Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 150 Encounter with Zhang Chunru

Lu Kuan drank too much again last night.

Jiang Zhiqiang and Li Yang both have average alcohol tolerance, so he competed with Zhang Yimou.

After eating at the restaurant, they returned to their residence. Zhang Yimou, who looked like an old farmer from Shaanxi, pulled him and Li Yang over again. The three directors talked about everything and drank until the early morning.

I went abroad at the end of December, and it has been two months.

I originally set my mind to quit drinking but failed, and unexpectedly I had to quit pornography instead.

Only Xiao Liu followed him along the way, and he had to wait.

After a good sleep for the whole morning, the group arrived at the film festival venue at around 4 pm.

From a distance, I saw the security guard arguing with an Asian-looking woman.

She didn't seem to speak German, and the security guard didn't understand English, so they were about to start a fight and blocked the road.

Lu Kuan walked closer and saw, why is it her?

"Director Li, you know German, please help me."

Li Yang went forward and had a conversation with her. It turned out that the lady had lost her invitation letter, so the security did not allow her to enter. Tonight was the final award ceremony, and the security was much stricter than usual.

What’s more, this is happening in Germany, which is stubborn and stubborn.

"Hello, this lady is a member of our crew. Here are our IDs. Please let us pass."

After some negotiations, Lu Kuan took her into the inner hall, and then he looked at Ms. Zhang Chunru, who was highly respected in later generations, with curiosity.

He stepped forward respectfully and shook hands: "Hello, Ms. Zhang!"

Zhang Chun is now 35 years old and has the demeanor of a refined and upright female scholar.

"Hello, do you recognize me?"

She was really curious. These people were probably her compatriots from China, but she was not a movie star, so few people would recognize her.

Li Yang and Lu Kuan whispered a few words and went to sign in and go through the formalities. The crew of the main competition unit also had a photo session before the award ceremony.

Lu Kuan led Zhang Chunru to sit at the seat of the "Blind Well" crew.

"I'm from Jiangsu Province, and I've lived in Jinling for a few years. I just flew here from the United States, and I've heard about Teacher Zhang's deeds."

Zhang Chunru laughed and said, "I don't dare to be Teacher Zhang, so what should I call you?"

"My last name is Lu, Lu Kuan. The guy just now was Li Yang, the director of Blind Well. We invested in and formed the crew."

Zhang Chunru asked a friend to apply for a press pass a few days ago, and of course she had seen the promotional posters for "Blind Well" and "Hero".

After all, this is the work of our compatriots.

"Hello, Xiaolu. Thank you so much for what you did just now. These Germans are just stubborn. I even said hello to that tall security guard yesterday."

"Haha, why is Ms. Zhang in Berlin?"

Zhang Chunru's face darkened, as if she was in endless pain.

She didn't know what to say.

In 1968, Iris Chang was born in the United States.

In 1995, she became a freelance writer after working, and immediately began to pay attention to and write the book "The Nanjing Massacre: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II".

She returned to her hometown in Jiangsu Province and visited the survivors in Jinling, crying again and again as she recalled their painful memories.

In 1997, Iris Chang published the English book "The Nanjing Massacre". In less than a month, the book was on the bestseller list of the American "New York Times".

She made Western society, trapped in the information cocoon, realize the truth of the catastrophe for the first time.

Later, the American online filmed the documentary "Jinling", which caused a sensation at the Sundance Film Festival and was even called the "Chinese version of Schindler's List."

At the same time, the Japanese right-wing forces are doing everything they can to public relations, slander and discredit her.

She was under tremendous mental pressure, and even her child suffered from autism. The long-term work pressure put her on the verge of collapse.

If history had not changed, this lady of high moral character would have committed suicide by shooting herself in her car next year.

Zhang's mother found a note among her posthumous works.

It said: Blood was flowing everywhere, as if it was raining blood from the sky.

"I came to Germany to interview John Rabe's descendants and to attend this film festival."

"I heard there's an anti-war film that's highly anticipated to win an award this year, so I wanted to come and learn about it."

Lu Kuan nodded silently. Her mental state was obviously not very good and she might be on the verge of collapse at any time.

Chunru means pure and harmonious. The passing of such a patriotic female scholar is extremely sad. Lu Kuan feels that he should do something.

The two were silent for a long time, and Lu Kuan suddenly laughed and said, "By the way, Ms. Zhang, I'm also a director. Have you seen Whiplash?"

Zhang Chunru shook her head.

"That's the movie I made last year. It won the Venice Golden Lion Award."

"Really? That's amazing!"

Zhang Chunru was slightly moved. Such a young child had won the top three European awards. She planned to go back and watch the film. Lu Kuan then said, "Actually, I have a favor to ask, Ms. Zhang."

"please say."

"I have always wanted to make a Chinese disaster film, whether it is the Tangshan earthquake or the 1998 flood, or the Nanjing Massacre that you have been researching, but I have never made up my mind."

"Ok?"

"I've read your book and was deeply moved. I've even written a draft of a film script about the Nanjing Massacre and am still working on it. Do you think it's feasible?"

Zhang Chunru was now truly interested.

Although her reason told her that she had to get out of the disaster and return to normal life.

But once the topic was touched upon, she couldn't help but pay attention.

"Director Lu, your idea is correct."

"The whole world knows about Auschwitz and the Nazi persecution of the Jews because wealthy Jews have made countless films on the subject. They even have a special foundation to provide funding for related themes."

"It's heartbreaking that there are still too few works in our country and our voices are too small."

Lu Kuan frowned and said, "It's very difficult to reveal historical reality through movies, because audiences go to the cinema to relax and be entertained."

"Secondly, the director's fame and ability are also very important, as is the film's presentation style. Although it's a serious drama, being close to the level of 'Schindler' would be more conducive to achieving publicity purposes."

"Although such films don't necessarily have to be Chinese-language, they must be directed by Chinese people. Americans will not support such projects."

This is the truth. Very few American audiences are interested in history, let alone history that has little to do with them.

Secondly, Japan is currently ranked among the top three film markets in the world, and Hollywood realism will never make a movie to offend the sponsors.

What's more, Japanese companies like Sony have extensive influence in Hollywood, and Sony is behind Columbia.

Zhang Chunru's eyes lit up. It seemed that this young director had indeed thought about it.

"Do you have any ideas now? What are you thinking about your script?"

Lu Kuan said eloquently, "Ms. Zhang, I'm planning to make a biographical movie about you, and I need your authorization!"

Boss Lu’s idea is also very simple.

He planned to write a script on a related subject as soon as possible. Jitaro's crooked works must be discarded, and he wanted to create according to his own ideas.

The story is the same story, it just depends on how it is expressed, on the shots, narrative and techniques chosen by the director.

Just like the Tangshan earthquake, would you choose to shoot large scenes to create a grand narrative, or shoot small characters to see the big picture from the small?
The connotation and core are the same, it depends on the choice of the director and screenwriter.

Before she could refuse, Lu Kuan continued to advance.

"A purely historical disaster film won't have many viewers."

"Only by innovating the film format and narrating your experience of writing a book and searching for the historical truth, and indirectly telling the painful truth of history, can we truly achieve our goal."

For the first time today, Iris Chang smiled from the bottom of her heart: "If you think this is beneficial to the film, I am willing to support you. I don't need a penny in compensation."

She agreed without hesitation.

Just like when she first learned about the crime of the Nanjing Massacre ten years ago, she jumped without hesitation and put herself into the endless abyss.

"Ms. Zhang, there is one thing I want to make clear to you."

"A film with such a major historical theme must be very thoroughly prepared, and the censorship at the Film Bureau is also very strict."

"I also want to devote all my energy to filming it well, and like you, truly expose this evil history to people all over the world."

"So the preparation process might be a bit long, maybe like writing a book, it might take two or three years. I don't know if you..."

Zhang Chunru hesitated for a moment.

"It's okay. I'm basically semi-retired now. If you need me, I can fly to the country to assist you."

Boss Lu said happily, "Great, then please be the consultant for this movie until it's finished and released, okay?"

"it is good."

The award ceremony began soon, and the two exchanged contact information, each with their own thoughts.

Lu Kuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Do your best and leave the rest to fate.

The filming of such a movie must have been fraught with difficulties. Although nationalist fervor was high in the country during this period, there was also no shortage of public intellectuals who were paid to do so.

From the moment his film was launched, he was inevitably subjected to the clamor of countless lackeys saying things like "We should forget history and move forward."

Later, Zhang Yimou's "The Flowers of War" received bad reviews in North America. The mouthpieces bought by the Japanese accused him of great power chauvinism and extreme nationalism, and he himself was denounced as worthless.

I have just been reborn. Apart from wandering around the world and living a life of drunkenness and dreams, how can I ignore these things?

He only lacks personal morality, but he never lacks righteousness.

To be more realistic and pragmatic, successfully creating a film with such a theme will surely win the favor and recognition of the simple people and senior leaders.

Just don't get too carried away with the box office success of this movie. In order to achieve the desired publicity effect, you might even have to subsidize ticket prices for promotion and marketing.

Zhang Chunru has rediscovered the passion she had ten years ago to fight against evil and continues her unfinished career!
　Today is 918, don’t forget the national humiliation!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)