Chapter 327 In Cannes


    The main venue of the Berlin Film Festival is called the Animal Palace.


    The main venue of Cannes in later generations is called the Palais des Congrès. It has 24 steps. Each group of guests who have walked on the red carpet will climb to the top of the steps. The chairman of the film festival will greet them here and send them to the venue.


    It became a ritual.


    Fan Xiaopang started the craze of going to the red carpet in Cannes. Fan Xiaopang has no works, but she has fashion endorsements and was invited by brands. Those who follow the same example don’t understand, so they can only leave awkwardly, moaning on the red carpet, and being chased away by security guards...


    Now, the 24 steps have not been built yet, so there is no sense of ceremony, but there is a red carpet.


    On the day of the opening ceremony, Cannes was full of stars.


    Mainly European stars appeared on the red carpet in groups.


    In the waiting area, Ed Harris and Amy Madigan were wearing suits and dresses and chatting with Chen Qi with great interest. They did not expect that a small Hong Kong film they shot would give them the opportunity to walk on the red carpet in Cannes.


    Qiu Shuzhen was shaking nervously. She walked past the Academy Awards, but it was incomparable to this. She looked around and stretched out a small hand to Chen Qi: "Master, I''m a little scared!"


    “…”


    The other party was chatting and ignored her, but with a little force of his fingers, he wrapped her little hand in it, and a sense of security suddenly surged throughout his body.


    I don’t know how long it took, but she suddenly heard a voice: “Follow me, don’t be in a hurry!”


    Qiu Shuzhen felt driven forward and subconsciously took steps forward.


    The soles of the feet were red, like the brightest bright colors, and felt soft and tough on the feet. On both sides were flashlights and reporters that were several times crazier than those at the Academy Awards. They paid special attention to this group of guests who mixed things together.


    Fu Qi, Chen Qi, Liu Xuehua, Qiu Shuzhen and two foreigners, a total of six people.


    It''s a pity that Tsui Hark refused to leave, and the director was not here, which was the only one.


    "Stop!"


    "Smile and wave!"


    Chen Qi guided Qiu Shuzhen in a low voice, stopped in the middle of the red carpet and waved to a bunch of flashing lights. He took a special look and found many oriental faces, which should be reporters from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.


    Don’t even think about mainland journalists. It’s impossible to go abroad to cover such things.


    If there is really news worth reporting, the only way is for Xinhua News Agency''s overseas branches to write about it, or to directly translate foreign articles.


    The red carpet was not long, and it quickly came to an end. Although there were no 24 steps, there was still a guy waiting there. Gilles Jacob, director of selection at Cannes and later chairman.


    He favors Chinese-language films, such as "The King of Children", "Ju Dou", "Farewell My Concubine", "Alive", "Happy Together", etc., as well as Taiwanese art films, all of which have been helped by him.


    "Welcome to Cannes! Your "Orphan" is a very unique work. Who is the director?" Jacob asked.


    "The director is preoccupied with something and may be absent."


    "That''s such a shame! Good luck to you..."


    Jacob said a few formulaic greetings, and Chen Qi and his entourage entered the scene.


    …


    Chen Qi is indeed very busy.


    After attending the opening ceremony, they set up a non-stop exhibition to sell films, focusing on "Tai Chi 2" and "Orphan", as well as the sequels of "Deadly Turn" and "Dark Invasion". These two small productions have already been bought by Hollywood to remake them. , the money is not much, only hundreds of thousands of dollars.


    At the same time, he also visited everywhere and made connections.


    Steven Roberts from 20th Century Fox, whom I met in Berlin, also came and was not very eager for "Tai Chi 2".


    Last time, he bought the copyright of "Tai Chi 1". Although he made money, the profit was mediocre and the distribution was troublesome.


    Among Chinese-language period kung fu films, only "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero" can be released on a large scale because the scenes are large and the shots are beautiful. The former incorporates the core of Western style growth, while the latter is straightforward and easy to understand, and foreigners can understand it.


    "Tai Chi" is a film that adds up to a small amount. It sells at the box office in the United States and at the box office in the United Kingdom. Only by adding the revenue from the video tape can it be profitable.


    "Chen, don''t try to use the same trick this time!"


    Roberts came up and said: "I already understand the audience market for this type of film. I will not be fooled by you. If you want to sell it to me, you must reduce the price by at least half, and you must ensure the quality." "We Don’t rush to talk about “Tai Chi 2”, come and watch our new film!”


    Chen Qi recommended with a smile and handed over a brochure.


    "Orphan?"


    Roberts frowned and saw a frontal photo of Qiu Shuzhen printed on the poster. The background was blood red and her eyebrows were sinister. It looked scary, but that was all.


    "Horror movie? Is this little girl an evil spirit?"


    "No, no, she is human. It will be screened on the 18th. You are welcome to come."


    "Okay, but I don''t like you making horror movies. There is still some market for your action movies, and almost no one watches Eastern horror movies."


    Roberts expressed his thoughts and walked away with the pamphlet. He flipped through it and read the introduction: "An American couple in Hong Kong adopted a Chinese child..."


    "oh?"


    Roberts was stunned for a moment, then reacted: "You want to use American actors to open up the American market? You''re too naive. If this method was effective, Hollywood would have been captured long ago, not to mention that it''s not a big-name star."


    He lowered his expectations again.


    …


    For several days, Chen Qi was selling films at the booth.


    I also saw Weinstein, who I had an enemy with in Berlin last time. This fat guy seemed to be a little fatter. I also saw him and snorted from a distance. The Jews are narrow-minded. If you help them, they may not thank you, let alone if you have offended them.


    I have already written him down in my notebook.


    Chen Qi also snorted, saying that when he goes to Hollywood, he must do it.


    In the blink of an eye, on the 17th, "The True Story of Ah Q" was first released. Naturally, the group went to join in the show and unexpectedly bumped into Tsui Hark. Tsui Hark brought an assistant with him, and he acted like a tourist, extremely happy, and even pretended not to recognize him.


    "The True Story of Ah Q" is a production of Shanghai Film Studio.


    It is filled with a lot of elements of the Chinese era, but the core of the characters can be understood by foreigners. Ah Q''s method of spiritual victory is self-deprecation, self-explanation, and self-intoxication. These aspects of human nature are interoperable.


    After the show, it’s an interactive session.


    The main creators have no experience at all. A foreign reporter asked: "It is said in the film that Ah Q did not annihilate his descendants. Does that mean there are still many such people in China?"


    Director Cen Fan was visibly panicked, but he was still smart and replied: "Yes, Ah Q has not exterminated his descendants, but it is not only the case in China, it may be the case in many countries in the world. I guess there are people like Ah Q in your country as well." Human?"


    "Whoosh!"


    Many people clapped their hands.


    Qiu Shuzhen was drowsy after watching the movie, but now she became energetic and whispered: "Master, that director is obviously mocking people, why are you applauding him?"


    "Foreigners don''t talk about benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom and trust. We have a pirate civilization, where the weak eat the strong. The more you please, the more they will look down on you, and they will have to fight... well, I mean you have to be tough, and they will be convinced."


    "Is that so?"


    Qiu Shuzhen seems to understand but not understand.


    Chen Qi has never seen this movie in his previous life, so it seems very boring. From the perspective of adapting a famous book, it is well done. From the perspective of a movie, it is all right.


    When leaving.


    He looked for an opportunity to get close to Tsui Hark and said quickly like an underground party contact: "Hey, tomorrow''s premiere, are you going to be on stage?"


    "It depends! It depends!"


    Tsui Hark lowered his head and waved his hands away.


    Chen Qi rolled his eyes and was still coy about it, but he thought about it and let it go. Anyway, we will see the real chapter tomorrow.


    (No more...)


    (End of chapter)