Chapter 230

In 1998, the Korean nation was hit hard by the financial crisis.

Traditional pillar industries such as home appliances and automobiles were declining, and 9 banks and 3 conglomerates in the country went bankrupt one after another.

The then-President Dae-jung proposed the slogan "The foundation of the 21st-century Korean nation is high-tech and cultural industries."

Starting in 1999, the official authorities successively promulgated multiple laws and regulations such as the "Basic Law for the Promotion of Cultural Industries," and the Korean entertainment industry set sail from then on.

Zhang Nara's father and brother were both actors; influenced by the family atmosphere, Zhang Nara became a professional actor in the Art Department of Hancheng University in 2000.

Her father, Zhang Jiaoran, was a Korean drama actor with the stage name Zhu Zhu Husheng.

Zhu Zhu Husheng had a keen sense of smell; he first created a sweet and cute persona for his daughter at the beginning of the new millennium when the Korean "idol culture" was on the rise.

Zhang Nara released her first album in her sophomore year, with good results, and thus began to enter the film and television circle.

Just as mentioned earlier, film directors like Park Chan-wook are eager to break out of national borders; the Korean entertainment circle is too small and the competition is too fierce.

In later generations, Zhu Zhu Husheng would take his daughter across the ocean to develop in the neighboring big country, which led to Zhang Nara's popularity in the country in later generations.

Until the scandal of her "money-grabbing" remarks on a Korean program broke out.

The truth of the matter is unknown, but her development in the mainland was considered ruined.

This life happened to be a coincidence; because she was familiar with Choi Min-sik when she was an actor, she actually set her sights on Boss Lu!

Zhu Zhu Husheng, you are confused!

You don't know that you are about to become the Korean version of Liu Liu Xiaoli, and even worse!

"How about this, when I go to Korea for a roadshow next month, you bring their father and daughter to see me."

Choi Min-sik didn't expect him to be so easy to talk to, thanked him repeatedly, and the three parted ways.

Lu Kuan returned to the hotel and immediately went online to browse the schedule of the European Cup; the girlfriend of the gun king Henry he saw today reminded him!

Henry is about to go to play the European Cup!

The Greek myth of 2004! The final is Greece against Portugal, with odds of 1 to 80.

Similar to the 2002 World Cup, as a senior fan, Boss Lu knew that football matches are full of uncertainty; let's see if Greece can enter the final on July 4th first.

The noise and momentum of "Alien Realm" yesterday had not yet stopped, and the next day, major film media in various countries reported the grand occasion of the Lumière Theatre.

Multiple media outlets unanimously used "15 minutes of standing applause" as the news headline.

The "Chinese Film Journey" program sent by the domestic film channel used extremely complimentary words in the domestic media, describing yesterday's grand scene truthfully with pride and arrogance.

Among them, the enthusiastic response shown by Western filmmakers to the Chinese mythological elements and the prosperous Modu scenery in the film made domestic audiences shout for joy, wishing they could see this film immediately.

And "China Film News" borrowed the opening film review of the Cannes Film Festival's field journal.

Only one "Alien Realm" has been released since the opening ceremony, and of course, it is also a film review for "Alien Realm."

"This is a 140-minute visual feast; it was born in Hollywood, but is richer in mysterious and romantic oriental color, an epic masterpiece!"

"Whether it is character portrayal, narrative rhythm, or action scenes, as well as special effects art never seen in Chinese films, no science fiction film has been able to surpass it in recent years."

"In this short yet long viewing process, we followed this talented oriental director to uncover the mystery of Ximai Farm; the whole process is full of suspense, tension, and curiosity."

"If it is a pity that Cannes' old friend Lu Kuan's 'Thief' missed the Palme d'Or last year."

"Then this pure commercial film attempt of his is a peak from the start, and will undoubtedly set off a science fiction storm in various countries!"

"We will never forget the thought-provoking question from Dr. Lan Lan Jiangshui at the end of the film."

"If humans continue to grab and destroy nature without limit, we will eventually swallow that bitter evil fruit."

Domestic audiences were extremely excited; this time, whether it was Boss Lu's black fans or black fans, there was a sense of pleasure and pride in sharing a common hatred.

Can we also have science fiction films that make those foreign devils stand up and applaud for more than ten minutes?

Can we also show off the superiority of national culture and long history on such an occasion?

Internet media such as Blog Network and Douban were firing on all cylinders, cooperating with Focus Media's elevator advertisements to bombard in turns, and the domestic viewing expectations and enthusiastic calls were visibly hyped up.

What made domestic audiences most happy was another interview segment from the authoritative French film media "Le Figaro" reprinted by "Beiping Daily."

In this, Lu Kuan not only admitted the shortcomings of mainland films but also showed the pride of a big country's culture to foreigners neither humble nor arrogant, which made readers praise it!

So uplifting!

As mentioned earlier, during certain periods, domestic people are very concerned about external recognition.

This is also a normal thing.

The country has just walked out of the shackles of backwardness and is on the road to rejuvenation; at this time, we are still unable to give ourselves strong support from the heart, and we will be particularly sensitive to external evaluations.

It is also during this period that monsters and ghosts are rampant, reminding everyone to reflect every day.

It wasn't until later generations that we jumped to the center of the world stage again, and the confidence of the overall national culture was gradually re-established.

Ordinary people began to disdain Western evaluations and only focus on our own development.

Screw you, whatever.

Following France's "Le Figaro," the UK's "Empire" also sang praises for the film on the front page.

These foreigners appreciated the gimmick of the topic of excessive development of nature in "Alien Realm," using it to label their environmentalist ideas.

In addition, "Empire" also expressed recognition for the actors' performances.

"Before watching the movie, everyone would tend to think that Leonardo and that overly young Chinese girl would be a pair of vases."

"But after the film ended, I think no audience would not feel admiration for the stunning actions of the Chinese girl Liu and Leonardo's layered acting skills."

In addition, "Los Angeles Times," "Hollywood Reporter," "Sight & Sound," "Variety," etc., all did not spare words of praise.

In the country, fans were thirstily watching the reprints and reports of authoritative film media, watching the foreigners' flattery and giggling.

Perhaps the only ones who were contradictory were Liu Liu Yifei's fans, who were happy about their idol's brilliance on the world stage on the one hand.

They began to dig up the netizens who had mocked Liu Liu Yifei for replacing Zhang Zhang Ziyi before.

On the other hand, fans couldn't accept the updates she posted on her blog, as well as that intimate group photo with Boss Lu.

This damn thing, they went to the movies together on Valentine's Day last time, and now it's this state again.

Has the damn washing machine already made a move?

Beast!

Let her go!

On the afternoon of May 13th, as a compatriot and to take care of domestic media, Lu Kuan specially accepted an interview with Chinese-language media under the arrangement of the Carlton Hotel.

Ju Ju Wenpei from the film channel asked first: "Director Lu, we have all seen your speech at the Beidian Forum before, about your views on commercial films and art films."

"Although 'Alien Realm' has not yet started public screening, no one will doubt the success of such a work in the market."

"May I ask, besides commercial films and science fiction films that we need to look at the world and learn and strengthen, what suggestions do you have for the development of art films?"

Lu Kuan was a little speechless; professional film media like to use literary language; he had refused a similar interview before, and they were still digging up last year's grave after chasing him to Cannes.

"This Valentine's Day, I went to the cinema to watch 'Lost in Love' produced by Wenjie itself, and I discovered a movie-viewing trend that is becoming popular."

"The commercialization of films in the holiday schedule."

Ju Ju Wenpei was puzzled: "Can you explain?"

"Domestic films used to grab the Golden Week and the New Year schedule, but now the Valentine's Day schedule has also become an important schedule for romance and youth films; it started with this 'Lost in Love'."

"Lost in Love" was taken off the screen in March, with a total box office of 70 million, almost exceeding "Thief," which won the Cannes Jury Prize, which really shocked the industry's eyeballs.

Everyone was examining the gold content of this Valentine's Day schedule chosen by Boss Lu.

Lu Kuan returned to the question Ju Ju Wenpei just asked: "The reason I mentioned this is that I want to explain that commercial films are the mainstream trend in the mainland market now, while art films are niche and non-mainstream."

"The niche and non-mainstream here do not carry any derogatory meaning, just an overview of the nature of the film; I personally also want to explore art films, which is very normal for a director."

"Therefore, for the suggestions you mentioned, my suggestion is to make commercial films, and all capable directors should come together to create wonderful genre films for the audience!"

Ju Ju Wenpei was puzzled: "Wouldn't this squeeze art films? Do they still have room for survival?"

Boss Lu smiled: "Of course."

"Actually, in last year's Beidian Forum, Director Jia once asked me the same question, that is, how to support and develop art films, and I didn't answer directly."

"The answer is very simple; let's take American art films as an example."

"Everyone only knows Hollywood; in fact, another center of American films is in New York, and New York is the base camp for American art films."

"In the United States, subsidies for art films all come from Hollywood commercial films; official agencies will extract a certain percentage from the box office of commercial films to subsidize the ticket prices, scheduling, and promotion of art films."

"So everyone can see that not only do Hollywood commercial films kill the global market, but even the awards of the three major European film festivals are won by American directors the most."

Ju Ju Wenpei understood: "You mean, we can also learn this model and use commercial films to support art films."

"That's right, but I'm just giving an example; if the commercial film volume of domestic films is 1 billion now, art films are probably 50 million."

"Then if the domestic commercial film volume reaches 10 billion? Wouldn't art films be 500 million? What about 100 billion?"

Boss Lu summarized with a smile: "So, if I were to give advice to art film directors like Director Jia, my advice is that you all come to make commercial films, work together to make the mainland film cake bigger, and fool the audience into the cinema!"

The reporters all laughed; are you representing the official authorities to recruit the heroes of Liangshan here?

Questions from media reporters such as Sina Entertainment were relatively entertainment-oriented.

Han Lu: "Liu Yifei, your dress on the opening ceremony red carpet last night was very stunning; can you introduce it to us?"

"Oh, the name of the dress is 'National Style Bamboo Rhyme,' which is the director's idea, a work by Ms. Guo Pei of Rose Studio."

Han Lu was surprised: "Director Lu? You also understand fashion design?"

Boss Lu smiled: "I just provide a design idea; this is of course the credit of professionals."

Wang my lord, who was mixed in the reporter group, didn't quite believe such a statement.

Creativity is the most important part of fashion design; even if you just give the designer a word or an image, it may be the main fashion support of the ready-to-wear.

"Can you tell us the reason for choosing this dress?"

Lu Kuan pondered for two seconds and said: "First, it is to consider how to artistically create our excellent cultural connotation like 'Alien Realm,' making it a product that both Chinese and Westerners can appreciate."

"Second, considering that our heroine, little Liu, is still a minor, perhaps a dress of this style can bring a touch of purity and freshness to Cannes, instead of just seeking the exposure of female sexual tension."

The interview ended quickly, and the reporters were satisfied and went back to prepare their drafts; Han Lu led Wang my lord over.

"Director, let me introduce a friend to you, American designer Wang my lord."

Lu Kuan pretended not to know: "Hello, Han Lu, your question just now wouldn't be asked on behalf of this Mr. Wang, would it?"

Han Lu smiled and responded: "I wrote about the star dress wearing on the premiere and red carpet yesterday, and Designer Wang gave me a lot of help; it's a return of courtesy!"

Wang my lord had no patience to listen to their pleasantries: "Director Lu, can you give me some time to invite you and Miss Liu for a cup of coffee?"

"Okay, let's go."

Liu Liu Yifei scanned the long-haired man in surprise, and was even more surprised that Lu Kuan actually agreed.

No, there must be something on this man that Lu Kuan has taken a fancy to.

Otherwise, could he waste this time?

The four came to the hotel water bar and sat down in the booth.

Lu Kuan looked at Wang my lord, who was looking for a waiter to order, and recalled several other Chinese-American designers of later generations.

There are many excellent Chinese-American designers, such as Jason Wu, who specializes in designing dresses for the First Lady;

Wang Tao, known for the new Chinese style;

Wang Haizhen, who has won fashion fringe and has a good balance between commerciality and artistry, etc.

But among them, the only two who are on par, and whose works and reputation are consistently praised in both China and the West, are Yin Yin Yiqing and Wang my lord.

Wang my lord is slightly more famous, and he has many celebrity fans at home and abroad:

Kardashian, Lady Gaga, Rihanna.

Li Li Yuchun, Fan Fan Bingbing, and others in the country.

In 2013, Yin Yin Yiqing had already displayed her works at Paris Fashion Week for three consecutive years, and according to regulations, she could become a formal member of the Haute Couture Union, on par with brands like Armani.

This is a very high achievement for an independent designer.

However, Yin Yin Yiqing should still be studying in France now, and Wang my lord is about to start founding his own personal brand.

At Cannes a year ago, Boss Lu popularized the concept of fashion routes to Fan Fan Bingbing, and an important part of this was to be on good terms with famous fashion brands and designers.

Take Li Li Yuchun as an example; as a singer who debuted in a civilian talent show, her starting point was not low.

But how did she become the first global spokesperson for Givenchy in China in 2013 in later generations? It has a lot to do with the young man in front of her.

Wang my lord was exceptionally admitted to Parsons, the world's top fashion design school, in high school.

In 2007, 23-year-old Wang my lord appeared at the New York Autumn/Winter Fashion Week, and in 2008, he won the heavyweight Swarovski Award presented by the CFDA, establishing his position in the fashion circle.

In 2012, he entered Balenciaga, mastered this luxury brand, and served as creative director.

It was also from this year that he carried out brand-new personalized customization for Li Li Yuchun's major show styles.

Together with Li Li Yuchun's other behind-the-scenes teams, he pushed her to become Givenchy's first global spokesperson in China in 2013.

Whether it is the artist brokerage business of Wenjie or considering the subsequent fashion resources of little Liu and Fan Fan Bingbing, Wang my lord is a very good fashion circle help.

"We are about the same age, so I'll call you my lord? You can also call me Lu Kuan directly."

Designers are all straightforward; Wang my lord readily agreed: "It's an honor to meet you, Lu Kuan!"

Liu Liu Yifei covered her mouth and wanted to laugh on the side; artists don't seem to be very good at socializing, and he didn't hear that this was a polite remark.

Boss Lu looked at Wang my lord, who had a small, aggrieved temperament, and said: "You are looking for me because?"

"Oh! It's like this, Miss Liu's dress on the red carpet yesterday, can I ask for the details?"

He had just heard that it was Guo Pei's work, but this idea came from the young director in front of him.

"Actually, it's nothing; it's just an inspiration that flashed by chance; how is it worth you making such a fuss?"

Wang my lord said seriously: "No, absolutely not."

"I just dropped out of Parsons last year and went to 'Vogue' for an internship; I have seen many designs that attempt to fuse Chinese and Western cultures."

"Unfortunately, they only have ambition, no finished products; I haven't seen a plan of the same level as the one you call 'National Style Bamboo Rhyme'."

Boss Lu was a little dumbfounded; he had just finished chatting with the film buff Park Chan-wook yesterday, and today he met the clothes buff Wang my lord.

He had no choice but to sell the Bamboo Rhyme design concept he used to fool Guo Pei again.

"Too brilliant! Lu Kuan, you are really a genius!"

Liu Liu Yifei looked at Wang my lord, who seemed to want to bow down, speechlessly, thinking that another one had been fooled and limped.

She thought of Zhao Zhao Benshan's "Selling Crutches."

A young man, what a pity, he is about to use crutches, progress 20%.

Lu Kuan coughed twice: "my lord, can you show me your works too?"

Wang my lord couldn't ask for more, and immediately took out his work manuscript from his messenger bag and respectfully handed it to the young director.

Boss Lu pretended to stroke his chin from time to time, nodded from time to time, and sighed from time to time without speaking.

He watched the Wang my lord opposite him, who was stunned; he was very eager to get recognition from the mouth of the director who could film "Alien Realm" and propose the Bamboo Rhyme design idea.

Although he is not engaged in fashion design, aesthetics are all connected.

Even Wang my lord himself could capture some aesthetic concepts in yesterday's film, which is not strange.

He looked at Lu Kuan's serious expression and unconsciously used honorifics again: "Director Lu, what do you think?"

Boss Lu thought, you damn don't rush, I'm still organizing language.

I haven't studied fashion much in my previous life; how can I fool this Chinese-American kid into taking the bait?

"Lines and proportions, not bad."

"Especially the style of the Chesterfield coat you used in this piece, the slim tailoring and the small flat lapel design are very stunning!"

It was a bit stumbling at first, but Boss Lu became more and more proficient as he fooled.

"my lord, although your design looks simple and easy to understand, it is still very connotative if you delve into it."

"The level lines, vertical lines, and even the oblique lines and curvature of the folds and embroidery of each draft are very exquisite, not only fitting the streamline of the human body, but also giving the viewer a strong visual impact!"

Wang my lord's hand holding the water cup was trembling with excitement; he dropped out of college and went to "Vogue" for an internship, which was also a lot of pressure.

If he didn't do well, he might not even be able to go back; maybe he would have to go home to inherit the inheritance and be a drunken Chinese-American rich second generation.

This is not what he wants.

Liu Liu Yifei observed his expression silently.

Well, the progress bar is almost 50%.

Boss Lu suddenly changed the subject: "my lord, how about you design movie costumes for me?"

Wang my lord was stunned.

It is very normal for directors to find fashion brands or independent designers to design movie props and costumes.

Giorgio Armani has designed costumes for films such as "Gattaca" and "The Untouchables."

It's just that he is still an intern, so he is going to come out and set up his own business?

"Director Lu, you think so highly of me?"

"Of course!"

"There is a Chinese proverb that says fists fear the young and strong; the design industry is the same; artists are the profession that least needs to consider age differences."

"Aesthetic experiences and perceptions of different ages can give birth to works of different styles."

Boss Lu began to step on: "You should have seen the haute couture at last year's Paris Fashion Week; what kind of thing is Karl Lagerfeld? Chanel is also too old-fashioned."

"As these people get older, they stick to the old ways, and their works gradually lose their spirit."

"So I am more willing to work with young designers, especially after seeing your works just now, the minimalism with a touch of decadence, this kind of thinking similar to futurism fits the style of science fiction films very well!"

Everyone longs for recognition, especially recognition from authority.

Boss Lu, who won the Golden Lion Award and the Cannes Jury Prize, and was able to make all filmmakers stand up and applaud for 15 minutes yesterday, is obviously among the authorities.

Wang my lord said gratefully: "Director Lu, thank you very much for your recognition; your praise is the direction of my future efforts."

Liu Liu Yifei observed his expression carefully, 70%.

"It's just... I was invited by Anna to intern at 'Vogue', and she also has high hopes for me; if I..."

Anna?

The prototype of "The Devil Wears Prada"?

Boss Lu thought of a plan: "my lord, you misunderstood!"

"My company's movies and TV shows add up to only four or five a year; such a workload is a waste for a designer of your level!"

"I think you can completely grow up in 'Vogue' first and absorb their aesthetic nutrients."

"When you feel that you can stand on your own, I can invest in your studio; what do you think?"

I didn't expect this kid to have such good connections; an intern personally recruited by Anna, then it's better to use his own medium to see if he can get on the line with "Vogue."

If I remember correctly, the Chinese version of "Vogue" will be launched next year.

This magazine is called the fashion bible and was founded in 1892; it is an authority in the fashion world.

If I can exert influence on "Vogue," it will be more convenient to promote people in the future.

This belongs to mastering the discourse power of the fashion world.

Just like little Liu, a village girl who wears whatever she wants in life, I can pack her into a fashion queen in minutes!

Liu Liu Yifei looked at him strangely; how come the progress bar is almost finished and you paused.

There can only be one explanation for Lu Kuan's character; he found another branch plot of the map.

For such a proposal from Boss Lu, Wang my lord is naturally willing in every way.

"my lord, I will have someone send you a few character biographies and historical backgrounds later; you help me design a few sets of costumes for the next movie first."

"When I go to New York next time, I will visit you at 'Vogue'!"

"No problem, Director Lu!"

——

Every film festival is a pleasant film journey for directors like Lu Kuan.

He can travel through major screening halls without scruples, enjoying the good films he is interested in like an ordinary audience.

The most critical thing is to communicate and exchange with the directors on the scene after watching the movie from the perspective of learning and thinking.

This is very important for absorbing and absorbing the strengths of directors from different countries and styles.

Boss Lu took Liu Liu Yifei to support the screenings of domestic films such as "2046," "Breaking News," and "House of Flying Daggers."

Among them, although "House of Flying Daggers" did not completely eliminate the crux of the empty plot, it was very friendly to the Western viewing population.

The screening effect of the second show was especially good, and the audience stood up and applauded many times.

The film's own visual impact, music design, and sound effects were officially praised by magazines such as "Variety" and the field journal.

Johnnie To's "Breaking News" also made foreign media exclaim that this is the best genre film in Hong Kong.

Leonardo invited Lu Kuan to attend the premiere of Brad Pitt's "Troy" and introduced the two to each other.

Pitt brought his beautiful wife Jennifer Aniston to the meeting this time, that is, Rachel in "Friends."

Because "Troy" is a blockbuster about the Trojan War in ancient Greece, and Aniston has Greek ancestry and background.

It can only be said that the commercial hype of Hollywood stars is everywhere.

Liu Liu Yifei was very happy to see Aniston, having a joy of successful star-chasing, and uploaded the group photo of the two to her homepage.

And "Friends" will also officially end and scatter flowers in 2004, becoming a beautiful memory for a generation at home and abroad.

There is also Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy," which can be called a god-level film; Lu Kuan and Quentin, who also attended to support, discussed from the beginning to the end in the audience.

Both agreed that this is the best Korean film now.

On May 23, 2004, the Cannes Film Festival entered the final big climax, the awards ceremony.

It stands to reason that Boss Lu doesn't need to stay in Cannes until now; "Alien Realm" participated in the non-competition section screening.

After the premiere and interview, his promotional purpose for bringing the film to this Cannes had already been achieved.

The reason he was invited to attend the final awards ceremony is because he wanted to watch the lottery he bought for 9.5 million dollars last year open!

"Fahrenheit 9/11"!

Of course, it also depends on whether Zhang Zhang Manyu can be crowned queen.

After the premiere, she had already verbally agreed to star in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which is also a support for her future heroine.

By the way, Quentin also invited him to be an award presenter to present the Jury Prize.

The Asian film elements of this Cannes are particularly rich.

In addition to the previously introduced Wong Kar-wai, Zhang Zhang Yimou, and others, director Yang Chao and actor Geng Le's "Journey" received a nomination for the Golden Camera.

Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Tropical Malady" won the Jury Special Prize.

And the 14-year-old Japanese kid Yuya Yagira actually won the actor award, which made Liang Liang Chaowei vomit blood; this time he came to Cannes with great hope.

Wong Kar-wai's "2046" was participated in distribution by mk2, and they were very optimistic that this film would shine like "In the Mood for Love" back then.

Next is the honor of the queen.

Liu Liu Yifei and Lu Kuan sat in the audience.

"Do you think Sister Zhang Manyu will win?"

"Yes."

Liu Liu Yifei was curious: "Did you calculate it? Or did Quentin tell you?"

She suddenly realized: "Oh! I know! Did Quentin tell you she would win the queen, so you found her to be the heroine."

"This way your new film has a queen joining, and the box office can also be guaranteed?"

Boss Lu smiled: "You guessed the ending, but didn't guess the beginning."

"Almost all the films at this Cannes are big male lead films, and there are very few outstanding female roles."

"Zhang Zhang Manyu's only two competitors are Zhang Zhang Ziyi and Charlize Theron; I don't think Zhang Zhang Ziyi is very good, and Charlize Theron, she acted in a biographical film, and the room for play is limited."

Liu Liu Yifei nodded: "Emily in 'Clean' is indeed very outstanding."

She went to watch Zhang Zhang Manyu's "Clean" with Lu Kuan, and it was also on the scene that the latter agreed to star in Lu Kuan's new film heroine.

"The gentleness and implicitness of that kind of oriental beauty in 'Clean' has always been her strength; in other words, this role is Zhang Zhang Manyu's comfort zone."

"It means the same as Zhao Linger, Wang Wang Yuyan, and Xiaolongnu you played; they are all roles that fit the character's own personality."

Lu Kuan seemed to suddenly remember something: "By the way, how did Zhang Zhang Jizhong arrange your shooting schedule for 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'?"

There is a follow-up shooting task for "Zhu Xian" from July to October, but the Lu Lu Xueqi she plays will only appear in a few episodes in September.

However, the previous time is not very empty, because she has to run the global roadshow with "Alien Realm," which is not the progress of two cities a day in the country.

"Yang Siwei has communicated with him; the crew starts shooting in late September, and I can join the crew in October."

"That's good."

Mentioning "Condor Heroes," Liu Liu Yifei also had a small knot in her heart, which was the scene of being violated by Zhen Yin Zhiping...

The news that Big Beard invited Lu Kuan to make a cameo hadn't been released yet, and she didn't know it would be him who would play it for the time being.

She was still thinking about how to talk to Zhang Zhang Jizhong, don't be too...

It's just that this seems very unprofessional, and the little girl is also very hesitant in her heart.

A "maggiecheung" from the award presenter interrupted her wild thoughts, and Zhang Zhang Manyu was crowned queen as she wished.

She boarded the stage calmly; the previous multiple award-winning experiences made Zhang Zhang Manyu incomparably calm.

"Thanks to my crew, my director... and also my ex-husband Mr. Assayas, thank you for creating such a role for me; you are the key to my success, thank you!"

Liu Liu Yifei was stunned: "The director is her ex-husband?"

Lu Kuan smiled: "What's strange about this, lost a husband, won a queen, profit!"

The little girl curled her lips and didn't speak again.

If she had to put a beautiful relationship and a queen in front of her, she would choose the former without hesitation.

All Chinese filmmakers on the scene, and even Asian filmmakers like Park Chan-wook, stood up and applauded.

This is the first time a Chinese actor has won the Cannes queen, and it is also the first Asian queen since the establishment of the Cannes Film Festival.

Boss Lu was naturally laughing from ear to ear; this queen was too timely, at least worth 10 million box office.

Liu Liu Yifei admired her indifferent demeanor.

"Why isn't Sister Zhang Manyu excited at all? I was so excited that I cried at the premiere of 'Alien Realm'!"

"Excited? If you won a Berlin Golden Bear, four Golden Horses, and five Golden Images, you wouldn't be excited either, just sprinkle water."

The little girl was unconvinced: "Lu Kuan, stop looking down on people! When I win the queen, I will make you look up to me! Begging me to act in your movie."

Boss Lu tidied up his suit, ready to participate in the awards ceremony backstage, leaving only a light "blessing."

"I hope so."

The Jury Prize was won by Korean director Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy"; he hugged Lu Kuan, who was presenting the award, affectionately, almost crying with excitement.

The meat of the play appeared in the announcement of the Palme d'Or; Quentin went on stage with a strange laugh and announced the final winner without any foreshadowing.

"Fahrenheit 9/11"!

Fortunately, it didn't fall into other hands because of Lu Kuan's butterfly wings, otherwise this 9.5 million dollars would have to be lost to death!

It's just that many audiences at the scene were shocked, including the confident Wong Kar-wai.

The experience of winning the award in the three major European film festivals has to be traced back 48 years ago...

This damn Quentin doesn't do human things!

Except for Moore, the director of "Fahrenheit 9/11," who was excited, Sean Penn was the first to stand up and applaud...

The second was director Lu Kuan from China; Sean Penn looked at him and nodded in approval; worthy of being a young director with a global vision!

Perhaps his last refusal of his "Alien Realm" was a mistake.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" being able to win the award is related to the personal taste of Jury President Quentin, but more is the embodiment of Cannes' overall development ideas.

In recent years, Hollywood has become increasingly fierce, while the three major European film festivals have gradually declined.

Although they look down on Hollywood, for example, Venice's slogan is "Down with Hollywood," but for survival, they have to lower their posture and accommodate some rules.

For example, inviting Hollywood films and superstars to promote and attract traffic for the film festival, for example, this Cannes allowed cartoons to enter the main competition section.

So, how does the unique Cannes maintain its own force and uniqueness?

How to show the world that it has not been submerged in the wave of commercialization?

The method is also very simple: learn the political route of Berlin, let the anti-war film that is politically correct win the Palme d'Or; this is their proof of resisting the United States and Hollywood!

Just like "Elephant," which defeated "Thief" last year, it is also a film reflecting the shooting incident in the United States.

In other words, the purpose of the Cannes Film Festival is to show, and the award is the award.

I use your Hollywood way to build momentum, but I'm sorry for the award; for example, a pure commercial film like "Alien Realm," no matter how well you shoot it, you can't win the award.

You can't even enter the main competition section.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" won the Palme d'Or, and the people of the third world were ecstatic!

And in the distant America, only two people had insomnia tonight.

One is George W. Bush, who was almost elected Cannes actor.

The other is poor Harvey.

You were really plucked too miserably by Boss Lu!

The Jewish white pig is now very painful, very tormented, and very blue and thin.

On the one hand, he is particularly dissatisfied with Lu Kuan "coaxing" away the Palme d'Or work from his hands;

On the other hand, the big explosion of "Alien Realm" at the film festival and the beautiful box office figures about to be displayed in front of him make him intoxicated.

Lu Kuan, Lu Kuan, you are really a little bitch who makes me love and hate!

The Cannes Film Festival officially closed.

The next day, Boss Lu and Liu Liu Xiaoli and her daughter came to Paris.

Before taking the plane back to China, An Kang, who had taken office as the education first secretary of the embassy in France, wanted to invite them to dinner.

The last time I saw my daughter Liu Liu Yifei was in New York in early 2003.

Arriving in Paris, Boss Lu had to act separately from them for the time being; he was going to sell the film!

mk2 headquarters, Lu Kuan revisited the old place, still remembering the situation where mk2's Lauren and Lu Lu Kebei combined to fool him this time last year.

Coming again this time is to talk about the distribution of "Fahrenheit 9/11" with mk2.

mk2 is the largest and most professional art film distributor in France, and has a certain influence in North Africa and South America.

Lu Kuan is ready to hand over all regions except China and the United States to them.

"Mr. Lauren, see you again."

Lu Lu Kebei was not present today; only Lu Kuan and Lauren were talking alone.

"To be honest, I am surprised; the copyright of this film is actually in your hands?"

Lu Kuan smiled: "Oh! It's my Jewish friend Harvey; he sold this movie to me last year; I didn't expect to win the Palme d'Or; it's too surprising."

Lauren nodded knowingly; he felt that this should be a trick by Lu Kuan and Harvey of Miramax.

The contradiction between Harvey and Eisner has entered a white-hot stage, especially after the last "Alien Realm" incident; Harvey is now at risk of being swept out of Disney at any time.

But being swept out is also irrelevant; Disney will buy his shares, and he will set up another stove; the connections are all his own, no difference.

Boss Lu looked at his watch: "Let's make a long story short? Does mk2 have the intention of acting as an agent?"

"Of course!"

Lauren took out an English contract from the desk and handed it over; Boss Lu leaned on the sofa and turned the pages.

mk2 is a company that prides itself on having force; they don't look down on vulgar commercial films.

It must be an art film, and it must be an art film with excellent appearance, like Wong Kar-wai's "In the Mood for Love."

"Fahrenheit 9/11" belongs to 100% political correctness in the European art circle, especially the anti-war art circle; mk2 is of course interested.

"15% is too high, 10%?"

Lauren frowned; you damn bargaining is too ruthless, right?

Boss Lu smiled: "Generally speaking, an Oscar nomination will increase the film's box office by 30 million dollars, and winning the award is about 50 to 60 million."

"The Palme d'Or at Cannes is slightly inferior; according to the data given by box, it is about 15 to 20 million dollars."

"Lauren, I think this increase is enough to offset the points you let out."

Boss Lu stood up leisurely: "I have another dinner party; consider the 10% condition."

Lauren looked at his demeanor and didn't think it was fake, and thought about it and really felt it made sense, so the two reached an oral agreement on the spot.

The place where An Kang arranged to eat was No. 134 Montparnasse, 6th Arrondissement, Paris; this is a Chinese tofu restaurant; this Chinese restaurant was born from the Chinese restaurant founded in 1914.

The Chinese restaurant has a long history, originally founded by Li Shizeng, a Chinese in France.

He founded a tofu company in Paris early on, dedicated to promoting tofu series food products.

Later, because the taste of tofu was too bland and did not match the taste of the Parisian people who were accustomed to cheese, Li Shizeng opened a restaurant to improve tofu-based cooking.

The earliest batch of students who went to France for work-study programs in China, including Mr. Xiangyu and Comrade Xiaoping, are said to have worked in this tofu company and rayon factory.

The waiter quickly served a series of tofu delicacies: double-pepper tofu pot, mapo tofu, tofu with scallions.

Liu Liu Yifei had a bitter face: "Dad, I finally came to Paris once, why did you take me to eat this?"

"Go, today is to invite little Lu; you and your mother are both guests."

Boss Lu smiled: "I've eaten too much meat and seafood in the hotel; I'm used to eating Chinese food."

Liu Liu Xiaoli also patted her daughter's arm lightly: "Eat yours, why so much talk, eating something light is just right to keep your figure!"

An Kang raised his glass to Lu Kuan: "Little Lu, I read your interview in 'Le Figaro', well said!"

"Now Westerners' understanding of us is still stuck in the backward past, and some people even think we are still in the Qing Dynasty with braids."

"Influenced by your movie, the embassy has recently had more activities to go out for cultural publicity!"

He serves as the education first secretary stationed abroad; the main responsibility of the education office of the embassy stationed abroad is to promote educational exchanges and cooperation between our country and the host country.

Promote Chinese promotion and cultural propaganda work.

Lu Kuan nodded: "Movies are the world's seventh largest art, and also a film type that the French are obsessed with; I also hope to contribute to the traditional culture going abroad."

"By the way, little Liu's performance is also very good; the set of Bamboo Rhyme dress she wore has now become the research object of many fashion designers."

An Kang smiled: "It's not bad; she would call me to complain when she was tired from filming on the crew; now it seems that she has suffered and succeeded, haha!"

Liu Liu Xiaoli also raised her glass: "Little Lu, Auntie also toasts you, thank you for taking care of Sister Xixi."

"Where, where."

In work, talk about duties, in life, talk about seniority, Lu Kuan also politely lowered his cup mouth.

"There is no such thing as taking care; I hire her, she contributes to the movie, this is mutual."

Not to mention no salary, where can I find such a good thing of white prostitution!

"What little Lu said is a polite remark; good roles are scarce resources; I still understand this truth."

An Kang changed the subject: "Especially a director like you who is upright and honest; Sister Xixi follows you to film, I am relieved."

Boss Lu raised his eyes to meet his gaze, and the two smiled tacitly and drank the wine in the cup.

Is little Liu's old father praising or warning?

Liu Liu Xiaoli gave her ex-husband a look, signaling him not to talk too much.

Since those messy scandals appeared on the internet, especially the Valentine's Day movie-watching incident was hammered by netizens, she often received overseas calls.

Telling herself to take good care of her underage daughter and never make a big mistake!

It's like she is a stepmother, but your daughter has to be obedient, right?

She will be 17 in August, and she has almost become a kite with a broken string, and she can't catch it.

An Kang turned to talk about business: "By the way, the first Confucius Institute in Paris will be completed next year; there may be some cultural exchange projects by then."

"If it is convenient, little Lu can use the Chinese cultural elements in your movie to do some publicity, if this is conducive to your subsequent participation in Cannes."

"At that time, the embassy will invite some French cultural and art figures to participate, which can be considered as building momentum for you."

Boss Lu didn't expect this way, and it's hard to say how the effect will be.

But it is possible to get to know some film festival high-level, French cultural circles, and fashion celebrities through him.

Liu Liu Yifei jumped for joy: "Dad, you can invite me to walk the show, wearing a national style cheongsam, what do you think?"

An Kang joked: "I'm afraid I can't afford you; your mother said the endorsement fee is more than 3 million a year? Why don't you give me a cheaper price?"

"That won't work; even biological father and daughter have to settle accounts clearly; giving a discount is possible!"

Everyone laughed.

(End of this chapter)