Chapter 228: The Redemption of Chinese-Language Film

The opening red carpet is like this — once you've walked it and done the mingling, you can leave. The closing red carpet nine days from now has no films up for awards, so there's no need to join that fuss.

This red carpet is just for fans to drool over their screens.

"Oh my, so pretty."

"Sister, I want to be your dog!"

That's all there is to it.

Of course there will be movie press conferences and the like afterwards — those are also for grabbing headlines and eyeballs.

Take Da Mimi, who came with three films: Painted Skin 2, HOLD Love, and The Big Wu Sheng.

And at the HOLD Love press conference, the director spilled that the two of them really went at it filming the kissing scene, and the two even dished out marriage gossip on the spot.

The media ran hot with their story for a while.

Zhang Bozhi brought Dangerous Liaisons and Lion Roars 2 — she's plenty topical too. A reporter asked if she was getting back together with Xie Biwang, and she replied: "No reconciliation, I'm already divorced."

Just that alone is enough to grab the front page.

Every star who came had one or more works: Huang Xiaoming — The Big Shanghai, The Magic; Liu Ye — The Last Supper, Chef Actor Rascal; Wu Xiubo — Beautiful Destiny, The Four Great Constables.

It's all for promotion, for showing face.

Backstage at the event, Fang Hong stayed for a bit and then left, without networking with anyone.

With this kind of thing, once your strength is up, a crowd will naturally gather around you. Before your strength has truly exploded, of course you stand with the biggest guy on the block.

Just like the international situation — when the big boss is around, the second-in-command stands aside.

After the red carpet, Zhang Songwen, Xie Miao and the others went their separate ways — those who had filming went to film, those who had work went to work, no one lingered here long.

There aren't even any film awards, no need to waste time.

But Fang Hong couldn't leave yet, because Zhang Hongsen from the Film Bureau had also come and wanted him to attend the film forum and exchange views with peers.

The forum's name was already decided: The Redemption of Chinese-Language Film! As for Liu Tianxian, she was off doing promotion for The Four Great Constables — only ten days until release, so it's pretty rushed.

This film didn't bother with any press conference either — venues cost money, and she knows perfectly well what kind of film she has.

These two days were quite lively, with constant festival news, constant bombshells.

The China Film Foundation announced it would complete a 300-million-dollar financing to handle ten Hollywood blockbusters, including Marvel's Super Hero, Looper, and the French director's Wolf Totem. Fang Hong hadn't even heard of any of these films, but one thing was clear.

The top has been steadily pushing Chinese films onto the world stage, sparing no expense.

Chinese stars are being pushed too — Xu Qing is in Looper, for instance.

Keep in mind 300 million US dollars is 2.1 billion yuan; Fang Hong couldn't earn half of that in three years. If that money went to Yutu, Yutu could take off directly.

But that's just wishful thinking.

Wang Zhangtian also came, and he found Fang Hong to ask if the problem with Liu Tianxian's "tong" had been resolved. Fang Hong said no problem — if anyone's targeting anyone, it's Lucy they're after, not you.

What rank are you, don't you know your own place? This he didn't say out loud.

Going up against both Yutu and Enlight, Huayi and those forces are also stretched thin — they'd definitely only target one.

On the 18th, two days later, the film forum was held as scheduled on the first floor of the central hall of the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

The hall was spacious and bright, with rows of neat chairs already filled with people — press celebrities and film people alike.

Wang Jiawei, Feng Xiaogang, Guan Hu, Wu Ershan, Lou Ye, Wang Xiaoshuai, Li An, Zhang Yuan, Lu Tailang, Cheng Long, Xu Ke, He Ping, Jiang Wen, as well as internationally renowned directors like Luc Besson, Danny Boyle, Stephen Daldry, Yamada Yoji, Anthony Minghella — all were present.

Including some bosses: Yu Pangzi, General Manager Xiao Wang, Wang Zhangtian, Li Shaohong, Yang Shoucheng, Jiang Zhiqiang, the boss of CMC.

Also leaders from all walks of Shanghai life, the Chairman of the China Film Association, Film Bureau leaders — all seated in the front row.

The scene looked solemn and serious, no one chatting at random, only the flashing of lights — that was the press taking photos.

"In recent years, Hollywood blockbusters have been increasingly encroaching on cinema space and resources, placing unprecedented pressure on Chinese-language films. Chinese cinema is therefore facing a new transformation.

Today we are very honored to have invited the backbone of Chinese cinema to come together for a brainstorm on the future of Chinese-language film, to help Chinese cinema flourish. Please welcome Mr. Jia Zhangke to host this forum."

This year saw a partial lifting of restrictions on Hollywood films, so there were a lot of Hollywood movies — killing Hollywood is the eternal topic of these years.

The host read out the conference theme from his cards, then walked offstage, and Jia Zhangke straightened his suit and walked up.

"Hello everyone! Welcome to the forum of the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival. Today is a rare opportunity, because so many directors and peers have gathered here in Shanghai.

To explore, whether in filmmaking or distribution, the cinematic environment we face. Chinese cinema has indeed, on the one hand, shown very rapid development."

Jia Zhangke said a lot — that Chinese cinema is developing rapidly, whether in the number of films or the number of screens, both increasing quickly.

He also mentioned, in passing, the environment for Chinese cinema — for example, directors like Lou Ye and Wang Xiaoshuai, who were often banned, have returned to the domestic production environment.

Then he said: "Now please welcome Feng Kuzi, Lu Tailang, Guan Hu, and Fang Hong up on stage to join the discussion."

The directors whose names were called walked up on stage one after another.

Fang Hong couldn't figure out why they wanted him discussing things with this group of directors — what was there to discuss? Probably afraid he'd start arguing with those bosses; competition was already fierce enough, so just talk about film properly.

The five walked up and sat in a row in turn, facing the audience. Fang Hong sat in the first seat next to Jia Zhangke.

Jia Zhangke sat sideways, facing them, and began the day's topic: "I'll just call you Principal — I've heard everyone calls you that."

"I think we should keep a lower profile, that title is too presumptuous!" Fang Hong said.

"Hahaha, it's fine, no one will mind, no one will have any objections." Jia Zhangke laughed. A light chuckle rose from the audience — the Principal really is quite a humorous fellow.

But the expressions in the audience varied — some glared, some were annoyed at Fang Hong, like General Manager Xiao Wang and Yu Pangzi.

Jia Zhangke asked: "As a new-generation director, with the surge in Hollywood films, what do you plan to do?"

"Plan to keep making films," Fang Hong said.

The other directors looked at him, the audience looked at him. Jia Zhangke waited a moment, then said in surprise: "That's it?"

"Oh, then let me say a couple more words."

Fang Hong didn't know what to say either — what he said was all the truth, but the truth is rather harsh. He opened his mouth: "Sci-fi films represent a country's level of film industry, and in this respect we're still quite behind. I haven't yet seen a single big-budget sci-fi film.

Of course, what I'm saying is that Yutu has been making efforts in this area, trying to produce special-effects films, and then transitioning toward sci-fi."

That answer pleased the leaders in the audience — what was that "keep making films" nonsense just now.

As if it had nothing to do with him, no sense of responsibility at all.

Zhang Hongsen leaned toward a dignified-looking, older person beside him, nodded toward the stage, and whispered a few words.

That person glanced at Fang Hong and gave a slight nod.

"Let me ask the Principal—how do you view commerce and art?" Jia Zhangke continued.

That was a roundabout way of saying he doesn't make art-house films.

"First, whether you're a director or a company, the first thing you have to do is survive. Only after you've survived can you think about art. Use commerce to promote art—commerce makes money, and then art wins reputation, expanding the expressive space of Chinese cinema." That was Fang Hong, when he was being serious.

The thinking behind it did have real depth.

"I agree with what the Principal said. If my film Killing hadn't made its money back, I might have lost my qualification to stay in this business. That's not an exaggeration—the market really is that cold." Guan Hu concurred.

"I think the Principal is talking nonsense. He clearly has the capital to make art films, he just doesn't. To put it bluntly, he just can't make them. Why dress it up in such fancy language?" Feng Kuzi bared a mouthful of buckteeth and went straight on the attack.

The audience in the room couldn't help but freeze—what utter audacity, going at each other openly like that.

But the man did have the capital to be audacious these past two years: every film he directed turned a profit, and he'd never tasted failure.

And serious dramas like Aftershock and Assembly didn't just make money—they earned him a seat in the殿堂 of art.

As for comedies, there was nothing more to say: every one he made turned a profit.

Otherwise, in '14 they wouldn't have asked him to direct the Spring Festival Gala—his record was dazzling, his standing high.

"I really can't make them. If I did, they'd probably be terribly ugly. I admit it."

Fang Hong was just as blunt: "But is your Beijing-flavored sketch-comedy collection really all that highbrow?"

"Better than your trashy youth films." Feng Kuzi said.

"I'm trashy, you're just vulgar." Fang Hong said.

The two locked horns, trading blows.

Jia Zhangke didn't stop them either, letting the two go at each other—exchange was the whole point, and competition was a form of exchange.

The leaders showed no particular expression, treating it as theater.

"So what? Whatever I shoot, the audience loves watching it. Whether it has quality or not, the audience just loves it." Feng Kuzi was putting on airs now.

That line made Xiao Wang, the General Manager, sitting in the room, very pleased.

"Then let me tell you this: the audience will always need comedy, but they won't always need Feng Kuzi's comedy." Fang Hong's words were sharp.

It made Feng Kuzi's face look very ugly—his comedies were always the same old satire, the same dry humor, made over and over, no novelty, no breakthrough.

Comedy was something Xing Ye could do, Ning Hao could do, and before long, Xu Guangtou could do it too.

Feng Kuzi of course knew his comedies would eventually run out of road—otherwise he wouldn't have started making serious dramas.

Meanwhile, looking at Fang Hong, he hadn't made a youth film in ages; he'd long since transformed.

Seeing that round go to the Principal, Jia Zhangke turned to Lu Tailang: "I heard Director Lu's film The Banquet of the King was originally scheduled for release this July, then on Weibo you announced a postponement—can we talk about that?"

"I've been really torn. Once I'm up here I can't say anything; if I say too much, I won't be able to release the film in the second half of the year. I'd especially be letting down the investors—they put up big money twice to support me, and I hope this time we get through safely."

What Lu Tailang was referring to was The Banquet of the King being held up by censorship several times, which had worn him down to the bone at one point.

"I think letting Hollywood films into China, letting China become more market-oriented, conforming to the laws of the market—that can return the film to being a film, rather than handing it over to politics."

That was a bold thing to say—a complaint about the censorship system.

As he spoke, Lu Tailang wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and kept on complaining: "I think we shouldn't treat film as a very important tool of the Propaganda Department, but rather as a medium of entertainment, a form, and give it back to the public."

"You've already said it's about entertaining the public, so why do you still make things that go against mainstream public ideology? You could just set your thinking straight." That was Fang Hong telling him his orientation was crooked.

His orientation was crooked and he was blaming censorship, still wanting free review.

A few of the leaders adjusted their posture, watching with leisurely composure—some people just needed a talking-to, and someone like Xiao Fang was perfect for the job.

Because the leaders had a lot to consider, not just the film itself, but they couldn't say so outright.

So they needed someone like Fang Hong, someone inside the circle, to tell them directly what they should and shouldn't shoot.

(End of chapter)