Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 348 Wu Baige's Eagerness
In the theater, as the deeply moving music played, many people were moved to tears.

Although many of the viewers were not Asian, but rather white or black people from Europe and America, and may not have understood Asian culture and customs, they were all able to feel the warmth conveyed in the film. Many were moved by the attitude towards death depicted in the film.

When the film ended and Wu Yuchen appeared on stage with Zhao Wenxuan, Jiang Qinqin, and others to take a bow, the audience erupted in thunderous applause.

After a while, once Wu Yuchen had seen off the audience, he also chatted with the judges who had come to watch:

"Oh, Wu, this is truly a great film. I've always been deeply impressed by your film 'Love,' and this time you've taken us on a unique journey to explore different attitudes toward death!"

One of the female judges was the first to praise Wu Yuchen.

Then, jury chairman Kusturica smiled and said to Wu Yuchen:
"Like a meticulously choreographed musical piece, it blends the bittersweet flavors of life together, creating an unexpected and touching lyrical symphony!"

"Thank you for the compliment!" Wu Yuchen nodded slightly.

"Wu, it's really a great movie! It showed us the intricacies of Eastern death rituals. If only the movie could be a little less sentimental."

Upon hearing what the judge named Landita said, Wu Yuchen simply smiled and did not respond further.

To be honest, he knew that some people were just saying nice things. Although "Departures" is a good movie, it may not be liked by everyone, especially some art enthusiasts who might think that the movie is too sentimental and has too many comedic elements, and therefore think that it is deliberately trying to be commercial.

However, he couldn't possibly remove these essential elements for the sake of so-called art-house cinema, as that would make the film unfriendly to most ordinary viewers. This film wasn't made specifically for a small group of art enthusiasts.

Then a short man in a sharp suit walked up to Wu Yuchen, raised his right hand and gave a thumbs up, loudly proclaiming in Mandarin with a Taiwanese accent: "This year's Palme d'Or belongs to 'Departures'!"

Wu Yuchen lowered his head, looked at Wu Baige in front of him, and took the initiative to extend his hand and shake her hand with a smile: "Director Wu, you flatter me!"

Wu Baige also held Wu Yuchen's hand and said:
"Oh, no, no! Director Wu, if you can promote our Chinese culture to the world, then I will definitely support you! We are all family, so we should help each other!"

If the other judges could understand Chinese, they would definitely frown deeply. After all, *Departures* is only the first film they've seen; dozens more await them. To tell your fellow countrymen now that the Palme d'Or goes to *Departures* is blatantly biased!

However, Wu Baige didn't care at all and openly showed her goodwill towards Wu Yuchen.

Wu Baige wasn't really that simple-minded or a kind older brother who took great care of his compatriots; he naturally had his own ulterior motives.

Although Wu Baige had a illustrious past in Hollywood and was an internationally renowned director, times had changed. The failure of *Windtalkers* became the straw that broke MGM's back, causing his situation in Hollywood to deteriorate rapidly. However, he managed to secure another opportunity after that, directing a $6000 million film called *Paycheck*, but it flopped again upon release, completely ending his chances in Hollywood.

Therefore, Wu Baige has now returned to the Chinese film industry from Hollywood. After a ten-year absence, the Chinese film industry has changed dramatically. Mainland China has replaced Hong Kong as the largest market, and if he wants to continue being a renowned director, he must thrive in the mainland market.

Currently, the largest film and television company in mainland China is Miracle Films. Furthermore, he's heard that Wu Yuchen and Han Sanping, the powerful figure behind China Film Group, are close friends, even calling each other brothers. It's fair to say that Wu Yuchen is currently the true power behind the scenes in the mainland film industry, a true mogul.

Wu Baige wanted to make an epic period film. Although he had the reputation of an internationally renowned director, he was well aware of the importance of local authorities. Whether it was filming or approval, you had to get the local authorities' approval before you could proceed.

If Wu Yuchen were merely a director, even with his current achievements, Wu Baige would at most offer him mutual praise. But now, Wu Yuchen is capital, a financial backer, and a person in power!
Whether in Hong Kong or Hollywood, Wu Baige deeply understands that for a director to make a good film, the support of capital and power is indispensable.

Therefore, Wu Baige, having been invited to be a Cannes jury member, naturally wouldn't let go of this opportunity to befriend Wu Yuchen!
Although Wu Yuchen couldn't immediately decipher Wu Baige's thoughts, he sensed the goodwill she conveyed. Furthermore, Wu Baige's final words, "mutual help," touched Wu Yuchen's heart. Gradually understanding Wu Baige's meaning, he smiled and said:

"Director Wu, I would certainly welcome your contribution to Chinese-language films!"

Upon hearing Wu Yuchen's words, Wu Baige was overjoyed and made up her mind to do everything in her power to get Wu Yuchen a Golden Palm during the selection process!

A moment later, Wu Yuchen smiled as he watched Wu Baige's retreating figure, realizing that the old man was also a shrewd one at assessing the situation.

Back in Hollywood, he'd never been treated with such goodwill; they simply didn't see the need for him. Confident in his status as a top Hollywood director, he believed he could thrive on his own. However, two consecutive box office flops ruined his career. Now, back in the Chinese film industry, their attitude towards Wu Yuchen has completely changed.

Wu Yuchen wasn't offended. Isn't that how most people are? He and Wu Baige didn't have any grudges. The fact that she was so eager to come over could be considered as her trying to curry favor. Wu Yuchen wouldn't put on airs or act superior.

He wouldn't stop them from making a movie. However, if they wanted him to invest in "Red Cliff," he'd better forget it. Although the film ultimately made a profit, especially at the Japanese box office, its reputation in China was terrible, and he had no desire to get involved.

As a major entry in this year's Cannes Film Festival, "Departures" was naturally placed in the most central theater, receiving ample publicity and attracting a large audience and media.

However, Wu Yuchen no longer stayed in the theater as he used to. His status and position were different now, and he no longer needed to eagerly wait in the theater to thank every viewer like he did when he was a junior director. After about one screening and giving some interviews to the media, he took Jiang Qinqin out for a stroll.

During his trip to Cannes, he naturally wanted to see other directors' films. The first one he saw in the afternoon was Johnnie To's *Election*. Compared to the packed theater for *Departures*, the *Election* theater was much less crowded, just a few people scattered around.

Many people in China may have seen the movie "Election," but most of them actually saw the censored version, "Election."

The original director's cut is a 3-hour version, containing many bloody and violent scenes. The version shown in Hong Kong Island is 100 minutes long, barely conveying Johnnie To's intended meaning. The version most people in mainland China watch, *Election*, is 85 minutes long.

This version, for the sake of censorship, not only cut a lot of content but also completely changed the ending. For example, Gu Tianle was never an undercover agent at all, but his identity was changed to that of an undercover agent. Also, after Simon Yam kills Big D (played by Tony Leung Ka-fai), he strangles Big D's wife with a belt, then digs a pit and buries them both. He is not arrested by the police at all, and at the end, he calmly drives home with his son.

Johnnie To was actually quite ambitious when he made "Election," aiming to create an epic gangster film. In fact, if you watch "Election" parts one and two together, it's quite good, especially the character Jimmy, played by Koo Tin-lok, who expresses some of his ideas.

As the movie began, some bloody scenes of people being stabbed were accompanied by screams and disgusted expressions from some viewers.

Halfway through the movie, an elderly foreign woman suddenly vomited, attracting the attention of many people. The staff had to quickly take her out for a check-up. Since there weren't many viewers to begin with, some lost interest in continuing the movie after this incident and simply left.

After the movie ended, looking at the nearly empty theater, Johnnie To and the entire "Election" crew were extremely disappointed.

After Wu Yuchen walked over, he saw that they all looked dejected, so he encouraged them by saying, "Actually, the movie is quite good."

Du Dapao said somewhat dejectedly, "Sigh, Director Wu, there's no need to comfort me anymore, everyone's all gone..."

"That old lady was an accident, but in a way, that's also a certainty. The filming is quite realistic!"

"Actually, I think this movie might be better shown in Venice, since Italian gangster culture is more prevalent than in France."

Wu Yuchen then asked, "Director Du, I remember your previous gangster movies were all about gunfights, but this time there are almost no guns in the entire film?"

Du Dapao adjusted his mood and then smiled at Wu Yuchen, saying, "It's realistic! There are at least 30 gangsters in Hong Kong, which is why I wanted to make a film that can truly present the culture and ecology of gangsters. In fact, most gangsters use knives to kill people; out of 100, probably not one has ever handled a gun."

After exchanging ideas with people about "Election," he went to see "Three Times." During his conversations with Hou Hsiao-hsien and others, Wu Yu-chen noticed that the two lead actors, Shu Chi and Chang Chen, seemed to be developing feelings for each other while filming.

Rumor has it that the two had a kissing scene during filming, and because they were both so engrossed in the kiss, they forgot about the time, so much so that when they stopped, they found the director and cinematographer already smoking. However, despite the passion, Zhang Zhen's parents ultimately strongly opposed their son's relationship with Shu Qi.

That evening, after Wu Yuchen brought Jiang Qinqin back to the room, Jiang Qinqin excitedly handed Wu Yuchen a newspaper to read.

"Wu Yuchen showcases his masterful skills; 'Departures' receives widespread acclaim!"

"Departures": The respect for death is the same as the sincerity for life.

Seeing these compliments, even though he had expected them, Wu Yuchen felt even happier.

Although Western and Eastern cultures differ, audiences from different countries can still empathize with the genuine emotions displayed by the characters when facing the shared topic of death. Furthermore, the unique Eastern culture of burial practices is sure to pique the interest of many Westerners seeing it for the first time. These are all pluses for "Departures."

Wu Yuchen spent three days in Cannes, meeting with all the jury members he wanted to see, watching the films he wanted to see, and exchanging ideas with the filmmakers he wanted to talk to. Afterward, he took his private jet and flew back to London.

The set at Cardington Studios is already set up, and Wu Yuchen needs to go back and check it out. If it's ready, he'll start filming immediately. He plans to finish filming the scenes here in about five days. It's not a lot; it mainly involves shooting a large model of Gotham City's exterior, used for both distant and panoramic views. The reason for not using computer-generated special effects is to pursue realism.

Wu Yuchen has temporarily put aside his Cannes affairs, but there are disputes in Cannes because of him.

"No, no, I don't think 'Departures' suits Cannes' tastes. It's a bit too deliberately sentimental, like a pre-programmed movie that makes the audience cry at a certain point..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Baige slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her 1.6-meter height exuding the aura of someone 2.3 meters tall, interrupting the other person's words:

"What do you mean by deliberately being sentimental? This is a genuine expression of emotion, understand? Stop using sentimentality and humor to discredit 'Departures.' Do you think it's easy?"
Despite the weighty subject matter, the film skillfully blends humor and sadness, profundity and lightheartedness within a single narrative. Such subtle control over the nuances of balance is beyond the capabilities of most directors!

Wu Baige scanned the crowd in the room, then said loudly, "In my opinion, 'Departures' is the best film at this year's festival, combining both technical skill and emotional depth. It is the Palme d'Or winner and deserves the title!"

Intimidated by Wu Baige's imposing presence, and unable to compete with her, the other party turned their attention to the jury chairman, Kusturica.

To be honest, Kusturica's favorite film is actually Jarmusch's *Broken Flowers*, but after recalling the hint given to him by the organizing committee chairman, Jacob, he sighed and said:
“I think John Wu is right. Departures not only showcases Wu’s superb skills, but also the emotions that transcend national and racial boundaries are sincere and touching, allowing people to contemplate death in such a peaceful, warm, and sacred way!”

(End of this chapter)