director of the millennium

Chapter 60 Shortlisted for Berlin!

Cannes or Berlin?

To Wu Yuan, this question was like asking him, are you going to fight "The Pianist" or fight "Spirited Away" and "Blood Sunday"!

To be honest, both options are hell difficulty!

Although Wu Yuan is very confident in "The Undertaker", whether it is "The Pianist" or "Spirited Away", they are all classics.

"Spirited Away" is the pinnacle of RB animation films, and "The Pianist" vividly captures the complex expression of human nature in war, contributing countless classic shots to the world's film history.

This year's Cannes and Berlin are both a year for classic movies.

As for Venice?
Venice will not open until the end of August and the beginning of September, and Wu Yuan doesn't want his first thought of retreating when encountering difficulties, instead of facing difficulties.

Seeing Wu Yuan pondering, Director Han, who had no idea how fierce Cannes and Berlin were this year, frowned in confusion: "If you think about it, I suggest going to Berlin."

"This year we have many films that will be screened in Berlin."

"Big Wristman directed by Feng Xiaogang, Happy Time directed by Zhang Yimou, Dazzling Eye directed by Li Xin, and Man Forty directed by Xu Anhua will all go to Berlin."

"And you went to Berlin last year, and you won the Best Newcomer Actor award. You can be regarded as a direct descendant of Berlin. It would be better to go to Berlin for your first literary film."

Berlin?

After muttering something in his heart, Wu Yuan nodded subconsciously.

Berlin is also fine, not to mention the fellow Chinese directors, and Berlin's award system is more suitable for "The Undertaker".

The Cannes Film Festival does not encourage the same film to win more than two awards. Try to divide the cake in the main competition unit. A film can only win one award.

The Berlin Film Festival is much more relaxed in this respect. Last year when Wu Yuan participated, "Intimacy" which won the Golden Bear for Best Picture also won Best Actress.

"Love You Love Me" and "17-year-old Bicycle" also won the jury award and best director, and each won the best new actor/actress.

Of course, Wu Yuan hoped for the best result of "The Undertaker", that is, while he won an award, Zhang Guorong could also win the Best Actor and realize his dream!

If you want to achieve this perfect ending, Berlin can still hope, but Cannes is simply impossible.

"Then let's go to Berlin." Wu Yuan smiled and nodded.

The registration deadline for the Berlin Film Festival this year is January 1th, and the time is very tight.

After Wu Yuan agreed, Han Dong immediately used the relationship of China Film Group to send the copy of "The Undertaker" to Berlin, and the whole process was still airlifted by human flesh.

Wu Yuan is still very confident about whether he can be shortlisted. This movie seems to be made easily, but it really condensed a lot of his hard work!

Although he dare not say that it can surpass the original version, Wu Yuan can proudly say that the final effect of "The Undertaker" directed by him is not worse than the original version. It can only be said that each has its own merits!

It doesn't make sense to not even be shortlisted for the main competition unit!

The fact is indeed as he guessed.

At the end of January, the shortlist for the Berlin International Film Festival was announced.

This year's Berlin International Film Festival, a total of more than 300 films of various types from all over the world participated, of which 23 films were shortlisted for the main competition unit.

The organizing committee specially listed a long list of shortlisted films.

As one of the three major international film festivals, the Berlin Film Festival naturally attracts the attention of countless people, including a lot of mainland movie fans.

However, when mainland movie fans, colleagues in the industry, and reporters carefully checked the shortlist as in previous years, they found a familiar and unfamiliar name among them.

"Departures - yuan wu (China)"

Just looking at the title, no one knows this movie, but when seeing "yuan wu", keen domestic movie fans immediately think of a Chinese director who has become famous in Hollywood.

Wu Yuan!

A director who is both familiar and unfamiliar to most domestic movie fans!
Familiarity is because of the overwhelming reports of "The Night the Comet Came", which still made many domestic movie fans remember this new director who won an award at a foreign film festival at the age of 18.

The strange reason is that after "The Night the Comet Came", Wu Yuan went to Hollywood to make movies, and his "Juno" was not released in China.

Although many domestic media have reported the North American and global box office of "Juno", domestic audiences who have never watched this movie are still a little unfamiliar with him.

Many movie fans know that this director is so good that he is able to go to Hollywood to make movies, and he has sold well at the box office.

But if you ask them how good Wu Yuan is, what is the director's style, and how is the camera language used, they don't quite understand it. They are not as down-to-earth and familiar with Feng Xiaogang.

But when it was announced that Wu Yuan's new film had been shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Berlin Film Festival, Wu Yuan's name immediately became popular among fans.

At this stage, the influence of the three major European international film festivals in China is not covered!

Thanks to the hard work of the fourth and fifth generations of directors, the influence of the three major European directors in China is greater than that of Hollywood!

All mainland directors who are worthy of status must have awards from the three major film festivals in order to be called a Chinese director!

Now that Wu Yuan is also shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Berlin International Film Festival, then his prestige and status are really different!

Reporters from all walks of life gathered in the capital immediately with long guns and short cannons, wanting to find Wu Yuan and do an exclusive interview report for him!
I don't know where Wu Yuan lives?

It doesn't matter, go to the film school to block the door and it's over!
Who doesn't know that Wu Yuan is still a student of the Film Academy, if you can't find him, go to his teacher!

Overnight, hundreds of media from all over the country gathered at the gate of the Film Academy. Fortunately, most of the students have gone home for the holidays, otherwise it would have affected the normal access of teachers and students!

But it's not a problem to let these reporters surround you outside!
Also just learned that Wu Yuan was nominated for the Berlin International Film Festival, Xie Xiaojing, Hou Keming and other professors and directors of the directing department had no choice but to persuade the media to leave.

"Friends from the media, Wu Yuan is really not at school. He is now preparing for the Berlin International Film Festival. The school is already on holiday, so please don't block the door."

"Director Xie, may I ask if Director Wu's new movie will be released in China? When will it be released?" A reporter shouted excitedly.

Xie Xiaojing explained patiently: "It should be screened in China, but I don't know the exact release date."

"Then Director Xie, can you tell me what the subject of Director Wu's new movie is?"

"What is the content of the story?"

"The English name of the movie is "Departures". Does it mean to leave?"

The reporters seized the opportunity to ask questions in a hurry.

Xie Xiaojing was also a little overwhelmed, so she had to reveal again: "The Chinese name of this movie is "The Embalmer". As for the content of the movie, let's go to the cinema to experience it together after it is released!"

"Where is Director Wu now? Is it convenient to accept our interview?"

This day was the end of the chat, Xie Xiaojing shook her head, quickly retreated, let the security stand on top, and left the school gate without looking back, leaving the reporters alone to continue shouting in the cold wind.

As for where is Wu Yuan?

He is sitting in the headquarters building of China Film Group, sipping tea with Director Han face to face!

"I knew this movie would be shortlisted for the main competition, and I knew it when I saw the script!" Director Han warmed his hands with a teacup in his hand, with a happy smile on his face.

"I've already arranged the air tickets, and the leading actors of "The Undertaker" are all going to walk the red carpet together!"

"This year's Berlin Film Festival opened on February 2th and closed on the 6th. All of you domestic film crews participating in the exhibition will spend the Spring Festival in Berlin."

"This year I plan to lead the team myself. I will find a good Chinese restaurant in Berlin, and everyone will have a lively Spring Festival in a foreign country!"

Listening to Han Dong's chatter, Wu Yuan nodded with a light smile, and had no opinion on his arrangement.

In terms of the experience of going abroad to participate in film festivals, ten Wu Yuans are not as rich as Dong Han alone!

(End of this chapter)