Millennium director

Embarrassing as it was, Wu Yuan would definitely not have known that the crew of So Long, My Son had also been shortlisted for the Berlin Main Competition Unit, and would not have met Wang Xiaoshuai.

And he had to take the initiative to invite him.

Although China does not have the same morbid etiquette between seniors and juniors as Japan and South Korea, as the birthplace of Confucian culture and the most orthodox inheritor of Confucian culture, as a Chinese, Wu Yuan must also respect his senior brother who has helped him.

So Wu Yuan not only invited Li Xiaoshuai to the sausage restaurant that Li Xiaoshuai had brought him to Berlin to eat, but also came with the mentality of apologizing.

"Brother, I'm so sorry. We are fighting each other."

"Originally, "Cai Wenji" was going to go to Cannes, but Xixi is pregnant. The due date is in July or August. If she goes to Cannes, her belly will be seven or eight months big by then, which is really inconvenient."

"Fault me!"

In front of Wang Xiaoshuai, Wu Yuan picked up a glass of German specialty dark beer and gulped it down, toasting him to apologize.

And Wu Yuan's attitude really gave Li Xiaoshuai enough face. No matter what he thought in his heart, he had a smile on his face anyway, and he quickly stood up to stop Wu Yuan from drinking.

"Hey, what are you saying?"

"It's really alienating us brothers to do this."

"Besides, this movie is not Director Zhang's, and it has nothing to do with you. Why are you apologizing here?"

"It's a good thing that Director Zhang can come to the Berlin Film Festival. I am also very happy to be nominated with Director Zhang."

"Junior brother, what you are doing is boring."

Wang Xiaoshuai persuaded Wu Yuan to continue to pay for a few more drinks. After pulling him to sit down again, he said calmly: "This is really not a big deal."

"We artists are never afraid of competition. Besides, Director Zhang is also my predecessor, and Berlin is not organized by me. It's a good thing for you to come to participate. How can I be unhappy?"

"The bigger your business is, the more you are restrained. You are afraid of offending this and that every day. You are thinking too much."

Does Wang Xiaoshuai really not mind at all?

That's impossible.

After all, he did come to the Berlin International Film Festival with ambition this year, not with a casual attitude.

Although the domestic attention to the European Big Three has indeed decreased in recent years, as a leader among the sixth generation of directors who grew up in the European Big Three and was influenced by the fourth and fifth generation directors, Wang Xiaoshuai has always had a filter for the European Big Three and regards it as the most important dream creed in his life.

This idea is impossible to change. Even if the European Big Three may not be cared about by the Chinese public in the future, Wang Xiaoshuai will still care about it.

Although Wang Xiaoshuai's award-winning journey in the European Big Three was relatively smooth, he always lacked a truly heavyweight award.

"Seventeen-year-old Bicycle" won the 51st Berlin International Film Festival in 2001, and won the Silver Bear Award for the Jury Grand Prix in the Competition Film Unit. This was Wang Xiaoshuai's most glorious moment that year, and he did it together with Wu Yuan.

But since then, although his status in Europe has risen and he has become a frequent visitor to the European Big Three, he has never won such an important or even more important award again.

In 2005, "Qinghong" won the Jury Award at the 58th Cannes Film Festival.

In 2008, "Left and Right" won the Silver Bear Award for Best Screenplay and the "Special Attention" Award at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival.

In 2010, "Rizhao Chongqing" was shortlisted for the main competition unit of the 63rd Cannes International Film Festival.

In September 2014, "Intruder" was shortlisted for the main competition unit of the 71st Venice International Film Festival.

From Wang Xiaoshuai's road to European awards over the past decade, it can be seen that this has been going downhill, and "17-year-old Bicycle" is his most glorious experience.

Since then, his performance has undoubtedly been getting worse and worse, from winning the best screenwriter to being shortlisted for the main competition unit.

If this continues, let alone realizing the dream of winning the Palme d'Or, the Golden Bear, and the Golden Lion, I am afraid that even being shortlisted for the main competition unit will become more difficult.

Wang Xiaoshuai certainly does not want to see such a future, so this time he can be said to have devoted all his efforts and brought out his most proud work "Long Time No Love", in order to create a good result like "17-year-old Bicycle" again, or even want a higher result!

Originally, everything went smoothly. Whether it was submitting the film for selection or lobbying behind the scenes, Wang Xiaoshuai did his best.

Although "So Long, My Son" has not officially premiered in Berlin, Wang Xiaoshuai has already established good relationships with filmmakers who can influence the European film industry, and they have all seen the original film of this film.

Privately, Wang Xiaoshuai has received a lot of optimism, and the capital behind him has also helped him lobby several judges, who will be inclined to him in the final award.

But just when everything was ready, "Cai Wenji" suddenly broke into the competition circle and was stuffed into the main competition unit at the last moment of the film selection in Berlin.

Although this movie came in a hurry, it should not pose any competitive threat to "So Long, My Son", which has been fully prepared.

But who said that the director of this movie is Zhang Yimou, and there is an investor Wu Yuan behind him.

This is not a dragon crossing the river, but a tiger on the ground!

It is impossible to say that Wang Xiaoshuai really has no resentment about the sudden addition of "Cai Wenji".

But at the same time, he knew deeply that it was impossible for him to offend Zhang Yimou, a senior, and Wu Yuan, who held the right to speak in the Chinese and even the entire Asian film industry, just for a chance to win an award at the Berlin Film Festival.

It was already very stressful for him to offend one of them, how could he offend both at the same time?

He could win awards at the film festival every year, but if he offended any of them, he would probably not even have the chance to win awards in the future.

Wang Xiaoshuai, who was very "clear-headed", naturally would not do anything irrational. Instead, he explained to Wu Yuan that he really didn't mind and was very happy to see "Cai Wenji" join the Berlin Film Festival. It was his honor.

As for how sincere and fake these words were?

Is it important?

Not at all.

However, Wu Yuan's apology was real. He really didn't think that he would become a stumbling block for Wang Xiaoshuai to hit Berlin this year.

So although he and Zhang Yimou had already mobilized their connections to build momentum for "Cai Wenji", he did not use any relationship to stop Wang Xiaoshuai's actions, and even gave some convenient support.

What kind of convenience and support?

"Cai Wenji" is a biographical film about a female protagonist. There is no way this film can have any hope for the Best Actor Award!

However, "So Long, My Son" is a strong contender for the Best Actor Award!

Under the brilliant sunset, Wu Yuan and Wang Xiaoshuai smiled at each other and raised their beer glasses together in tacit understanding.

"Then I wish us all the best at this Berlin Film Festival!"

The two foxes, one big and one small, laughed very happily. (End of this chapter)