Chapter 105

"God! This is the best movie I've seen this year. I'm suffocating just from it!"

"How could this movie be filmed like this?! It's completely different from those movies in the past! It actually filmed like a game, reloading! I mean, it's just too cool!"

"I love this director to death! I don't know how to describe it, but I've never seen a movie like this. Not just the bold animations inserted, even the cast introduction looks like it's showcasing game characters. It's like a live-action film of a game existing in the fourth dimension!"

"My hormones were maxed out from the start. I was nervous from beginning to end, as if I were running passionately alongside Luo La! The immersion is too strong, it's so exciting!"

"Don't you think the theme expressed by this movie is even more attractive? Just Luo La's behavioral displacement caused several changes. Think about how many butterfly effects there are in this world as everyone makes choices every moment?"

"Yes, remember the poem by Eliot quoted at the beginning? 'The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started.' Combined with the game reload in this movie, it's absolutely brilliant!"

"I remember now, those conspicuous people in the crowd at the beginning were all people affected by Luo La! And that animation, that was undoubtedly a time-space tunnel!"

At this moment, the audience in the theater could no longer suppress their excitement and began to discuss it heatedly with those around them.

Especially the young people; this movie perfectly suited the tastes of this new generation, the "audiovisual generation." It was anti-traditional, anti-serious, and pursued personalization and stream of consciousness, but not for the sake of being artsy. It was completely different from those traditional art films!

"Please welcome the creative team of *Run Luo La Run*!"

Hearing the voice on stage, these excited fans came back to their senses. Seeing Wu Yuchen standing in the center of the stage with the lead actors, they immediately erupted into warm applause and cheers.

I appreciate traditional films, but using a game as a story structure, having animation participate in the narrative, and adding MV-style editing—as long as they are used well, they can all become powerful tools for film!"

Muller laughed, put his arm around his friend, and said, "I'll treat you to a meal after we finish watching. It's only interesting to discuss film analysis together!"

Undoubtedly, this is also one of the film's thematic spirits, encouraging people to forge ahead.

After seeing off the first batch of audience members, Wu Yuchen specifically sought out the female reporter Hanna. She was one of the reporters he had approached earlier; getting one to come was a win.

"Of course, so that was just a hypothesis. But even the smallest coincidence, once it happens, it becomes inevitable, doesn't it?" Wu Yuchen smiled and shrugged.

Seeing her good attitude and feeling that she probably had a positive impression of the film, Wu Yuchen took the opportunity to ask:

"Director, this film is really great. It has changed the way I look at the world. I want to ask, are we really like Luo La in the movie, where just a difference of a few seconds, or even looking at someone for an extra moment, can have such a big impact on their future fate?"

On stage, Wu Yuchen heard this, smiled, took the microphone, and said:

"Thank you for your appreciation! I am personally quite interested in the concept of time travel. I previously directed a film on a related subject called *Coherence*, which perhaps some have seen."

Hanna shook his hand and said, "Tracking the Berlin Film Festival is my job, and I feel this trip was worth it~"

After the acknowledgments, the on-site interaction session began quickly.

"Director, I really like this movie! But I think in the real world, we don't have the ability to reload like Luo La..." a girl said after standing up.

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Yes, you've seen through me~"

Hanna smiled upon hearing this and asked further, "Then may I ask, do you support the women's rights movement?"

"Well said!"

"*Run Luo La Run* is awesome!"

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but be stunned. Would Professor Cross like this so-called "very exciting" movie? This made them curious, and after sitting down, they waited patiently for the film to be shown.

And when I was playing a game and waiting for it to reload, I was thinking, what if we had the ability to reload? That was the origin of the initial inspiration!"

"Miss Hanna, could you say a few kind words for our film?"

"Yes, perhaps you don't have the chance to reload like Luo La. The world is constantly changing, and fate cannot be controlled by individuals, but you can keep running like Luo La!"

The boy widened his eyes, shouting in his heart, *My God, did a few seconds affect the entire human civilization?! *

"Showing off skills?! No, no, no, *Run Luo La Run* is a great, pioneering, innovative film! I can't help but want to worship it!" Royce showed an excited look, even feeling a slight tremor throughout his body.

An hour and a half later, after the movie ended, Muller said with his mouth agape, "Unbelievable!"

If Wu Yuchen were here, he would recognize that this Cross was the little old man who had asked him questions yesterday.

"Can't it be tomorrow? I want to have a good rest today," Royce asked.

At this moment, the staff member called on an older man. He stood up and said:

Wu Yuchen smiled and nodded, then watched Hanna's figure walk away. To be honest, he didn't know if this reporter would be useful. Even if she had a good impression, it didn't mean she had the authority to publish an article; it still depended on the editor-in-chief's opinion.

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said, "I cannot give you an accurate answer. May I ask how you came to watch our movie?"

Before the old man could speak, a group of young people below, hearing Wu Yuchen's answer, immediately erupted into warm applause and cheers. These elements were all part of their upbringing, which had always been looked down upon by elders or authorities. But the director in front of them spoke so coolly—why couldn't these elements be used to make movies, and why were they inferior to so-called tradition?

Seeing that Wu Yuchen's answer had gained so much support, the old man didn't refute anything further, but he kept in mind the "audiovisual generation" he had just mentioned, and at the same time, the thought that the times were changing crossed his mind.

Meanwhile, the reporter Hanna listened to Wu Yuchen's speech thoughtfully, while quickly writing down words like "pioneer" and "rebellion" in her notebook.

"At the ongoing Berlin Film Festival, there is a film called *Run Luo La Run*. After watching it, write an analysis of its audiovisual language. I think this will bring you a lot of gains."

After Cross finished speaking, he wrote the film's name on the blackboard before announcing the end of class.

However, Wu Yuchen had long been mentally prepared for this. This was a pioneering film, and while it was groundbreaking, it would also face quite a bit of questioning. He smiled and said:

"Sir, as you can see, I am only 20 years old. Like many of the audience members here, we are a generation that grew up drinking cola, watching cartoons and MTV, and playing video games. I call it the audiovisual generation."

The girl who was called on was very excited, and she said excitedly:

Royce also nodded: "A completely different style from films like *Farewell My Concubine* and *Red Sorghum*. But since Professor Cross specifically left it as an assignment, it must have its unique merits."

After speaking, the two bought tickets and entered the theater, finding that there were quite a lot of people. If they had come any later, they might not have been able to buy tickets. Most were young people, and some were telling their friends things like how "very exciting" it was.

"I was attracted by the content of your flyers," the boy answered honestly.

The second person to stand up was a bespectacled, gentle-looking boy.

"Dear Luo La, I really love you to death. You made me climax throughout the whole thing!"

I can't count them all, and he even combines these methods in pairs to create brand-new combinations!"

"But Director, don't you think that adding animation, MTV, and game-style elements into a movie makes it look incongruous?"

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment, then replied with a smile:

He smiled and said, "Miss Hanna, I am very happy that you could come to see our *Run Luo La Run*!"

Wu Yuchen added with a smile, "We can make a further hypothesis. Perhaps because you watched the movie today, you met a girl in the theater who will be your wife in the future."

Wu Yuchen looked at the old man and understood what he meant. In traditional concepts, film is art, while cartoons, MTV, and games are things that are as vulgar as can be and cannot be mentioned in the same breath as film. Clearly, the old man in front of him was a supporter of this ideology.

"Let's make a hypothesis: if you had been 3 seconds late when passing our staff handing out flyers, he might have approached someone else. Then perhaps you wouldn't be watching our movie at all. Do you think this consequence would have an impact on your future?"

To Hanna, this meant that Wu Yuchen was expressing support for their women's rights movement, as the current slogan for women's rights was the pursuit of equality between men and women.

At this moment, the reporter Hanna was called on and asked Wu Yuchen: "Director, may I ask why you set the protagonist as a woman?"

"No, it's not just running! I dare say that as long as you can understand the various shooting, composition, and editing techniques of this *Run Luo La Run*, you can fully graduate! Ten other movies combined don't use as many as this one!"

Wu Yuchen gave a Tai Chi-style answer: "That depends on how you interpret it yourself."

This drew applause from many young people below, as many of them had played video games, and some had even had the same thought of reloading their own lives.

Li Xiaoran was extremely happy after hearing the translation and thanked them with simple words.

Wu Yuchen asked back: "Why couldn't it be a woman?"

Upon hearing this, the boy thought silently. Put that way, it seemed that a few seconds really did have an impact.

"I bet that all the running shots in all movies can find the same composition in this film!"

Seeing that Wu Yuchen seemed to want to continue, the boy quickly said: "Director, enough, I don't think I'm that important! Everything you said is too coincidental!"

The boy sat down, feeling a bit dazed. Was a few seconds of time really that important?

At the same time, the audience below was also listening thoughtfully. Many had been completely immersed in the thrill of the movie before and hadn't thought so much, but now they discovered that this film also had profound connotations. Recalling the poem at the very beginning, they felt it was full of class!

A boy called on afterward immediately asked: "Director, I want to ask about Luo La's scream. Is it a tribute to the protagonist Oscar in *The Tin Drum*?"

However, he had done everything he could. This premiere screening had been very successful; the audience's enthusiasm was high, and most of the post-viewing feedback was positive, especially among the young people who were very excited, with many saying they would definitely bring friends to see it a second time.

Cross tapped the lectern: "Gentlemen, ladies, I know you are all eager to rush out of the classroom to have fun, but before that, I have an extra holiday assignment."

Wu Yuchen smiled slightly: "I support equality between men and women, enjoying the same rights and fulfilling the same obligations."

Royce also nodded blankly: "Muller, just regarding Luo La running, do you know how many methods this director used to film it?"

An hour later, the two arrived at the screening hall. Looking at the different posters at the entrance, Muller said: "A Chinese film, but the style doesn't look like it at all!"

Facing everyone's enthusiastic reaction, Wu Yuchen bowed with the lead actors to express his gratitude. At the same time, he felt that the multi-faceted promotional means were indeed effective; basically, the first premiere was almost full, much better than when *Car 44* was shown last year.

Amidst the applause, the reporter Hanna wrote the words "Female Forrest Gump" in her notebook again.

Hanna smiled: "I like Luo La very much, if there's a chance~"

*The Tin Drum* is a German classic film that won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and the Palme d'Or. Its protagonist has a special ability: he can shatter glass when he screams.

Muller held his head and asked his good friend: "Hey, Royce, how about we go to the film festival together later?"

Upon hearing this, Royce revealed his jealousy toward the rich kid: "Damn it!"

"Front view, side view, looking up, looking down, bird's-eye view, close-up, medium shot, long shot, moving shots, fixed shots, slow motion, jump cuts, dissolves, foreground placement, background placement, using real people, using animation..."

"This movie is really crazy! I mean, it doesn't just make me crazy for it, but it is itself too unique! I exclaimed at every moment while watching the movie—so movies can be filmed like this! Wu Dao, how did you film *Run Luo La Run*?"

The students below stared at the old man on the podium, just wanting to quickly write down the assignment he mentioned so they could start enjoying their holiday.

"Wu Dao, I like the theme you expressed; it has deep philosophical and speculative significance."

"Is this the intention of Professor Cross letting us watch this movie? If I hadn't just finished watching it, I would have really thought this director was just showing off his skills!"

"Does this represent dissatisfaction and accusation against the surrounding society and the world?"

The German Film and Television Academy is located in Berlin and was founded in 1966. It is the most famous film university in the country, and February is exactly when German universities are on spring break.

The boy opened his mouth. Ah, that would have a huge impact, equivalent to changing the fate of his entire life!

Then Wu Yuchen continued: "We can be even crazier. Perhaps the child of you and your wife will be a genius who surpasses Einstein, and he will have a major impact on the entire human progress and the development of civilization in the future."

Muller shrugged: "My girlfriend and I have already agreed to go to Spain and Portugal for a two-week vacation tomorrow. This holiday assignment can only be done today."

Unlike those ordinary audience members who were just excited, those who understood film shooting realized how powerful this director's filming and various techniques were!

*Run Luo La Run* has a large number of shots of Luo La running. If an ordinary director were to film it, this repetitive running would have made the audience feel fatigued long ago, but every run of Luo La in this film is novel and full of vitality!

And it can be seen that the director is not showing off skills, but has truly mastered various techniques, using them to their fullest potential. Brand-new editing, brand-new story structure, bringing people brand-new sensory experiences—at the same time, the film has profound intentions and deep connotations. Not only does it resonate strongly with people, but it is also highly thought-provoking. Isn't that awesome enough?!

When the young director Wu Yuchen took the stage to express his gratitude, the two widened their eyes and looked at him with disbelief. The director of this film was even younger than both of them!

"Fuck! This damn talent!"

"Are genius directors all such monsters? My director dream has been deeply hit!"