Chapter 159 In Berlin


    "Director Xu, first meeting!"


    "Chen, uh..."


    "Just call me Mr. Chen!"


    On the plane to Berlin, I accidentally met Xu Anhua and several other young directors. They were invited to participate in one of the units called "Asian Film Seminar", and they were traveling together.


    Xu Anhua is in her 30s, still has long hair, and does not have the tough look of later generations.


    She is also a Hong Kong new wave director and has already made her debut film "Crazy Robbery", starring Zhao Yazhi and Sylvia Chang. This woman is very fierce. There is an autopsy scene in "The Robbery". She specially went to the scene of the Hong Kong police coroner to observe it, and she was eager to try it herself.


    She needs no introduction, she has countless masterpieces.


    "Thank you Mr. Chen for complimenting me in front of the media and not scolding me." Xu Anhua is also very talkative.


    "Oh, this is very embarrassing. The premise of what I said was that I felt that I couldn''t meet the person involved. Who would have thought it was such a coincidence. Fortunately, I didn''t say anything to you at the time."


    "Haha! But your assessment is quite accurate. I do like realistic themes. I am planning to shoot a movie with a Vietnamese background. Hey, your Ms. Xia Meng invested in it."


    "Aren''t you afraid of being banned?"


    "I''m a director of literary films. What market do I care about? If there''s a film to be made, I''ll make it!" Xu Anhua didn''t care.


    This movie is "Into the Angry Sea".


    Originally, he was looking for Chow Yun-fat, but Chow was afraid of being banned, so he turned to Andy Lau. Andy Lau was a newcomer, and the most important thing was to have a film to film, and there was also Lin Zixiang in it.


    The entire film was shot in Hainan and Zhanjiang, but it was exposed by the hateful Hong Kong media halfway through the filming. Everyone, including Andy Lau and Lin Zixiang, wrote letters of regret.


    Xu Anhua is not cool at all, so he won’t write.


    So Chen Qi also deliberately tried to get close to him. In the future, ah no, Director Xu would just forget about it and he could pull him over in the future.


    …


    After a long flight of more than ten hours, the group finally arrived in West Berlin. Fu Qi also brought people here to sell "Fatal Turn".


    In 1979, China and the United States established diplomatic relations and signed a series of agreements including film exchange terms.


    The attitude of the United States directly affected the attitude of the entire Western camp. Therefore, during this period, China signed similar agreements with many Western European countries, and film exchanges began to become frequent.


    By the way: Some people always say that China was closed in that era. Please, that’s not closed, that’s because we were blocked by the Western world! Closure and blockade still need to be clarified.


    Later, when China and the Soviet Union were at odds, the United States felt it had an opportunity and thought it could win over China to fight against the Soviet Union. China also needed to adjust its strategic direction. This is how table tennis diplomacy came about. The small ball pushed the big ball. Nixon visited China until the establishment of diplomatic relations later...


    Morning in West Berlin.


    As soon as the group landed, they saw a tall foreigner who enthusiastically hugged Fang Yurong first, making Gong Xue and Fu Jinggong frown.


    Fang Yurong didn''t take it seriously. He was very open to working with the outside world and was also a big defector.


    "This is the director of our competition film "Return of the Swallow"... Director Fu, and this is the chairman of the West Berlin Film Festival, Moritz Hader!"


    The chairman personally welcomes you?


    Fu Jingong was startled, shook hands quickly, and greeted in half-baked English.


    “These are the main creators of our exhibited works!”


    "Welcome to Berlin!"


    Hader shook hands with Chen Qi and others again, with a very positive attitude and said with a smile: "I have arranged everything for you, please stay at the hotel and rest!"


    When a group of people got into the car, Li Wenhua couldn''t help but ask: "Xiao Yu, is he responsible for all the food and accommodation here?" "Yes! Originally, he paid for it himself, but in order to show that he values ??us, Mr. Chairman It’s contracted by the organizer.”


    "Oh, this foreign devil is quite particular!"


    "Yeah, so enthusiastic about us!"


    “I wonder if you’re used to German food?”


    Fang Yurong twitched the corners of her lips. When she arrived in Berlin, she was like a peacock with its wings spread. She suddenly became proud, although she didn''t know how proud she was, as if she had arrived on her territory.


    Of course it was impossible for her to tell the truth: the Berlin Film Festival had offended the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and was in urgent need of a new force, so it selected Chinese films, which is why Hader was so enthusiastic.


    On the way to the hotel.


    Several people looked through the windows again, and Chen Qi was also watching. He had been to Berlin in his previous life, but never to "West Berlin."


    The streets are filled with cars and various buildings. Some large shopping malls and small shops are not yet open, but there are already a dazzling array of things in the windows. There are big-nosed foreign devils everywhere...


    It’s cold in Berlin in February, and people wear bright, thick clothes.


    Gong Xue paid special attention to their clothes, and compared them with the ones Chen Qi bought for herself in Hong Kong. They felt very beautiful, and she couldn''t help but feel relieved.


    There is no way, these days when people in China come out, they just feel like they are in paradise and feel inferior everywhere. Therefore, many people who went to the United States in the 1980s and 1990s later became known as the main force.


    When they arrived at the hotel, Gong Xue and Fang Yurong shared a room, Li Wenhua and Fu Jingong, Chen Qi and Li Lianlian, and Fu Qi made their own arrangements.


    In the room, Li Lianlian packed his luggage, and Chen Qi looked at the schedule of the film festival: opening on the 13th and closing on the 24th. A total of 18 films competed for the Golden Bear Award. The director had not heard of any of them, and neither had the judges. Pass.


    "It''s still a bit early. If it were James Cameron, Quentin, Tom Cruise, and Schwarzenegger, I would know."


    "There are also Sophie Marceau, Adjani, Monica Bellucci, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Brooke Shields... Oh, I wonder when my tiger whip wine will be available?"


    "Brother Qi!"


    Li Lianjie is very obedient to him now. He has watched with his own eyes how he leads everyone in Hong Kong, especially the Hong Kong media. This ability is enough to overcome his awkwardness and self-esteem, so he can honestly call him Qi Ge.


    "Shall we go to the opening ceremony tomorrow?"


    "Go, but it has nothing to do with us. We are just here to participate in the exhibition."


    "Actually, I''ve always been very surprised. You seem to have been rushing to go abroad since the beginning. How could it be released in Hong Kong first and then in the mainland? And you are not enough in Hong Kong, and you have come to Germany. What are you doing?"


    For the rise of China!


    Alas!


    Chen Qi laughed at himself. Although he was a tall man, he didn''t believe this reason, but he didn''t say it didn''t happen.


    People''s thoughts are complex. He wants to make money, seek fame and fortune, gain a higher social status, and date more female stars... These do not prevent him from also wanting to earn some foreign exchange for the country.


    "Come, come here!"


    Chen Qi called Li Lianjie and said: "Some things are very complicated, and you don''t understand them now, so just do as I ask. In short, this is a very meaningful thing.


    You should have a good rest today, and by the way, remember not to say anything to Fang Yurong, not a single word, we are just here to participate in the exhibition, nothing else! "


    "Oh, got it!"


    Li Lianjie nodded and curled his lips again, acting mysteriously.


    The Berlin Film Festival has a trading market. If "Tai Chi" wanted to get a booth, it had to inform the festival in advance, otherwise the secret would be exposed. Fu Qi was very helpful. He applied for two booths in the name of Great Wall, one for "Fatal Bend" and one for "Tai Chi".


    Fang Yurong didn''t know any of this.


    Moreover, "The Return of the Swallows" was holding her attention there, and in her understanding, "Tai Chi" was just for screening, and then it was over. She never expected that someone would dare to go behind China Film''s back and do such an anti-Tiangang thing!


    (No more...)


    (End of chapter)