Chapter 322 Venice (I)

Venice town.

As early as a week ago, this seaside town located between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula became lively.

More than 3,000 journalists from dozens of countries around the world flocked to the city every day.

There are more than 200 film crews from various countries participating in the exhibition, filling up the hotels in the city.

The three major international film festivals have been an international film festival since their inception.

Although there are only a dozen films shortlisted for the main competition unit of Venice every year, and no more than 25 at most, there are more than just a few crews participating in the film festival.

Not to mention the Master Screening Unit, Horizon Unit, Horizon Documentary Special Unit, International Film Critics Week Unit, Special Screening Unit, and the Far East Film Festival Unit specially opened for East Asia, which also attracted dozens of films to participate.

Even if they are not shortlisted for any of the exhibition units of the Venice Film Festival, film crews from all over the world can take their films to the Venice Film Festival for premiere and screen them for free in cinemas in Venice. This is one of the lowest-cost and most effective ways of publicity.

On September 2, Wu Yuan led the crew of "A Man Called Li Wen Decides to Die" across the Eurasian continent and arrived in this city full of Mediterranean style.

The organizing committee of the film festival had already prepared a hotel for them. It was a five-star hotel with the best location in Venice, specially for the crews shortlisted for the main competition unit.

However, Wu Yuan and his team were in a hurry and had no time to rest.

They just slept in the hotel for most of the day and adjusted the time difference. On the next day, September 3, the whole crew was busy with the makeup artists and stylists doing red carpet styling early in the morning.

Today is the opening ceremony of this year's Venice International Film Festival, and they are going to walk the opening red carpet.

In fact, there are more Chinese faces at this year's Venice Film Festival than the crew of "A Man Called Li Wen Decides to Die".

The international film "Going Out of the Bandits" co-produced by Hong Kong director Yu Liwei, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong and the mainland, was also shortlisted for the main competition unit.

Jia Zhangke, Director Jia's film "Love on the River" was shortlisted for the Master Screening Unit.

The art film "Woman" co-produced by mainland director Huang Wenhai and Switzerland was shortlisted for the Horizon Unit.

Zhou Yaowu's "Cucumber" was shortlisted for the International Film Critics Week Unit.

In addition to several Chinese films that were not shortlisted for any unit but came to Venice for screening, the Chinese army in Venice this year is also very large.

After all, the president of the film festival, Marco Mueller, is a Chinese expert, has a lot of feelings for Chinese films, and supports Chinese films very much. Of course, everyone loves to participate in Venice.

Chief Jia is also a direct descendant of Venice. Since "Platform" won the Venice Asian Film Promotion Alliance Award in 2000, he has participated in the Venice International Film Festival almost every two years.

"Ren Xiaoyao" in 2002 was shortlisted for the main competition unit.

"The World" in 2004 was shortlisted for the main competition unit.

The documentary "East" in 2006 won the Horizon Unit Award, and the feature film "Still Life of Three Gorges" won the Golden Lion Award, becoming the second mainland director to win the Golden Lion Award after Zhang Yimou.

This year, he brought his love short film "Love on the River" to Venice again, which can be said to be very supportive.

However, when Wu Yuan arrived in Venice, Jia Kechang, a direct descendant of Venice, was not able to show his face.

What is the real appearance of Chinese filmmakers?

When Wu Yuan led the crew of "A Man Called Li Wen Decided to Die" dressed up on the red carpet outside the Venice Film Palace, the president of the film festival, Marco Mueller, personally stood at the door and applauded to welcome them.

There is only one actor in "A Man Called Li Wen Decided to Die" with overseas fame, Liu Yifei, and the rest of Li Xuejian, Fan Wei, Song Dandan, Yang Ni'ao and others are not famous at all overseas.

It is obvious who Marco Mueller personally welcomed.

Now the competition among the three major European filmmakers is getting more and more fierce.

Although Wu Yuan has not made many art films in recent years, as the youngest best director in Berlin history, the youngest winner of the Jury Grand Prix in Cannes, and a top commercial film director in Hollywood, Venice dreams of pulling him into the Venice camp.

To be honest, if Marco Mueller hadn't called him personally to arrange a film, and Wu Yuan had a bit of a collecting habit, and the three major international filmmakers wanted to try, he might not have brought the film to Venice, but continued to strive for the Palme d'Or.

When Wu Yuan led the crew to the red carpet and shook hands with Marco Mueller, the domestic media on both sides of the red carpet immediately sent the news back to China.

"CCTV Movie Channel News, the opening ceremony of the 65th Venice Film Festival was held on the Lido Island in Venice at midnight on September 2nd, Beijing time, and afternoon on September 3rd, local time."

"Chinese director Wu Yuan appeared at the film festival with his new Chinese film "A Man Called Li Wen Decides to Die."

"Film Festival Chairman Marco Mueller personally welcomed him."

"The picture shows director Wu Yuan and his girlfriend appearing on the red carpet, and director Wu Yuan and festival chairman Marco Mueller shaking hands for a photo."

"【Picture】【Picture】【Picture】"

Wu Yuan and Marco Mueller exchanged a few words of business, praising the influence of the Venice Film Festival as the father of international film festivals.

Marco Mueller really came to greet him, and took him to the Film Palace after picking him up.

"Director Wu Yuan, I am very happy that you can come to the Venice International Film Festival. It is a great honor for you, an internationally excellent director like you, to be invited."

Marco Muller's Chinese is very good. After all, he once studied in China and married a wife who also studied in China.

He did not call Wu Yuan by his English name like other foreigners, but directly called him by his Chinese name.

Not to mention, hearing familiar Chinese in a place like this where foreigners are the only ones can really make Wu Yuan feel a little more intimate. No wonder that since Marco Müller became the president of Venice, the number of Chinese filmmakers who came to Venice has become more and more popular. More and more are coming.

"Where." Wu Yuan smiled and waved: "It should be an honor for me to come to the Venice Film Festival."

"As the world's first international film festival, the influence of the Venice Film Festival cannot be overestimated. I hope that this time I can have a good result by participating in the film festival."

Marco Muller smiled mysteriously and did not make any response.

Although he is not the chairman of the jury and cannot influence the judges' final award selections, he will not comment on any shortlisted films during the opening of the film festival.

This is the rule.

Marco Muller just stretched out his hand and waved to another group of Chinese standing not far away from the Cinema Palace.

A middle-aged director with a somewhat naive appearance, short stature, but a literary and artistic temperament came over immediately.

"Yuan'er, long time no see."

Oh, this is not Section Chief Jia, but Brother Jia!

A warm smile immediately broke out on Wu Yuan's face, and he took the initiative to hug him: "Brother, I haven't seen you for a long time."

"I'm really sorry. I didn't come to Venice with your Chinese Legion. I was late. We will get together later in the evening. I will punish myself with three drinks!"

Originally, the crew of "A Man Called Li Wen Decided to Die" were supposed to come to Venice about a week in advance with the Chinese Legion.

But because Wu Yuan still had some company matters to deal with in China, and Liu Yifei wanted to watch "The Mummy 3" with him, they were only a week late and could only arrive before the opening of the film festival.

"Come on." Jia Zhangke rolled his eyes: "With your drinking capacity, you will almost faint after three drinks. What else can you eat?"

Wu Yuan's ability to drink, let alone a thousand glasses of white wine, makes him unable to distinguish between east, west, north and south. In the eyes of Jia Zhangke, a big man from Shanxi, this is almost the same as never drinking at all.

After complaining about Wu Yuan's drinking, Jia Zhangke patted Wu Yuan on the shoulder with emotion: "Eight years have passed in the blink of an eye."

"The little guy who was hiding in east and west cities selling pirated discs has now become an internationally renowned director."

"Xiao Yuan, you are powerful, much more powerful than us senior brothers and sisters."

Jia Zhangke gave a thumbs up and praised without hesitation.

Eight years seemed to go by in a blink of an eye, but countless things happened.

Jia Zhangke, from an underground director, has become a leader among Chinese-language literary and art film directors, a leader of the sixth generation of directors, and has won numerous international awards and gained fame.

Wu Yuan has also grown from a young boy who has not yet graduated from college to a world-renowned commercial film director, with a cumulative box office career of 4 billion US dollars.

Although his achievements in literary and artistic films are not as high as those of Jia Zhangke, he is still young enough. To be honest, the waves in front will be caught on the beach by the waves behind.

Wu Yuan's eyes were also full of nostalgia, and he said with emotion: "Yes, you were my senior brother back then, and you were always trying to persuade me to put my mind on the right path and stop selling pirated discs everywhere."

"Then I listened to you and got into the crew of handsome master Wang Xiao, and that's when I got my first movie."

"Destiny is really a magical thing."

Jia Zhangke wanted to roll his eyes again: "You also said that at that time, I really thought that you were going to waste all your talent and talents. A good directing student went to sell pirated discs."

"Fortunately, gold always shines."

"On what date is your film "A Man Called Li Wen Decided to Die" scheduled to premiere? I'm going to take a closer look to see if you've been holding back some big tricks since you haven't made an art film in the past few years."

"On the afternoon of the 6th, it will be shown here at the Cinema Palace." Wu Yuan smiled and nodded, looking at Marco Muller.

Mr. Chairman is indeed very considerate and brought the movie palace to him for a premiere. This kind of treatment is usually reserved for biological sons.

"Come." Wu Yuan waved to Liu Yifei again and pulled her to Jia Zhangke.

"Brother, let me introduce you, this is my girlfriend."

"I know, you think I don't watch the news?"

"The famous fairy sister Liu Yifei, you are so lucky."

"But I heard that you two were already in love when you were still in school?"

"You kid, tsk tsk tsk, junior sister is so embarrassed to do it!" (End of Chapter)