The winner is... Gong Li, for 'The Boy in Striped Pajamas'!"

Clap clap clap clap! Applause immediately erupted from the surroundings, and those around Gong Li congratulated her. Wu Yuchen hugged Gong Li and said, "Sister Li, congratulations! You are the first Chinese actress to win an Oscar!"

Gong Li also smiled brightly: "Thank you! Thank you, Director Wu!"

Gong Li knew that her award this time wasn't solely due to her performance. In fact, in terms of acting alone, all the nominated actresses were quite good; Meryl Streep's double nominations demonstrate her exceptional talent. And frankly, a significant portion of this success was due to public relations!

Wu Yuchen accepted Gong Li's gratitude without hesitation, feeling he deserved it. Ultimately, he still favored Gong Li, enlisting Disney's help to push her for the award. With both teams working together on public relations, Gong Li finally defeated Meryl Streep, who had two nominations.

After all, we are all Chinese. This time it's not just for Gong Li. Who knows when we'll get another chance to see a Chinese actor nominated for an Oscar!

On the other side, Zhang Yimou was also clapping vigorously. Watching his former lover step by step onto the Oscar stage amidst applause and cheers, he was filled with mixed emotions. He was happy for Gong Li, but also felt regretful that he wasn't the one who sent her up there!

After a silent sigh, Zhang Yimou composed himself and offered his blessings from the bottom of his heart.

(End of this chapter)