The only sun in Huayu

2013 2 Month 6 Day.

BJ.

The chill of winter had not completely faded, and the air was still crisp.

However, the scene outside the Peak Cinema is quite different.

The lights were dazzling, and the noise was deafening; the fervent sounds dispelled the chill of the harsh winter.

A long red carpet stretched from the street all the way into the depths of the exhibition hall, like a flowing galaxy.

On both sides of the red carpet, media reporters set up their cameras and microphones, while movie fans craned their necks, their faces filled with anticipation and excitement.

A huge movie poster stands majestically, with the three characters "Brotherhood of Blades" written in bold, powerful strokes.

The poster's background is a magnificent scroll depicting the sun and moon shining together, and the newly established landscape. The central theme, "The brilliance of the Ming Dynasty, unparalleled elegance," runs throughout the entire poster, setting the tone for the evening.

The waiting fans could be heard exchanging quiet conversations.

"I heard this movie has been in preparation for six years. Six years of hard work, I'm really looking forward to it," a young movie fan wearing glasses said to his companion.

A companion chimed in, "Yes, Director Shen hasn't made a movie in two years since 'XJ Past' (Karamay Past) was released, right?"

A fan standing nearby, clearly more interested in Shen Shandeng's activities, chimed in: "It's been filmed, but it will take a lot of time for post-production. He's been exploring film technology for the past two years, and I heard he's working on technical films like 'Three Gorges' and 'Monkey King: Hero Is Back'."

“I know about ‘Three Gorges’,” the bespectacled movie fan chimed in. “I heard it’s a heavy industry film. Just the stills that have been released look really hardcore. It seems like a lot of engineering companies assisted in the filming.”

"The assistant director is Guo Fan, a junior colleague of Director Shen." The well-informed fan added, "I heard he's in charge of the project. This guy is comparable to Director Shen back in the day, and he's also very good at 'begging' for donations."

Six years have passed since Shim Sun-deng debuted in 07.

His six-year-long culmination of work, "Brotherhood of Blades," finally premiered on this day!

The premiere had an extraordinary atmosphere from the very beginning, starting with the red carpet event.

The red carpet was ingeniously arranged indoors, with lights precisely focused on the runway, which resembled a catwalk.

The stars walked the red carpet one by one, but unlike the usual Western-style dresses worn at international film festivals.

Tonight's red carpet is completely immersed in the spirit and charm of the Ming Dynasty.

A magnificent ceremony, a glimpse into a thousand years!
The male stars were not limited to dull suits; many wore elaborately modified Ming-style robes and inner robes, with deep sleeves and jade belts around their waists.

His movements exude both the elegance of a scholar and the vigor of a warrior.

The actresses' gowns cleverly incorporated classic elements such as the horse-face skirt and the long coat with a stand-up collar, embroidered with gold and silver, and in colors that were either dignified and serene or bright and beautiful.

Adorned with cloud-shaped shoulder ornaments and exquisite headdresses, she moves with graceful steps, exuding an elegant charm, as if she has stepped out of an ancient painting, vividly and directly interpreting the "elegance of the Ming Dynasty".

Exclamations of surprise erupted from the audience from time to time, completely immersed in the carefully crafted atmosphere.

Off the court.

Shen Shandeng gazed silently at the dazzling scene before him, his heart filled with countless emotions.

His thoughts drifted back to that cold winter of 2007, to the small conference room at the Beijing Film Studio. Conditions were still quite basic then, and he presented Han Sanping and others with ideas that seemed almost "outrageous" at the time.

However, just three years later, during the summer of 2010, "Lost in Thailand 2" was released, grossing over 900 million yuan and approaching the 1 billion yuan mark.

No one could have predicted that the film market would progress so rapidly.

Of course, Lao Deng also made rapid progress and was transferred to the Film Bureau.

Now, six years later, the "Ming Dynasty" that was once just a paper story is finally about to undergo its first formal review by a national audience.

Tonight's unique premiere fashion show is also the result of Shen Shandeng's years of dedicated learning, absorption, and transformation.

He learned the essence from Marco Müller, the former artistic director of the Venice Film Festival and now an advisor to the Beijing Film Festival and the Qingdao Golden Dragon Film Festival.

In later terms, this meticulously crafted atmosphere, which allows people to immerse themselves in it, can be called the "Brahmanic realm."

Top-tier Western film festivals, with their dominant cultural position and sophisticated capital operations, create a powerful magnetic field, unconsciously bathing participants in the brilliance of their defined "civilization" and "art."

Shen Shandeng is practicing this method in reverse.

Combining the format of a fashion show, the event aimed to create a unique cultural atmosphere with the theme of "The Splendor of the Ming Dynasty," captivating every domestic audience member present.

The audience gasped and exclaimed in amazement.

The highlight of the red carpet event came when Chen Daoming appeared.

He did not choose the attire of the early Ming Dynasty, but instead wore a red official robe from the Wanli era. His eyes under the black gauze hat were calm and his steps were unhurried.

Accompanied by the majestic melody of the background music "For Yue", with the lines "The sky is about to collapse, how many people dare to raise their arms and hold it up", he slowly walked in.

The screen also lit up appropriately, and snowflakes drifted down.

Who says the heavens are unwelcoming? A sudden downpour sends one person off. He didn't linger or show off much on the red carpet; he simply stood in the center with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd.

In that instant, it was as if four hundred years had passed, and Zhang Juzheng, the imperial tutor and chief minister who "turned the tide," was reappeared in the world in a fleeting glimpse.

Without a single word, the highly symbolic official robe and the weighty demeanor conveyed the spirit and character of the Ming Dynasty at its peak.

Shen Shandeng felt a surge of excitement as he watched this scene, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

After playing Yang Tinghe, Teacher Chen played Zhang Juzheng, which will probably earn him another title as a "professional prime minister".

After the red carpet event concluded, the lights inside the venue gradually came on.

Shen Shandeng walked steadily onto the stage, facing the guests in the hall.

Compared to a few years ago, he appears more composed, and under Lin Yueru's leadership, Dengfeng Pictures has gradually ventured into the cinema industry.

But the flames that flickered deep within those eyes remained burning hot and never went out.

Shen Shandeng remarked with emotion: "Six years ago, in an office at the Beijing Film Studio."

“I told the factory manager that the soul of a period epic must be ours. What we want to film is not superficial spectacle, but the spirit, a new world where the sun and moon have been reborn.”

Han Sanping, who has now joined the department, was also present in the audience, sitting upright.

Hearing this, he nodded slightly, his face revealing little emotion.

Shen Shandeng briefly reviewed the arduous journey he had taken over the past six years.

He started by having a grand vision and a surge of courage to knock on the door of China Film Group, which earned him a chance to enter the industry.

After the establishment of Dengfeng Pictures, the series of martial arts thrillers, including "The Eunuch", "Lost in Thailand", "No Man's Land", "XJ Past", and "XJ Past", depicts a city rising up amidst the heavy dust of the times and the brilliance of humanity.

He gradually built his own film empire, constantly trying different genres, honing his directing skills, and accumulating technical expertise and industry reputation.

All of this groundwork and preparation seems to have been for tonight's ultimate test.

Shen Shandeng talked about how to build a core team, imitating the industrial model of "The Lord of the Rings", filming all three parts together, spending several years to gradually build the physical world and human landscape of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties.

There are also the domestic technical and special effects teams that have grown alongside the project.

Their hard work and progress are also an indispensable part of this film.

"Many people ask me, why 'Brotherhood of Blades'? Why 'The Sun and the Moon Reopen'?"

Shen Shandeng's gaze slowly swept over the expectant faces below the stage. "Because I want to rediscover a kind of spirit through this film. A spirit that our nation has repeatedly risen from ruins and hardships, daring to change the world."

"It is not empty praise, but a tribute to the pioneering spirit of our ancestors, and an exploration of the roots and soul of our own civilization."

“Every character in the film, even every nameless soldier, is not repeating the cycle of history; they are creating and reshaping the backbone of China.”

As Shen Shandeng recounted his story, the original aspiration and fervent hope that had permeated six years became incredibly clear and unwavering at that moment.

The lights in the entire venue slowly dimmed.

The giant screen then lit up, and the familiar dragon logo appeared on it.

For the next two hours, the audience seemed to be pulled back by an invisible force to the turbulent late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, a time of great upheaval and change of dynasty.

The grand war scenes, the exquisite costumes and props, and the complex special effects create a magnificent world.

The core spirit of "the sun and moon renewing themselves," which runs throughout the entire story like a spine, deeply resonates with the audience.

The protagonist of "Brotherhood of Blades" is not Zhu Yuanzhang, but he is still very memorable.

The actor who plays Huo Qubing is Li Le, a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama. He is 1.8 meters tall, with strong features, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a spirited demeanor.

Until the end of the movie, when the Ming Dynasty was established, the theme song "Ode to the Great Ming" (also known as "Heavenly Questions"), which had been kept secret and circulated only within the inner circle, finally resounded with the rising red sun.

The children's voices were clear and full of power.

Shen Shandeng's initial idea was to make one film, but he found that he couldn't let go of the content in the actual production, so he made it into three films. The plot of the Northern Expedition and other events were put into the second film, but the film is already full of information.

All the elements—images, sounds, stories, and spirit—are perfectly interwoven, ultimately merging into a magnificent and vivid historical scroll depicting the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

clap clap clap!
As the film ended, thunderous applause erupted, instantly engulfing the entire theater.

The applause came in waves, warm and sincere, expressing the audience's most direct recognition and excitement.

As the applause subsided, host Li Hong, dressed in an elegant gown, slowly walked to the front of the stage, her face radiant with the moving glow of being touched by the film.

Li Hong addressed the audience, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm round of applause to welcome the director of 'Brotherhood of Blades,' Chairman of Dengfeng Pictures, Director Shen Shandeng!"

moment.

All eyes and all the lights in the room were focused on the figure who was standing up from his seat. (End of Chapter)