Chapter 372: Venice International Film Festival Main Competition!

On the set of River of Silence, quite a few people were also following Seventeen Floors.

Mainly because Seventeen Floors airs weekly; even while they were filming another drama, they could still catch up on this show during breaks in their busy schedules.

As the plot unfolded, the genius played by Lu Yanhe and the female hooligan played by Chen Bige gradually developed a tacit understanding, cooperating with each other to lead everyone through dangerous levels time and again.

Although there was no depiction of romance between the two of them, online CP fans supporting their pairing gradually increased.

In fact, this is how it works for any film or television drama.

Any set of character relationships can spark some strange chemistry that leads the audience to perceive a CP dynamic.

Often, even when the director and screenwriter shaped the relationship between these characters, they never thought in that direction at all; yet once the show aired, it garnered reactions far exceeding their expectations.

Seventeen Floors, of course, was not like that.

As the male and female leads, Lu Yanhe and Chen Bige represented the most critical character relationship in the entire drama; even if they were not a couple, they still shared extensive scenes together.

In such a process, many chemical reactions naturally occur.

This is what audiences call "CP sense."

At the beginning of the drama, Lu Yanhe's character, due to his genius syndrome, was somewhat unsociable and unable to integrate into the group; during this time, Chen Bige's character showed him considerable care. Later, when Chen Bige's character fell into peril and everyone else was ready to give up on her, he stubbornly insisted on saving her. In the drama, there was a significant age gap between the two, and their interactions were filmed without any hint of ambiguity; to some extent, Teacher Feng Qiyue wrote this character relationship in the direction of "mutual redemption."

This point reached an emotional peak in Episode Nine, when their pasts were revealed through flashbacks.

Most of the crew members on River of Silence were veterans who had followed Chen Lingling through several previous productions.

They understood clearly how a drama is produced.

Even so, while following Seventeen Floors, they still found themselves easily moved by the plot.

What amazed them most was Lu Yanhe's performance in Seventeen Floors.

Unlike many other characters in the drama, Lu Yanhe's role lacked those so-called "highlight" scenes with major emotional outbursts.

His emotions were entirely restrained, almost never exposed; on the surface, his character did not seem very difficult to play—of course, he left a deep impression on the audience, but without understanding the intricacies, viewers might easily assume this was simply because the character was the protagonist rather than due to Lu Yanhe's acting skills; however, those who truly understand theater know that the reason Lu Yanhe's character left such a deep impression was precisely because he exerted tremendous effort to portray such an unconventional genius, rather than playing a character with dramatic emotional fluctuations, multifaceted traits, and complexity.

"Everyone says actors should seek out rich, complex characters to perform, as if only then can they demonstrate how superb their acting skills are; in reality, Seventeen Floors has now shown everyone that portraying a character image, even a stereotypical one, to the extreme is equally successful and equally memorable."

In an article reviewing Seventeen Floors, TV Critique once again highly praised Lu Yanhe's performance.

"We should not create drama merely for the sake of drama, nor construct characters merely for the sake of characters; we must accept that sometimes, a person simply does not have that many facets; whether a character penetrates the hearts of the audience depends crucially on whether the actor is performing in the state of the character or merely performing a state."

"It is said that when Lu Yanhe first began acting in this drama, he struggled to find an entry point because this type of character is not uncommon, and he worried his portrayal would be no different from others'; it can be said that if Lu Yanhe had continued to agonize over this point, he would have fallen into self-doubt and denial like many other ambitious actors, resulting in a poor presentation for at least this drama and this character; however, precisely because he is such a talented actor, upon encountering this problem, he immediately chose to abandon his own pursuit and, settling for the next best option, chose imitation to first ensure the effectiveness of the character's portrayal."

"We have all seen many ambitious, talented actors ponder over a character, refusing to give up until they succeed, believing that without madness there can be no mastery; however, we rarely seem to encounter an actor like this who, upon temporarily failing to find a good approach, straightforwardly chooses imitation and openly admits to doing so."

"Of course, we have all now seen that Lu Yanhe's performance in Seventeen Floors remains excellent; within his imitation, he found a method of interpretation belonging to him, Lu Yanhe, once again proving his talent in acting."

In this review article by TV Critique, the praise for Lu Yanhe occupied one-quarter of the entire piece.

However, the article also directly pointed out that Lu Yanhe's chances of winning an award for his role in Seventeen Floors were not high.

"The award most likely to be won by Lu Yanhe for Seventeen Floors would be the Golden Ding Award; as everyone knows, the Golden Ding Award places greater emphasis on audience reception, whereas the Blue Ribbon leans toward artistic merit and the Red River Award favors main-melody themes; based on its subject matter alone, Seventeen Floors is essentially disqualified from contention for the latter two awards; unfortunately, the Golden Ding Award was already presented in July, and when Seventeen Floors had just begun airing, it did not meet the eligibility criteria for submission; for Seventeen Floors to contend for the Golden Ding Award, it must wait until next July; after a gap of one year, the current popularity of Seventeen Floors will basically fail to serve as protection for the drama; furthermore, Seventeen Floors is an ensemble drama, and although Lu Yanhe's performance is excellent, compared to other male leads, his screen time and room for expression are slightly less, limiting the space for his character's performance."

"Compared to Seventeen Floors, I am more optimistic that River of Silence will bring Lu Yanhe his first Best Actor trophy."

No actor can avoid the matter of "winning awards."

Which actor does not want to win awards?

Lu Yanhe was very honest; he very much wanted to win.

Since he began acting, the only award he had won so far was the Golden Ding Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In fact, the importance of this award to Lu Yanhe had become very evident over the past year.

Because of this award, Lu Yanhe could be crowned with the title of "genius" without others mocking him for "boasting"; also because of this award, Lu Yanhe is now the representative young actor championed by the mainstream film and television industry, including mainstream magazines like TV Critique, which would adopt an attitude of treating him as one of their own to protect and support him.

For an actor, awards simply boil down to two words: "height."

This represents the industry's recognition of you.

Lu Yanhe always said he was not in a hurry to compete for awards precisely because he had won the Golden Ding Award at such a young age; this was enough for him to rest for several years, even until he was thirty; only with this confidence could he afford not to rush.

However, if there was truly a chance to win an award, of course he wanted it.

Who would complain about winning awards too early?

On this day, at the filming site of River of Silence, after finishing a scene, Lu Yanhe went to the director's tent to eat a boxed lunch.

Chen Lingling held her own boxed lunch and ate with him, suddenly bringing up the topic of winning awards.

"Xiao Lu, I've seen quite a few people online discussing which drama could earn you the Best Actor award," Chen Lingling said. "Many people say River of Silence might win you your first Best Actor trophy; what are your thoughts on this?"

Lu Yanhe openly admitted, saying, "If I can win an award, of course that would be great."

Seeing Lu Yanhe admit this so readily, Chen Lingling smiled and said, "However, I need to tell you in advance that River of Silence may not meet the eligibility criteria for several of our domestic major awards."

"Hmm?" Lu Yanhe was startled, not understanding why.

Chen Lingling explained, "The producer of our drama is Maxine, and the main production company is an overseas firm; although it will eventually air domestically, this does not comply with the eligibility criteria for any of the current major domestic awards."

Lu Yanhe then realized.

The crew of River of Silence was basically Chen Lingling's own team, with very few people from Maxine seen on set; Lu Yanhe had forgotten that both the investor and producer of this drama were this American streaming company, while Chen Lingling's team was merely the contractor responsible for filming the work.

In that case, River of Silence indeed did not meet the eligibility criteria for domestic awards.

"It's fine," Lu Yanhe said, smiling and shaking his head. "Having hope to win an award is certainly a good thing, but not winning one is nothing serious either; I didn't accept this role just to win awards."

Chen Lingling nodded.

"As long as you are clear about this in your heart."

She smiled again and said, "Of course, if our drama performs well on Maxine, perhaps you could contend for some overseas awards."

Chen Lingling's words made Lu Yanhe subconsciously shake his head and smile.

This was very difficult.

This was not due to any other reason; purely speaking, although River of Silence was a drama invested in and produced by Maxine, it was still a Chinese-language drama, not an English-language one; moreover, the entire main cast consisted of Chinese actors; for such a drama to gain the love of audiences worldwide was extremely difficult.

And without gaining sufficient influence, it was basically impossible to receive attention from mainstream awards.

Lu Yanhe: "Director, I'm not really that attached to awards."

Chen Lingling, however, cared a little.

At the just-concluded Golden Cauldron Awards for "Phoenix Terrace," though it won nothing, it received many nominations—except Lu Yanhe's Best Supporting Actor nomination was dropped.

Everyone had assumed it was a sure thing.

After privately inquiring, Chen Lingling learned that Lu Yanhe's performance in "Phoenix Terrace" was commendable, but the character he portrayed lacked depth and leaned too heavily into melodramatic idol-drama tropes, making the judges feel such a role didn't deserve to earn Lu Yanhe another nomination, hence his omission.

Lu Yanhe previously won the Golden Cauldron Award for Best Supporting Actor for "The Golden Age," which had become an obstacle to him winning more awards over the past two years.

This was certainly understandable, but Chen Lingling herself felt it was a pity.

Due to issues with investors and producers, "The Silent River" was also unlikely to compete for mainstream domestic awards.

Of course, this couldn't escape the notice of online sleuths who could dig up anything.

When many were hoping "The Silent River" would help Lu Yanhe contend for Best Actor, someone immediately pointed this out.

"The Silent River" doesn't meet the eligibility requirements for domestic awards. Suddenly, many felt regretful.

That meant Lu Yanhe would likely struggle to compete for mainstream awards for the next one to two years.

"It's a pity that 'The Silent River' can't help Yan He chase awards," Lu Qingzhen couldn't help telling Chen Ziyan.

Chen Ziyan: "Qingzhen, do you think it's a pity too?"

"Mm." Lu Qingzhen nodded.

"That's good," Chen Ziyan smiled sweetly.

"Good?"

"If Yan He's performance in 'The Silent River' truly reached award-winning level, how likely is he to win?" Chen Ziyan asked directly.

Lu Qingzhen paused slightly.

"Or put it this way—in the past twenty years, has any male actor under thirty won Best Actor in the three major TV awards?" Chen Ziyan asked.

Lu Qingzhen thought, then shook her head. "No."

"So even if Yan He's performance in 'The Silent River' is excellent, he'll most likely lose the award due to his age. Our domestic award systems still weigh seniority and age, especially for actors with extremely high popularity—the harder it is for them to win. After all, mainstream domestic awards are decided by a jury of just seven or eight people; the more centralized the decision, the harder it is to break convention and create miracles. Now, with both 'Seventeen Floors' and 'The Silent River' creating a public sentiment that it's a pity Yan He didn't win, this accumulated sentiment will eventually become momentum for him to chase awards later. For Yan He's current stage, his acting is far from divine, far from legendary status. Simply having such expectations and evaluations—just this shift in public perception—is already a great honor."

Lu Qingzhen nodded.

"Now I understand what you mean."

Chen Ziyan: "Mainly, I never expected public expectations for Yan He had reached the point where if he just acts in a suitable drama, he must win. Yan He's audience appeal and public favor always exceed my expectations. Every time I raise my estimate by one notch, the result tells me I still underestimated."

Lu Qingzhen gave a wry smile.

"After 'Seventeen Floors' aired, Yan He's popularity thickness rivals that of the top few actors in the country," Lu Qingzhen said bluntly. "Honestly, actors live off their roles—some actors ride one role for life. Whether Yan He's recent roles will last him a lifetime is unknown, but they'll definitely carry him for these next few years. The character filters from these few dramas will keep Lu Yanhe fed for years. Just the character from 'The Golden Age' still has high online buzz; many marketing accounts still cite Yan He's role in 'The Golden Age' when discussing youthful boys or ideal boyfriends, showing how strong the character filter still is."

Chen Ziyan: "After 'The Silent River' airs, Yan He will gain another character filter. The role he plays is so tragic, heartbreakingly so."

At that moment, Chen Ziyan's phone rang.

"Sister Ziyan, just now Liu Bige called me—he said 'Late Spring' has been selected for the Main Competition Unit of the Venice International Film Festival."

"Ah—" Chen Ziyan, who had just said "Every time I raise my estimate by one notch, the result tells me I still underestimated," let out a startled cry, making Lu Qingzhen beside her jump.

"Has the announcement been made?"

"It'll be announced soon," Lu Yanhe said. "Liu Bige just got the news himself; they weren't certain until now whether it was the Main Competition Unit."

At that moment, Chen Ziyan felt as if happiness had struck her heart.

When Lu Yanhe first agreed to act in "Late Spring," Chen Ziyan never dared to imagine such a low-budget art film could bring him anything.

After hanging up, Chen Ziyan's smile was so radiant it surprised Lu Qingzhen.

"What good news made you so excited?"

Chen Ziyan said: "Yan He's 'Late Spring' has been selected for the Main Competition Unit of the Venice International Film Festival."

Lu Qingzhen's face lit up with surprise.

"Really? That's insane—I… damn, Yan He's luck is incredible. When this movie was first announced, so many mocked Lu Yanhe for taking such a low-budget indie film just to play a lead in cinema, and there were plenty of negative voices then."

"I never thought 'Late Spring' would make it into Venice's Main Competition," Chen Ziyan said. "When Yan He first said he wanted to do this film, I told him not to expect too much—black horses don't emerge easily. Now I realize I was the one getting slapped in the face."

Lu Qingzhen: "Is this Liu Bige's first film?"

"Yes," Chen Ziyan said. "Usually, a newcomer's first feature doesn't go straight into the Main Competition Unit—it starts in the Horizon Unit or other sections. All four major film festivals operate this way."

"Liu Bige has ties to the French film circle—maybe someone behind the scenes pushed for it," Lu Qingzhen said. "Selection for the Main Competition Unit isn't just about film quality; many who don't understand film festivals think it is, but it's not. Don't you know the real situation?"

"I know. Selection for the Main Competition Unit considers the director's fame, the influence of the main crew, their continent and country of origin, and more. It's not true that films selected for the Main Competition are inherently better than those in other sections. But we must admit: under the current system, the Main Competition Unit is the face and foundation of any film festival. Being selected for it versus not being selected is fundamentally different."

Lu Qingzhen: "I know. I mean, Liu Bige is a new director, but with his French film circle background, his first film entering Venice isn't that surprising. The key point is Lu Yanhe's sheer luck—he's talented and skilled, sure, but who else has luck like his? Every project he picks hits. He never does a wasted shoot. This March, 'Sanshan' made him shine at the Xitu'er Film Festival; now he's at Venice. I bet he'll become a regular at international film festivals."

Chen Ziyan: "I hope so, thanks for the good words."

She suddenly remembered something and smiled. "Originally, I planned for his four years in college to be spent guest-starring in big-budget films by major directors, building up his resume nicely before going all-in after graduation. But plans don't keep up with changes."

"It's because your actor is just too incredible—he's a chosen one," Lu Qingzhen joked.

Just as Lu Qingzhen said, when news broke that Lu Yanhe's film "Late Spring" had been selected for the Main Competition Unit of this year's Venice International Film Festival, it exploded like a bomb, shaking the entire entertainment industry.

People still remembered Lu Yanhe's film.

He joined the shoot in March; back then, many mocked him, wondering why he'd take such a low-budget art film during the massive success of "Six People." Some even ridiculed him for lowering his status just to land a lead role in cinema and break into the film industry.

Even some of Lu Yanhe's fans didn't understand—they flooded Chen Ziyan and Lu Yanhe's Weibo comments, expressing dissatisfaction and urging them to abandon the project.

At the time, the controversy stirred up a storm.

Now, just a few months later, news broke that the film had been selected for the Main Competition Unit of the Venice International Film Festival.

The moment the news came out, Lu Yanhe received congratulations from everyone on the "The Silent River" set.

Lu Yanhe said "thank you" countless times.

Huangcheng specially ordered a huge bouquet and presented it to him in front of the entire crew, with a small congratulatory card attached.

Lu Yanhe was stunned and embarrassed. "Director Huang, I've only been selected—why give me such a huge bouquet?"

"Being selected is already incredible. This year, only two Chinese-language films made it into the Main Competition Unit—your 'Late Spring' is one of them. This is something we should all be proud of," Huangcheng said. "Bring us back a trophy, and we'll throw you a victory party."

Lu Yanhe laughed helplessly, saying, "With my current limited mobility, I may not even be able to go."

Huangcheng asked in surprise, "Won't your condition have recovered by September?"

"It's hard to say; I still find walking somewhat strenuous. A few steps are fine, but any more pulls at the wound and causes severe pain," Lu Yanhe replied with some helplessness.

He had already explained this situation to Liu Bige as well.

Logically speaking, as the lead actor of "Late Spring," and especially its only major star, he should naturally accompany the entire crew to the event.

However, Lu Yanhe's current situation was rather special.

Liu Bige had remarked, "If you can't move easily by then, I'll find people to carry you there even if I have to."

That, of course, could only be a joke.

Huangcheng said, "Our production will definitely be delayed; we won't be able to finish filming for now."

Hearing this, Lu Yanhe showed a regretful expression and asked, "Then what should we do? I'm starting school again immediately in September, and I have many classes this month."

Huangcheng replied, "We are already scouting locations in Yuming. During this period, we will prioritize filming your scenes here. Any scenes that can be shot in Yuming, we will move there to film during your free time from classes. For anything we truly cannot finish, we will have to schedule reshoots later."

"Does this create a huge burden for you?" Lu Yanhe asked.

Huangcheng responded, "With such an unexpected incident, we can only try our best to remedy it. We have already communicated the situation to Maxine; they sent someone over specifically to evaluate the matter. They remain satisfied with the footage we filmed and edited in the early stages. Moreover, thanks to you driving the high popularity of 'Silent River' in China recently, many platforms are competing for the broadcasting rights, which has made them value this drama highly. Consequently, they will provide additional funding for the reshoots, which is a blessing in disguise."

"That's good to hear," Lu Yanhe said, breathing a sigh of relief.

He genuinely did not want to affect the filming of this drama.

Huangcheng continued, "Maxine is greatly surprised by your strong box-office appeal within our country. They only realized during their specific investigation and assessment that your domestic appeal is even greater than the information they previously received. When they asked me why, I told them that your momentum has been fierce over the past two years; every few months, your appeal and influence surge significantly. They listened in stunned silence, utterly shocked by your speed of ascent, and even remarked that not even in the United States have they seen an actor like you who has delivered several consecutive hit dramas."

"They are very interested in you; perhaps they will contact you sometime soon," Huangcheng said. "Although they cannot formally enter our mainland market, they have always been very interested in developing Chinese-language dramas and are equally keen on collaborating with top-tier, first-line Chinese actors."

Lu Yanhe said, "I met with their representatives once before; that meeting did not go very well."