Chapter 60: Shortlisted for Berlin!

Cannes or Berlin?

For Wu Yuan, this question is like asking him, do you want to compete with "The Pianist" or fight with "Spirited Away" and "Bloody Sunday"!

To be honest, both choices are difficult!

Although Wu Yuan is very confident in "Departures", both "The Pianist" and "Spirited Away" are classics among classics.

"Spirited Away" is the pinnacle of RB animated films, and "The Pianist" captures the complex performance of human nature in war to the fullest, contributing countless classic shots to the history of world cinema.

This year's Cannes and Berlin are both years of classic movies.

As for Venice?

Venice will not open until the end of August or early September, and Wu Yuan does not want to think of retreating first when encountering difficulties, instead of facing them head-on.

Seeing Wu Yuan in deep thought, Han Dong, who had no idea how powerful Cannes and Berlin were this year, frowned in confusion: "If you haven't made up your mind, I suggest going to Berlin."

"We have many movies to be screened in Berlin this year."

"Big Shot directed by Feng Xiaogang, Happy Times directed by Zhang Yimou, Flower Eyes directed by Li Xin, and Men at Forty directed by Xu Anhua will all go to Berlin."

"And you went to Berlin last year, and won the Best New Actor Award, which makes you a Berlin native. It's better to go to Berlin for your first art film."

Berlin?

Wu Yuan nodded subconsciously after muttering to himself.

Berlin is also fine. There are many Chinese directors in the same group, and Berlin's award system is more suitable for "Departures".

The Cannes Film Festival does not encourage the same movie to win more than two awards. Try to share the cake in the main competition unit. A movie can only win one award.

The Berlin Film Festival is much more relaxed in this regard. In the festival that Wu Yuan participated in last year, "Intimacy", which won the Golden Bear for Best Film, also won the Best Actress.

"Love You Love Me" and "17-Year-Old Bicycle" also won the Best New Actor/Actress respectively while winning the Jury Prize and Best Director.

Wu Yuan certainly hopes that the best result for "Departures" is that while he wins an award, he can also let Zhang Guorong win the Best Actor Award and fulfill his dream!

If you want to achieve this perfect ending, Berlin can still be expected, but Cannes is simply impossible.

"Then let's go to Berlin." Wu Yuan nodded with a smile.

The registration deadline for the Berlin Film Festival this year is January 12, and the time is very tight.

After Wu Yuan agreed, Director Han immediately used the relationship of China Film to send a copy of "Departures" to Berlin, and the whole process was airlifted by hand.

Wu Yuan is still very confident that he can be shortlisted. This movie seems to be shot easily, but it really embodies a lot of his efforts!

Although he dare not say that he can surpass the original version, Wu Yuan can proudly say that the final effect of "Departures" directed by him is not worse than the original version. It can only be said that each has its own merits!

It makes no sense that it can't even be shortlisted for the main competition unit!

The fact is indeed as he guessed.

At the end of January, the shortlist of the Berlin International Film Festival was announced.

This year's Berlin International Film Festival has more than 300 films from all over the world, of which 23 films were shortlisted for the main competition unit.

The organizing committee specially listed a long list of shortlisted films.

As one of the three major international film festivals, the Berlin Film Festival naturally attracted the attention of countless people, including a lot of mainland movie fans.

When mainland movie fans, industry peers, and reporters carefully checked the shortlist as in previous years, they found a familiar and unfamiliar name in it.

"Departures - Yuan Wu (China)"

No one knows this movie just by looking at the title, but when seeing "Yuan Wu", the keen domestic movie fans immediately thought of a Chinese director who became famous in Hollywood.

Wu Yuan!

A director who is familiar and unfamiliar to most domestic movie fans!

Familiar because of the overwhelming coverage of "The Night the Comet Came" that year, many domestic movie fans still remember this new director who won a foreign film festival award at the age of 18.

Unfamiliar because after "The Night the Comet Came", Wu Yuan went to Hollywood to make movies, and his "Juno" was not released in China.

Although many domestic media have reported on the North American and global box office of "Juno", domestic audiences who have not seen this movie are still a little unfamiliar with him.

Many fans know that this director is very powerful and can go to Hollywood to make movies, and they are still a big hit at the box office.

But if you ask them how good Wu Yuan is, what his directing style is like, and how he uses the language of the camera, they say they can't quite come up with it, not as down-to-earth and familiar as Feng Xiaogang.

But when the news that Wu Yuan's new film was shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Berlin Film Festival was announced, Wu Yuan's name immediately became a hot topic among the fans.

At this stage, the influence of the three major European international film festivals in China is not to be underestimated!

With the hard work of the fourth and fifth generation directors, the influence of the three major European film festivals in China is now greater than that of Hollywood!

All mainland directors who are worthy of status must have awards from the three major film festivals to be called Chinese directors!

Now that Wu Yuan has been shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Berlin International Film Festival, his status and position are really different!

Reporters from all walks of life gathered in Beijing with their cameras and guns, wanting to find Wu Yuan and do an exclusive interview with him!

Don’t know where Wu Yuan lives?

It doesn’t matter, just go to the Film Academy and block the door!

Everyone knows that Wu Yuan is still a student at the Film Academy. If you can’t find him, go find his teacher!

Overnight, hundreds of media from all over the country gathered at the entrance of the Film Academy. Fortunately, most students are on vacation and go home, otherwise it will affect the normal entry and exit of teachers and students!

But it’s not a big deal to let these reporters surround outside!

Xie Xiaojing, Hou Keming and other professors and directors of the directing department, who also just learned that Wu Yuan was shortlisted for the Berlin International Film Festival, had to persuade these media to leave with a smile.

"Friends from the media, Wu Yuan is really not in school. He is now preparing for the Berlin International Film Festival. The school is already on vacation, so don't block the door."

"Director Xie, will Director Wu's new movie be released in China? When will it be released?" A reporter shouted excitedly.

Xie Xiaojing patiently explained: "It should be released in China, and I don't know the specific release date."

"Then Director Xie, can you tell us what the theme of Director Wu's new movie is?"

"What is the story content?"

"The English name of the movie is "Departures", does it mean leaving?"

The reporters seized the opportunity and asked questions in a flurry.

Xie Xiaojing was a little overwhelmed, so she had to reveal: "The Chinese name of this movie is "Departures". As for the content of the movie, let's go to the cinema together after it is released!"

"Where is Director Wu now? Is it convenient for us to accept our interview?"

The chat was over for the day. Xie Xiaojing shook her head, quickly retreated, let the security guard take over, and left the school gate without looking back, leaving the reporters alone to continue shouting in the cold wind.

As for where Wu Yuan is?

He is sitting in the headquarters building of China Film Group, drinking tea with Mr. Han!

"I knew this movie would be shortlisted for the main competition unit. I knew it when I saw the script!" Mr. Han held the teacup in his palm to warm his hands, with a happy smile on his face.

"I have arranged the plane tickets. Several leading actors of the crew of "Departures" will all walk the red carpet together!"

"This year's Berlin Film Festival will open on February 6 and close on the 17th. All of you domestic film crews going to the exhibition will spend the Spring Festival in Berlin."

"I plan to lead the team personally this time. When the time comes, I will find a good Chinese restaurant in Berlin, and everyone will have a lively Spring Festival in a foreign country!"

Listening to Mr. Han's chatter, Wu Yuan chuckled and nodded, and had no opinion on his arrangement.

In terms of experience in attending film festivals abroad, ten Wu Yuans tied together are not as rich as Mr. Han alone!