Exploiting Hollywood 1980

The movie had already started showing in the theater, and Ronald just missed the title and title.

He saw a map of the African continent on the screen, and then the camera zoomed in and turned into a grassland. There are all kinds of wild animals on it: zebras, African elephants, gorals, giraffes, etc. drink water and perch by the lakes and rivers.

The film's narration is in a German-sounding language, though Ronald isn't sure. He heard several pronunciations of Kalahari repeatedly, which seemed to be place names.

The rivers, lakes, and ponds in the picture slowly disappear, the oasis becomes a savanna, the green grass turns yellow, and the leaves of the trees are lost.

Ronald starts moving his ass, is this a documentary? Speaking of animals on the African savannah? Or the importance of environmental protection?

There is no market for documentaries in American theaters, but it is possible to sell them to TV stations. If this documentary is of good quality, would you like to chat with Helen's father?

As soon as the voice of the narrator changed, the camera focused on a few primitive people covered by leaves, Ronald began to wonder again, is this a documentary about primitive people?

The language of these primitive people is quite interesting, with lots of "click" sounds when inhaling with the tongue and palate. It's like the kind of noise that children sometimes make when they eat.

The film focuses on how these primitive people found water in the arid grasslands. They will dig up the rhizomes and use the leaves to catch the dew. The food source is a certain plant fruit, and shooting small herbivores such as antelope with venom-stained bows and arrows.

It has to be said that there is a considerable market for this kind of curious documentaries in America. Ronald has seen some documentaries broadcast by pbs, that is, he travels all over the world to film local customs.

Just as Ronald was figuring out how to market the documentary to Helen's father, the scene shifted to an aerial shot of a big city. Skyscrapers, highways, busy commuters, industrialized production lines, massive schooling, and more.

There's something interesting about this clip, Ronald thought.

In the rich life of modern materials, the unhappy modern people contrast with the primitive people in the primitive and poor life who are very happy. Ronald rated the film director a little higher.

But how to continue? Continue to compare the various aspects of life of primitive and modern people? This is also a good way.

The next shot turns back to the tribe of primitive people, a primitive man is walking, and a plane flies above. A pilot finished drinking Coca-Cola and threw the Coke glass bottle out of the window, just in front of the primitive man.

The primitive people thought it was a gift from God. After taking it back to the tribe, they found that the cola bottle was harder than any natural tool and could be used to handle food, clothing, and even play a rhythm as a musical instrument.

But when there was only one Coke bottle, everyone began to fight and fight. The primitive people felt that this was not a godsend but an evil thing, which destroyed the peace of the tribe, and prepared to take it to the end of the land and throw it away.

Now Ronald sees clearly, this is a drama.

In the front, the fake documentary technique was used to quickly render and explain the environment of the story. When the second film was finished (about 22 minutes), the story had entered a huge suspense.

Rebel leaders in nearby countries staged a coup to overthrow the local government. After the coup was stopped, the rebels detained a large number of innocent residents and fled into the Kalahari where the primitive people were, hoping to use them as hostages against the government forces.

Primitive man who threw a Coke bottle in the city was sentenced to jail for shooting a goat raised by someone else. A zoologist, who understands their language, thinks that primitive people should not be sentenced without a concept of property rights.

The judge made the hominids serve as guides for the zoologists. On their journey to send the primitive man home, the two encounter the heroine, a school teacher, who was kidnapped by the rebels.

At the end of the film, the primitive man uses darts to anesthetize the rebel soldiers in the process of rescuing the heroine and his students.

The male protagonist successfully rescued the female protagonist, and the two eventually became married.

The primitive man went to the sea and threw the Coke bottle into the sea. He returned to his tribe and lived a happy life.

The whole movie is a comedy, but it doesn't use lines to make people laugh, but contrasts primitives and modern people to reflect the absurdity of some modern society.

Ronald likes this kind of high-level humor, and although he doesn't understand the lines, it doesn't prevent him from laughing from beginning to end.

After the screening, Ronald approached Mia, the manager who brought the film to the screening, and offered to buy the American distribution rights for the film.

"No no no, we can't sell the America distribution rights for this film right now."

"Why?" Ronald wondered.

Mia Trotsky is the film's producer, Poyet Trotsky's sister.

She replied with a wry smile, "Our film was shot in South Africa. My brother Poyet's Mimosa Studios employed all white technicians. From photographers, to lighting artists, makeup artists, and even photofinishers. white."

"This goes against the Sullivan principle, and your American legal system is long-arm jurisdiction. If I cooperate with American companies, I will be on the blacklist of the divestment movement, and my brother's theater chain cannot introduce Ami The Liga movie is showing."

Ronald was confused and hurriedly asked Mia for details.

It turns out that South Africa now has a system of apartheid, whites and blacks are not allowed to use a single bus, not to eat together, not to use a single tap...everything has to be separated.

Sullivan is an American bishop who is also a director of General Motors. During a visit to a General Motors factory in South Africa, it was discovered that Mandela, the black leader, was in prison, and South Africa implemented a policy of apartheid. Shocked, Sullivan launched a boycott after returning home.

He called on all American companies to withdraw their capital from South Africa and not do business with South African companies if the South African government cannot release Mandela, lift the quarantine policy, give blacks the right to vote, and hire blacks on a large scale.

These policies he formulated are known as the Sullivan Principles. The Sullivan Principle is triggered if Mimosa Pictures sells the film it makes to an American company.

The Trotsky brothers and sisters were afraid that they would be targeted by the news media when they sold movies into America, and they would be put on a blacklist that would prevent them from doing business with each other. In this way, not only would they not be able to import American movies, but they would also not be able to import film shooting equipment, technicians, etc. The blow is devastating.

"Then why don't you hire some black people? They don't get paid well, do they?" Ronald wondered if there was a pro-segregation tendency among his siblings.

"Of course not, you see this movie, we hired a large number of black actors," Mia quickly denied, "My brother and I actually support the abolition of apartheid."

“But your country’s Sullivan Principles are very harsh, only counting the percentage of permanent employees, and blacks must be paid equal to whites. And we’re a small company that can’t afford to hire so many underpowered workers for a long time.

You know we're not a production company, and unlike GM, which can hire some lower-skilled black people, we're hiring skilled people who need long-term training. "

Ronald felt that it was a pity. If the film could introduce America at a low price, it would be a bit tricky. "What if I buy out the distribution rights of your film? Then the film has nothing to do with you,"

"Look at the protesting crowd?" Mia pointed to the door, "We tried to sell the movie to Polygram and show it in Britain.

They were advertised in newspapers by these protesters, revealing that the film was shot by a South African studio, and was finally forced to cancel the release plan. Because Britain is also a participant in the divestment plan, the public has a bad impression of South Africa. "

"This is really..." Ronald was speechless, and had to exchange business cards with Mia, and then chat about their South African film market.

"By the way, what's the name of your movie? I didn't watch it at the beginning." Ronald finally asked.

"The gods must be crazy"

"So do you speak German in South Africa? I didn't understand the lines at all. But the quality of your films is very good, and I can laugh from beginning to end without understanding the lines."

"No, it's afrikaans, a mix of Dutch and West German. We're going to try the European and Eastern markets with foreign subtitles."

"Are the primitive people in the movie really their living conditions?"

"Maybe in the past, but now the Botswana, and Namibian governments have driven them into private plots, and the space to live is getting smaller and smaller.

Because of this movie, our company now pays that tribe $200 a month to go to a nearby grocery store to buy something to subsidize the tribe. "

Ronald nodded, it seemed that it was his wishful imagination, how could modern society not be affected? Even such primitive tribesmen can improve their living standards by making movies. It's also a good arrangement.

The two walked out of the theater while talking, but Mia was greeted by the demonstrators. Frightened by the eggs and the slogan, I ran away.

Ronald got away with the egg and wanted to run away. He found that the beautiful college students who went to the movies together two days ago were also in the crowd, and he quickly said loudly as he walked, "My own people, don't hit me, I just pass by occasionally."

Seeing that it was Ronald, the beauty hurriedly stopped her companion, and then asked him, "Are you trying to buy a movie of a South African racial oppressor?"

Her companions also gathered around, and it seemed that she couldn't get away without explaining it clearly.

"I wouldn't buy their movies, Sullivan's Principle, Sullivan's Principle." Ronald quickly explained in terms he had just learned.

"Well, you have to shout a sign with us to show that you don't support South Africa." Another fat girl on the parade put a placard into his hand.

"What do you want me to... shout?" Ronald was forced to hold up an "Anti-Apartheid" placard.

"Free Mandela."

"Release Mandela!" Ronald shouted.

"Multinationals leave South Africa!"

"Multinationals leave South Africa!"

The protesters were satisfied and let Ronald go.

Ronald asked the beautiful college student he knew in a low voice with lingering fears, "This movie is about primitive people. There is no racial discrimination."

"The South African film company does not make a movie that exposes the ugly side of the apartheid system in South Africa. What is the purpose of making such a movie that glorifies the harmonious coexistence of whites and blacks in South Africa?" The fat girl shouted beside, "No objection is connivance! "

Ronald was forced to shout two more slogans and hurried away.

"Protest girls can't afford to offend, can't afford to offend."

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