Chapter 397

Many directors and actors in Hong Kong during this period somewhat looked down on directors and actors from the mainland.

In their inherent concepts, the films shot by mainland directors are generally very "earthy" and simply cannot play with commercial films—if a film can't make money, what's the use of winning more awards?

It wasn't until Old Mouzi's *Hero* burst onto the scene that some Hong Kong filmmakers had a slight change in perception.

Later, with the efforts of Xiao Gangpao, Chen Kaige, and others in large commercial productions.

Although there were mixed reviews about the content of the films, no matter whether Hong Kong filmmakers still had inherent cognition in their hearts, they had to admit a fact: a few mainland directors were indeed capable of controlling large scenes.

Cao Yang's sudden rise didn't break the inherent cognition of Hong Kong filmmakers, but made many of them have their brains crash.

Some of them didn't react; how did a mainland art film director who was good at shooting women's themes from an alternative angle suddenly become one of the most influential directors in Hollywood?

How could he suddenly influence the whole world?

Some people couldn't figure it out, so they simply didn't think about it or pay attention to it; anyway, they only intended to muddle along in Hong Kong; no matter what international great director he was, these were all too far away.

Those filmmakers who intended to go north or had already gone north might not have intended to pay too much attention, but they were repeatedly warned and cautioned about some precautions by agents and investors.

Then they discovered that in this mainland where they thought they could "walk flat" and "alleviate poverty," some rules must be followed, and these rules, it is said, only privately spread, were initiated and formulated by that young director.

There is another situation.

That is, Hong Kong directors who want to make achievements in art films knew Cao Yang's influence even earlier, because wanting to win awards at the European Big Three and getting accepted by one of the film festivals is really too difficult.

Du Qifeng has deep feelings about this.

In 2006 and 2007, the films he directed for two consecutive years were shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Venice Film Festival, but the heartbreaking thing was that he didn't even win a consolation prize.

He didn't want to hang himself on one tree, so this year he decisively changed his target and wanted to try the Berlin Film Festival; it is said that the Berlin Film Festival is also very friendly to Chinese people.

Of course, for the Hong Kong media, Du Qifeng, who has been shortlisted for the main competition unit of the European Big Three for three consecutive years, is only one award away from "becoming a god."

This is not only due to his being shortlisted for the main competition unit of the European Big Three for three consecutive years, but also because he has already won the Golden Horse Award for Best Director twice and the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director three times.

For Du Qifeng, the Golden Horse Award and the Hong Kong Film Award no longer have any freshness or challenge; only the European Big Three are his new goals and pursuits.

As for the Oscars, admittedly, for Hong Kong filmmakers, the Oscars are much more famous than the European Big Three, but Du Qifeng can't even get into Hollywood, so thinking about the Oscars is too unrealistic.

For him, the European Big Three are the most practical.

He also decided that if the Venice Film Festival doesn't work, he will try the Berlin Film Festival; if the Berlin Film Festival doesn't work... isn't there still Cannes?

He just doesn't believe it; can't he do what mainland directors can do?

After the films selected for the main competition unit of this Berlin Film Festival were announced, Du Qifeng saw Cao Yang inside, which gave him some ideas.

Having had the experience of being selected for the Venice main competition unit twice, he already knew Cao Yang's status in the European art circle.

Can he ask Cao Yang for help?

This is a problem that has been bothering Du Qifeng for some time.

To tell the truth.

Even if Cao Yang is currently a world-class great director and has a pivotal status in the European art circle, Du Qifeng, as a "senior," is also a Hong Kong great director full of honors, so he really can't open his mouth.

In addition, he is also thinking, one has no interest entanglement, and two are not familiar, why should people help him?

This is also the reason why he is struggling.

Cao Yang invited everyone to gather, and Du Qifeng was definitely very willing.

This is a good opportunity to narrow the relationship; if he can logically become friends in the future, or have the opportunity to have some interest-related connections, then there will be an opportunity.

As for the "sending women" public relations prevalent in Hong Kong, for directors of Du Qifeng and Cao Yang's status, that is a bit ridiculous.

The objects of "sending women" public relations are mostly some rich people or public officials in Hong Kong; not to mention directors of Du Qifeng's status, even small directors who haven't debuted for long are not short of women.

To put it bluntly, for directors of Du Qifeng's status, those young, beautiful, pure, or sexy actresses are all active, which ordinary people cannot imagine.

Not to mention Cao Yang, who has greater influence and higher status.

The so-called "unspoken rules" are a joke for directors with a little fame—with so many active actresses of all kinds or people who want to be actors, how much must they like the other party to leave a handle and actively "go to be unspoken"?

Therefore, when Du Qifeng met Cao Yang, he was quite polite; he used both hands when shaking hands, and also said: "Director Cao, I have admired you for a long time, and today I finally have the opportunity to gather together."

Actually, Du Qifeng's words were a bit too polite; it wasn't the first time Cao Yang and Du Qifeng met.

The year before last, when Cao Yang was invited by the chairman of the Venice Film Festival, Marco Müller, to serve as a guest at the opening ceremony, give a speech, and also serve as a guest to present the Lifetime Achievement Award, he met Du Qifeng.

At that time, Du Qifeng was still a bit arrogant; his directed *Exiled* was shortlisted for the Venice main competition unit, and he was in high spirits; he had met Cao Yang, but didn't talk much.

Last year, *Mad Detective* directed by Du Qifeng was shortlisted for the Venice main competition unit again, and Cao Yang, as the producer and screenwriter of *Sanctuary*, also came to Venice.

It's just that he came a bit late, arriving on the fifth day after the opening of the film festival; this time Cao Yang and Du Qifeng met, and this time Du Qifeng enthusiastically chatted with Cao Yang a few more times.

But today's Du Qifeng was particularly polite, and unlike last year, he didn't hold a posture; today's posture was set very low.

Whether it is really polite or pretending to be polite is easy to feel.

For example, Wang Xiaoshuai could feel that Du Qifeng was polite to him on the surface, but it was a completely different matter from his politeness to Cao Yang.

Wang Xiaoshuai didn't care much about this.

The two are not in the same circle; you look down on me, and I look down on you too.

Don't think that Du Qifeng is famous in the Chinese circle and take it for granted that Wang Xiaoshuai can't compare with him.

Mainland art film directors during this period, especially those like Wang Xiaoshuai who can win awards at the European Big Three, might not be prominent in the country, and the domestic box office is not very high.

But the films they shoot earn Euros and US dollars.

The copyright fees sold, added together, are still quite considerable; the key is that this fee does not need to be shared with the theater chain, and the country has tax reduction policies, which are almost pure profit.

In addition, in the European art circle, the fame and recognition of Wang Xiaoshuai's group are much higher than Du Qifeng's.

This is the difference between having won awards at the European Big Three film festivals and not having won awards.