Reshaping the landscape of the Chinese entertainment industry

Although he knew what was going on, Zhang Yimou's words still left him with some mixed feelings.

Some people and some things, once they're over, are simply over.

But that kind of deep-seated concern can never be erased.

To avoid an awkward silence, He Yi'an then started talking to Zhang Yimou again.

Having already completed filming one movie, he did indeed have some questions he wanted to ask Zhang Yimou.

Zhang Yimou also answered all of He Yi'an's questions without reservation.

Just as the two were having a pleasant conversation, the door to the private room was pushed open again.

A woman wearing a black knit sweater walked in.

Her hair was casually tied up, her profile was sharply defined, and her temperament was calm yet powerful.

Even just standing there quietly, she exudes an aura that is impossible to ignore.

Gong Li.

As soon as she entered, her gaze fell on Zhang Yimou: "Yimou, long time no see!"

Zhang Yimou also stood up, a smile spreading across his face as he nodded: "Yes, it's been almost two years."

He then pointed to He Yi'an beside him: "This is the one I told you about, a very good young director!"

He Yi'an had already stood up when Gong Li came in, and now, upon hearing Zhang Yimou's introduction, he went forward to greet her.

"Hello, Ms. Gong Li, I am He Yi'an."

Gong Li's gaze finally fell on his face, and a clear look of surprise flashed in her eyes.

Although Zhang Yimou had mentioned on the phone that the director was very young, meeting him in person still exceeded her expectations.

The boy in front of me looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. He had handsome features and a calm demeanor, without any of the restlessness or nervousness that one would expect at his age.

"Director He, it's a pleasure to meet you. You've been praising me for quite a while now," she said, extending her hand in a calm tone.

He Yi'an politely shook her hand, then quickly released it and pulled out a chair: "It's all thanks to Director Zhang's kindness, Ms. Gong Li, please have a seat."

"Thank you!" Gong Li nodded and sat down gracefully.

The three of them took their seats.

When the waiter came in to take our order, He Yi'an handed the menu to Gong Li. She glanced at it, ordered a few light dishes, and then handed the menu to Zhang Yimou.

Zhang Yimou took the menu and ordered a few dishes, but didn't really look at it, as if he was distracted.

After we ordered, the waiter left.

The private room fell silent.

Zhang Yimou remained silent, seemingly acting as a middleman, handing the stage over to He Yi'an and Gong Li.

Gong Li, of course, understood Zhang Yimou's personality very well. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then looked at He Yi'an, getting straight to the point.

"Director He, I've read the script that Yi Mou forwarded to me. It's very well written, better than many scripts I've seen."

He Yi'an felt relieved. Sure enough, having Zhang Yimou's recommendation made a difference. With those words, the matter was basically half settled.

However, over the years he had developed a certain composure. Although he felt relaxed inside, he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he became even more polite: "Thank you for the compliment, Teacher Gong Li."

"But I have a few questions."

"Speaking!"

Gong Li put down her teacup and looked him directly in the eye: "Why do you think I can act? And how can you prove you can do it well?"

He Yi'an now truly understands the personality of this Northeastern girl.

Perhaps because of her relationship with Zhang Yimou, she didn't say anything vague or pretentious, but asked the question directly, yet it was reasonable.

Given Gong Li's current status, she receives a ton of scripts every year seeking her to act in films.

As one of the top actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry, her choice of scripts is secondary; what matters more is the director.

Gong Li has her own standards of judgment.

It is also clear that different directors will present completely different visuals.

Many scripts are actually quite well-written, but due to differences in directorial ability, the final product often turns out quite differently.

At her level, choosing a director is more important than choosing a script.

This is why some top actors won't accept scripts even if you offer them; they generally only accept roles from directors who have proven themselves or whose style aligns with their own.

He Yi'an was prepared for this.

He put down his teacup, looked into Gong Li's eyes, and said earnestly, "Because this role needs an actor like you."

"How so?"

"Lin Wan is a woman who considers herself to be from the elite class; she is dignified, rational, confident, and well-educated. However, when faced with family changes and life choices, she had a major disagreement with her husband."

Now that they had all read the script, He Yi'an stopped talking about the surface-level aspects of the script and instead began to analyze the content that the script wanted to convey.

"Deep inside, this character's confidence transforms into anxiety, guilt, struggle, and pain, and he is gradually torn apart."

He Yi'an slowly said, "This character cannot be played too 'forcefully' because she is repressed; but she also cannot be too calm because she is angry and feels misunderstood."

"She has a lot of inner monologues, which require the actress to use very subtle expressions, eyes, and body language to convey those unspoken things to the audience."

"Among domestic actresses, there are no more than three who are of this age and can play this role well."

At this point, He Yi'an smiled and casually complimented Gong Li, saying, "You are one of them, and also the one I most want to work with."

Gong Li didn't show any expression in response to such praise; she just listened quietly. But at this moment, she was finally convinced that the script was written by He Yi'an.

Because only the original author could probably see the underlying meaning and dissect the characters so clearly.

"No wonder he's a genius director who could write such a script."

After thinking for a long time, Gong Li continued, "This role is indeed challenging, and I'm willing to take it."

"But I still don't understand... You're a new director, your first film hasn't even been released yet, and you dare to tackle this kind of subject matter for your second film? Aren't you afraid you won't be able to handle it?"

"I'm scared, especially after thinking about working with you, Gong Li. I'm even more scared that I won't be able to do my best in the filming," He Yi'an honestly admitted. "But I have to film it even if I'm scared."

Why?

"Because I want to make truly good movies, not something that's just to appease the audience."

Speaking of this, He Yi'an's expression became confident, and he looked radiant: "Besides, I'm also confident."

"The crew can work together gradually. With Gong Li leading the cast, the other actors can be trained slowly. As long as the script is good and the attitude is serious, the final product will be good."

Gong Li looked at him, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Yi Mou is right, you are indeed different from other young people, you exude confidence."

"Because I'm confident, that's why I'm so confident!"

"In that case, I'll work with this young director once!" Gong Li nodded, giving a definite answer.

Sure enough, with Zhang Yimou acting as a go-between, Gong Li was willing to come, which meant that the matter was already more than half successful.

He Yi'an finally felt relieved. At that moment, the dishes were served, and the three of them could finally eat and chat.

……

"Director He!"

"Ms. Gong Li, you can call me Xiao He or Xiao An, it's fine. We're just having a meal and chatting right now. Director Zhang is here, so I'm considered a junior!"

Gong Li glanced at Zhang Yimou and nodded: "Okay, then I'll call you Xiao An in private!"

The change in address brought them a little closer.

"Xiao An, I heard your first film has already been submitted to Venice?"

He Yi'an wasn't surprised that Gong Li knew this news. He didn't ask her where she found out, but simply nodded and said, "Yes, it's a low-budget art film about laid-off workers and their families."

"Yi Mou mentioned it to me, saying your filming was very good." Gong Li put down her chopsticks, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "Venice, well then, congratulations on winning such a big prize!"

Upon hearing this, a strange smile flashed in He Yi'an's eyes: "Thank you for your trust, Teacher Gong Li. I'll take your kind words seriously, and of course, I believe in myself too."

Gong Li looked at him. Although she didn't know why He Yi'an had acted strangely just now, seeing his confidence and ease, she felt a hint of appreciation in her eyes.

As for Zhang Yimou, he simply listened to the two talking from the side without interrupting.

However, after hearing that the two had confirmed their collaboration, he suddenly asked, "Xiao He, have you decided which film festival to submit this movie to?"

Upon hearing his question, Gong Li realized that this film was clearly aiming for an award.

Therefore, choosing the right film festival is very important.

He Yi'an was certainly well aware of this. Given the original script's content of conflicts between theocracy and political power, it was naturally the most suitable setting for Berlin.

However, He Yi'an has adapted the script, downplaying the institutional conflicts and removing religious ethics, which is clearly not to Berlin's liking.

However, his addition of a large amount of Eastern characteristics, realistic depth, and humanistic concern leans towards the tone of Cannes.

It could even be said that it perfectly aligns with the Cannes judges' preferences.

Moreover, with Gong Li joining the cast, it has generated a lot of buzz.

"I'm going to Cannes!"

"Cannes?" Zhang Yimou thought for a moment, then nodded. "It is indeed quite suitable for Cannes."

After saying that, he stopped talking, because he didn't have a good relationship with Cannes.

Gong Li was also somewhat tempted upon hearing this, as she had been to Cannes before, although it had been almost ten years since her last visit.

Is there any chance to go again now?

She immediately became excited and asked about the specific shooting time and schedule: "How long are you planning to shoot here?"

Gong Li doesn't actually have any work plans from now until next year.

At the same time, she is also strongly advocating for a project produced by Steven Spielberg that may require Asian actors.

However, this project is only in its early stages and we don't know how long it will take before it's truly finalized.

So she turned down a lot of scripts; she had plenty of time.

He Yi'an, on the other hand, knew Gong Li's schedule even better than Gong Li herself.

She had available time until the first half of 04, but even with such ample availability, He Yi'an wasn't prepared to drag it out for that long.

What he needs to consider is the availability of certain actors.

After thinking for a moment, He Yi'an said directly, "As you know, I've submitted a film for review. If it's fortunate enough to be shortlisted, I'll be busy for a while..."

"How about this, Ms. Gong Li, we tentatively set the start date for the end of this year, or at the latest, January next year?"

Gong Li thought for a moment and said, "Okay!"

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P.S.: Something happened at home. My mom had surgery, so I went back to my hometown to take care of her. Since we still farm, and my mom can't do it anymore, I'm doing it all by myself. I dug all day today and I'm exhausted. I finished typing and went to take a shower, so I forgot to post this…