Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 289 The Historic Moment for Oscars

When Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Connelly let go of their embrace, Wu Yuchen could see tears of joy streaming down her face. He couldn't tell if she was acting or if it was a genuine expression of emotion.

To be honest, he has always felt that many actresses' acting skills on the awards stage are much better than on set. Halle Berry, last year's Black Pearl, was a perfect example; her performance was truly captivating.

Nicole Kidman gracefully wiped away her tears as she walked onto the stage, her voice trembling with emotion, and said, "Jenny told me not to cry, but I just couldn't help it! I'm sorry!"

After she finished speaking, she covered her mouth and nose and turned around to fix her makeup, which immediately drew applause and cheers from the audience.

The camera also briefly showed Jennifer Connelly in the audience, who was smiling and clapping gently like a good friend, giving the American audience a great opportunity to see the friendship between the two.

When Nicole Kidman turned around, she had already put on a smile again and immediately mentioned Wu Yuchen:
"I am sincerely grateful to Wu Yuchen. He boldly cast me and gave me a lot of help during filming. He is truly the best director in the world!"

The live stream camera also focused on Wu Yuchen, who was smiling gently, exuding a sense of composure. Instantly, all the actresses in the audience firmly imprinted Nicole Kidman's words in their hearts.

First, Gong Li won Best Supporting Actress, and then Nicole Kidman won Best Actress. Today, Wu Yuchen swept both of these important actress awards.

If we add Jennifer Connelly's Best Actress nomination and her Best Supporting Actress win last year, then Wu Yuchen's ability to promote actresses has been perfectly demonstrated through these Oscars!
How could this not be tempting for these Hollywood actresses? The Oscars—the glory that filmmakers and actors all over the world are chasing!

Not to mention the actresses, even the actors were incredibly interested. It's worth noting that Wu Yuchen previously earned Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor nominations for his roles in *The Sixth Sense* and *A Beautiful Mind*, respectively. The reason he didn't win those two awards was due to special circumstances: the young boy was too young, and Russell Crowe had just won Best Actor the previous year for *Gladiator*, making it difficult to win back-to-back. Otherwise, someone else might have actually won.

In short, all the actors in the hall, regardless of gender, who had any ambition for the Oscars, were eager to get in touch with Wu Yuchen. If they could really gain his favor, their chances of winning the Oscars would be much higher!

Not to mention, Wu Yuchen's films have already become a brand name, bringing their own appeal and exposure. Even if he doesn't win an Oscar, he'll at least achieve commercial success. What actor could resist that?

At this moment, Wu Yuchen seemed completely oblivious to the fact that the entire hall of blue-eyed, blond-haired "demons and monsters" were staring at him like he was a piece of Tang Monk's flesh, and was listening intently to Nicole Kidman's thank-you speech on stage.

Now that Wu Yuchen has reached this point, he no longer needs to consider the feelings of most people. For example, when he first arrived in Hollywood, filming "Frequency" required him to outmaneuver Sylvester Stallone and spend considerable time and effort trying to appease him. Now, which actor would dare to put on airs in front of him?
After the newly crowned Best Actress stepped off the stage, she warmly whispered in Wu Yuchen's ear, "Thank you, Wu, I will repay you!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and said softly, "I'm really looking forward to it~"

Tonight's Oscars have now entered the very second half, the climax. Every award that follows is actually related to Wu Yuchen.

The next award was for Best Adapted Screenplay, for which he was nominated for "The Hours." However, this award did not go to him but to "The Pianist."

Next up was Best Original Screenplay, where Wu Yuchen was nominated again for "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," and this time he didn't disappoint:

"The winner... Wu Yuchen, 'The Boy in Striped Pajamas'!"

This award, which is not insignificant, was a pleasant surprise for Wu Yuchen, as he hadn't spent much time on it. It also once again showcased his reputation as a screenwriting "master" to Hollywood!
Well, he used to be a "creative genius," but as Wu Yuchen's status has risen, he has now been promoted to a "creative master."

On the Chinese internet, as Wu Yuchen won the award, a group of netizens were also having a lively discussion.

"Sixth Oscar! Director Wu is amazing!"

"Of course! The Oscar-winning actress just thanked Director Wu the moment she opened her mouth! Wu Yuchen personally helped her get that award, she'll probably be grateful for the rest of her life!"

"Thank you, Director Wu, for helping my goddess realize her dream!"

"Nicole Kidman is indeed beautiful; she's one of the most beautiful white women."

"Yeah, seeing such a beautiful female celebrity thanking Wu Yuchen in front of the whole world makes me feel so good! It's so prestigious! Director Wu is such a great honor for us Chinese!"

"I won Best Original Screenplay again, so this year's results are pretty good. I don't think I have much hope for the other two awards."

"Huh? Why do you say that? Wu Yuchen was nominated for the last two awards!"

"Hey, considering Wu's double nomination last time for Best Director, and Li An, being Chinese, is still at a disadvantage!"

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is a foreign language film; a Best Picture nomination is already a huge achievement, and an award is impossible. Last year, Wu Yuchen's "A Beautiful Mind" won because it was an English-language film. Only "The Hours" has a chance, but according to American analyses, "Gangs of New York" and "The Pianist" are the top contenders for Best Picture. So, the latter two awards are pretty much just a matter of waiting and seeing.

"Oh, I see! Sigh, I was thinking that Director Wu had two nominations for the next two awards, so his chances were pretty good..."

"Be content. Wu Yuchen has already won quite a few awards, and he even helped Gong Li win Best Supporting Actress!"

Thanks to Wu Yuchen's influence, many people have become quite knowledgeable about the Oscars in recent years, offering insightful analyses. While many have great confidence in Wu Yuchen, others have lowered their expectations and are already satisfied with his current achievements.

Wu Yuchen, who was present at the scene, was completely unaware of the discussions happening thousands of miles away. At that moment, he was intently watching Harrison Ford, the 60-year-old star of the *Star Wars* and *Indiana Jones* series, who was still incredibly handsome and stylish. He was about to present the award for Best Director!
"From the very beginning, when people use art and science to create films and bring them into our lives, the person at the helm is the director! This year's Best Director nominees include..."

"The Pianist," Roman Polanski;

Gangs of New York, Martin Scorsese;

"Every Moment," by Wu Yuchen;
"The Boy in Striped Pajamas," by Wu Yuchen;
"Talk to Her," by Pedro Almodóvar.

Wu Yuchen looked at the five profile pictures appearing on the big screen, two of which were his. This was his second time receiving two nominations, a feat unprecedented in history. Not only those currently seated in the theater, but also many viewers watching the live stream, recalled that this scene seemed to have occurred once before, a couple of years ago.

This is an advantage that Wu Yuchen deliberately created himself. His main purpose in taking time out of his busy schedule to film "The Hours" was for this. He didn't get two nominations last time, so he's aiming for another two nominations. He's also deliberately reminding the judges that they can't ignore a director who gets two nominations twice, can they?

Wu Yuchen has truly gone to great lengths to secure this Best Director award. In addition to receiving two nominations, he chose to film an anti-war film that was in line with the times, specifically sought out Spielberg to divert some Jewish influence, secretly spread rumors about his rival Polanski, and even accepted help from Disney.

To be honest, Wu Yuchen himself felt that he had done his best in every aspect, and he might never be this close to winning Best Director again. If he didn't win Best Director this time, he was really planning to give up and focus on making his commercial films.

Martin Scorsese shared a similar sentiment with Wu Yuchen at the time. He had been nominated for an Oscar even more times than Wu Yuchen, and this time, "Gangs of New York" was also his masterpiece.

Moreover, in his view, Polanski, who has a large group of Jews behind him and is the most threatening, has such a big black mark on his own, so he definitely has no hope of winning the award. The only threat to him is Wu Yuchen. It is equivalent to this year's competition being a choice between two people, and this is his best chance!

Even Polanski, who dared not set foot in America, was watching the live television broadcast with some nervousness in Europe. Although he couldn't personally come to Hollywood to lobby, a large number of his Jewish compatriots were actively helping him build connections, and he knew how much influence Jews had in Hollywood.

Spielberg approached "The Pianist" hoping they would focus on Best Picture, but this is the Oscars, and they want both Best Picture and Best Director!

The only relatively calm one might be Pedro, the director of "Talk to Her." Their public relations efforts during the Oscars were insufficient, and they knew that they couldn't compare to the influence of the other three, so they probably had little hope.

“Each of them is an excellent director with unparalleled talent, but there can only be one winner tonight.”

Harrison Ford opened the envelope and took out the slip of paper: "The winner is..."

Then he raised his head and announced loudly: "Wu Yuchen, 'The Boy in Striped Pajamas'!"

Celebratory music immediately filled the theater, followed by thunderous applause and cheers. The camera focused on Wu Yuchen, and on the big screen, one could see that the people on either side of him were joyfully congratulating him.

Wu Yuchen himself didn't seem particularly excited; his smile was just a little wider than before, and he still appeared elegant and composed.

The moment Wu Yuchen heard the news of the award, he was naturally thrilled. The first thought that came to his mind was that he had finally won. He thought of all the experiences he had gone through since he started his Oscar campaign: two nominations, being betrayed by Disney, fighting with Harvey, another two nomination this year, alliances and betrayals, all sorts of tactics, and now finally winning. It all seemed so vivid in his mind.

"Honey! Best Director! You really are the best!" Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Connelly both rushed to hug Wu Yuchen.

Meanwhile, Gong Li excitedly shouted to Wu Yuchen, "Director Wu, Best Director! You've brought back the Oscar for Best Director for China! The first Best Director for Chinese people, the first Best Director for people of Asian descent!"

Whether it's Gong Li, Chen Baoguo, or Huang Xiaoming, Shu Chang, and other members of the crew, they are all extremely excited. After all, before this, they themselves had quite a few doubts about whether Wu Yuchen could win the Best Director award.

It's important to remember that the Oscars are someone else's domain; the Best Director award has always been dominated by white people, and even Black people have never won it. But now, Wu Yuchen, an Asian, has actually won the Oscar for Best Director! This can be considered a historic moment for the Oscars!
This was a huge surprise for the crew of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"!
At this moment, the crew of "Hero" were also cheering loudly. After all, Wu Yuchen's award was truly significant, as it brought glory to all Chinese people and to China. As fellow Chinese compatriots, they were naturally happy.

As Zhang Yimou clapped, he thought to himself, not only had he lost to his opponent in Best Foreign Language Film, but now that opponent had won Best Director as well, he truly accepted the defeat wholeheartedly!
Wu Yuchen deliberately walked along the side of "The Boy in Striped Pajamas," and then hugged or shook hands with each member of the crew.

The thunderous applause continued, with many people even standing up to applaud in respect, such as Spielberg, Soderbergh, Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, and others, showing no sign of disapproval or urging Wu Yuchen for taking up too much time.

After a while, Wu Yuchen finally stepped onto the podium and accepted the trophy from Harrison Ford.

“Congratulations, Director Wu! Feel free to contact me anytime if you need anything,” Harrison Ford said with a smile in a low voice.

"Thank you, Mr. Ford!" Wu Yuchen replied politely, then walked to the microphone.

He glanced at the little golden statue in his hand, then looked up and smiled at the crowd below the stage, saying:
"Sorry, I didn't write a speech. I've written one twice before, but I never managed to win this award."

Upon hearing Wu Yuchen's words, the audience burst into laughter, knowing that he was referring to his two previous nominations for Best Director, in which he ultimately failed to win either time.

Wu Yuchen is now a true Oscar veteran. Even after winning Best Director, he remained calm and composed, still in the mood to joke, showcasing his humor and ease, which won him many fans among television viewers.

Then, Wu Yuchen continued:
"There are always moments of sudden enlightenment in life, but now that I have received this award, my mind is a little dazed. All I know is that I have received boundless love and encouragement from the Oscar judges, my colleagues on the set, my peers, the people I admire, and everyone here. This means a lot to me, and I really thank you all!"

The audience responded with good-natured laughter and cheers. After the audience quieted down, Wu Yuchen's expression gradually turned serious as he began to speak:
"This is so wonderful, but also so sad, because at this moment, so many people have been hurt by the war."

The process of making this film made me especially aware of the suffering, inhuman atrocities, and destruction that war brings to people. These experiences sometimes caused me sleepless nights, which was truly awful.

I want to thank my parents; they taught me so many lessons, about war, about life, and these have benefited me immensely. Thank you, China, the filming location for this movie, the site of this painful history; I received a lot of help during filming!

Wu Yuchen paused for a moment, then scanned the audience:

"Regarding the ongoing war, I pray that a swift and effective solution can be found quickly."

Whether you are a person whose homeland has been invaded, or a young person who has no choice but to obey orders and go to the battlefield; whether you believe in Jesus or Allah, the Three Pure Ones or Buddha, whether you are a theist or an atheist, I hope you can be blessed!

From the bottom of my heart, I wish for world peace!

After speaking, Wu Yuchen bowed slightly to the audience.

Immediately, everyone in the entire theater stood up and gave him and his declaration calling for peace a thunderous and prolonged round of applause and respect!
(End of this chapter)