Back to 80: My Literary Life

Chapter 609 Life is not just about the present, but also about poetry and the distance. Chase your dreams boldly!

Open it and take a look.

Oh, it turned out to be a letter from Section Chief Jia!

After browsing it, Fang Minghua smiled.

He is indeed a literary youth, and his writing is quite good.

Obviously, Jia Zhangke's feelings about this article "Hello! Mr. Shu" are different from those of the reader's letter just published in "Yenching Literature".

Jia Zhangke is much more rational, almost observing the stories and characters in the novel from a third-party perspective.

This is in line with the style of his future films: emphasizing emotional restraint and humanistic care, refusing sensationalism, and expressing social problems and human exploration through unique lens language.

This is deeply influenced by Italian neo-realism.

As for the hesitation and worry written in the letter, Fang Minghua just wants to say:

What's the hurry?

Isn't there an old Chinese saying that "When God is about to give a great task to a person, he must first make his heart and mind suffer, his muscles and bones work hard, and his body hungry," this is fate testing you!

Of course, he should be encouraged.

In fact, there is no need to encourage him, he will eventually pass the exam, this is history.

But despite this, Fang Minghua still wrote back, expressing his understanding of the experience of the young man surnamed Jia, hoping that he would not be discouraged and continue to study hard.

"Life is not just about the present, there are also poetry and the distance. Be bold to pursue your dreams! If you really like this novel, when you are admitted to the Film Academy and return from your studies, I am willing to give this novel to you to make a movie!"

A week later, Jia Zhangke was so happy when he received Fang Minghua's letter that he jumped off the bed.

"The great writer is willing to leave this novel to me to make a movie, why am I still hesitating?"

Repeat, repeat, and continue to repeat!

At this time, Fang Minghua has already boarded the train from Xijing to Yinchuan.

"A Chinese Odyssey" has started shooting at the Western Film and Television City in Yinchuan. Song Tangtang was late for a week because of dealing with company matters. Fang Minghua is now accompanying his wife Song Tangtang to the shooting location.

It's not that he couldn't bear to leave his wife, but Zhang Xianliang, who was far away in Yinchuan, invited him a few days ago.

"Brother, we haven't seen each other for a few years, so why not go for fun? By the way, take a look at our Zhenbeibao Film and Television City and accompany your wife."

So Fang Minghua arranged his family affairs and went there happily.

In this era, the railway from Xijing to Pingliang and then to Yinchuan had not been built yet, so you could only take the train to Lanzhou and then go north to Yinchuan.

The train galloped through the mountains and was now within the borders of Gansu Province.

After leaving Baoji and continuing west, you left the Guanzhong Plain and entered Tianshui, which is in the transition zone between the Loess Plateau in Longzhong and the mountains in Longnan. There are mountains on both sides of the train, but the further west you go, the more bare they are.

Fang Minghua sat on the lower bunk and looked out the window to enjoy the scenery along the way. Song Tangtang sat on the lower bunk opposite him, carefully reading the relevant information provided by the crew.

Fang Minghua has become accustomed to his wife's work passion.

Arrived in Lanzhou, stayed overnight, got up in the morning and had a bowl of Lanzhou ramen, and took the train to Yinchuan the next morning. It was already five o'clock in the afternoon when they arrived at Yinchuan Railway Station.

Carrying the travel car, the two got off the car and followed the crowd out of the exit. They saw a tall and thin middle-aged man wearing a suit and gold-rimmed glasses. It was Zhang Xianliang, and there was a young woman in her thirties next to him.

Fang Minghua had also seen the former director of the Personnel Department of the Ning Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Ma Hongying, but now she has resigned from her public office and is the deputy general manager of Huaxia Western Film and Television City Co., Ltd.

Zhang Xianliang has turned over fifty this year, but his figure has not changed. He looks elegant in a suit. He is really getting more handsome as he gets older.

After the four shook hands with each other, Zhang Xianliang smiled and said to Fang Minghua: "Let's go back to the hotel first, and then welcome you and your wife!"

Fang Minghua and his friends still stayed at the hotel on Weisi Road. This time, the crew of "A Chinese Odyssey" stayed here. When they arrived, the crew was not there. They had not returned from filming in Zhenbeibao.

There were only four of them at the dinner. At the banquet, Zhang Xianliang told Fang Minghua that he was now half-entered into the business world and officially became the chairman of Huaxia Western Film and Television City Co., Ltd., and Song Tangtang was the vice chairman.

"Now the company's shares have been sorted out. All the shares in Yinchuan were bought by me, and we have completely severed our relationship with the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles."

"Congratulations, congratulations." Fang Minghua raised his glass.

At the beginning, Western Film and Television was established by Zhang Xianliang in the name of the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Shengshi Film and Television. This was just a stopgap measure in view of the environment at the time.

Now that the country has further reformed and opened up, and policies have been relaxed, Fang Minghua suggested that Zhang Xianliang find a way to buy the shares of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

Enterprises must not wear red hats. It seems convenient to do things now, but there will be endless troubles in the future because of unclear equity.

Zhang Xianliang followed his advice and collected hundreds of thousands of yuan with the royalties from publishing books and the copyrights of foreign publications to buy all the shares of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

The next morning, just after dawn, the whole hotel was bustling. After breakfast, the crew of "A Chinese Odyssey" prepared to leave for Zhenbeibao, and Song Tangtang followed them.

Fang Minghua got up later, and he wanted to wait for Zhang Xianliang to go together. By the time he got up, the crew had long disappeared.

It was almost nine o'clock when Zhang Xianliang came to the hotel, and the two got on the Santana and went together.

After driving for about half an hour, they arrived at Zhenbeibao and went for a walk accompanied by Zhang Xianliang.

Compared with when I came here three years ago, Zhenbeibao has changed a lot. Several movies have been shot here, such as "New Dragon Gate Inn", "Pluto in Action" shot by Qi Jian, and "The Old Man" shot by Xie Jin Movies such as "With Dogs" were filmed here.

Fang Minghua also went to the filming location of "New Longmen Inn" and saw the "Longmen Inn" wine flag hanging in the wind, followed by a two-story adobe building.

"I heard that the movie "Dragon Inn" did very well at the box office after it was released in Xiangjiang, so I decided to keep this filming location as an attraction in the film and television city." Zhang Xianliang, who was standing on the side, explained.

"Well, that's good." Fang Minghua nodded, and then said, "Brother Zhang, you can also keep the prop house used for filming "Westward Journey" this time. Maybe there will be a popular tourist attraction behind it."

"Haha, don't worry, I asked Hongying to arrange this. Your screenwriter and Stephen Chow's starring role will definitely be a hit at the box office in the future." Zhang Xianliang said with a smile.

Yeah?

Not to mention it was a hit at the box office, as long as it was not as bad as in history, even Stephen Chow's company couldn't keep it.

Fang Minghua laughed at himself in his heart, but on the surface nothing changed.

The two walked around the Western Cinema and finally came to the filming location of "Westward Journey", where they were filming that classic scene.

I saw Zixiaxian played by Zhu Yin holding a sword on the neck of Zunbao played by Stephen Chow. Stephen Chow was wearing ancient wedding clothes, with tears streaming down his eyes, and he was thinking about the classic line:

"There was once a sincere love in front of me, but I didn't cherish it. I regretted it when I lost it. The most painful thing in the world is this. If God can give me another chance, I will That girl said three words: I love you. If I had to add a time limit to this love, I hope it would be: ten thousand years!"

Seeing this scene, Zhang Xianliang lowered his voice and said: "People say that Stephen Chow is good at nonsensical performances and exaggerated expressions and movements. But I think this scene is very sincere and not artificial at all."

"Because he is telling a big lie, so it looks real." Fang Minghua said with a smile.

Zhang Xianliang naturally understood that Fang Minghua was talking about this line spoken by the Supreme Treasure played by Stephen Chow. He had not read the script and did not know the cause and effect, so he smiled and said nothing more.

As a producer, Song Tangtang mainly did liaison and coordination work. He did not appear at the filming location. He probably went to find the financial staff to look at the accounting books.

Coming from a financial background, she takes this very seriously.

The crew filmed for a while and took a break in the middle. Fang Minghua went over and chatted with Stephen Chow and Liu Zhenwei for a few words.

I didn't see the two of them last night or this morning, so I naturally wanted to go over and say hello.

The three chatted for a while, and Fang Minghua asked casually: "Director Liu, is your friend Wong Kar-wai filming in the mainland?"

"Wong Kar-Wai? He hasn't made any movies recently."

Liu Zhenwei's words surprised Fang Minghua.

This sunglasses king didn't film "Ashes of Time"?

No, historically "The Poison of East and West" was filmed in 1992. Is it earlier than "Journey to the West"?

Did I remember it wrong?