Millennium director

Venetian town.

As early as a week ago, this seaside town located between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula was bustling with activity.

More than 3,000 reporters from dozens of countries around the world flocked to this city every day.

There were more than 200 film crews from various countries participating in the exhibition, filling the hotels in the city to capacity.

The three major international film festivals have been an international film event since their inception.

Although there are only a dozen films shortlisted for the main competition in Venice every year, with no more than 25 films at most, there are more than just a few film crews coming to the film festival.

Not to mention the Masters Screening Unit, Horizon Unit, Horizon Documentary Special Unit, International Film Critics Week Unit, Special Screening Unit, and the Far East Film Festival unit specially opened for East Asia, which also attracted dozens of films to participate in the review.

Even if the film is not shortlisted for any of the Venice Film Festival's participating units, film crews from all over the world can still premiere the film at the Venice Film Festival and screen it for free in Venice cinemas. This is the lowest cost and most effective way of publicity. One of them.

On September 2, Wu Yuan led the crew of "A Man Called Li Wen Decides to Die" across Eurasia and arrived in this city full of Mediterranean style.

The organizing committee of the film festival has already prepared a hotel for them. It is the best hotel in Venice and is a five-star hotel specifically for the crew who have been shortlisted for the main competition unit.

However, Wu Yuan and the others had a busy schedule and had no time to rest at all.

After sleeping in the hotel for most of the day and adjusting to the time difference, the next day on September 3rd, early in the morning, the entire crew was working on the red carpet with makeup artists and stylists busy.

Today is the opening ceremony of this year's Venice International Film Festival, and they are going to walk on the opening red carpet.

The Chinese faces at this year's Venice Film Festival are actually not just the crew of "A Man Called Li Wen Decides to Die".

"Dang Kou", an international film co-produced by Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong Island and the Mainland by Hong Kong director Yu Liwei, was also shortlisted for the main competition.

Jia Zhangke's film "Love on the River" was shortlisted for the Masters Screening Unit.

Mainland director Huang Wenhai's artistic film "Women" co-produced with Switzerland has been shortlisted for the Horizon section.

Zhou Yaowu's "Cucumber" was shortlisted for the International Film Critics Week section.

Coupled with several Chinese films that were not shortlisted for any unit, but came to Venice for screening, the Chinese army in Venice this year is also very large.

After all, the chairman of the film festival, Marco Muller, is a China-savvy person who has great affection for and supports Chinese films. Of course, everyone loves to come to Venice.

Chief Gia is still a direct descendant of Venice. Ever since "Platform" won the Venice Asian Film Promotion Alliance Award in 2000, he has participated in the Venice International Film Festival almost every two years.

In 2002, "Ren Xiaoyao" was shortlisted for the main competition unit.

In 2004, "The World" was shortlisted for the main competition.

In 2006, the documentary "East" won the Horizon Award, and the drama "Three Gorges" won the Golden Lion Award, becoming the second mainland director to win the Golden Lion Award after Zhang Yimou.

This year, he came to Venice with his love short film "Love on the River", which was very well received.

However, when Wu Yuan arrived in Venice, Chief Jia, a direct descendant of Venice, lost face.

What is the reputation of a true Chinese filmmaker?

When Wu Yuan led the costumed crew of "A Man Called Lee Wen Decides to Die" onto the red carpet outside the Venice Film Palace, film festival chairman Marco Muller personally stood at the door and applauded to greet them.

The only overseas famous actor in "A Man Called Li Wen Decides to Die" is Liu Yifei. The remaining actors Li Xuejian, Fan Wei, Song Dandan, Yang Niao and others are not famous at all overseas.

It was already obvious who Marco Müller was personally greeting.

Now the competition among the three major European companies is becoming increasingly fierce.

Although Wu Yuan has not made many literary films in the past few years, as the youngest best director in the history of Berlin, the youngest winner of the Jury Prize in Cannes, and a top commercial film director in Hollywood, he even dreams of being in Venice. He drew into Venice's line.

To be honest, if Marco Muller hadn't personally called him to make an appointment for a film, and Wu Yuan also has a bit of a collecting habit, and the three major international companies wanted to make a splash, otherwise he might not have brought the film to Venice. It is to continue to impact the Palme d'Or.

Just when Wu Yuan led the entire crew onto the red carpet and shook hands and chatted cordially with Marco Müller, the domestic media around the red carpet immediately sent the news back to China.

"News from CCTV Movie Channel, in the early morning of September 2nd, Beijing time, and in the afternoon of September 3rd, local time, the opening ceremony of the 65th Venice Film Festival was held on Lido Island in Venice."

"Chinese director Wu Yuan appeared at the film festival with his new Chinese film "A Man Called Li Wen Decides to Die."

"Festival President Marco Müller personally welcomed him."

"The picture shows director Wu Yuan and his girlfriend on the red carpet, and director Wu Yuan shaking hands with film festival chairman Marco Müller."

"[Picture][Picture][Picture]"

Wu Yuan and Marco Muller exchanged a few commercial words and praised the influence of the Venice Film Festival as the father of international film festivals.

Marco Muller really came specifically to greet him. After picking him up, he took him to the Film Palace.

"Director Wu Yuan, I am very happy that you can come to the Venice International Film Festival. It is a great honor for you, an internationally excellent director like you, to be invited."

Marco Muller's Chinese is very good. After all, he once studied in China and married a wife who also studied in China.

He did not call Wu Yuan by his English name like other foreigners, but directly called him by his Chinese name.

Not to mention, hearing the familiar Chinese in a place like this where foreigners are the only ones can really make Wu Yuan feel a little more intimate. No wonder that since Marco Muller became the chairman of Venice, the number of Chinese filmmakers who came to Venice has become more and more popular. More and more are coming.

"Where is it?" Wu Yuan smiled and waved: "It should be an honor for me to come to the Venice Film Festival."

"As the world's first international film festival, the influence of the Venice Film Festival cannot be overestimated. I hope that this time I will have a good result by participating in the film festival."

Marco Muller smiled mysteriously and did not make any response.

Although he is not the chairman of the jury and cannot influence the judges' final award selections, he will not comment on any shortlisted films during the opening of the film festival.

This is the rule.

Marco Muller just stretched out his hand and waved to another group of Chinese standing not far away from the Cinema Palace.

A middle-aged director with a somewhat naive appearance, short stature, but a literary and artistic temperament came over immediately.

"Yuan'er, long time no see."

Oh, this is not Section Chief Jia, but Brother Jia!

A warm smile immediately broke out on Wu Yuan's face, and he took the initiative to hug him: "Brother, it's been a long time since I last saw you."

"I'm really sorry. I didn't come to Venice with your Chinese Legion. I was late. We will get together later in the evening. I will punish myself with three drinks!"

Originally, the crew of "A Man Called Li Wen Decided to Die" were supposed to come to Venice about a week in advance with the Chinese Legion.

But because Wu Yuan still had some company matters to deal with in China, and Liu Yifei wanted to watch "The Mummy 3" with him, they were only a week late and could only arrive before the opening of the film festival.

"Come on." Jia Zhangke rolled his eyes and said, "With your drinking capacity, you'll almost faint after three drinks as a punishment. What else can you eat?"

Wu Yuan's ability to drink, let alone a thousand glasses of white wine, makes him unable to distinguish between east, west, north and south. In the eyes of Jia Zhangke, a big man from Shanxi, this is almost the same as never drinking at all.

After complaining about Wu Yuan's drinking, Jia Zhangke patted Wu Yuan on the shoulder with emotion: "Eight years have passed in the blink of an eye."

"The little guy who was hiding in east and west cities selling pirated discs has now become an internationally renowned director."

"Xiao Yuan, you are powerful, much more powerful than us senior brothers and sisters."

Jia Zhangke gave a thumbs up and praised without hesitation.

Eight years seemed to pass by in a blink of an eye, but countless things happened.

He, Jia Zhangke, rose from an underground director to become a leader among Chinese-language literary and artistic film directors, a leader of the sixth generation of directors. He has won numerous international awards and gained fame.

Wu Yuan has also grown from a young boy who has not yet graduated from college to a world-renowned commercial film director, with a cumulative box office career of 4 billion US dollars.

Although his achievements in literary films are not as high as those of Jia Zhangke, he is still young enough. To be honest, it is true that the waves in front will be washed away by the waves behind.

Wu Yuan's eyes were also full of nostalgia, and he said with emotion: "Yes, you were my senior brother back then, and you were always trying to persuade me to put my mind on the right path and stop selling pirated discs all the time."

"Then I listened to you and got into the crew of handsome senior Wang Xiao, and that's when I got my first movie."

"Destiny is really a magical thing."

Jia Zhangke wanted to roll his eyes again: "You also said that at that time, I really thought that you were going to waste all your talent and talents. A good directing student went to sell pirated discs."

"Fortunately, gold always shines."

"On what date is your film "A Man Called Li Wen Decided to Die" scheduled to premiere? I'm going to take a closer look to see if you've been holding back some big tricks since you haven't made an art film in the past few years."

"On the afternoon of the 6th, it will be shown here at the Cinema Palace." Wu Yuan smiled and nodded, looking at Marco Muller.

Mr. Chairman is indeed very considerate and brought the movie palace to him for a premiere. This kind of treatment is usually only given to biological sons.

"Come." Wu Yuan waved to Liu Yifei again and pulled her to Jia Zhangke.

"Brother, let me introduce you, this is my girlfriend."

"I know, you think I don't watch the news?"

"The famous fairy sister Liu Yifei, you are so lucky."

"But I heard that you two were already in love when you were still in school?"

"You kid, tsk tsk tsk, junior sister is so embarrassed to do it!" (End of Chapter)