Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 89 The Inside Story of the Review
Zhou Xun was naturally overjoyed and cried tears of joy. She had followed Dou Peng to Beijing for love. During her years as a struggling artist in Beijing, she had slept in basements, stayed at other people's homes, sang in bars, and even been slapped after being asked to drink with others. Who could know how much she had suffered during that time?

Now that she has actually won Best Actress at the Tokyo International Film Festival, all the grievances and regrets she has accumulated over the years have come to the surface, and tears are streaming down her face.

After Wu Yuchen led Zhou Xun onto the stage, he saw that Kitano Takeshi, who looked somewhat fierce, was smiling kindly at the two of them. He didn't mind the joke he had made on them earlier, after all, winning an award was the happiest thing, and he found Kitano Takeshi very pleasing to the eye.

This time, Takeshi Kitano didn't tease the two of them anymore and quickly handed the two trophies to them respectively.

The moment Zhou Xun held the trophy, tears welled up in her eyes and she broke into a bright smile. At that moment, she felt that everything she had gone through was worth it!

Wu Yuchen handed the microphone to Zhou Xun first, but Zhou Xun, who was experiencing this for the first time, was so excited that she didn't know what to say: "I... thank you! Thank you Director Wu, thank you Grandma Jin, thank you everyone!"

However, those present understood her feelings and responded with kind applause.

Wu Yuchen, having already experienced Berlin and Sydney, was happy but remained composed, smiling as he picked up the microphone and said:
"Grandma Jin Yaqin couldn't come due to health reasons. Before I came, I joked with her, asking if she would thank me if I brought her a trophy. Grandma Jin said she would make dumplings for me when I got back, so it seems I'm in for a treat!"

Most people in Japan knew what dumplings were, and they were amused by Wu Yuchen's words, which immediately lightened the atmosphere.

Then Wu Yuchen said seriously:

"Grandma Jin Yaqin is truly an outstanding actress. She has dedicated most of her life to acting, always playing small or supporting roles, but she has never complained. Awarding her Best Actress at the Tokyo International Film Festival is the best gift for her! Thank you!"

After hearing Wu Yuchen's speech, the audience burst into applause. After all, everyone present had to admire a woman in her seventies who had dedicated most of her life to acting.

Amid applause, Wu Yuchen led Zhou Xun off the stage. Back in her seat, Zhou Xun continued to stroke the trophy and even kissed it several times.
Wu Yuchen smiled, then turned back to continue watching the awards ceremony.

After Best Actress, it's time for Best Actor. This award has nothing to do with "We Two", but Wu Yuchen is still quite interested because Zhu Xu, the male lead of "The King of Masks", was nominated. In his previous life, he won the Best Actor award.

And as expected, Zhu Xu won the Best Actor award for his brilliant performance.

After the Best Actor award, the next one is for Wu Yuchen, who will be nominated for Best Director.

Besides him, the other winners of this year's Best Director award include Wu Tianming for "Face/Off", Jan Svilak for "Give Me a Dad", Krzytov Zanussi for "Road to Freedom", and Vincent Aranda for "Growing Up".

The award presenter was a little old man from Japan. He went up and gave a speech, praising each director before slowly tearing open the envelope.

"The Best Director award goes to Wu Tianming for 'The King of Masks'!"

Upon hearing the result, Wu Yuchen, who had been somewhat anxious, felt relieved. He was certainly a little disappointed, but he was able to control his emotions well. He then quickly applauded Director Wu Tianming, as they were all Chinese and he naturally wanted to be happy for him as well.

In fact, "Face/Off" was a big winner this year, taking home both Best Actor and Best Director awards. It's just that the internet in China had only just been born at that time, otherwise it would have become famous overnight if it had been shared back home.

The final two awards were the Jury Grand Prize and the Golden Kirin Award. These awards were also given out among five films, including *We Two* and *Face/Off*, but *Face/Off*, having already won both, probably has little chance of winning.

Wu Yuchen's heart was in her throat again. Although she had already won the Best Actress award, who wouldn't want to win an even more prestigious award? And winning an award would also increase the copyright price!
After the presenters came on stage, as usual, they first showed introductions and behind-the-scenes footage of the five films. To be honest, the feelings of the people in all five film crews were somewhat complicated at this point. Because the Jury Grand Prize is essentially second only to Best Film; winning the Jury Grand Prize meant you couldn't possibly win the Golden Kirin.

Everyone wants to win the Golden Kirin, but no one wants to end up empty-handed, so the judges have mixed feelings about the Grand Jury Prize.

"The Grand Jury Prize at this year's film festival is..."

As the presenter spoke, he glanced around the room before finally fixing his gaze on Wu Yuchen: "You and me!"

The name uttered by the guest made Wu Yuchen breathe a sigh of relief, and a bright smile immediately appeared on his face. Zhou Xun next to him was overjoyed and took the initiative to hug Wu Yuchen, constantly saying things like congratulations.

After letting go of Zhou Xun, Wu Yuchen quickly shook hands with Wu Tianming and Huang Jianxin, who reached out their hands, and then walked confidently onto the podium.

Wu Yuchen accepted the trophy with grace and poise, then smiled and said into the microphone:
"Our Two" is a small-budget film with a budget of less than $5, and it is also my first feature film. However, it has won the love and recognition of so many people. I think it is because it conveys the most simple and pure emotions between people.

Thank you to the Movie Channel for their investment and support of "We Two," thank you to Grandma Jin Yaqin and Zhou Xun and all the crew members for their hard work, thank you to the audience for their love of "We Two," and thank you to the organizing committee for their recognition of the film and myself. Thank you everyone!

Back in her seat, Zhou Xun smiled and leaned over, giving a thumbs-up and saying, "Director, you're absolutely right!"

However, when Wu Yuchen saw her eyes constantly glancing at the trophy, he knew exactly what she was thinking. So he simply handed the trophy to her, which made Zhou Xun smile broadly once again.

Actually, Wu Yuchen had some expectations for the Golden Kirin Award before the awards ceremony, but now that it's over, he feels relaxed and only joy remains. After all, winning both the Best Actress award and the Jury Grand Prize is already a great achievement!

Finally, amidst the tense atmosphere of the other film crews and under the watchful eyes of the entire audience, the Golden Kirin Award was indeed awarded to the favorite, the Czech film "Give Me a Dad".

On the evening of the awards ceremony, the Chinese delegation gathered for a celebration banquet, and Tian Zhuangzhuang, who had finished his duties as a judge, also attended.

Huang Jianxin raised a glass of wine and said excitedly:
"This time, 'We Two' and 'Face/Off' won four awards in a row, which is a great success and a worthwhile trip! Let's have a toast together!"

Huang Jianxin was not bothered by the lack of success of his film "Red Light Stop, Green Light Go". In fact, he had expected it beforehand, because it is a comedy film. He thought that being shortlisted for the film festival and finding an opportunity to sell the copyright would already be a success.

At the dinner table, everyone was in high spirits. Chinese-language films were undoubtedly the biggest winners at this year's event, and everyone was sharing their experiences after coming to Tokyo.

As the conversation flowed, Tian Zhuangzhuang recounted some events from the judging process, and then said to Wu Yuchen, "Little Wu, to be honest, your 'We Two' is a bit of a pity." Everyone was taken aback. How could it be a pity after winning such a prestigious award?

Wu Yuchen couldn't help but look at Tian Zhuangzhuang. Tian Zhuangzhuang took a sip of tea and then explained in detail:

"The Czech film 'Give Me a Dad' is undoubtedly of high quality, truly excellent. But the film that garnered the most attention and generated the biggest buzz at this film festival was definitely 'We Two,' which resonated deeply with the Japanese audience!"

Everyone thought about it and agreed. Whether it was the emotions expressed in "We Two" or the issue of empty-nest elderly, it hit the nail on the head regarding the current vulnerabilities of Japanese people.

Tian Zhuangzhuang continued:

"Among the five members of the jury, there was a Japanese man named Yoshinobu Nishioka who strongly advocated giving the Golden Kirin to 'We Two,' and I also cast my vote. However, the chairman was Selby Silberman from Poland, who said that if the Golden Kirin were also given to 'We Two,' then this Tokyo International Film Festival would become a one-man show for Chinese-language films, and that couldn't be done. So in the end, 'We Two' was given the Jury Grand Prize."

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized what had happened!

Wu Yuchen understood after hearing this, but he didn't react much emotionally. He just smiled and said, "This Polish guy's courage is not as good as Senior Brother Zhang Yimou's!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter: "Indeed, it's far inferior!"

At the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival in 1993, Zhang Yimou, who was the president of the jury, insisted on awarding the Golden Bear to two films, Xie Fei's "Woman Sesame Oil Maker" and Li An's "The Wedding Banquet".

That's right, two Chinese-language films won the Golden Bear at the same time!
To be fair, the way Zhang Yimou handled this matter is truly adept!

Wu Yuchen made a joke, and then said:

"But to be honest, things are pretty good as they are. If the Golden Kirin had really been given to 'We Two,' then 'We Two' might not have won Best Actress. I've traded one Golden Kirin for two Best Actress awards and a Jury Prize, what a win!"

In reality, film festival awards inevitably involve the issue of dividing the spoils. It's impossible for one film to take all the awards; most of the awards are shared among the other films, unless it truly crushes all the other films.

Seeing the sincerity in Wu Yuchen's words, Tian Zhuangzhuang admired his magnanimity. For many directors, it would be better to give up all other awards in exchange for the Best Film award.

Then, Tian Zhuangzhuang seemed to remember something and said to Wu Yuchen, "Xiao Wu, I heard that your movie is a TV movie invested in by the movie channel. Go back and discuss with them to find at least one cinema to screen it, so that it can be submitted for next year's Golden Rooster Awards."

"I've got it, thank you for reminding me, Teacher Tian!" Wu Yuchen raised his glass and toasted him again.

Following that, Zhou Xun, Wu Tianming, and Zhu Xu all toasted Tian Zhuangzhuang to express their gratitude, since their awards were partly due to Tian Zhuangzhuang's role as a judge.

After the awards ceremony, the Huaxia delegation parted ways. Huang Jianxin left with his crew first, while "We Two" and "The Changer" stayed behind to discuss copyright matters.

In a neon-lit teahouse, Wu Yuchen met an old acquaintance from yesterday's awards ceremony—Takeshi Kitano, who presented the Best Actress award to "We Two"!

Takeshi Kitano may have a common trait among comedians: he rarely smiles in private. Coupled with his somewhat fierce face, he really does look like someone from the underworld.

"Mr. Wu, please sell me the film rights to 'The Two of Us,' please!"

Looking at Takeshi Kitano, Wu Yuchen recalled his connection with Jia Zhangke. After Jia's "Xiao Wu" won an award at the Berlin Film Festival, it caught Kitano's attention. Kitano admired Jia's use of long takes and his focus on ordinary people. Subsequently, Kitano's studio invested in most of Jia's films, establishing a long-term collaboration.

“Mr. Kitano, if you can offer suitable terms, I would be happy to entrust ‘The Two of Us’ to you,” Wu Yuchen said with a smile.

“Mr. Wu, I will first arrange for ‘We Two’ to be screened at the Iwanami Cinema, and then expand it to art cinemas throughout Japan. I will definitely ensure that ‘We Two’ can be seen by as many people as possible.”

In Japan's art scene, there's a saying: "To see Japan, look to Tokyo; to see Tokyo, look to Iwanami." Films shown here have a high chance of being favored by all art cinemas in Japan.

Wu Yuchen nodded and said calmly, "Mr. Kitano, Iwanami Cinema has actually contacted me. They are very willing to arrange the release of 'We Two' as soon as possible."

Takeshi Kitano paused for a moment. He had thought that Wu Yuchen, this young director, would be easier to fool, and that he could make empty promises and then negotiate a lower price, but it didn't work.

He thought for a moment and then said, "Mr. Wu, Takeshi Kitano's studio is willing to buy the rights to 'We Two' for a high price of $30."

“Mr. Kitano, it seems your sincerity is somewhat lacking. I can tell you privately that after ‘We Two’ won the award yesterday, Mr. Kazuo Fukasawa contacted me by phone, hoping to buy the Asian rights to ‘We Two’ for $50.”

After speaking, Wu Yuchen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said nothing more.

Takeshi Kitano's eyelids twitched. He knew Kazuo Fukasawa; he was the general manager of Toho Towa, responsible for importing and distributing overseas films in Japan. He was very interested in Chinese culture.

Kitano Takeshi didn't want to waste time with haggling, so he simply asked, "Mr. Wu, what price are you looking for?"

"$100 million."

“That’s impossible!” Takeshi Kitano refused outright.

现在美元兑日元汇率是1比110，100万美元就是1亿1千万日元，如果花了这么多钱买下，那么《我们俩》票房要达到近3亿日元才能收回成本。

This risk is too great!
(End of this chapter)