September 1, premiere.

The Chinese-language film, which was crammed into a crowd of Hollywood films and master works, was unsurprisingly given a cold reception, with less than half of the audience sitting in the 500-seat theater, and the film was only screened for about 15 minutes before Western reporters and audiences began to leave the theater one after another.

Western audiences are often accustomed to three-part films, and the opening fifteen minutes are usually the first paragraph, and if this paragraph is not attractive, then there is no need to read it any further. By the end of the screening, there were less than 100 people left in the theater, and they were basically Chinese audiences from domestic and Hong Kong media.

Good death, at the press conference at 12 o'clock at noon the next day, the crew was arranged by the organizer after Nicolas Cage, when He Xin followed Li Miaoxue, Lin Jiaxin and Zheng Yijian into the venue, the original full news hall, Western reporters left one after another, and the scene was very embarrassing.

Fortunately, in the end, a few Western reporters were left, and there was no ugly scene of all domestic media and Chinese fans at the press conference.

It's just that a few Western journalists, who obviously have French accents, are apparently staying for Mr. He, and their questions are silent about the film, but they are even more curious about his other entry.

Originally, He Xin and Ning Hao, a poor duo, had no money to do publicity, so they just took this opportunity to talk about it and cheekily publicized it.

"I'm sorry, Director Li. ”

After the press conference, He Xin inevitably had to say hello to Li Miaoxue, after all, it would inevitably be a little inauthentic to promote his other work at the press conference of other people's works.

"It's okay, I've seen it, and it's really good. Li Miaoxue said very generously.

In fact, the main competition unit of this year's Venice Film Festival was controversial from the beginning, and when Li Miaoxue was interviewed by domestic and Hong Kong media just now, she made no secret of the commercial characteristics of this film in addition to the artistic nature. It's just that this kind of film with a slight Hong Kong-style commercial characteristics is not coincidental in Venice.

She even replied to the question of whether she was expecting to win the award: "I think it is a good marketing strategy to go to international film festivals before putting it on the market, which can make fans pay attention to the film at once, and it can also help the film sell in markets outside of Chinese-speaking regions." ”

Obviously, the purpose of her coming to the Venice Film Festival this time is to promote, as for whether she wins the award or not, it can only depend on chance, in fact, whether it is an art film or a commercial film, in the final analysis, it is to sell for money.

"Tomorrow, I hope everyone can appreciate their faces and come and support them. He Xin then invited with a shy face.

There is no way, although the films shortlisted for the competition unit against the current are not as valued as the films shortlisted for the main competition unit, but the organizers of the premiere tomorrow have also arranged a theater with 300 seats.

To be honest, even so, He Xin was really worried that he would be left out in the cold. He has participated in film festivals many times, and he has also witnessed many times the embarrassing scene of single-digit audiences in the theater where there were shortlisted or hundreds of people screened films, and then he naturally became the object of ridicule by the media.

In fact, although I also suffered a cold reception this time, I was still lucky. Because the movie starring Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, which premiered on the same day, caused great controversy at the premiere.

He Xin didn't go to see this movie, but only learned through the newspaper this morning that the film was set in the seventies and eighties of the last century. This was a special period in the history of Argentina, when the political situation was chaotic, the Perón government collapsed, the working class struggled, and the military dictatorship ruled. Between '76 and '83, at least 30,000 people went missing in various political movements due to political fluctuations.

But the director added supernatural elements to this realistic film, giving the male protagonist a supernatural ability that was considered a blasphemy against history. At the premiere, many viewers left the theater in anger, and critics were even more dissatisfied with the film, booing it everywhere, calling it "shameless and dirty war".

"Of course!"

"I'm looking forward to your work too!"

Both Li Miaoxue and Lin Jiaxin happily accepted his invitation.

Only Zheng Yijian said embarrassedly: "Ah Xin, I'm sorry, I'm going back to Hong Kong tomorrow morning, so ......"

"It's okay, Brother Haonan!"

Although Zheng Yijian is very popular in Hong Kong, this is the first time he has participated in this kind of international film festival, and there have been media reports before that he also specially ordered a set of 20,000 Hong Kong dollars in Hong Kong for this purpose.

In fact, he is somewhat envious of He Xin, for example, when the movie premiered last night, there would be foreign fans calling He Xin's name, and today there are Western reporters who specially stayed for He Xin, unlike him, who left the Chinese-speaking area, and no one knew him at all.

After attending the press conference, the hungry He Xin had just returned to the hotel where he was staying to prepare for dinner, when he saw Hu Linyu, the translator of Xiaodouding, who had been sent out to distribute leaflets in the morning, running in with a newspaper in his hand, and shouting: "Boss, good news! Good news!"

"What's the good news?" He Xin asked with a boost of energy.

It's just that when I saw Ning Hao and Sister Na who came in behind Xiaodouding, I couldn't see joy on their faces, but instead there was a look of helplessness and sympathy.

Xiao Douding flipped through the newspaper in his hand, pointed to an article on the second page, and said, "This is it." ”

"You say, I can't read it!"

"That's right, the Iranian film that we were shortlisted for the Swimming Race will not be released tomorrow. ”

He Xin's eyes lit up suddenly, and if he couldn't release it, it meant that there was one less competitor, but he didn't have any joy when he saw Ning Hao, and he hurriedly asked, "What's the matter? Why can't it be released?"

Ning Hao didn't say anything, just glanced at Xiao Douding. Xiao Douding snorted, pointed to the newspaper report and said: "This movie was banned by the Iranian government, saying that there is a plot in this movie involving the love between a *** boy and a Jewish girl, which is a big deal for them." Copies of the film have been confiscated, and although there is no indication that the director has been detained, the film's French producer says he has not been heard from for several days and is worried. ”

The previous movie was banned and the copy was confiscated, and He Xin was still secretly rejoicing, until he heard that there was no news from the director in the end, which made him feel shocked, and he also understood why Ning Hao and Sister Na had such expressions.

As an insider, he often hears some people criticize the so-called sixth-generation directors for criticizing the domestic film censorship, and often cites Iran as the most censored country in the world, but it does not prevent Iranian films from shining internationally. The implication is that you don't blame censorship, your so-called creation is subject to censorship, it's just that your level is not enough.

He didn't feel anything before, but today he was really a little frightened when he heard the news, or he felt another kind of happiness in his heart.

After making so many movies that could not be released in China, sometimes he would complain about domestic censorship. But looking back now, at most, you will not be allowed to screen in China, and more severely will be to ban directors and punish them, such as Tianzhuang Zhuang, Jiang Wen, and Jia Kechang, but you are still secretly filming underground or making nonsense internationally, and you will not do anything to you, at least freedom of speech and personal safety are guaranteed.

At this moment, he, like Ning Hao and Sister Na, felt sympathy and worry about the director who had no news so far, after all, everyone eats the same bowl of rice, and it is inevitable that there will be some sad emotions about the death of rabbits and foxes.

"Alas!"

At this time, Xiao Douding's translator let out a long sigh, looked at the three of them, and said with a look of disgust: "I hate you cultural people the most, what are we here for?

"Hey, I said Gu Yuewan, why are you so cold......-blooded?

"What are you?"

Ning Hao's words were rudely interrupted by Xiao Douding's translator, and she said excitedly: "It's just a foreign director, what's there to sympathize with? If you still have this cheap sympathy, you should care more about the children in the western part of our country who don't go to school and even have problems with food and clothing......

I almost forgot that this little douding translator is also a veteran traveler, and often travels around alone with a hiking bag almost taller than her, and it is said that not only has traveled all over the country, but also often traveled abroad, to some unpopular and adventurous places like Africa or South America. She broke up with her ex-boyfriend in the subtitle group because of this.

In fact, don't look at her small age, if you really talk about her age, in fact, she is all the three people here, and she will have three of them. It stands to reason that He Xin should be honored as a sister! It's just that she is thin and small, and she was born with a loli face, just like facing Zhou Xun, the word sister is difficult to say.

Ning Hao opened his mouth and just wanted to refute, but was interrupted by Xiao Douding's translator waving his hand, and continued: "And since that director is from that country, he should abide by the laws of that country. Of course, because of different beliefs, customs, and values, the laws of each country will certainly not be the same, but as long as you are in this country, then the laws of this country are binding on you. Although I don't know if the director's film is good or not, just based on what is written in the newspaper, it must be illegal in the local area.

The newspaper said that the French producer emphasized that the film was a transcendent exploration of love, which was just their Western values. I think the director just wants to use his own story to cater to this Western value, to put it mildly, he just wants to win a position, what is there to sympathize with?"

“......”

I have to say that the three of Xiao Douding's fierce remarks were speechless, and it does make sense if you think about it carefully, everything is to talk about the rules, you can question the rules, but before you have the ability to change the rules, you have to follow the rules. To put it more seriously, if everyone doesn't follow the rules, the world will be chaotic!

Seeing that the three of them were speechless, Xiao Douding patted the newspaper in his hand and said proudly: "Now that I think about the loss of a competitor, is it good news?"

"Uh......"

To say more, Ning Hao also had a verbal agreement with her before, in addition to the labor fee of 1,000 yuan per day, if the film sells well, there will be an additional bonus. It's no wonder that the translation of Little Douding is so concerned.

"Xiaohu, don't forget, we are in this Western society now, as you just said, we have to abide by the rules here. You just said something nonsense!" He Xin suddenly remembered and reminded.

"Cut, I'm not stupid!" Xiao Douding shook his head arrogantly.

The hotel where they stayed belonged to the film festival reception hotel designated by the organizing committee, and the meal was still relatively affordable compared to the expensive Venice, most of the time in the form of a buffet, more than 20 euros per person. Of course, this price is already sky-high compared to China, enough to go to the cafeteria of a five-star hotel to rub a meal.

After Xiao Douding made an impassioned speech, he took Sister Na downstairs to eat first. He Xin glanced at Ning Hao, who was looking forward to it, and didn't need him to ask, so he shook his head with a wry smile and said, "There is still no news." ”

The festival is a magical place, on the one hand, a place of art preaching, where masters hold press conferences to promote artistic ideas to the media and fans around the world, and on the other hand, a bustling wet market where filmmakers from more than 100 countries sell their products.

As a shortlisted film, He Xin and Ning Hao's Hong Kong Xinghao film was also assigned a small booth in this vegetable market, and in the past few days, Ning Hao, Sister Na, and Xiaodouding have been wandering around the market all day long, with posters on the booth, playing trailers on a loop, and distributing brochures to film dealers around the world, a small number of tourists and media reporters.

It's pitiful, but they say it's the most shabby booth in this market, with no star platforms, no eye-catching props and furnishings. Even movie posters and brochures were brought from China, and these prints were kindly sponsored by an advertising company that Ning Hao had worked with in the past.

It's just that after a few busy days, the results are still zero, and the copyright of a country has not been sold. He Xin is lacking in skills, and he still has to take care of the propaganda over there. Fortunately, he told Li Miaoxue in private that after today's noon press conference, he would be busy with his own business.

Facing Ning Hao's anxiety, He Xin could only comfort him based on his own experience: "Don't worry, wait until tomorrow's premiere is over, and it's time to do business, otherwise people won't see what your work is like, who will come to buy the film? ”

In fact, having said that, at this time, He Xin did not regard MK2 as a lifesaver. As for their delay in contact, with his experience in opening a grocery store in his previous life, on the one hand, he may want to make a cut and reduce the price when the time comes, and on the other hand, he probably also wants to wait until the movie premieres to see how the market reacts.

What He Xin is really worried about now is that if he is treated coldly like this and no one cares about it, if the other party gives up, this matter will be difficult to handle.