1979 Golden Age

"Director Xu, nice to meet you!"

"Chen, uh..."

"Just call me Mr. Chen!"

On the plane to Berlin, I unexpectedly ran into Ann Hui and several other young directors. They were invited to participate in one of the units called "Asian Film Seminar" and were traveling the same way.

Ann Hui was in her 30s and still had long hair. She didn't have the tough feeling of later generations.

She is also a Hong Kong New Wave director. She has already made her debut film "The Crazy Ones", starring Zhao Yazhi and Sylvia Chang. This woman is very fierce. There is an autopsy scene in "The Crazy Ones". She went to the scene of the Hong Kong police coroner to observe and was eager to try it herself.

She doesn't need to be introduced much. She has countless representative works.

"Thank you Mr. Chen for your face in front of the media, praising me, not scolding me." Ann Hui is also very talkative.

"Oh, this is very embarrassing. The premise of my saying those things is that I think I can't meet the person involved. Who would have thought it would be such a coincidence? Fortunately, I didn't say anything to you at that time."

"Haha! But your evaluation is quite accurate. I do like realistic themes. I am planning to shoot a movie with a Vietnamese background. Hey, it is invested by your Ms. Xia Meng."

"Then aren't you afraid of being banned?"

"I am a director of art films. What market do I care about? I will shoot if there is a movie to shoot!" Ann Hui doesn't care.

This movie is "Boat to the Wrath of the Sea".

Originally, Chow Yun-fat was approached. Chow Yun-fat was afraid of being banned, so he approached Andy Lau. Andy Lau is a newcomer. The most important thing is to have a movie to shoot. There is also George Lam in the film.

The whole film was shot in Hainan and Zhanjiang. Halfway through the filming, it was exposed by the annoying Hong Kong media. Everyone, including Andy Lau and George Lam, wrote a letter of repentance.

Ann Hui is not awesome at all, so she didn't write it.

So Chen Qi also tried to get close to him. In the future, no, forget about Director Xu, he could also bring him over later.

…………

After more than ten hours of long-distance flight, the group finally arrived in West Berlin. Fu Qi also brought people to sell "Wrong Turn".

In 1979, China and the United States established diplomatic relations and signed a series of agreements including film exchange clauses.

The attitude of the United States directly affects the attitude of the entire Western camp, so during this period, China signed similar agreements with many Western European countries, and film exchanges began to become frequent.

By the way: There are always people who say that China was closed in that era. Please, that was not closed, that was us being blocked by the Western world! We still have to make clear the difference between closed and blockade.

Later, China and the Soviet Union fell out, and the United States felt that there was an opportunity to take advantage of it, thinking that it could win over China to fight against the Soviet Union, and China also needed to adjust its strategic direction. This is how table tennis diplomacy came about, with small balls pushing big balls, Nixon's visit to China, and the establishment of diplomatic relations later...

Morning in West Berlin.

As soon as the group landed, they saw a tall foreigner who enthusiastically hugged Fang Yurong, which made Gong Xue and Fu Jingong frown.

Fang Yurong didn't care. He was very open to external work and was also a big defector.

"This is the director of our competition unit film "The Return of the Swallows"... Director Fu, and this is the chairman of the West Berlin Film Festival, Moritz de Hader!"

The chairman personally welcomed him?

Fu Jingong was startled and hurriedly shook hands and greeted him in half-familiar English.

"These are the main creators of our exhibited works!"

"Welcome to Berlin!"

Hader shook hands with Chen Qi and others again, with a very positive attitude, and said with a smile: "I have arranged everything for you, please stay in the hotel and rest!"

As the group got on the car, Li Wenhua couldn't help asking: "Xiao Yu, is he responsible for all the food and accommodation here?"    "Yes! Originally, I paid for it myself, but Mr. Chairman, in order to show his appreciation for us, he let the organizers pay for it."

"Oh, this foreign devil is quite particular!"

"Yes, how enthusiastic he is to us!"

"I don't know if you can get used to German food?"

Fang Yurong pulled the corner of her mouth. When she arrived in Berlin, she was like a peacock with its screen spread out, and suddenly became proud, although she didn't know why she was proud, as if she had arrived in her territory.

Of course, she couldn't tell the truth: the Berlin Film Festival had offended the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and urgently needed a new force, and selected Chinese films, so Hader was so enthusiastic.

On the way to the hotel

Several people leaned on the window to look, Chen Qi was also looking, he had been to Berlin in his previous life, but he had never been to "West Berlin".

The streets were full of cars, various buildings, some large shopping malls and small shops had not yet opened, but the things in the windows were already dazzling, and there were big-nosed foreigners everywhere...

Berlin was cold in February, and people wore bright and thick clothes.

Gong Xue paid special attention to their clothes, and compared them with the ones Chen Qi bought for her in Hong Kong, which also felt very beautiful, and she couldn't help but feel relieved.

There was no way, these days, people from China felt that everywhere was paradise and inferiority everywhere. So many people who went to the United States in the 1980s and 1990s later became the main force of public intellectuals.

When they arrived at the hotel, Gong Xue and Fang Yurong were in the same room, Li Wenhua and Fu Jingong, Chen Qi and Li Lianjie, and Fu Qi and the others made their own arrangements.

In the room, Li Lianjie was packing his luggage while Chen Qi looked at the film festival schedule: opening on the 13th, closing on the 24th, 18 films competing for the Golden Bear Award, none of the directors had been heard of, and none of the judges had been heard of.

"It's still a little early, if it was James Cameron, Quentin, Tom Cruise, Schwarzenegger, I would know."

"There are also Sophie Marceau, Adjani, Monica Bellucci, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Brooke Shields... Oh, I don't know when my tiger penis wine can be used?"

"Brother Qi!"

Li Lianjie is very obedient to him now. He has seen him lead everyone in Hong Kong, especially confronting the Hong Kong media. This ability is enough to overcome his awkwardness and self-esteem, and he honestly calls him Brother Qi.

"Are we going to attend the opening ceremony tomorrow?"

"Yes, but it has nothing to do with us. We are here to participate in the exhibition."

"In fact, I have always been very surprised. It seems that you are rushing to go abroad from the beginning. How can you release a movie in Hong Kong first and then in the mainland? And it's not enough for you to be in Hong Kong, and you also come to Germany. What are you doing for?"

For the rise of China!

Ah!

Chen Qi laughed at himself. He didn't believe this reason, but he didn't say it didn't exist.

People's thoughts are complicated. He wants to make money, fame, higher social status, and more female stars... These do not prevent him from earning some foreign exchange for the country.

"Come, come here!"

Chen Qi called Li Lianjie over and said, "Some things are very complicated. You won't understand them now. Just do what I ask. In short, this is a very meaningful thing.

You should have a good rest today. Oh, by the way, remember not to tell Fang Yurong, not a word. We are just here to participate in the exhibition, and there is nothing else!"

"Oh, I understand!"

Li Lianjie nodded, pouted, and acted mysterious.

The Berlin Film Festival has a trading market. If Tai Chi wants to get a booth, it must inform the film festival in advance, otherwise it will be exposed. Fu Qi helped a lot. He applied for two booths in the name of Great Wall, one for Wrong Turn and one for Tai Chi.

Fang Yurong didn't know about these.

Moreover, with "The Return of the Swallows" leading her, her attention was focused on that. In her understanding, "Tai Chi" was just going to be shown for a while, and then it was over. She never thought that someone would dare to do such a thing against Tian Gang behind the back of China Film!