Millennium director

"The crew is going there in person?"

"Do you need me to lend you my private plane? It's safer to go out on your own plane now!"

"It's okay. We bought the plane to use it. It costs money to keep it parked."

"It's settled."

Sitting on the sofa at home, Wu Yuan was playing with his daughter who was struggling on his legs while making a phone call with a smile on his face.

The person he was talking to was naturally Zhang Guorong who was far away in Hong Kong Island.

The movie "Glass Love" has been completed for a long time, but due to the current market winter, it has not been scheduled for release.

But he can still participate in the film festivals he should participate in. After all, Zhang Guorong made this movie for the award.

"Leslie, I've seen the list of nominees this year. You're under a lot of pressure."

"Nicole Garcia, Andrei Konchalovsky, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Kernel Mudluzzo, Gianfranco Rossi, Amos Gitiko are all very capable directors."

The directors Wu Yuan cited as examples were not only shortlisted for the main competition unit of this year's Venice Film Festival, but also had a history of being shortlisted for the three major film festivals. They can be said to be well-known in the field of art films.

Compared with them, Zhang Guorong, a newcomer who was shortlisted for the first time, is definitely a shallow foundation.

"Being shortlisted is already a recognition for me." On the other end of the phone, Zhang Guorong said calmly and with a smile in his voice.

Pouting, Wu Yuan didn't believe such words. We are all directors. Who doesn't know who?

Maybe Zhang Guorong did think so before he was nominated, but after he was sure that he had successfully entered the main competition unit, he would naturally expect to win the award, and it was impossible to be satisfied with it.

Human desires are endless!

"I am still optimistic about you. The story of "Glass Love" caters to the international environment in recent years. In addition, you are really good at directing, so there is still hope to win the award." Wu Yuan encouraged in a tempting voice.

However, he added: "But it is still a bit difficult to get the Golden Lion for Best Film."

There was another half sentence that Wu Yuan held in his mouth and didn't say it out.

Except for him, few people in the world probably know that the person who laughed last at the Venice Film Festival this year was actually a new director who was similar to Zhang Guorong.

This year's Venice Best Film was awarded to "Nomadland" in the original time and space.

There is actually nothing much to say about this movie. It is a movie adapted from the novel of the same name by American writer Jessica Bruder. It tells the story of Fern, who lost his job and home in the Great Depression and began to live in an RV, working and traveling, and met all kinds of people.

There is nothing wrong with the story itself, and the artistry is good, so it is reasonable to win the award.

It is the director of this movie, which is difficult to evaluate.

Zhao Ting, a female director, screenwriter, and producer from the mainland, has won international awards for her works. In 2014, she wrote and directed her first film "Songs My Brother Taught Me", which was shortlisted for the 68th Cannes Film Festival Golden Camera Award. She won the Best Female Director Award at the 24th Gotham Independent Film Awards for this film.

On March 5, 2018, she won the Best Film Award at the 70th Cannes International Film Festival Directors' Fortnight and the Bonnie Award at the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards for the feature film "The Rider".

Successful as soon as he debuted, such a director is rare in the world, and can be said to be a genius.

But Zhao Ting won the Venice Best Film and the Oscars Best Film and Best Director with "Nomadland". At the beginning, he received positive reports from international media and Chinese official media, and won praise from Chinese netizens.

Therefore, the mainland netizens who calmed down naturally stopped paying too much attention to her, praising her, and worshipping her as the pride of the so-called Chinese female director.

The domestic media almost stopped reporting any news about her and treated her coldly.

But the work "Nomadland" did win a series of awards including the Venice Best Picture, the Oscar Best Picture, the Best Director, and the Golden Globe Best Director.

For Zhang Guorong, who will also participate in the Venice Film Festival this year, this movie is his biggest threat and opponent.

And Wu Yuan also thinks that Zhang Guorong's hope of finally defeating "Nomadland" and winning the big prize is very low.

After all, the gold content of the Oscar and Venice double best film is still very high, just like "Parasite".

This kind of movie, Wu Yuan himself may not be able to do it, let alone Zhang Guorong, who has little experience in the field of art films.

It can only be said that the two brothers are brothers in distress. One met "Parasite" and the other met "Nomadland", both of which are hard bones to chew.

"Leslie, if you can win either the Grand Jury Prize or the Best Director, your trip to Venice will be complete."

Wu Yuan encouraged on the phone: "After all, this is your first time attending the three major European awards as a director. It would be a victory if you can return with something. If you can win such a heavyweight award, it would be a great thing."

"When I first attended the three major European awards, I only won the Best Director award. I remember it was the Berlin Film Festival."

"You still remember that you also won the Berlin Film Festival Best Actor. We went on stage together to receive the award."

On the other end of the phone, Zhang Guorong, who heard Wu Yuan recalling the past, said with some emotion: "Yes, it has been more than ten years in a flash. You have become an internationally renowned director, and my career as a director has just started."

"That's right." Wu Yuan rolled his eyes: "The commercial films you made are not considered movies, right? The cumulative box office of the movies you directed has been more than 2 billion, right? How many directors have made movies in their lifetimes, and the box office is not even as high as yours."

"You still call it just starting?"

"Hahaha." Zhang Guorong laughed, "Indeed, it's a bit greedy."

"But I really hope to win the award!"

"Don't worry, the chance is still great. Even if it doesn't work this time, there will be next time. You are not going to stop making movies in the future."

Wu Yuan said temptingly: "Even if you are 70 or 80 years old, as long as you can still hold the director's baton, you can continue to make movies!"

"I'm still counting on you to continue making blockbusters for the era of light and shadow."

"Haha!" (End of this chapter)