I’m a Director, I’m Not Bad

Chapter 558 556. Holding Hands

At 10 o'clock in the morning, Xu Xin entered the screening of "Sword Rain".

To be honest, this movie is really not bad.

The main reason is that the martial arts flavor is very strong. From the audience's perspective, although the plot of this film is a little weak, it is indeed very good to watch.

Especially the magician's rope was a surprise to Xu Xin.

The rope was thrown into the sky and the scene of people climbing up really made his eyes light up.

As for the story of Rama's body and the old eunuch's desire to become a man... Actually, don't worry about it, after all, villains always need an obsession.

What's more, Big S's figure looks really good.

But he's just not very dedicated.

If you know how to take pictures, can't you take more pictures?

But no matter what, the movie is really good.

In his eyes, the director should like Buddhist culture very much, or be a Buddhist himself.

The entire core of "Sword Rain" is actually two words.

degree.

Or we can break it down and say whether we are saving others or ourselves.

The lines of Mr. You Benchang, Li Guishou played by Jin Shijie, and the theory of cause and effect cycle that are full of Buddhist classics all prove the excellence of this film.

Xu Xin was very satisfied.

This is a work that is truly full of martial arts flavor and covers some wonderful religious texts.

It perfectly puts on the shell of love, hate and vendetta in the world, and presents the propositions of Buddhism to everyone.

It's really good.

The two hours were over and it was 12 o'clock. As he walked out of the cinema, he asked Ai Qing next to him:

"What shall we eat today?"

As he spoke, he took out his cell phone, intending to change the cell phone that had been set to silent before entering the venue to its ringtone.

But as soon as I took out my phone, I was suddenly stunned...

More than ten missed calls and more than ten messages.

Looking at the missed calls, there were calls from Zhong Changyou, Yang Mi, Qi Lei, and several unknown phone numbers.

In addition to people like Zhong Changyou, Yang Mi, and Qi Lei, the information also contained unfamiliar numbers.

It starts with a self-introduction. We are XX magazine. I got my number from so-and-so, so it’s not convenient for me to be interviewed.

You know, this is Xu Xin's private number.

It's not a work number.

He doesn't have an agent, and he doesn't have a team. Usually when someone comes to find him, they either call Yang Min or go to the company. There is really very little information about this on a private mobile phone number.

"?"

what's the situation?

With doubts, Xu Xin clicked on Yang Mi's dialog box:

"Brother, you can make such a big fuss just by eating a pizza?"

"I'm really convinced."

"A lot of people are looking for trouble. I've pushed them all. I've pushed those I can't push to Mengmeng's phone. You can watch over there to make an appointment."

"You did a good job on this matter. I will reward you well when you come back!"

"Hey~"

? ? ?

Ah Yang, you are talking about Shen Mo~

He was confused. At this time, Su Meng also said:

"Brother Xu... I just saw the greeting from Sister Mi. There are... 1, 2, 3... 11 media here, all pushed over from the company, wanting to interview you."

"ah?"

Xu Xin was even more confused.

His intuition told him that something must have happened, but he had no idea what was going on.

He quickly exited the chat box with his wife, and then saw Qi Lei's:

"The interview was great. We just had a meeting at the factory and it has been decided that, regardless of whether we win the award or not, "The Hawthorn Tree" will be released at 0:00 on December 23, just in time for Christmas."

"Let's book a date here, don't worry."

Interview?

Which one did you say?

I have participated in several.

Then he found the message from Zhong Changyou.

"Director Xu, many Italian media want to interview you."

"Your interview in "Southern Weekly" suddenly became popular!"

"Please reply after watching "Sword Rain"."

"Director Xu, there may be many reporters coming these days, so we have to pay attention. The Italian media is much more troublesome than our domestic media."

"Director Xu, call me back after watching the movie."

After a few messages, Xu Xin's mind was already filled with questions.

Why did the Southern Weekly interview suddenly become popular?

He dialed Zhong Changyou's phone in confusion.

The call was connected in almost seconds:

"Hey, Director Xu, have you finished reading!?"

"Yes, Brother Zhong...what's going on? I see it's not just you, there are other people sending me messages. What's going on?"

"Is such that……"

"..."

After about a minute, Xu Xin, whose eyes were full of mosquito coils, tentatively concluded:

"In other words, this interview has led to the topic of...pizza without pineapple, which has become popular in China."

"right."

"The Italian Embassy sent a message to thank me?"

"right."

"Then the media here knew about the situation?"

"Yes! And they responded very quickly. Maybe they think they are particularly proud of this matter and can let more than a billion people know about it... so they responded very quickly! I have just received a lot of phone calls. Yes, they all want to interview us."

"..."

Xu Xin scratched his head subconsciously.

It's only one day tomorrow...

But why does it feel like so many things have happened?

this……

"Director Xu, are you coming back now?"

"Uh... I was just planning to go to dinner."

"Then let's meet at the hotel after dinner? This kind of thing is a good thing! Director Xu, with media promotion, Venice will definitely increase the number of movie screenings, and our chances of winning awards may be greater!"

Zhong Changyou's voice was full of excitement.

But for no reason, Xu Xin remembered something.

That's the saying "Heat will kill you"...

It shouldn't be... right?

The judging team of the film festival still looks at the quality of the film, and the reputation of the audience and film critics may not be of reference significance to them.

But he didn't say this.

Not guilty.

He responded:

"Okay, then I'll go back after dinner."

The phone was hung up. Under the curious eyes of Su Meng and Ai Qing, after Xu Xin roughly explained what had happened, Su Meng had already started reading Weibo on her phone.

Ai Qing also nodded and said with some sigh:

"As an Italian-American, I can understand this feeling. The culture of my hometown is recognized by a foreign country... let alone being recognized by so many people. Director Xu, thank you!"

Her eyes were full of sincerity.

But when Xu Xin was thanked by her, there was an inexplicable look on his face.

Not at her.

But the matter itself is a bit outrageous.

He just told what he saw and gained... Who knows why such a storm suddenly started?

Amazing Italy…

…

Lunch options ended up at a small restaurant called "AL COVO".

It is next to the fish market, and according to Ai Qing, it has the freshest ingredients in Venice.

It is also the most authentic local taste.

After two days of contact, Ai Qing also knew that what Xu Xin wanted to see, eat and experience was the most traditional culture in Venice.

So whether it was tourists or people from the middle class or above, those restaurants were not among her considerations.

If you want to go, just eat the daily food of the locals and experience the most ordinary life in this water city.

During lunch time, there were quite a lot of people in the restaurant.

Xu Xin was worried about being recognized at first.

But it turned out that he thought too much.

This tavern is full of local customers, with almost no foreign faces.

It was true that the two Asian faces were surrounded by people when they came here, but Xu Xin knew when he saw how these guests were dressed... They should all be busy working during the day, and some of them were even wearing rain boots on this sunny day. .

Presumably they are all people from the nearby market.

And looking at the dishes on other people's tables, they are all large in quantity but slightly rough in presentation. I didn’t walk all the way and saw people drinking wine, gesticulating and chatting on the outdoor seats in cafes and restaurants.

It is common for people to eat with their heads down, showing their hunger to the fullest.

When Xu Xin and the others arrived, these people just looked at it and continued to work hard.

It's like a fly restaurant in China. Many people come here just to fill their stomachs... The Venice Film Festival seems to have little interaction with the workers in this water city.

But there are still some...

Just after Xu Xin and the other three sat down, Ai Qing turned her attention to the TV above the restaurant counter.

The sound of the television mingled with the clatter of knives and forks in the restaurant.

Sometimes it even covers the sound of knives and forks.

Ai Qing has never seen the pizza stall owner in front of Venice University.

Therefore, I didn’t know that the person being interviewed by reporters on TV at this moment was the one who inspired Director Xu.

But after listening to the interview content, her expression gradually became weird.

"Director Xu."

"Um?"

Xu Xin, who was looking at the side with a "glancing" look... It looked like it was either an uncle or nephew, or a father and son, two Italians with thick knuckles devouring their food, and Xu Xin came to his senses:

"how?"

Ai Qing said nothing and just pointed in the direction of the TV.

"Well……"

Xu Xin turned around and was suddenly startled:

"Huh?...Isn't he...Mengmeng, the owner of that store?"

Su Meng, who was studying the menu of this store and typing these words on her phone to see what they meant, also raised her head.

She was stunned for a while and nodded vigorously:

"It's him, it's him! Brother Xu, it's him."

"..."

Xu Xin Haoxuan sang the phrase "Our friend, little Nezha".

My heart said, what song are you singing at this time?

Then I observed that standing in front of the eye-catching sign of the food stall, the Italian boss, who had to wear gloves when smoking, was mumbling to reporters without knowing what he was talking about.

Soon, probably twenty or thirty seconds later, the interview ended.

The two of them looked at Ai Qing in unison.

"He said... he could probably guess that Xu, Director Xu, and others were tourists here to participate in the film festival. He said that you didn't seem to know much about Italian food, and your companion, Brother Zhong, asked Does he have pizza that tastes similar to Pizza Hut? He felt offended at first, but the look in your eyes is very special..."

"..."

Xu Xin's mouth twitched...

"So he said he was going to give you a perfect margherita pizza. Then he just followed the traditional margherita pizza recipe left by his grandmother and gave it to you. You seemed very satisfied and recommended the pizza to your friend.

A total of 4 pizzas were bought, but he only charged for three of them. He said that you are a very special guest, and that traditional Italian pizza is the most delicious pizza. He does not ask for money, but treats you as a friend.

This is an Italian tradition. If you have a chance to meet him next time, he will invite you and that beautiful lady to his home as a guest and eat the dishes cooked by his wife. I believe you will love traditional Italian food even more... "

"..."

For some reason, after listening to Ai Qing's translation, he felt that the Italians were planning to bring him out to establish a typical sense of déjà vu.

Obviously it was just my first time eating pizza without pineapple.

Who told the prodigal woman in my family to like Pizza Hut Seafood Supreme when eating pizza...

They didn't even give me a chance to order other pizza.

But how come...he suddenly shouldered the banner of "China-Italy friendship"?

But he couldn't refute it yet.

What if he said something like "Actually, the pizza tastes just average" or "I'm not interested in Italian food"...

How much these people love him now, how much they want to kill him then...

Besides, brother, why did you invite me and that lady?

Did you misunderstand something?

Ah this...

There was a faint chill on his back, and he looked strange as someone held a knife to his neck.

Finally nodded:

"All right."

After responding, an idea popped into his head.

This interview...it's best not to let your sister see it.

Otherwise it can easily cause misunderstandings.

From now on, I have to keep a distance from the fairy sister. If there is any scandal, it will be over... By the way, "Hawthorn Tree" should also be over, right?

I wonder what Aunt Liu thought of this movie after watching it?

…

9:00.

In front of the Malibrand Theater.

Liu Xiaoli stood in the crowd, looked at the teams in front and behind, and said:

"Are these people watching our movie?"

"right."

Liu Yifei nodded:

"The screenings in Venice are only held in cinemas, and their cinemas are not large in scale. Those surprise films and other films that are not in the main competition are all watched in the cinema.

In order to show respect for the main competition unit, all the film rotations in the main competition unit are played in historic theaters like Venice, or in some qualified large venues. Fixed time, fixed number of sessions. "

"..."

After Liu Xiaoli nodded to express her understanding, she suddenly sighed with emotion:

"well……"

"What's the matter?"

"……fine."

Shaking her head at her daughter, she continued to stand in the queue waiting for her ticket to be checked in.

Just this morning, Zhong Changyou sent someone the latest comments about "The Hawthorn Tree".

The rating of "Hawthorn" has increased by 0.1 points again, and is already the same as "Black Swan".

Moreover, the total number of evaluations exceeded 4,000.

The number of reviews for "Black Swan" is 7,000.

It can be said that in terms of value, "Black Swan" was rated 8.8 by 7,000 people for two days. On the first day of the opening, less than 100 people rated "Black Swan" at 8.7, and on the third day, 4,000 people rated "Black Swan" at 8.8... …

Can't say whose is higher.

But at least it proves that the two movies are already on the same level in terms of audience tastes and artistic aesthetics.

Moreover, there is one more piece of data today.

It is a voting prediction initiated by movie fans on the Venice Film Festival forum.

Among them, in the "Best Actress" category, the number of votes for my daughter to win the Best Actress is 82 votes.

Ranked third.

First place was Natalie Portman with 179 votes.

Second place was Ariane Labed with 95 votes.

Although it seems that Natalie Portman is the winner...if we just look at this number of votes, it seems that the best actress has been decided.

But...you know, that's Hollywood.

Liu Xiaoli, who was born in 1959, actually has the same problems as that generation. Under the inherent thinking, when comparisons between domestic and foreign countries come, she will also have a guilty conscience.

This is the mark of the times. After all, in their growth experience, whether it is the United States or Hollywood... their power is really something that people of other times cannot understand.

Just like talking about the Soviet Union with young people now, most people's understanding of the Soviet Union's power is only on paper.

I simply don’t understand how terrible it is for a country that forces everyone to dig air-raid shelters and stockpile food at the slightest thought.

Therefore, at this moment, with all this disbelief, she was unconsciously thinking...

How could my daughter be able to compete with those Hollywood superstars all of a sudden?

Not to mention the others.

If we talk about the comments on the first day, they definitely affirm Xu Xin’s style.

So in the comments the next day, my daughter's acting skills have been recognized by many people.

Even... although she still admitted that it was a bit exaggerated in her heart, she saw someone comparing her daughter to the Eastern Storm that Gong Li set off in Venice...

Her heart was like a world of ice and fire.

The other side of the ice kept reminding her: Wake up, no matter how confident you are, Sissi's current achievements and acting skills cannot be compared with Gong Li, who was born to adapt to the times.

But after hearing this, the fiery side will keep teasing her: Gong Li was not Gong Huang's from the beginning! With Sissi’s potential, there will definitely be a chance to surpass her in the future!

All I can say is that this Venice Film Festival...

It may be said to be a pure movie atmosphere, or it may be said to be a competition mechanism.

Let all film works and people be drawn into the same battle.

Whether it's a Hollywood superstar or a domestic actor, everyone has the same opportunity.

Under this fair mechanism, Liu Xiaoli's mood at this time was as complicated as a glass of specially blended wine.

It's impossible to tell what it feels like.

On paper, her daughter seems to be on the same level as Natalie Portman...at least during the film festival.

But I always felt guilty inside.

Extraordinarily complex.

But very eager.

Reason told her that it was impossible, but her sensibility reminded her that there was still a chance...

just in case……

"Mom, let's go."

Suddenly, Liu Yifei's words pulled her out of that tangled dream.

Looking at the team that started to advance, Liu Xiaoli followed them as if she had just woken up from a dream.

I checked my tickets all the way, entered the venue, and found my seat.

Amid a circle of Italian chatter, the lights soon dimmed.

Liu Xiaoli is extremely focused.

She didn't want to miss any of her daughter's performance in this production.

Soon, a long-distance minibus slowly drove into the station...

A two-hour journey began.

During this journey, Liu Xiaoli found that there were too many things she was familiar with, including going to the mountains and countryside, and educated youth joining the queue...

These memories and images quickly brought her closer to the world of the movie.

Seeing the budding love between Jingqiu and Lao San, she would smile like an aunt.

When she saw the separation, before others could react, she had already tasted the pain of regret.

When I see the village watching a movie together, my childhood memories of the scenes I experienced in the past will start to roll back.

And when she heard the song "BELLA CIAO", she would unconsciously sing in a low voice.

After all the emotions accumulated to the climax, when seeing the river of life and death in the ultra-wide-angle lens, they turned into tears that burst out of the bank and surged out.

Finally, it was healed in the last section of the film.

And the melodious harmonica melody turned into pure white flowers on the hawthorn tree, covering youth and the past.

Then I was awakened by the sudden light.

It's like a dream.

The movie is over and the show is over.

The crowd dispersed.

Liu Xiaoli, who was sitting on the chair, just stared at the screen and said nothing for a long time.

Until Liu Yifei whispered:

"Mom, let's go?"

"Huh?...Oh, okay."

The woman who had just woken up from a dream nodded, wiped the corners of her eyes that still had red marks, and all her emotions turned into pride.

This is my daughter's work!

Film work!

It's not a commercial film like "The King of Kung Fu" or a short-lived show like "The Wind".

My daughter! Be the protagonist of the work!

Excellent, beautiful, vivid and expressive... none of the words were enough to express her inner pride at this moment.

She was at a loss for words and could only get up and follow her daughter outside the cinema.

Although the lights in the theater are bright, the passage under the seats is slightly dark.

Although it was not strenuous, Liu Xiaoli left a little empty.

It was so dark that I couldn't see the road or steps.

Coupled with the turbulent mood at this moment, her steps were full of vanity.

And at this moment, Liu Yifei suddenly stretched out her hand:

"Mom, I'm holding you."

"..."

Liu Xiaoli was stunned.

I don’t know why, but a young girl’s voice rang in my ears:

"Mom, please hold me, please."

Following the voice, her instinct made her put her hand up.

Just like the answer she gave when she first heard the immature girl's request:

"Okay~~ Sissi holds her mother's hand so she won't be afraid of falling~"

After passing the hand over...

"This way you won't be afraid of falling."

She has grown up, is well-off and generous, and is the girl who is the fairy in countless people's dreams...

Holding her mother's hand, she said.

then.

The silent mother followed her daughter, tears streaming down her face.

As a daughter, Sissi has grown up.

As an actor, Liu Yifei...

Also grown up.

I recommend a friend's book "From Mercenary to King of War", which describes the step-by-step transformation of a mercenary into an arms dealer. The author is an old man who writes about military themes. The quality is guaranteed. Friends who like this type of book can read it. Look, remember to leave a comment saying it came from me.