Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 594: Xi'an Film Studio Refuses to Co-produce "A Chinese Odyssey"

The first World Chinese Literature Award has finally come to an end, with all five awards announced. Qin Province TV broadcast the entire award ceremony live, and CCTV and many other TV stations also reported the news. People's Daily, Guangming Daily, Hong Kong's Ta Kung Pao and Taiwan's United Daily News also reported on it.

Even the New York Times, as far away as the United States, reported the ceremony and focused on Butler's award-winning novel, "Fragrance of the Mountain."

The unprecedented success of the grand prize is, of course, related to the large amount of money spent.

The prize money for the winning works, the subsidies for the judges and members of the reading class, as well as the board and lodging for the meeting, travel expenses, etc., the preliminary calculation shows that the total cost is as high as 98! One third of the entire foundation's funds are used up!

But Fang Minghua didn't care.

After the ceremony, Fang Minghua's work was not over yet. Many judges and authors were visiting Xijing for the first time, so naturally they had to be organized to tour around.

I visited the museum, the Terracotta Warriors, the Huaqing Hot Spring, and climbed the timid Big Wild Goose Pagoda again.

Afterwards, Fang Minghua specially invited Shi Tiesheng and his wife, Yu Hua, Haizi and Xichuan to his own courtyard as guests. Song Tangtang personally cooked for the guests, and of course the two girls, Li Hongying and Wang Zi, were also there. They were busy until the end of April.

The sign of the World Chinese Literature Award Jury Office hanging in the backyard of the Writers Association was taken down, and the temporarily seconded staff returned to their original posts.

Li Hongying is also leaving. She said that her visa to the UK has been obtained and she will go to the UK soon.

Wang Zi stayed.

The girl said Xijing was nice and she fell in love with the city.

Later, Fang Minghua found out that the girl was in love with a local young man.

The young man is a student staying on at Northwestern University, working as a counselor at the school, and also likes literature.

Seeing that the girl was willing to stay in Xijing, Fang Minghua simply recruited her as a full-time staff member of the World Chinese Literature Foundation.

The jury office was temporarily abolished, but the foundation continues to exist.

Of course Wang Zi was very happy.

It would be nice to have a place to get paid. Besides, there is almost nothing to do in the foundation right now, so I can write something.

I have read so many literary works this year and I have been eager to try it.

Fang Minghua naturally doesn't have to worry about these.

Today is the May Day holiday. Yesterday, I took my family of four to the zoo for most of the day, and in the evening I went to my sister's house to visit my parents.

Today, Song Tangtang brought her two children to Zhao Hongjun's house to play, and Wang Xia entertained them at home.

Zhao Hongjun is not in Xijing now but has gone to Haikou, so there is no need for Fang Minghua to go there again and she stays at home alone.

In early May in Xijing, the sun is not too strong and the breeze is just right.

Fang Minghua took a recliner and lay down under the grape trellis. On the small table next to him was his favorite Longjing tea.

He closed his eyes slightly, drinking tea and listening to a song playing on the Shanshui speakers in the living room.

Take a fishing fire

Let it warm my eyes
Leave a true love

Let it stay by the Maple Bridge
Mao Ning's "The Waves Remain".

Although Hong Kong and Taiwan pop music was very popular in the early 1990s, mainland musicians were still able to withstand the pressure and wrote many good songs.

The song "The Sound of Waves Remains Still" is one of them. It was just released this year (1992) and immediately became popular all over the country. In the end, it was almost everywhere.

Suddenly, the German Shepherd Xiao Doumiao, who was curled up at Fang Minghua's feet, turned his head and looked at the yard gate vigilantly. Then he stood up and barked twice at the closed gate.

Fang Minghua opened his eyes slightly.

There is someone at the door.

The little bean sprout has very sharp ears. It usually ignores pedestrians passing by outside the yard, but as long as someone lingers at the gate, it will immediately bark to warn the other party.

Sure enough, Fang Minghua heard the doorbell.

He had no choice but to stand up, walk to the gate of the yard and open it.

Oh my god.
Not one or two, but a group of people!

The leader Fang Minghua actually knew Stephen Chow!
"Mr. Fang, I'm sorry to bother you." Stephen Chow said in his poor Mandarin.

"It's okay, please come in." Fang Minghua greeted him, turned around and walked inside, and patted the head of Xiao Doumiao, who was grinning at Stephen Chow, and Xiao Doumiao immediately became docile.

Of course not all of these people came in. They were still standing outside the gate, and only three people came in.

Fang Minghua had met Stephen Chow's assistant Tin Kai-man when she went to Hong Kong last year, but she did not recognize the other middle-aged man with small eyes.

Fang Minghua invited the three people into the living room, turned off the stereo, and poured them some tea. Stephen Chow pointed at the middle-aged man and introduced him to Fang Minghua: "This is Mr. Liu Zhenwei, a Hong Kong director. I asked him to be the director of A Chinese Odyssey."

Stephen Chow?
It is true that Jiao is inseparable from Meng.

"Hello, Mr. Liu." Fang Minghua extended his right hand.

After the two shook hands, they sat down and chatted: "Mr. Zhou, Mr. Liu, when did you arrive in Xijing?"

"Yesterday, I came to Xijing for the filming of the movie 'A Chinese Odyssey'," said Stephen Chow.

Fang Minghua was not surprised by this.

Aren’t you here just to visit Xi’an Film Studio?

Of course, no one said anything, Fang Minghua pretended not to know, and just asked with concern:
"Mr. Zhou, how is the filming going?"

"I encountered some difficulties, Mr. Fang. I came to Xijing this time with the original intention of co-producing this film with Xi'an Film Studio, but I encountered some problems and the leaders of Xi'an Film Studio rejected my proposal."

Xi'an Film Studio rejected it?!
Fang Minghua was a little surprised.

Tin Kai Man next to him narrated what happened.

It turned out that Xi'an Film Studio had been very successful in China in recent years and its reputation had spread to Hong Kong, so naturally Stephen Chow wanted to work with them.

After the Chinese New Year this year, Stephen Chow specially sent his agent to Xijing to discuss co-production with the leaders of Xi'an Film Studio.

Stephen Chow is now very popular in Hong Kong, so Xi'an Film Studio was of course willing to cooperate with him, but they were shocked when they saw the script.

What kind of nonsense is this?
Completely subvert the original work.

It is of the same type as the book "The Legend of Sun Wukong" written by Fang Minghua.

Another question to the script writer: Minghua.

Sure enough!

It is understandable that novels have a threshold, but if you make it into a movie, it will be aimed at the general public. Who will watch it if you make it like this?
Even if you are Stephen Chow, you can’t do that!

So I politely declined.

Of course, Stephen Chow did not give up and contacted other mainland film studios, but was rejected without exception.

The reason I collaborate with you, Stephen Chow, is for the box office rather than making some art film.

This thing?
What kind of?!

Stephen Chow felt a little helpless.

It’s not that he has to co-produce with mainland film studios, but because in this era, if you don’t co-produce a movie, you can’t enter the mainland film market and play it in theaters!

Of course, various pirated videotapes and discs are not counted.

So he thought of Fang Minghua.

Fang Minghua was a famous screenwriter who lived in Xijing, so he must have known the leaders of Xijing Film Studio.

Stephen Chow had originally planned to visit Fang Minghua a long time ago, but when he heard that the other party was busy judging the literary awards, he waited until everything was over before coming to Xijing in person.

"Mr. Fang, I know that you have a great influence not only in the mainland literary circle, but also in the mainland film and television circle, so I'll leave this matter to you." Liu Zhenwei finally interrupted.

"Mr. Liu, thank you for your praise," Fang Minghua said modestly.

He was a little surprised why Xi'an Film Studio refused this time?

(End of this chapter)