After discussion, Xu Wangqiu and his troops began to act in two ways. As consul, Huang Bo protested to the Italian Ministry of Culture on behalf of China and represented the government's position. Xu Wangqiu and Sun Daolin, as representatives of the artists, protested to the organizing committee of the festival. The advantage of this is to send a signal to the organizing committee that this is not only the government's dissatisfaction, but also the artist's dissatisfaction.

Xu Wangqiu and Sun Daolin came to the office of the Organizing Committee of the Film Palace and protested to the person in charge of the Organizing Committee. When they walked into the office, the president of the festival was not there, only a director named Giovanni was.

Xu Wangqiu came to protest, so naturally he would not be polite, and said directly: "I am Xu Wangqiu, the head of the Chinese film delegation, and this is Sun Daolin, the star of "A Game of Chess That Has Not Been Finished". We are here to protest. Outside the movie palace, while the five-star red flag was hoisted, the blue sky and white sun flag of the bend of the platform was hung, which was a very serious mistake. Please remove the blue sky and white sun flag from Taiwan immediately. ”

Giovanni said lazily, "Is there anything wrong with this? Your flag is hoisted, and we respect you." Other people's flags, that's someone else's business, so you don't care about it!"

Seeing that the five-star red flag and the blue sky and white sun flag were hung out together, Xu Wangqiu guessed that Taiwan must have sent a delegation to Venice, otherwise it would be impossible for the organizing committee to hang out the blue sky and white sun flag. Now it seems that it is true. He stared at the other party and said coldly: "Yes, then you hang up Hitler's *** and try it to see if anyone will take care of you." When China and Italy established diplomatic relations, the Italian government stated that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is not a country. ”

Giovanni defended: "We are engaged in art, please don't talk about politics." ”

Xu Wangqiu retorted: "You are engaging in politics by hanging the five-star red flag and the blue sky and white sun flag together. The Venice Film Festival is a cultural event under the Italian Ministry of Culture, and the Consul of our Embassy, Huang Bo, has gone to protest to your officials from the Ministry of Culture. We are here as artists to protest to you, and I hope you don't get into politics. ”

Giovanni heard that the Chinese consul was protesting to the Ministry of Culture, and secretly scolded Xu Wangqiu for making a fuss, explaining: "In addition to your films, the main competition unit of this film festival also has "Drunken Life and Dream Death" directed by Taiwan Hu Jinquan. According to the regulations, the national flags of all the shortlisted film countries must be raised. There are movies shortlisted in Taiwan, and we have to hang their flags, which is really not about politics. ”

Xu Wangqiu was slightly stunned when he heard this, he remembered that the first Chinese-language film shortlisted for the Venice Film Festival was "Under the Bridge" in 1984, and the first film shortlisted for the Venice Film Festival was Hou Xiaoxian's "City of Sadness", and this film was also the first Chinese-language film to win the Golden Lion Award.

In other words, according to the normal historical trajectory, the Taiwan film was shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Venice Film Festival, and it would take seven years to go, but now Hu Jinquan's film has been shortlisted for the main competition unit.

And Xu Wangqiu didn't remember that Hu Jinquan had made a movie called "Drunken Life and Dream of Death", which came out of thin air.

Xu Wangqiu realized that it was his butterfly that fanned his wings, instigated "Drunken Life and Dream of Death", and also fanned the film into the Venice Film Festival.

In fact, after the export company threw out the co-production policy in Xiangjiang last year, the "Ministry of Culture" in Taiwan felt unprecedented pressure and exclaimed that the mainland wanted to unite with Xiangjiang. Under such circumstances, Taiwan has come up with two countermeasures: one is to actively win over the Xiangjiang Film Company and filmmakers and give them more support, and resolutely block those who are pro-mainland. The second is to support art films, strive to show their faces and speak out internationally, and give heavy rewards to directors who can make a name for themselves internationally.

Due to the fact that there are very few directors who can make high-level art films in Taiwan, Taiwan China Film Company began to vigorously promote young and middle-aged directors, including Yang Dechang, Hou Xiaoxian, Chen Kunhou and others. Their films get rid of the traditional mode and expression techniques of Taiwanese films, dare to express their views on society and life, and are avant-garde in the breakthrough of the subject matter. In addition, they are good at absorbing advanced technologies and techniques from Western films, and pay attention to using sound, light, and image to express humanistic connotations. With these young directors on stage, the New Wave of Taiwan Film Movement officially kicked off.

Hu Jinquan was shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival with "Chivalrous Girl" in 75 years and won the technical award. Hu Jinquan has a very high level and has a certain reputation in the world, so he has naturally become the key support object of Taiwan. And Hu Jinquan did not disappoint Taiwan, and was successfully shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Venice Film Festival with "Drunk Life and Dream of Death".

Xu Wangqiu cared about what happened, and only cared about when the blue sky and white sun flag would be taken down, and said solemnly: "Your regulations are that the national flags of all the shortlisted countries are raised, and Taiwan is not a country, it is a part of China, you only need to raise the five-star red flag." There will be no two suns in one sky, and no two flags in a country. There can only be one Chinese flag in front of the Venice Cinema Palace, this is a matter of principle, and we cannot back down. If you don't remove the Taiwan flag, then we will withdraw from this film festival and withdraw our films. ”

When Giovanni heard Xu Wangqiu say this, he realized the seriousness of the problem: "I can't do this either. Well, I'll get in touch with the Chairman and the others as soon as possible, and I'll let you know as soon as I have any news. ”

Coming out of the organizing committee office, Xu Wangqiu's mood was a little heavy, and he obviously felt the perfunctory attitude of the other party. This is also something that cannot be helped, now that China is poor, Chinese films have no status in the world. Xu Wangqiu, the head of the troupe, is not famous enough, and if a big director like Wim Wenders comes out to protest, the situation will be completely different.

Forty years from now, this kind of problem will not be the case at film festivals, because Chinese films have become the world's second-largest market, and it is only a matter of time before they replace the United States as the world's number one. No country, no film festival, dare to despise China.

After returning to the hotel, Xu Wangqiu called the people from the Dongying delegation together and told them a brief explanation. "A Game of Chess That Hasn't Been Finished" is a film jointly produced by China and Japan, if only the Chinese delegation withdraws, and the Dongying delegation and the film do not withdraw, then China's withdrawal will not use any deterrence, so the Dongying delegation must be convinced.

Xu Wangqiu's gaze slowly swept over Junya Sato's face, and he said solemnly: "This matter is related to the issue of China's sovereignty, and there is no room for compromise. If the film festival insists on hanging the blue sky and white sun flag, then our Chinese delegation will withdraw from the film festival. "A Game of Chess That Hasn't Been Finished" was jointly filmed by China and Japan, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the normal diplomatic relations between China and Japan, and to be filmed for Sino-Japanese friendship. If the festival refuses to make corrections, then we will withdraw from the festival and withdraw the film together. ”

Akina Nakamori doesn't understand politics at all, and she doesn't understand the seriousness of the matter. In her opinion, since Xu Wangqiu said that the film festival is wrong, it must be that the film festival is wrong, and said directly: "We support you." ”

Junya Sato feels that it would be a pity to withdraw from this Venice Film Festival, because this year's Venice Film Festival has an unprecedentedly strong lineup, and many film masters will appear at the festival. However, he also knew that this was a matter of China's sovereignty, and the Chinese delegation could not compromise, so he sighed and said: "It's a pity to withdraw from this Venice Film Festival." But it's really their fault, and if they refuse to correct it, then I support you to quit. ”

Sen Chongdao is a veteran of the four fields, and he doesn't have a good impression of Taiwan: "In this matter, we will definitely be on your side." I'll give you a briefing to Mr. Tokuma in a moment, and he'll be sure he'll support us as well. ”

After getting the Dongying delegation done, Xu Wangqiu sat in the room with the members of the Chinese delegation and waited for news from the organizing committee. However, they didn't wait stupidly, and every hour they would send someone to the movie palace to see if the blue sky and white sun flag were removed.

I waited until nine o'clock in the evening, when the phone finally rang.

The rapid ringing of the telephone made the atmosphere in the room suddenly tense, and everyone stared closely at the phone on the table, feeling uneasy. Everyone hoped that this matter could be resolved peacefully, and they were finally shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Venice Film Festival, and it was really a little unwilling to quit like this.

Xu Wangqiu exhaled softly and connected the phone: "Hey, hello." ”

"Is it the Chinese film delegation?" After receiving Xu Wangqiu's affirmative answer on the other end of the phone, he said directly, "According to your request, we have taken down the Taiwan flag." Welcome to the Venice Film Festival. ”

After hanging up the phone, Xu Wangqiu saw everyone staring at him nervously, and showed a triumphant smile: "The people from the organizing committee said that the Taiwan flag has been withdrawn. This is the end of the matter for now. Tomorrow the film festival will officially open, you go back to prepare, I will go to the film palace to see if the flag is really removed. ”

From the hotel, Xu Wangqiu trotted all the way to the movie palace. He stood in front of the movie palace and looked carefully at the fluttering flags, the five-star red flag fluttering in the sea breeze, and the blue sky and white sun flag had indeed been removed.

Xu Wangqiu exhaled softly, the protest had an effect, and the Taiwan flag was really removed; but the stone in his heart was still hanging, and Taiwan especially liked to make small moves, and he was definitely not willing to be taken away from the blue sky and white sun flag, and no one knew what moths they would make.

Xu Wangqiu was about to leave when he suddenly heard someone shouting angrily in a Taiwanese accent: "They really took down our national flag! How can they do this! It's just too much!"

"All along, the CCP has been abusing political violence, taking what it wants from international organizations, and brutally suppressing Taiwan's international living space, not only blocking Taiwan's international living space in international organizations, but now even not letting go of cultural exchange activities that do not involve politics and international exchanges. It's shameless!"

"Duck Bully! Duck Tyrant! This is a naked Duck Bully! Ah Gongzai is really too deceitful!"

Xu Wangqiu felt that the speaker's voice was a little familiar, turned his head to look, and couldn't help but smile, it's not that the enemies don't get together!

Among the three people who spoke, Xu Wangqiu knew two, one was Tong Yuejuan, the chairman of the Freedom Federation, and the other was Wu Nianzhen, a screenwriter from Taiwan who he met in Cannes last year, and the rest was in his fifties, wearing a neat suit, looking quite stylish, and it was estimated that he was an official of the Taiwan News Bureau. When Taiwan films participate in the three major film festivals, the Taiwan News Bureau will send people to follow. The small actions that Taiwan made at the film festival were basically carried out by officials of the Information Bureau.

Xu Wangqiu smiled and waved at Tong Yuejuan: "Yo, this is not Grandma Tong." I didn't expect to meet again in Venice. It seems that you are still in good health, and you can still come to Venice, I thought that I would never see you again after saying goodbye last year. ”

Tong Yuejuan snorted coldly: "Even if you die, I won't be dead." ”

The official-looking man pointed at Xu Wangqiu and said angrily: "I warn you mainlanders, your brutal suppression will only arouse greater antipathy from the people of Taiwan to the mainland, and will also arouse the resentment of the international community and other participating countries." Your evil deeds have been seen by the 20 million people of Taiwan, and we will never give in!"