Millennium director

Chapter 239 Invitation from Mark Muller, bringing talent to Venice?

A movie to end the Lunar New Year festival in the age of light and shadow?

Regarding Li Xiaoping's whimsical idea, Wu Yuan was speechless.

But you can understand it if you think about it.

Wu Yuan's last film released in China was "Painted Skin", which was released on December 28, 2005. More than a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

If there is no movie this year, Wu Yuan will be separated from mainland audiences for 2 years.

Since his debut, he has basically released one Chinese-language film a year. Although sometimes it is an artistic film and sometimes it is a commercial film, at least the frequency is quite high.

It's just that he has been a little too busy in Hollywood in the past two years. "Pirates of the Caribbean 2", "Rush Hour 3" and "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" have taken up too much of his time.

In addition, the domestic "Gravity" is also a long-term and large-scale project, so that for two consecutive years he has been unable to bring Chinese movies to the audience.

How about just like Li Xiaoping said, catch a movie to join in the excitement of this year’s Lunar New Year?

Wu Yuan counted on his fingers and concluded that "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" will be completed in June.

If he had rushed faster, he would have been able to complete another feature film without special effects in half a year.

But this is too tiring.

After careful consideration, Wu Yuan still refused Li Xiaoping's extravagant wishes and did not intend to push himself so hard.

What he didn't expect was that when Li Xiaoping's "invitation" was rejected, Wu Yuan received another call.

It was from senior brother Jia Zhangke, and Jia Zhangke’s call was not because he had something to talk to Wu Yuan, but because he wanted to help the Venice Film Festival.

Marco Muller, chairman of the Venice Film Festival, hopes to invite Wu Yuan to bring his work to the Venice International Film Festival next year.

Among the three major international film festivals, Wu Yuan has participated in both Cannes and Berlin, but Venice has not.

And it just so happens that Venice has been the most pro-Chinese director film festival among the three major European film festivals in the past five years.

Mark Muller himself is a China-savvy person. Not only did he come to China to study, his wife was married in China. He also loves to watch Chinese movies and is very fond of Chinese filmmakers.

How much do you like it?

The three Golden Lion Awards in 05, 06 and 2007 were awarded to Li Yu's "Brokeback Mountain", Jia Zhangke's "The Good Man" and Li Yu's "Lust, Caution".

Of course, this year's "Lust, Caution" awards won't be announced until September.

It is also because of the "heavyweight film" "Lust, Caution" this year that Mark Muller invited Wu Yuan to attend the Venice Film Festival next year.

Because next year there are no Chinese directors who have prepared any blockbusters, so it will be a window period.

Mark Muller, who loves Chinese movies, doesn't want Chinese faces to disappear in Venice, so he sets his sights on Wu Yuan, a great Chinese director.

In the past two or three years, Wu Yuan has plunged headlong into the field of commercial films. He has not made any literary films since "Love", which makes Mark Muller very regretful and regretful.

He personally likes Wu Yuan's "The Embalmer" and "Love" very much, because these two movies both discuss death, and he likes this subject.

Jia Zhangke first called Wu Yuan to talk to him, and after obtaining his consent, he gave his phone number to Mark Mueller.

Then Mark Muller personally called Wu Yuan.

"Director Wu Yuan, as one of the best international film festivals in Europe, we at the Venice International Film Festival sincerely hope that more outstanding international directors can participate."

"And you, as one of the best directors in China, are also the most welcome object of our Venice Film Festival."

"If possible, on behalf of the Venice Film Festival, I sincerely invite you to bring your work to the Venice International Film Festival next September."

"I'll throw a couch in Venice to welcome you."

Not to mention, this old boy Mark Muller speaks Chinese really well!

As expected of an international student, worthy of having a Chinese wife, he was the only foreigner who could pronounce "Wu Yuan" correctly.

The favorability level has gone up.

If you don't hit the smiling person, they will sweep the couch to greet you. What else can Wu Yuan say?

Anyway, it's still early until September next year, so Wu Yuan readily agreed: "Thank you very much Chairman Mueller for the invitation, but my next film shooting plan has not yet been decided."

"I can only assure you here that if I have plans to shoot a literary film before the Venice Film Festival next year, I will definitely take it to Venice for exhibition."

"It would be a shame if there were no plans for a movie."

Mark Muller smiled happily on the phone, "Of course, with Director Wu's words, I am already very happy. The Venice Film Festival is sincerely waiting for Director Wu's arrival."

Okay, that's all. After Wu Yuan hung up the phone after exchanging a few words, he had to consider Mark Muller's invitation.

To be honest, with Mark Muller, the pro-China chairman, Venice will indeed become half the home for Chinese filmmakers in the next few years.

Without Mark Muller, Jia Zhangke's "The Good Man" would have been unlikely to win last year's Golden Lion.

If you want to compete for awards, it is indeed more suitable to go to the Venice Film Festival in the past two years.

Mark Muller's invitation also came very early. There is still a full year and a half before Venice next year, which is enough for Wu Yuan to prepare.

For literary films to win awards, if there is a suitable script, it is always a cost-effective thing.

It doesn't cost money to make a literary film. It only takes a few million to make an excellent literary film. It's just that an excellent script is hard to come by.

After receiving the invitation from Mark Muller, during the breaks between the filming of "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" and the rest after work, Wu Yuan was thinking about whether he should complete a literary film and participate in the Venice Film Festival. Festival.

Which movie is appropriate?

First of all, it must continue his style of directing literary films, which is to explore death, an eternal topic of mankind.

The two previous films, "The Embalmer" and "Love", both explored the matter of death through different stories and perspectives.

This has also become Wu Yuan's personal style.

Whenever film newspapers in Europe mention director Wu Yuan, they will inevitably talk about this matter.

European film critics agree that Wu Yuan likes to explore the grand topic of death through "ordinary stories" of small characters in his movies.

The stories may seem simple and ordinary, but the discussion of "life" behind them always touches the depths of the audience's soul and makes people tremble.

Just like Zhang Yimou's literary films, rural areas, farmers, and yellow land are always indispensable.

Chen Kaige's literary films are always indispensable for picturesque compositions and complex characters' hearts.

Jiang Wen's literary films are indispensable for a large number of metaphors, metaphors, and political reflections.

As an excellent art film director, Wu Yuan certainly has his own style and characteristics in his art films.

Although this style and characteristics were indeed presented by Wu Yuan unintentionally, when he chose the two movies "The Embalmer" and "Love", he really didn't think much about it.

But now that his style has been formed, he can only accept the evaluation and definition of himself by European journalists.

If he demands stability, his next literary film should preferably be related to the proposition of "death", continue to deepen his film style, and form a unique "Wu Yuan style film".

For a director, this is definitely something that he desires and is proud of.

So the question is, which movie to make?

The first thing Wu Yuan thought of was the French movie "The Intouchables" released in 2011.

The film tells the story of Philip, an aristocrat who is unable to take care of himself, and his helper, the black young man Derris, who help each other.

On the surface, it can be said that there is no similarity between Philip and Driss. Whether it is their life background or status, they are basically two completely opposite extremes.

But even so, the two men established an unstable but growing friendship.

And it's all based on sincerity, honesty and humor.

In the process, they will all experience an unprecedented emotional baptism, which will also force them to re-examine the meaning of life and love.

This movie also leads the audience to appreciate the meaning of life and love from another perspective. From a conceptual perspective and style, it is actually very similar to "Love".

Moreover, this movie also has anti-racial discrimination BUFF, which would be even more interesting if it was shot by a Chinese director.

But unfortunately, the film is adapted from the autobiography "Second Breath" by Philippe Pozzo di Borgo.

This true story was made into a documentary in 2004.

This is not an original script story.

Olivier Nakashida, the director of "The Intouchables", had the idea of ​​adapting it into a feature film when he saw this documentary in 2004, and took action in 2008.

It may be too late for Wu Yuan to grab this movie now, and it is easy for him to get into a fight of words, some of which are not necessary.

"Brother, what are you thinking about?" A cup of steaming tea was brought to the table, interrupting Wu Yuan's meditation.

After holding up the tea cup and taking a few sips, Wu Yuan sighed with satisfaction, pulled Liu Yifei into his arms, and said with a smile: "I'm thinking about how to bring my talent to Venice."

"Brother, you want to participate in the Venice Film Festival?!" Liu Yifei's eyes lit up immediately.

Liu Yifei has a heart for literary films and has always wanted to try making literary films to challenge her acting skills!

It's just that Wu Yuan hasn't made any literary films in the past two years, and she couldn't get such film offers, so she temporarily extinguished her heart.

"Qian Qian, don't even think about it." However, Wu Yuan immediately gave up her idea, "Your current acting skills still need to be improved, so there is no need to rush to make literary films for the time being."

"For you, the most important thing now is to experience more life. A little princess like you, who grew up without worries about food and clothing, lacks a lot of understanding of low-level life."

"Exactly, the perspective of most literary and artistic films starts from the bottom. Farmers, poor people, distressed people, and disabled people have always been common protagonists in literary and artistic films."

Liu Yifei pouted, a little aggrieved, but she knew that what Wu Yuan said was indeed right. She lacked life experience. She had never experienced many of the things described in literary films. How could she possibly act?

"I understand." She said listlessly, "There's no way I really have to wait until Grandma Wu's age before I can act in a literary film and win an award."

"Don't tell me, in today's literary and artistic films, the older the actor, the easier it is for him to win awards." Wu Yuan joked happily.

Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration.

Old man, easy to win prizes, death? !

A few keywords flashed in his mind, and a movie that was not well-known but suited his directing style gradually became clear in his mind.

"Yeah, I can make this movie!"