Started as an independent producer in 1988

Chapter 137 Director Xiao Cheng was stabbed in the back again

It is not difficult for people in Hong Kong to move closer to the mainland and do things according to the needs of the mainland.

From the time the mainland was reformed to the present, a large number of super-rich people who have emerged in Hong Kong have made their fortunes by eating the dividends from the mainland.

The mainland is a huge market, and Xiangjiang is the mainland's port to the outside world. They will import or produce whatever the mainland needs.

In the past few decades, 80% of the mainland's foreign exchange and demand has come from Xiangjiang. This is why Xiangjiang was retained and confiscated in the first place.

If there is one place where people do not want direct contact between the mainland and the European and American markets, it must be the people of Xiangjiang!

The truly wealthy people in Xiangjiang all know how they made their fortunes, and they all know that they should move closer to the mainland. They can even predict what Xiangjiang will look like in the future.

When the mainland truly joins world trade, Xiangjiang will lose its advantage and will no longer be the only port in the mainland, and its economic development will plummet.

It's a pity that the people in Xiangjiang never admit this. They will only say that they worked hard and look down at the mainland with a superior attitude.

A truck driver in Xiangjiang can hire a mistress in the mainland, and there are many of them!

Dongguan is even developing real estate to sell to people in Xiangjiang. The layout of the house is basically three bedrooms and one living room, but each room can only fit one bed.

But people in Xiangjiang like it. Those properties were sold out by Xiangjiang people very quickly after they were launched.

No matter how small the room is, it is still bigger than the pigeon cage in Xiangjiang!

The development of the mainland is rapid, and many people are aware of this. The current reform of the mainland film market has also made filmmakers in Hong Kong aware of this.

Taking the initiative to get closer to the mainland market is an inevitable trend. If we don't take the initiative, it will be too late for them to join in when the mainland film studios develop.

What's more, in recent years, many companies in Wanwan have been cooperating with mainland China. If filmmakers from Hong Kong don't come, others will go.

While everyone was busy, Chen Shiping was not idle either. Zhang Guorong came to Beijing at the end of March and started learning Peking Opera and Beijing dialect.

Zhang Fengyi also studied with him, but Gong Li was delayed by other things and had not yet begun to understand what the life of the girls in Bada Hutong was like in the past.

Because Zhang Yimo failed to film Wives and Concubines, he set his sights on Liu Zhenyun's novel A Place of Chicken Feathers.

Now he is leading a team stationed in Chongqing to think about how to adapt it. Gong Li was called over by him.

Chen Shiping could only express his helplessness because they were boyfriend and girlfriend after all.

However, Chen Shiping also set a deadline for Gong Li. She must come back for training before May, and the movie will start shooting in July.

In addition to these starring roles, Chen Shiping is also busy selecting young actors and finding teachers for them to teach them acting and lines.

There are so many differences between theater performances and film and television performances that training is necessary.

When the young actor is done, he still needs to choose other supporting roles. Xiaodouzi’s mother is naturally Jiang Wenli, so he wouldn’t worry about finding someone else, Chen Shiping.

Jiang Wenli is not considered a newcomer now. She has acted in TV series and movies in 1989, but the movie has not been broadcast yet, only the TV series has been broadcast.

When Jiang Wenli found out that Chen Shiping asked her to act in a movie, she was confused and wondered why he would ask her to act.

How could they find themselves when they didn't know each other or meet each other.

Confused, Jiang Wenli asked her boyfriend Gu Changwei.

"Chang Wei, do you know what's going on?"

Gu Changwei was also puzzled. He was in the same group as Cheng Kaige and had no dealings with Chen Shiping. He had met him a few times but had no friendship at all.

"Maybe I think your image is suitable." Gu Changwei said in confusion.

Jiang Wenli touched her face and felt that this was not the reason. Xu Qing, who was in the same year, Yu Feihong, who was in the next year, and Chen Hong, who was in the show, were not as bad as her image.

The most important thing was that I was asked to play the role of a mother or a prostitute. I had no experience, and the roles I had played before were not of this type.

"How about you ask Director Kaige, maybe he knows?" Jiang Wenli looked at Gu Changwei and asked.

Gu Changwei thought about it and said, "I guess he doesn't know either. He and Chen Shiping don't deal with each other."

Jiang Wenli nodded. She also knew that if Chen Shiping and Cheng Kaige didn't deal with them, logically they wouldn't come after her.

"What are the reasons why Chen Shiping and Cheng Kaige didn't deal with them?"

Jiang Wenli has always been curious about this issue.

"Then who knows." Gu Changwei was also puzzled, and Cheng Kaige didn't tell him the reason.

Jiang Wenli thought for a while and suddenly said: "You said that Chen Shiping asked me to act in a play. Did he deliberately show his kindness to you and want to find you to do photography?"

"Impossible, he and Zhao Fei work well together." Gu Changwei said with some uncertainty.

Jiang Wenli thought it was very possible, and analyzed it enthusiastically: "Look, he and Cheng Kaige are not getting along, and Zhang Yimo has stopped taking photos for Cheng Kaige. Maybe he is poaching Cheng Kaige on purpose!"

Gu Changwei was shocked, and when he thought about it carefully, it was really possible.

"If Chen Shiping comes to see you, will you go?" Jiang Wenli asked curiously.

Gu Changwei immediately said: "I won't go! I can't stand that kid either!"

"You really don't want to go? It's a big production worth tens of millions, and the cameras are still the latest models. I heard they are all 70mm cameras and Hollywood film!"

"Then" Gu Changwei was moved, but thinking of his friendship with Cheng Kaige, he still said, "Then I won't go either!"

Jiang Wenli did not agree with Gu Changwei's idea and couldn't help but said: "Friendship can be used as food. Can Cheng Kaige compete with Chen Shiping now? If you don't go, I will!"

Hearing Jiang Wenli's words, Gu Changwei hesitated. He was not good-looking and had a hard time finding a girlfriend. What if he was abducted without being around to watch?

right! I came here to see my girlfriend! If Chen Shiping comes to me, I will reluctantly agree!

Gu Changwei, who had an idea in his mind, felt very sorry for him when Cheng Kaige asked him to study walking and singing in a Cannes movie.

Chen Shiping had planned to ask Gu Changwei to photograph him, not to poach Cheng Kaige, but to use Gu Changwei as a reference.

The original version was shot by Gu Changwei, so Chen Shiping planned to find him to be on the safe side.

When the time comes, Gu Changwei and Zhao Fei will just take the shots together, and Gu Changwei will be responsible for providing suggestions.

After meeting Jiang Wenli, Chen Shiping told her that he planned to ask Gu Changwei to do the photography. Jiang Wenli suddenly looked proud.

He smiled and said to Chen Shiping: "I'll help you ask Lao Gu when I go back. I'll tie you up even if I'm kidnapped!"

Chen Shiping laughed and said, "Then I'll be waiting!" Chen Shiping didn't talk to Jiang Wenli much, arranged for her to study and train, and then left.

Jiang Wenli and Gu Changwei talked about this when they got home in the evening. Gu Changwei pretended to refuse, saying that he and Cheng Kaige were good brothers and it was impossible to go to Chen Shiping's crew.

After that, she ran to Cheng Kaige and complained, saying that Jiang Wenli forced her to go to Chen Shiping's crew and that it was not easy for her to find a partner.

Cheng Kaige was a very smart person and he immediately saw what he was thinking. He held back his temper and said, "I'm going to Cannes soon. You have to go!"

"Go, definitely go." Gu Changwei looked at him, hesitated and said: "Chen Shiping also said that he would join the group now. He can wait until I come back from Cannes. If I don't go, Wen Li will break up with me."

Cheng Kaige almost lost control of his temper when he heard this. Chen Shiping, a villain, would do anything to poach him!

The lady route has been used!

"Go on, what else can I say!" Cheng Kaige said angrily: "There is no manliness at all, and he can't even control a woman!"

Gu Changwei pursed his lips and complained in his heart, "You are also under the control of your family, so you have the nerve to talk to me."

Chen Shiping, who waited for Jiang Wenli's reply, also took this matter to heart. Gu Changwei was just an insurance company. It didn't matter if there was any problem, and it wasn't worth his too much attention.

He is extremely busy now. Zhonghe goes to him for meetings every day, and there are more and more co-production applications from Xiangjiang.

China Film Group also meets with him every day to study distribution, and sometimes participates in meetings with theater chains.

With the unified purchase and sales abolished, questions will arise as to whether movie ticket prices will increase, by how much, and how to improve the services of theater chains.

Although Chen Shiping is just a decoration providing advice most of the time, he has to go when people ask him to go.

Busy with meetings, setting up the factory's distribution department, and going to major schools to recruit people, Chen Shiping was busy every day.

He stayed busy like this until May, when the reform document was officially issued, and Chen Shiping finally took some time off.

The first thing Chen Shiping did after he had some free time was to apply with the factory to go to Xiangjiang to study distribution. However, this time he was not leading the team, but was going with China Film Group.

Chen Shiping didn't have time to take the team to Xiangjiang, and the filming of Farewell My Concubine had to be put on the schedule.

In Chongqing at this time, Gong Li looked at Zhang Yimo who was standing on the roof of the building looking down, and couldn't help but ask: "Don't you have any ideas now? Why don't you think about it slowly? I picked up Farewell My Concubine, so I can't Not going."

Zhang Yimo rubbed his head and said somewhat depressedly: "You go first, I haven't thought about it yet."

Seeing Zhang Yimo like this, Gong Li stepped forward and comforted: "Don't push yourself too hard. You might get inspiration if you stop for a moment. Besides, the whole team is here, so it takes time and energy."

"Yes, I know." Zhang Yimo sighed, always thinking of wives and concubines, but it was a pity that Chen Shiping had already photographed them.

After Gong Li comforted him for a while, she said goodbye to Zhang Yimo, packed her things and returned to the capital.

At this time in the capital, Chen Shiping was checking the preparations for Farewell My Concubine.

From the beginning of preparations last year to now, all the work has been done. Hundreds of thousands of people have been busy for several months, and all the work has been done to the extreme.

Chen Shiping checked everything and felt relieved after finding no problems.

With an investment of tens of millions, if he can't produce a classic, Chen Shiping will stop doing it in the future.

However, I don’t know whether Chen Shiping can survive, but Cheng Kaige was really hit too hard this time.

At this time, the Cannes Film Festival has already started for three days, and Cheng Kaige's film has also been released. However, the filmmakers gathered in Cannes didn't think highly of walking and singing.

No one regards Walking and Singing as a seed player, and no one is optimistic that he can reach Cannes.

I even feel that singing while walking is not as good as Zhang Yimou’s Ju Dou last year.

A reviewer who has seen the movie wrote a review about walking and singing.

Chen Shiping also saw a reporter in China sending back a video, and almost laughed after watching it.

The film is so boring that it makes people feel overwhelmed. The technique is obscure and the editing is incomprehensible. It tries hard to incorporate ethnic and local complexes but it is incomprehensible. The rhythm of the story, the dialogue of the characters and other expressions are difficult to accept.

The most interesting thing is that Cheng Kaige said in an interview that the reason why it is obscure is because it has a metaphorical nature. Symbolism, allegory, and folk ritualization are the style of the film. Such a story itself must be read with the soul.

This answer is similar to Wuji’s No One Can Understand Within Ten Years.

Chen Shiping thinks that the most interesting comment is that many people say that the movie made by Cheng Kaige is too poor in expression and very rigid compared with the original work, and is not on the same level at all.

Using the word "rigid" is just to save face for him. It's almost like saying that he pursues form for the sake of form.

This is the result of blindly changing the original work. Adaptation is normal, but the story itself cannot be ignored. Adaptation is not random editing.

Chen Shiping could only say one thing, yes! Let you make blind changes!

After reading these reports, Chen Shiping suddenly felt that this failure might be related to Cheng Kaige's future.

If he can realize his shortcomings and correct them, he may become a good director in the future. If he still thinks arrogantly that the audience cannot understand and has no connotation, it is likely that the yellow earth will be his glory.

Chen Shiping still hopes that Cheng Kaige can rise up. There are not many good directors in China. Even if he is unhappy, he still hopes that more people will support Chinese films.

The failure of "Walking and Singing" was hailed by the media as the end of the fifth generation of directors, because the sixth generation of directors have already begun making films, and in the next few years, the sixth generation of directors will frequently appear on the international stage!

However, Chen Shiping really wanted to shout out to these media that he is also considered the fifth generation!

Can’t wait for Venice in August! How nice it would be for the wives and concubines to end up with a golden lion as a final act!

It's a pity that the ending was actually singing while walking.

Cheng Kaige's defeat was not unexpected. When the factory organized the film viewing party, everyone knew it.

When the news came back to the factory, no one was surprised. When it came to Cheng Kaige, they would naturally say: "He has failed so many times, is there anything strange about it?"

However, some filmmakers in Cannes who knew Chen Shiping were very curious as to what Chen Shiping had been doing in the past two years.

Even if I didn’t have any works in Cannes last year, didn’t I say I made a movie this year? Why haven't you come to Cannes yet?

The organizers of Cannes are also puzzled. Although there was Zhang Yimou last year and Cheng Kaige this year, they prefer Chen Shiping to participate.

The Palme d'Or winner stopped coming after winning the award? Cannes felt like it was being played for nothing, it should have known that it would not have given him the award!

Chen Shiping would not go to Cannes with his wives and concubines in groups. Cannes doesn't like this kind of movies. If you can't go and win an award, it will become a stepping stone to highlight Cannes' superiority.

You go there just to win an award, and you wouldn’t go to Cannes if you weren’t sure of winning an award!

Next year, I will teach Director Cheng another lesson and show him how to win the Grand Prix at Cannes!

(End of this chapter)