In Los Angeles' Chinatown, a busy day is coming to an end.

In an old-fashioned bookstore, Li Zi frequently looked at the quartz clock on the wall, and occasionally looked at the door of the store, and on the street outside the store, a girl about his age had been waiting for a long time.

The shopkeeper noticed that the plum was abnormal and asked, "Is there something wrong with you?"

Li Zi scratched his head embarrassedly and said, "Boss, can I leave a little earlier today?"

The boss looked serious: "There is something to say." ”

Li Zi had no choice but to say: "My girlfriend asked me to go to the movies......"

"Go ahead. The boss was not embarrassed, and waved his hand: "Come early tomorrow morning." ”

Li Zi hurriedly packed up his things: "No problem." He looked at the book of martial arts in the boss's hand, and said before going out: "Boss, I went to watch a martial arts movie, you love to watch martial arts so much, you can go and watch it if you have time on the weekend. ”

The boss was a little strange: "Martial arts films can also be shown in American theaters?"

This is very rare.

Li Zi looked outside, didn't rush out, and flatteringly took out a copy of "Premiere" magazine from the shelf, pointed to the porridge on the cover and said poorly: "This film is very well promoted, and newspapers, magazines and TV are full of advertisements. ”

The boss took the magazine and nodded, "Hmm." ”

Seeing the boss seriously reading the magazine, Li Zi said hello, left the store, met his girlfriend, and rushed to Hollywood.

This is the old Chinatown, most of the Chinese have moved away, and those who remain are also doing business, and the Vietnamese and Koreans are increasing, and the number far exceeds the Chinese.

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was not screened nearby, and Li Zi was going to Hollywood for the premiere.

"You're too slow. ”

Sitting in the car, Lizi's girlfriend Lina complained, "I've been waiting for you for almost an hour." ”

Li Zi glanced at his watch and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I can't delay watching the premiere." ”

Lina was a little puzzled: "This kind of film is very good?"

Compared with Li Zi, Lina's family has long been completely Westernized, and she is a little unfamiliar with martial arts and the like.

"Do you know that Congee Runfa and Poor Looking?" Li Zi roughly introduced: "This time it is not only the two of them, but also a heroine from China, who is said to be the queen actress of the national teacher over there." ”

Lina immediately remembered some rumors from Hollywood directors: "How to use it? Is it used like that?"

Li Zi was quite helpless about his gossip girlfriend, and simply stopped talking about the actor: "Do you know who the director is? Ang Lee! Hollywood's No. 1 Chinese director! Recently, many newspapers and media have praised Ang Lee as the light of the Chinese. ”

"Hollywood's No. 1 Chinese director?" Lina couldn't help but retort: "It should be John Wu, right? The gun-wielding action he designed for Tom Cruise is just cool!"

Li Zi said disdainfully: "It's been twenty years, and I'm still only handsome to play, and I haven't grown at all." ”

The two talked about quarrelling, and soon rushed to the Hollywood Avenue of Fame, at this time, a large number of fans had gathered in front of the Hollywood Chinese Grand Theater, and there were bursts of calls from time to time.

"It's like the red carpet has begun. Lina grabbed her plum and ran over there.

Li Zi comforted: "It is estimated that it is a hot field, and it has not started yet." ”

The two squeezed into the crowd on one side of the red carpet, and there were basically Chinese Americans all around, gathering thousands of people, and it seemed that all Chinese Americans on the Avenue of Fame had gathered here at the Chinese Grand Theater in Hollywood.

"It's rare for a purely Chinese film to have such a big premiere. ”

Li Zi heard the people around him talking.

"I haven't seen a martial arts movie in the theater for many years. ”

"The film is full of Chinese, unlike Jack Chan and Jett Lee, who are trying to please those ghost elders. ”

"Ang Lee is amazing, and many media outlets have recently said that he is also a first-class director in Hollywood. ”

"Haven't you heard? "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" has already applied for an Oscar! It is said that it is very likely to win several Oscars! It is remarkable that a Chinese film can win an Oscar!"

Listening to the messy discussions, Lina asked Li Zi, "This movie seems to be very popular, isn't it?"

Li Zi leaned into her ear and said: "I don't know much about those ghosts, but they have a great influence among the Chinese, and many people in Chinatown have been discussing this film recently, discussing who is the first Chinese director in Hollywood, Ang Lee and John Wu." ”

Lina asked, "Who gets more support?"

Li Zi shrugged: "Of course it's Ang Lee!" The media are touting Ang Lee. ”

Lina, as a gossip party, is not stupid, and immediately understood: "This is a film company promoting "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"!"

Anyway, she thinks that John Wu is stronger than Ang Lee, and in the films filmed, the male protagonists are all handsome.

The red carpet of the premiere kicked off at this time, and Ang Lee walked on the red carpet as the first guest.

Bursts of cheers erupted on both sides of the red carpet, and even the sound of "Chinese light" kept coming.

This voice made Ang Lee a little apprehensive, but fortunately, he has been in Hollywood for many years, and it is not a problem to deal with this kind of occasion, and no matter what the fans shout, he just smiles and waves frequently, no matter how he looks at it, he looks like a good old uncle.

"Hong Kong and Taiwan's martial arts films are rarely related to real emotions and culture, and they have remained at the level of sensory stimulation for a long time and cannot be improved. ”

Coming to the media area, Ang Lee was interviewed by the media: "However, martial arts movies and kung fu action movies have become the best channel, or even the only way, for the new generation of Westerners and overseas Chinese———including my son, to understand Eastern culture, but what they are exposed to is the more vulgar and inferior parts of Eastern culture." ”

"I've always been haunted by this, but there's nothing I can do about it," he said. So, I decided to make a film that would reflect the culture of the East. ”

Ronan was standing not far away, quite satisfied with Ang Lee's words, and in the pre-screening publicity of this film, oriental reason and emotion had been emphasized.

Ang Lee's words were carefully formulated by public relations and propaganda personnel, and the core of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is placed here, and the more Ang Lee says that this film reflects Eastern culture, the easier it is for some people to feel that Oriental culture should learn the essence of the West like Ang Lee......

After all, this is a film that pleases Westerners, and it can also please the Chinese community in North America.

Ronan has done a survey, no matter how much the Chinese in North America miss their motherland, after living here for many years, their minds have actually become Westernized.

Such publicity can not only please the Chinese audience, but also help the film win the award.

Li An came over at this time, stood next to Ronan, and said, "The light of the Chinese dare not be. ”

Ronan smiled and said, "Propaganda is needed." He reminded Ang Lee: "This is the United States, we are competing for the Oscar, and we don't even have self-confidence, how can we compete?"

After all, Ang Lee was a Westernized person, nodded and said, "yes." ”

Ronan said: "The Oscars encourage public relations and competition, and now is the time to be high-profile, and Director Li must be high-profile." ”

"I understand. "Ang Lee is not a newcomer to Hollywood either.

He knew that what Ronan said was true, and if he didn't even show the competitive attitude, how would the judges know that you were going to compete for the Oscars?

After all, this is not the same as before, no public relations and no awards.

Ronan smiled and said, "Come on, we will have a harvest." ”

The other cast and crew came over one after another, and Ronan, as the representative of the distributor, did not stay long, and went directly into the theater, and the crew stayed in the media area to take a group photo.

The main creators of the crew have long known that the goal of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is the Oscar, and for them, this is a very rare opportunity, as long as the film can gain something at the Oscar, its value will immediately increase a lot.

Ronan enters the theater, meets David Villa, and asks, "Is the publicity going well?"

David Villa whispered: "I've made a deal with The Hollywood Reporter and Variety to cover Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on more than four pages for three weeks in a row since Christmas. ”

Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are some of the most influential entertainment magazines in the industry, and the awards season has been very effective.

Ronan reminded: "Don't save when it's time to spend. ”

The Oscars are not only for films and interpersonal relationships, but also for investment and financial resources.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Oscar competition is also a money war.

To paraphrase a saying in football circles, those who spend money may not win awards, but those who win awards must have lost money.

David Villa was a little worried: "There won't be a problem with Ann Lee's side, right?"

"Rest assured. "The last thing Ronan worries about is Ang Lee, who is very familiar with the rules of Hollywood compared to other Chinese directors, who has settled in the United States. He told David Villa: "Ang Lee is a smart guy and will fully cooperate with our work. ”

Ang Lee studied film in the United States, studying entertainment films, and from beginning to end, he did not position himself as a "master artist".

He understood early on that the films he made seemed to be Asian but were actually Western ideas.

Ronan has talked to Ang Lee a few times, and Ang Lee has said more than once that if you sell films in the United States and sell pure oriental films, there is only a dead end.

There is no doubt that Ang Lee has long seen through this point.

And Ang Lee's movies also have a benefit, they are not very artistic, and they are not obscure, and ordinary audiences can interpret them, which is not difficult to understand at all.

That's a lot of money.

In fact, Ang Lee can also be regarded as a perfect set of things in American movies.

Otherwise, there would not be such a "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

Although "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" has the shell of martial arts, famous swords and heroes, landscapes, martial arts, grievances and children's love, and even introduces Zen Taoism, this is not a real martial arts movie.

Ronan remembers reading a short review of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in his previous life: How many people dream of being a wanton Jade Jiaolong, but accidentally become Yu Xiulian who has endured it all their lives. When he died, he sighed like Li Mubai, "This life is wasted". Of course, there are some people like Luo Xiaohu, even if they are removed, it will not affect other people's stories.