Chapter 6: In Berlin

Sure enough, a few days later, Lin Nan received a call from Li Dao.

That day Wang Jinghua said Li Yang sent the film to Berlin, and the content of this call was about this.

Li Yang even asked Lin Nan if he wanted to come over and play when the time came; he could afford his food and lodging.

Lin Nan said he would consider it and would call him back then, and left the contact information of the hotel where Li Yang was staying.

Lin Nan remembered this director's way of promotion: holding the posters he printed himself and posting them everywhere. During the competition, the contact information was omitted from the film festival directory, almost becoming a "black household."

For this call, Lin Nan specifically reminded him about this matter, and was blamed by Li Yang for looking down on him.

Lin Nan was a bit moved; he could go see it during the award days. It should be during the Spring Festival.

As for the travel expenses, he thought his old man would sponsor him for such a showy thing; after all, it could let him brag for a while.

Lin Nan took time to buy a mobile phone, Nokia's 7650 this year, spending all the pay from Li Dao Yang, and also adding nearly two thousand.

It was when he returned to school, his old man saw he was much thinner and darker, and gave him an extra month's living expenses.

Just like that, he took it all to buy a mobile phone. It was the first mobile phone with a built-in digital camera launched by Nokia in China.

In Lin Nan's view, this phone couldn't compare to later generations, but at this point, it was a rare thing, especially being able to take pictures.

He handled the phone card, and before Lin Nan could call his old man, it was taken by Zhu Yawen to play.

When found by Lin Nan, Old Zhu was taking pictures of himself and a girl. He pressed it with the back of the phone facing Zhu Yawen and a female classmate.

He had to check if the angle was right and if it was taken.

"I said it's okay, you're addicted to taking pictures," Lin Nan complained.

"Wait a bit, Zhou Yang and I will take another one," Old Zhu ignored Lin Nan's urging and waved at Zhou Yang in the distance.

Several people had a great time, and finally, Lin Nan was pulled in. Don't say, it really had that atmosphere.

This would be worth commemorating in the future.

Campus life was intoxicating, but students were still running between school and outside, finding a way out, shooting magazines, talking about crews, and running bit parts.

With the country joining the WTO last year, the film and television industry began to become active.

A professor published a paper: Further opening of the market, the film and television industry is facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges...

The film and television industry was one of the industries most impacted, but it should hold a positive and approving attitude.

Lin Nan knew that the twenty years of most rapid development were about to begin.

In mid-December, *Hero* was released. For a time, media newspapers were everywhere, all news about *Hero*.

Director Zhang's first commercial blockbuster created a box office miracle with an unexpected cast and a rich and colorful visual style.

Lin Nan and Zhu Yawen went to see it together, accompanied by Zhou Yang, Jiang Yiyan, and other classmates and alumni sitting far away.

The film started, and everyone was shocked by the colors, until the appearance of several big stars: Nameless, Broken Sword, Flying Snow...

The Qin King summoned Nameless, telling the story of assassinating the three swordsmen, the highest specification of ten steps from the Qin King...

"Atmospheric, magnificent, this is an epic masterpiece," Zhu Yawen kept muttering beside Lin Nan, and almost everyone in the cinema was praising it.

A group of Film Academy students were all stunned, fantasizing about if they were someone in it.

Coming out of the cinema, Lin Nan's ears were still not quiet. "I also want to film Director Zhang's movie," Jiang Yiyan and Zhou Yang chattered.

"Lin, why haven't you said anything?" Zhu Yawen put his arm around Lin Nan's shoulder and asked.

Lin Nan looked at him. "What can I say? Wow, it's filmed so awesome!"

Looking at *Hero* with later eyes, it was an epoch-making masterpiece, opening the precedent for domestic big productions. No matter how you look at it, it was successful.

But the news from the media wasn't like this. Film critics and a part of ordinary audiences criticized it.

Saying it was too mysterious, too fantasy, too hypocritical, and it was just an excuse for the dictatorial tyrant.

When Lin Nan heard Zhu Yawen talk about this, he scolded a few words.

What happened to the Qin Shi Huang? Without the Qin Shi Huang, where would the unification come from?

But Lin Nan was also helpless.

At this time, the Qin Shi Huang was still a tyrant who was spurned, Zhu Yuanzhang was still a face with a shoe-shaped chin, and the Ming Dynasty was still only circulating the bad reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot.

On the contrary, *Yongzheng Dynasty* and *Kangxi Dynasty* let ordinary people see the stories of the Qing Dynasty, so "good"!

Don't know why, foreigners had a high evaluation of *Hero*.

Time passed for a month, the domestic box office reached two hundred million, and the global box office reached 150 million dollars.

With the disclosure of this data, the ridicule was considered small.

But the film and television circle was burning, especially the China Film Group, as well as various film companies, and the big directors who were jealous.

Lin Nan went home for the winter vacation. A few days ago, he received a call from Li Yang, inviting him to Berlin again.

This time Lin Nan accepted happily, and the travel expenses were sponsored by his old man, and he publicized it so that the neighbors knew.

Lin Nan only knew that his mobile phone could go back and forth to Berlin once.

At the end of January, Lin Nan stepped on the plane from the capital to Berlin.

On February 1st, Lin Nan arrived in Berlin, and Li Yang picked him up in person.

"Director, why did you come yourself?"

Lin Nan was very moved, who knew Li Yang said, "Asking someone to pick up the plane costs money."

Lin Nan was speechless instantly.

"Just kidding. Let's go, go try the sausages here. I used to work in Germany and know this place very well," he said, taking Lin Nan into a Mercedes-Benz.

The driver was a Chinese face, and Li Yang and Lin Nan sat in the back.

"I have some circle friends here who are quite familiar, telling me the probability of winning an award is not small, but we still have a normal heart. The main thing is to sell it, winning an award is best," Li Yang said indifferently.

But Lin Nan could see that he still cared.

"You are also an investor, and a student of the Film Academy. Coming here to see the world is definitely not a loss. The *Hero* crew has also arrived, don't compare it to our makeshift crew, they are much more stylish, they came by chartered plane," speaking of this, Li Yang was a bit sour.

"But from the preferences of the Berlin Film Festival, Director Zhang's *Hero* may not necessarily be more favored than your *Blind Shaft*, what do you think?" Lin Nan smiled.

Li Yang then examined Lin Nan. "Didn't expect you to see so far. Those students in school may not necessarily have such broad knowledge."

Domestic films once had a choice: learn from Hollywood, or move closer to Europe.

Finally, the latter was chosen. And as the three major European film festivals, they each had their own preferences: art, commerce, and complex realistic subjects.

Returning to the hotel, Lin Nan and Li Yang and a few others had a meal.

There are more than 1,500 kinds of sausages in Germany, and Lin Nan enjoyed a sausage feast.

On February 6th, the film festival officially started.

Films from all over the world gathered here, not only a few competing for awards, but most of the participating films were for buying and selling.

Buyers and sellers were looking for each other.

Li Yang told Lin Nan that he had found several intended buyers, and the price was still being discussed.

"Try to hang on until the awards are over," this was Lin Nan's suggestion to Li Yang.

The latter understood, this was the way to maximize benefits, once won.

Time passed day by day, and the participating films were classified for viewing and scoring, until the last moment.

This day, everyone was looking forward to it.

Director Zhang's *Hero* won the Alfred Bauer Silver Bear Award, the gap with expectations was too big, this was just an award set up to commend the courage to open up new visions of film art.

And Li Yang, with the dual identity of director and screenwriter, won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution. This was an award with a ranking, not a consolation prize.

Lin Nan didn't care about the Golden Bear, the Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear, and the Best Director Silver Bear behind.

He only remembered the excited Li Yang hugging him and going up to receive the award. He didn't hear clearly whether it was German or English, just heard him shout the two words Lin Nan in Chinese, and he miraculously answered.

Everyone around looked at him, and Li Yang raised the trophy to Lin Nan above.

For the first time, so many people he didn't know were watching him, smiling and applauding, and Lin Nan subconsciously applauded. For a time, the atmosphere at the scene was even more intense.

When returning to the hotel, everyone was joyful. "Believe that tomorrow, domestic newspapers and media will report on this film festival. Li Dao, you are one step ahead of Director Zhang."

Lin Nan congratulated Li Yang, he was ready to return home, the Lantern Festival had passed, and school was about to start.

"I still have to stay for a few days, strive to sell a good price. Originally, I wanted to accept all overseas investment, it was your one hundred thousand that made me decide to sell the house and raise a part. This time I won an award, I must earn back what we should earn."

Li Yang was in a good mood, winning an award meant earning, and definitely earning a lot.

"I'll wait for your good news at school."

"Wait, haha."

The plane landed in the capital, and Lin Nan came out with his suitcase alone.

"Master, Film Academy," he found a taxi and went straight to the school.

He turned on his phone, and sure enough, there were several missed calls, Zhu Yawen's, Zhou Yang's, and his old man's, and there were several strange numbers.

Arriving at school, the atmosphere was much better, all young people.

School had been open for two days, fortunately Lin Nan called back to ask for leave in advance.

Returning to the dorm, he bumped into Zhu Yawen before entering the door.

"Lin, you dog thing, you really went there."

Zhu Yawen punched him. "You're famous."

"What's wrong?"

Lin Nan asked knowingly.

"Xinhua News has reported it, your *Blind Shaft* won the Silver Bear, the director thanked you above, and there's your silly photo."

Lin Nan was speechless. At that time, the scene was too big, his brain was a bit confused, and he was captured?

Taking the newspaper thrown by Zhu Yawen, Lin Nan felt relieved. It wasn't silly, just expressionless. ===== CHAPTER 7 =====