Chapter 396

Three days before the opening of the 58th Berlin Film Festival, someone in Berlin organized a small circle gathering attended only by directors and producers.

Not all directors and producers currently in Berlin are qualified to attend.

The number of people in this small circle gathering is very small, less than twenty.

The directors participating in the gathering have at least won Best Director at one of the European Big Three film festivals.

And the few producers are either producers whose films have won the highest award at the European Big Three, or they are veteran producers themselves who have produced several films that have won awards at the European Big Three.

Those producers who have a lot of energy, such as being very rich or able to pull in a lot of funds, and those directors who have only won Oscar awards but have not won awards at the European Big Three.

Sorry, these are the objects despised by this small circle and are definitely not qualified to be invited.

For Cao Yang, let's put it this way: as long as Cao Yang is in Europe, no matter where there is a small circle or an art circle gathering, they will definitely try every possible way to invite him to attend.

Just kidding, Cao Yang has two Venice Golden Lions in his hands, has produced a film that won a Venice Golden Lion as a producer, has won a Cannes Palme d'Or, and he has also won Cannes Best Director, Venice Best Director, and the Berlin Jury Grand Prix.

Such achievements, even in the eyes of those extreme old white male directors in Europe, will subconsciously ignore Cao Yang's skin color.

Even many directors in the European art circle believe that based on Cao Yang's age advantage, there is a high probability that he can become a Grand Slam director; this requires time and opportunity, or the power of the country behind him.

Even if Cao Yang never wins the final Berlin Jin Xiong award, as long as Cao Yang is still in this circle, when he is fifty, the Berlin Film Festival will definitely be impatient to award him a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is also a Jin Xiong.

After winning this Jin Xiong, even if he is criticized for not being a true Grand Slam winner, having a Jin Xiong, Golden Lion, and Palme d'Or in his hands is definitely a Grand Slam to a certain extent.

Although this belongs to a weakened version of the Grand Slam.

Actually, many European guys in this circle have this idea—if we can't stop you from winning the Grand Slam, then we will give you a weakened version of the Grand Slam, a Grand Slam that makes people criticize.

As for whether Cao Yang, who is now doing quite well in Hollywood, which is generally despised by their small circle, will be excluded by these people because of this, that can only be said to be thinking too much.

The directors in this small circle, whether in words or their actions, definitely despise Hollywood, but if there is an opportunity to develop in Hollywood, then no one will say no—earning money from those American upstarts is giving them face, okay?

Cao Yang attending such a gathering that obviously has "high style" is not the first or second time. Every year, as long as he participates in the European Big Three film festivals, before returning to the country, he will definitely attend a small circle gathering.

Don't underestimate this small circle; let's put it this way: the jury chairmen invited by the European Big Three film festivals every year are highly likely to be people from this small circle.

For example, Costa-Gavras, the jury chairman of this year's Berlin Film Festival, is a veteran figure in this small circle.

Costa-Gavras's qualifications are very old, and he is also very old, already over seventy.

However, his qualifications are still very brilliant.

He won the Cannes Palme d'Or at the 35th Cannes Film Festival in 1982, and later won the Berlin Jin Xiong award at the 40th Berlin Film Festival in 1990.

Costa-Gavras is only one Venice Golden Lion away from being complete.

The surname "Gavras" gives people the first reaction that it is a Russian surname.

That's right, although Costa-Gavras is French, his father was a Russian immigrant, and he also possesses the typical Russian temper.

Early on, at the beginning of his debut, he also actively participated in the Venice Film Festival.

However, as his two works were all eliminated and didn't even enter the main competition unit, the young and vigorous Costa-Gavras directly chose to bombard the Venice Film Festival for its dark curtain, lack of vision, being garbage...

He also said that he would never bring his works to the Venice Film Festival in his life.

He did it.

And he also lost the opportunity for the Grand Slam.

"Costa, long time no see."

Cao Yang held his wine glass, came to Costa's side, and signaled to him with his wine glass.

Costa-Gavras was originally sitting with his legs crossed. When he looked up and saw it was Cao Yang, he stood up from the sofa, picked up the wine glass beside him, touched it with Cao Yang, then took a sip, and reached out to signal Cao Yang to sit down.

"My friend, sit down and talk."

Several directors and producers standing or sitting not far away nodded and signaled to this side with a smile, and very consciously walked a little further away.

"I have watched your *Manchester by the Sea*; it is an exceptionally outstanding work, the grasp of human nature is very accurate, and there are also many interesting lens languages."

Speaking of this, he looked at Cao Yang with a smile and said: "But to tell the truth, I don't like it very much; it's too depressing!"

Afterward, he spread his hands and said in a self-deprecating tone: "You know, people of my age can't watch things that are too depressing; it's too easy to be affected by emotions, and maybe if the emotions fluctuate too much, I won't see tomorrow's sun."

Then he shook his head and said: "At my age, I have more awe of death and am more afraid of dying, so I like to hang out with some young, beautiful, and energetic actresses, even if I can't do anything, haha..."

Cao Yang smiled and suddenly thought that a certain sentence and expression were particularly suitable for use here, so he learned the tone and expression of that host and said: "Really? I don't believe it."

Costa-Gavras was stunned for a moment, and then laughed loudly again.

He felt that Cao Yang's answer was very clever; he didn't believe that he didn't like his film, and he didn't believe that he couldn't do anything with young and beautiful actresses; it was a double entendre, worthy of being a world-famous great director.

"Cao, congratulations, once again proving to the world that you are the director who is best at training actors in the world; even if the other party is a kung fu superstar who has left a stereotypical impression on the world, you can make him the most artistic actor."

Costa-Gavras picked up the wine glass from the side and took the initiative to touch it with Cao Yang; this was not politeness, but respect for Cao Yang's ability to train actors.

"Thank you."

Cao Yang took a sip and didn't be polite with Costa-Gavras, but asked directly: "What thoughts does Chairman Dieter have about this film festival?"

Although when Cao Yang first came to Berlin, it was film festival chairman Dieter Kosslick who personally picked him up at the airport, and the two chatted a bit later, both of them tacitly didn't talk about the awards.

For some things, surface work still needs to be done.

Besides, if this kind of thing is opened up and talked about, it is very easy to make both people feel embarrassed; it is better not to mention it.

"Returning to the original intention of the Berlin Film Festival, focusing on films with prominent political and social attributes, emphasizing the criticality and realistic concern of the films."

Costa-Gavras replied.

"Realistic political criticism?"

Cao Yang frowned; this theme doesn't match *Manchester by the Sea* at all.

As everyone knows, the Cannes Film Festival attaches equal importance to art and commerce, but the so-called equal importance to commerce does not mean attaching importance to commercial films, but that the Cannes Film Festival is the best among the European Big Three in marketing, that is, commercial promotion.

The Venice Film Festival focuses on artistry and innovative expression, so they dared to award Cao Yang's *Nine-Tailed Fox* Best Director at the time, saying that this film was an experimental film.

With the endorsement of the Venice Film Festival, no one questioned the experimental and artistic nature of *Nine-Tailed Fox*, and at most, they just said a few extra words that the exploration of human nature was not very deep.