Chapter 65 Berlin Film Award Winner! (Please Read On)

Wu Yuan is really popular this time.

Although it is a bit strange to describe a director who works behind the scenes as "popular".

But when the premiere reputation and program score of "Departures" and the Oscar nomination of "Juno" were made public at the same time, at least at this moment, there is no director on this earth who is more popular than Wu Yuan.

There are directors nominated for Oscars, and there are also directors nominated for the Berlin International Film Festival.

But being nominated for both awards at the same time, the public opinion explosion effect is not as simple as 1+1=2.

Although the nominated movies are not the same, the masses and netizens don't care about this.

From the Chinese mainland to North America across the ocean, the front-page headlines of major entertainment newspapers are all photos of Wu Yuan on the red carpet of the opening ceremony of the Berlin Film Festival.

In fact, there are five nominees for the Best Director Oscar, and Wu Yuan is not even a favorite to win the award.

Major North American prediction companies do not think that "Juno" can win the Best Director, "A Beautiful Mind" is the real favorite to win the award!

As a biographical film, and a hit biographical film, "A Beautiful Mind" has almost booked the Best Picture and Best Director awards at this year's Oscars!

But who can blame Wu Yuan for being young? He is also participating in the final selection of the Berlin International Film Festival. He is a hot topic!

A director who was nominated for both the Berlin International Film Festival and the Oscars at the age of 19 and a half deserves to be reported on the front page of any media in any country in the world!

Even if Wu Yuan does not win any of these two awards, he will not be criticized, but will only be considered to have a promising future!

Other directors at his age have not even made their first work yet, and it is already exaggerated to be nominated for international awards!

Wu Yuan, who has never had a clear feeling about his fame or popularity, finally felt deeply that he was famous.

As long as he showed up in Berlin, no matter where he went, within five minutes, film critics or media would come up to interview him, wanting to take a photo with him or ask for his autograph.

When he went to attend the Berlin screening of other films, he could no longer walk leisurely on the streets of Berlin like he did a few days ago. He had to take a vehicle to go out, otherwise he would be stuck at the hotel entrance and couldn't get away.

In the last few days of the Berlin International Film Festival, Wu Yuan really felt the feeling of being a star.

He waited until February 17, the day of the closing ceremony.

Early in the morning, all the crew members of "Departures" and the members of the Chinese press corps gathered in Wu Yuan's suite on the fifth floor of the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Several other Chinese film crews that came to the screening have left Berlin one after another, and they have almost sold all the copyrights they should sell.

Now only "Departures" has not sold the copyright and distribution rights. Everyone in the crew is waiting for a notice, a notice that can make the film appreciate in value.

Director Han was no longer as calm as before. He paced back and forth in the living room with his hands behind his back. Every few minutes, he asked Wu Yuan: "How is it? Did you call?"

"No, no." Wu Yuan answered in the same tangled way every time.

"It's already 9 o'clock, and the phone hasn't come yet?" Many reporters were already backing off. Would "Departures" not win any awards in the end?

There is an unspoken rule in the three major European cinemas. If the organizing committee personally calls to invite you to attend the closing ceremony, it means that your movie will win an award at the closing ceremony.

If you don't get a call, you won't get an award even if you attend.

And this call is notified on the morning of the closing ceremony, which is very exciting.

Time ticked by, and everyone in the suite was very nervous, and they didn't even dare to breathe deeply.

Until

"Ring, ring, ring, ring" the phone rang, and Wu Yuan picked it up immediately.

"Hello, yes, I'm Daniel Wu."

"Okay, okay, thank you!"

After a very brief chat, Wu Yuan hung up the phone.

Everyone in the room focused their attention on Wu Yuan's face.

"How is it?" Zhang Guorong asked nervously.

"Of course," Wu Yuan laughed, "Ask the stylist to do the makeup! Attend the closing ceremony in the afternoon!"

After a short silence, the cheers were so loud that the actors in the crew ran around like headless flies, looking for their own stylists to do the makeup. The Chinese reporters immediately took out their mobile phones to call China.

Wu Yuan also hugged Han Dong and Chen Yuan together, enjoying this exciting and wonderful moment.

There was nothing much to say about the red carpet segment of the closing ceremony. Under Wu Yuan's lead, Zhang Guorong, who was dressed up, took Chen Hong's arm, and Li Xuejian took Sun Li's arm and stepped onto the red carpet.

Like the opening ceremony, Wu Yuan still enjoyed the enthusiastic siege of reporters on the scene, and his eyes were almost blinded by the flash.

For the questions raised by reporters, Wu Yuan only refuted the rumor that there was no plan for the second part of "Juno", at least he did not plan to write the second part, and other topics were laughed off.

Because of his inner urgency to win the award, Wu Yuan walked the red carpet much faster this time, and soon walked into the Film Palace with the crew.

In the Film Palace, he also met several other strong opponents.

For example, director Hayao Miyazaki of "Spirited Away", director Paul of "Bloody Sunday", and director Driesen of "The Grill". These directors and their works are all ranked in the top few in the Berlin program book, and are strong contenders for the Golden Bear.

After chatting with them briefly and congratulating each other on winning the grand prize, Wu Yuan returned to his seat in the crew of "Departures".

"How is it, are you nervous?" Zhang Guorong asked with a smile.

Compared with Wu Yuan, Zhang Guorong must have had much richer experience in participating in various award ceremonies and was more comfortable with it.

However, Wu Yuan was not nervous. He shook his head: "No, I'm excited."

Staring blankly at the empty award-winning stage, Wu Yuan's emotions were extremely complicated.

Although he had been mentally prepared and knew that a good script like "Departures" would definitely win the top three European awards as long as it was not badly made.

But when he really received the call and really walked into the Berlin Film Palace, he still felt that he was too lucky and couldn't help shaking with excitement.

Time passed very quickly while Wu Yuan was in a daze.

As mentioned before, European film festivals are all serious and direct, and the Berlin International Film Festival is the same.

There was no opening song or dance. The host took the microphone and went on stage to give a bunch of speeches looking back on the past and looking forward to the future. Then he mentioned the crew and directors who were present, and after praising each of them, the award ceremony officially began.

Wu Yuan was also mentioned, and was praised very cheesy.

"That's the crew of "Departures". Their director is only 19 and a half years old this year. This is really crazy!"

"Maybe this is a genius director!"

"We at the Berlin International Film Festival always welcome and are honored to have such young young directors participate. We hope that such excellent young directors can win awards. After all, young people are the future!"

The camera was given to Wu Yuan, and the invited media at the scene also pointed the flashlight at him. Wu Yuan had to stand up, smiled, looked around and nodded.

After all the small talk, the award ceremony officially began.

The first award was the Honorary Golden Bear Award for Lifetime Achievement.

This year, this award was awarded with a double yolk, which was given to American director Robert Altman and Italian actor Claudia Cardinale respectively.

Wu Yuan is more familiar with Robert Altman. Although the director's last name is a bit funny, he is a true master director!

He has won the Palme d'Or, the Golden Bear, and the Golden Lion. He is a true Grand Slam director!

He won this Lifetime Achievement Award because it was a face-giving to Berlin, not a face-giving to him by Berlin.

Seeing the old man tremblingly walk up to the stage to receive the award, Wu Yuan gave sincere applause.

After presenting this first prize, several other awards were presented in succession.

The Golden Camera Award, the Best Short Film Award, the Alfred Bauer Silver Bear Award, and the Silver Bear Award for Best Film Music were presented one after another.

Every winning crew and main creative staff hugged each other excitedly and cheered. Wu Yuan also smiled and applauded.

Very good, the previous awards were relatively small, and it was great that the name of the crew of "Departures" was not read out!

When "Departures" was nominated for the Silver Bear for Best Film Music, Wu Yuan was almost nervous to death, fearing that he would win this consolation prize.

Although the Berlin Film Festival will give two awards to the same nominated film, there are only two at most, and it is impossible to give three or five. It is definitely better to win the award later!

Soon, the first relatively heavyweight main competition unit award was finally awarded.

And the first one was the Best Actor Award, which the crew of "Departures" valued very much!

In the audience, the crews of "Departures" and "Safe Pass" immediately became nervous.

In the Berlin program review, Zhang Guorong and Jacques Gamblin of the crew of "Safe Pass" were the strongest contenders for the Silver Bear for Best Actor.

Both of them contributed very contagious acting skills in their respective films.

"The winner of the Silver Bear Award for Best Actor at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival is..."

Zhang Guorong, who boasted that he was not nervous, was completely nervous. He subconsciously grasped the armrests of the chair with both hands, and his lips could not help but tremble.

On the podium, the presenter with a white beard smiled and opened the envelope. After reading it carefully, he smiled and leaned close to the microphone:

"Congratulations to the crew of "Departures" and Leslie Cheung!"