Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 104 Pride and Prejudice

On the afternoon of August 8th, local time in Italy, the main creative team and logistics team of "Whiplash" arrived in Venice.

After getting off the plane, the group boarded a speedboat and headed to Lido Island. This private island used to be a military fortress, but is now a holiday resort for Europe's wealthy.

It was getting close to evening. The scenery of Lido Island was beautiful in autumn. Speedboats shuttled across the water. The pointed roofs and colorful window lintels on the shore were unique. Liu Yifei took out her camera and took pictures.

"Xiaolu, Brother Jielun, look at me!"

"Teacher Feng, smile a little, don't be so serious!"

"Teacher Tian, ​​you look so young after shaving your beard!"

Liu Xiaoli smiled and blocked her lively daughter, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise. She was looking forward to tomorrow's red carpet trip.

Boss Lu and the others all cooperated with a smile. Looking at the beautiful scene of the autumn water and the sky being the same color, and the setting sun and seagulls flying together, it was truly refreshing.

Tian Zhuangzhuang touched the cigarette in his pocket, resisted the urge, and called Lu Kuan to the side to talk.

"When we get there, have something to eat first, and then go to a cocktail party with me in the evening."

Thinking of Gong Li, the chairperson of the jury of this film festival, Lu Kuan nodded knowingly, and everything was self-explanatory.

Tian Zhuangzhuang came this time not as the producer of "Whiplash", but as the director of "Spring in a Small Town".

His remake was also shortlisted for the film festival, but it was a non-competitive project, in the "Against the Current" unit that was newly established this year.

The group checked into the hotel. Because the producer of "Whiplash", Wenjie Culture, was short of staff, Lu Kuan asked the crew of "Spring in a Small Town" to help arrange food and accommodation. He only brought a few staff members with him for publicity.

"Xiaolu, I may not be able to go."

Jay Chou sat in the hotel lobby in pain with the help of Dani, his ankylosing spondylitis flared up.

The little king promoted his new album "Octave Space" in Beijing in August, and then set off with the crew. The 8-hour long flight destroyed him.

Lu Kuan looked at the beads of sweat on his face and had no choice but to arrange for someone to take good care of him. He also asked the hotel staff to help contact a doctor in case of any emergency.

At 7 o'clock in the evening, Tian Zhuangzhuang arrived at the only five-star hotel on the island, the Star Hotel, with Lu Kuan in a well-tailored suit and Liu Yifei in an evening gown.

"Xiao Liu, don't eat too much later. Be more restrained."

Seeing the little girl rubbing her hands nervously, Lu Kuan teased her to lighten the mood.

Concubine Liu Yi was too embarrassed to argue with Tian Zhuangzhuang in front of him, so she just rolled her eyes and let him figure it out for himself.

Gong Li is the president of the jury of this year's Venice Film Festival, and she and Tian Zhuangzhuang don't have much in common.

However, there were not many directors and actors of that generation, so they were quite familiar with each other.

To be honest, Old Tian has to bear a big part of the blame for Gong Li and Zhang Yimou's ill-fated relationship.

In 1988, 37-year-old Zhang Yimou was going to shoot "Red Sorghum" and 36-year-old Tian Zhuangzhuang was going to shoot "Rock Youth".

In China, directors from Beijing Film Academy have always gone to the Central Academy of Drama to select actors, so the two brothers went side by side.

At that time, Gong Li, Shi Ke and three other girls from the Central Academy of Drama were collectively known as the Five Golden Flowers of the Central Academy of Drama. Zhang Yimou fell in love with Shi Ke to play Jiuer, and Tian Zhuangzhuang fell in love with Gong Li.

The two people had just passed each other.

Later, Tian Zhuangzhuang found Shi Ke, and Zhang Yimou thought Gong Li was also suitable, so they each brought their girls to shoot movies.

Everyone knows what happened later. Call it fate or a bad fate, there was a story between the first generation of Mou Girl and the director.

"Old Tian, ​​you look so young after shaving your beard!"

Gong Li had just finished socializing and came over to say hello with a smile, and joked the same thing as Liu Yifei.

Tian Zhuangzhuang smiled innocently and said, "I haven't been out much in ten years, so I have to dress up." "Come, I'll introduce you."

"Whiplash's director Lu Kuan and the leading actress Liu Yifei."

Several people shook hands and greeted each other, and Boss Lu was the first to flatter him.

"Sister Gong Li, you have such a powerful aura! I saw a long line of reporters waiting to interview you just now."

"Oh, this half day has cost me half my life."

Gong Li complained softly, then smiled at Lu Kuan and said, "Director Lu, your film is very exciting. At the beginning, Marco Muller said that one of the films would be delayed, and the jury disagreed."

"Until they saw the sample you submitted, everyone accepted the proposal!"

Lu Kuan clasped his hands together to express his modesty: "I have to thank Sister Gong Li and Teacher Tian for their help!"

Gong Li invited them to sit down at the table and chat, when suddenly a French reporter blocked their way.

"Chairman Gong Li! I'm a reporter from 'Pianchang' magazine. I'd like to ask you a few questions, is that okay?"

The female reporter spoke in English. Gong Li looked up blankly for her translator but there was no one there.

This year's Venice Film Festival was criticized by European media for many points, and Gong Li's role as jury president was one of them.

She served as the president of the jury at the Berlin Film Festival in 2000, and with her previous brilliant acting resume, she is certainly qualified.

The media's attack was that she couldn't speak English.

So not only the double-standard Western media, but also the domestic media, nitpicking film critics and public intellectuals criticized her for not being able to speak English but serving as a judge, which brought shame to the Chinese people.

In this era, Chinese people are generally less confident, and the most popular remarks are that we need to reflect, we need to learn, and we need to strive to keep pace with the international community.

In today's public opinion environment, Gong Li should be praised far more than criticized for becoming the jury president of the three major European film festivals even though she cannot speak English.

Boss Lu was of course quick-witted. He quickly relayed the reporter's questions and acted as a temporary translator, and only then did Gong Li calm down.

Ever since she was announced as chairperson, she has been under constant criticism from the media.

The French reporter glanced at Lu Kuan with an unfriendly look, interviewed him briefly for a few minutes and left in a huff. Gong Li looked very unhappy.

"Sister Gong Li, did this reporter do this on purpose?"

"Yes, they are all waiting to find fault with me, haha."

Concubine Liu Yi looked confused: "Director Lu, what do you mean?"

"Film festival interviews require appointments. This female reporter was clearly trying to create a topic by taking advantage of the translator's absence to launch a surprise attack on Gong Li."

Gong Li asked them to sit down and said, "You're right. These Westerners are very proud. They think it's ridiculous to have a Chinese woman as the chairperson of the jury."

"Yesterday, I received a request for help from a reporter from the Nanfang Metropolis Daily. He had booked an interview but the staff ignored him. They pretended not to understand his English accent and delayed processing his interview credentials from morning till evening."

"Later, I asked someone to help them get their documents. Do you know what the white staff member said?"

"He said, 'You Chinese people, do you understand movies? It's a waste to give you a press pass.'"

Concubine Liu Yi was the first to lose her temper: "This group of people is so despicable."

Tian Zhuangzhuang and Lu Kuan both smiled helplessly and shook their heads.

This is nothing more than pride and prejudice.

(End of this chapter)