Chapter 398

In 2001, after the Swiss Moritz de Hadeln served as the chairman of the Berlin Film Festival for twenty-one years, he retired successfully, and Dieter Kosslick took over as the new film festival chairman.

Moritz truly retired successfully.

When he took office in 1980, the Berlin Film Festival was beset by internal and external troubles and almost couldn't be held.

The main reason was the boycott of the film festival by socialist countries due to the problem of *The Deer Hunter* the previous year; finally, after running around in many ways, he successfully opened a breakthrough from East Germany and repaired the relationship with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries.

After more than twenty years of development, Moritz decided the current form of the Berlin Film Festival and established the status of the Berlin Film Festival.

Making the Berlin Film Festival one of the European Big Three film festivals, and the Jin Xiong award one of the most valuable international film awards.

In 2001, as soon as Dieter Kosslick took office, what he received was the Berlin Film Festival which was at its peak.

However, this period was also the last glory of the Berlin Film Festival, or the European Big Three.

In recent years, as Hollywood has conquered cities and land globally, the Oscars have become the most influential film award in reality, and the influence of the European Big Three has decreased year by year.

Especially in the last two years, even the Cannes Film Festival, which was once the most influential among the European Big Three, has begun to open its arms, using commercialization and embracing Hollywood to improve its own influence.

This is also a problem that the Venice Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival have to face.

Everyone uses "strange moves," just wanting to stabilize the declining influence year by year.

For example, this year, Dieter Kosslick adopted three moves that he thought were very clever.

One is to invite Cao Yang, let him bring a new film to participate in the Berlin Film Festival, especially since the lead actor of the film is a kung fu superstar like Cheng Long, which is even more worth watching.

To tell the truth, before inviting Cao Yang, Dieter Kosslick only thought that Cao Yang was the great director with the most influence among the global young group, none other.

Cao Yang's arrival means the attention of the global young group.

Cheng Long's arrival means the attention of his global fans.

However, Dieter Kosslick didn't expect that Cao Yang actually gave him another big surprise—*The New Pirates of the Caribbean* exploded globally and was a hot hit; Cao Yang's attention and discussion were at their peak!

For Dieter Kosslick, this was definitely a huge unexpected joy.

The second is to invite the famous Hollywood director Martin Scorsese; Old Martin won the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director in 2006 with *The Departed*; he is an old partner with Leonardo, and his influence is still very large.

Added to this, Martin Scorsese's new film is a music documentary film about the Rolling Stones; as Dieter Kosslick expected, the "old guys" of the Rolling Stones all came to Berlin.

This invisibly made the Berlin Film Festival, at least this year's Berlin Film Festival, cover the "elderly" group in terms of attention and influence.

The third is that Dieter Kosslick let the Berlin Film Festival return to the traditional theme this year—political and social.

There are two benefits to doing this.

The explicit benefit is to let the Berlin Film Festival return to the "Berlin Film Festival" that people think of.

The implicit benefit is to be able to use the excuse of political and social nature to not let Cao Yang's *Manchester by the Sea* win the Jin Xiong award—no matter how well your film is shot, no matter how deep the exploration of human nature is, it doesn't fit the theme of the film festival.

If it doesn't fit the theme of the film festival, how can you be given the Jin Xiong?

To tell the truth, it's not that Dieter Kosslick doesn't want to give Cao Yang the Jin Xiong award; even if he is under pressure from all over Europe, he never thought about fooling Cao Yang and not giving him the Jin Xiong.

No way, Cao Yang is not Old Mouzi, not other directors who are three short of a Grand Slam.

Cao Yang's influence is really too great.

He is not only influential in the art circle, but he is also the most influential great director in Hollywood; this kind of energy is much greater than those directors who only hang out in the art circle.

Dieter Kosslick or the European Big Three dare to handle those art film directors.

But letting them handle a director like Cao Yang who has status in the world art circle, has huge influence in Hollywood, and has a great country behind him, is really difficult.

Especially since Cao Yang is also good at supporting people and is the "living father" of many actors.

How to handle this kind of director who is almost comprehensive in all aspects?

Dieter Kosslick originally thought quite well, dealing with one session at a time, first "grabbing" Cao Yang in his hands, using Cao Yang's influence to improve the attention of the Berlin Film Festival as much as possible.

He plans to wait another ten or eight years, and after the attention of the Berlin Film Festival is maintained, he will "crown" Cao Yang and let him become the fourth Grand Slam director in the world.

At that time, he will award Cao Yang the Jin Xiong award on the first day, and announce his resignation from a series of positions at the Berlin Film Festival on the second day, bearing the pressure by himself.

As long as the influence of the Berlin Film Festival can be maintained, or even improved, he can be considered worthy of this position.

Just like Moritz!

Moritz has always been Dieter Kosslick's idol and the goal he wants to surpass.

Pity.

The idea is good.

But after walking the red carpet with Cao Yang, Dieter Kosslick's mood is really not very good now.

Even when accepting interviews in the backstage, he was a bit absent-minded, almost simply saying a few words as a coping mechanism, and then returned to his office alone.

Cao Yang's words made him have to think more.

If this Berlin Film Festival doesn't satisfy Cao Yang, and he only goes to the Venice Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival in the future, and keeps winning awards at those two film festivals, then Berlin will really be damn awkward.

Actually, it's not even an awkward thing.

The more awards Cao Yang wins in Venice and Cannes in the future, the deeper Berlin will be nailed to the pillar of shame—everyone in the world will think, Cao Yang, such an influential director, has won countless awards in Venice and Cannes, why doesn't he go to Berlin?

Hmm, there must be something wrong with Berlin!

This is still the ideal situation where Cao Yang doesn't exert his own influence to prevent those big stars from participating in the Berlin Film Festival.

Never underestimate the influence of a world-class great director who has awards, box office, and is good at supporting people.

As long as Cao Yang speaks out, I believe there are very many actors in Hollywood who, in order to have a chance to cooperate with Cao Yang, will not come to Berlin again.

At least while Cao Yang's influence is still there, this kind of thing will definitely happen—compared to the Oscars, Hollywood actors don't value the European Big Three too much; offending Cao Yang for the European Big Three is really not worth it.

And Berlin, today when Hollywood's influence is increasing day by day, has also begun to compromise with Hollywood.

Just this film festival, including the opening and closing films, the United States has 8 films shortlisted, ranking first among all countries, occupying almost one-third.

If Hollywood stars don't come, what will be the consequences?

Most importantly, will Venice and Cannes boycott him or cater to him after Cao Yang doesn't come to Berlin?

Dieter Kosslick can say for sure that they will definitely cater to him, and they will keep giving awards, making Berlin embarrassed.

If this can make Berlin's credibility greatly reduced, and from then on, it can no longer compete with Venice and Cannes, then that would be great.

Dieter Kosslick knows the thoughts of Venice and Cannes too well, because he thinks so too.

As a competitor, if you don't step on it, do you have to wait for him to ride on your head?

Dieter Kosslick has specially watched *Manchester by the Sea*, and not just once.

This film, whether it is the actors' performance, the director's shooting technique and lens language, or the story and the discussion and exploration of human nature, all have a very high standard.

If the film quality is average and doesn't meet the requirements of the Jin Xiong award, that's fine.

The key is that this film is qualified to compete for the Jin Xiong award, which makes it difficult to handle.

If this Berlin Film Festival cannot satisfy Cao Yang, what if he has the idea of giving up the Grand Slam, never comes to Berlin again, and turns to only go to Cannes and Venice?

What to do?

How can Cao Yang be satisfied?

Difficult.

At this moment, Dieter Kosslick desperately hopes that the European Big Three can unite and advance and retreat together, so that they can be fearless...