In the afternoon, in the screening room, Zhang Ran played the film "Three Fools" for Mark Muller. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

In May, Qiu Yuanxu took the film of "Three Fools" to the Cannes Film Festival Film Exchange Market for pre-sale, which was sought after by overseas buyers. Marc Müller, who was also in Cannes at the time, was listed as a candidate for the opening film after watching the trailer.

The trailer gave Marco Mill the feeling that the story of the film was a bit cheesy, and there was no new breakthrough in the language of the shot. With Zhuyu from "The Aviator" in front, "Three Fools" seems a bit mediocre.

But at this moment, as the movie plays, Mark Mueller discovers that "Three Fools" It is a typical time-space double-line movie, the whole film adopts a time-space design that combines reality and memory, starting from the protagonist's meeting ten years later, divided into two time-space lines, one is the reality search, looking for the protagonist Yu Bo, that is, the ideal character created by the movie, and the other is memory, recalling Yu Bo's college days, and using the comparison between model students Zhang Zichen and Yu Bo to explore what is the real life, what is the real education, how people should live and other metaphysical propositions. The two lines are told at the same time, and you can switch freely.

The film transitions between reality and memory very smoothly, without making people feel uncomfortable in transition, and such a time-space staggered narrative can freely compress or expand the narrative space, so as to allow a large number of chapters to carry out the necessary artistic rendering, and create artistic conception and express connotation with the ever-changing film time and space and colorful film structure.

Although Mark Mueller is now watching a rough cut, and there is still a part of the plot that is not finished, he still enjoys watching it with relish. When he came to China this time, the first person he looked for was Zhang Yimou. After completing two commercial films in a row, Zhang Yimou returned to art films and collaborated with Japanese actor Ken Takakura in the movie "A Thousand Miles to Ride Alone", which attracted a lot of attention.

However, Mark Muller felt less than expected after watching "A Thousand Miles to Ride Alone" in the new picture, the movie is more literary, but it looks tired. And Zhang Ran's "Three Fools" is just the opposite, Mark Mueller didn't have too high expectations for this movie, this is a comedy, and it is made for students, it is Zhang Ran's game. I didn't expect to enter the unexpectedly good after watching it, and the whole movie was unexpectedly exciting, which brought joy to people at the same time, but also gave people a kind of strength.

When the film ends, the lights in the screening room come on.

Zhang Ran looked at Mark Mueller and asked, "Old Ma, what do you think?"

"I love this movie!" Mark Mueller smiled, "The power of 'Three Fools' to transcend the boundaries of language, and the leading actors appropriately show how to face life with a certain mindset and how to deal with life when they are confused, which resonates with the heart." Since you don't have time to be a judge, you don't need to avoid it, this movie doesn't have to be the opening film, it's better to put it in the main competition unit!"

Zhang Ran was slightly stunned, the people on the film selection committee haven't seen it yet! But he immediately reacted that the three major film festivals are very serious about seniority, and those who have been shortlisted for the main competition unit and won film festival awards before are very likely to be shortlisted again, and the organizing committee is basically exempt from inspection of these people's films. If the director's work has won the top prize before, it is equivalent to a lifetime pass to the main competition unit. For example, Zhang Yimou's "Three Guns" was shortlisted for the Berlin Film Festival, and Gass Van Sant's "Aokigahara Tree Sea" was shortlisted for Cannes.

Zhang Ran won the Golden Lion Award, and to some extent, his film is already an inspection-free product in Venice!

Being shortlisted for the main competition unit is definitely better than being an opening film, and you can get more exposure. If you can win an award, you will get more coverage. But Zhang Ran's time is a big question: "When will this year's film festival open?"

Mark Mueller said: "August 31st!"

Zhang Ran said: "If you can enter the main competition unit, I hope to arrange the premiere of "Three Fools" two days ago, because we will start school on the 3rd!"

"Of course you can!" Zhang Ran is a descendant of Venice and the most high-profile young director in the world, this small request is naturally not a big deal at all, Mark Muller directly agreed, "I will arrange your film to premiere on the night of the 1st, what do you think?"

"Thanks, Mark!"

Coming out of the screening room, Zhang Ran invited Mark Mueller into the office and continued to talk to him about the movie. Talk about your own ideas and explain your ideas. Although Mark Muller is a China expert, he is a foreigner after all, and he may not be able to fully understand what he wants to express.

After chatting for a while, talking about the recent domestic movies, Zhang Ran suddenly remembered something and asked: "This time, when you come over, in addition to watching "Three Fools", what other films are you going to watch?"

Mark Muller said: "Zhang Yimou's "A Thousand Miles to Ride Alone", and I am also going to invite "Wuji" directed by Chen Kaige to be the closing film. But now that your film is in the main competition, then you are ready to invite "Wuji" to be the opening film! In addition, you are also ready to watch Chen Kexin's "If Love", Li Yu's "Red Face", and Zhu Wen's "Court on Horseback". ”

Zhang Ran smiled and nodded: "Then I recommend a movie to you, "The Two of Us" directed by Ma Liwen, I think it is the realistic style you like!"

Mark Mueller knew Ma Liwen and had seen her "The One Who Loves Me the Most in the World", but he didn't like this movie and thought it was too sensational. Art films are taboo and sensational, especially unrestrained sensationalism, and pay attention to calmness and objectivity. Generally speaking, if the audience's reaction to a movie is particularly touching, and I cry when I watch it, then this movie basically has nothing to do with the three major ones.

Mark Mueller believes in Zhang Ran's aesthetics, and since he dares to recommend this movie called "The Two of Us", it should be good: "Do you have Ma Liwen's contact information?"

"I'll give her a call. Zhang Ran took out his mobile phone and dialed Ma Liwen's number, "Sister Ma, are you free now?" Then hurry up and come to Tiangong Chongcai, bring a digital copy of "The Two of Us", and bring a DVD over." Mark Muller, the president of the Venice Film Festival, was here, and he wanted to see a sample of "The Two of Us". ”

"Okay, I'll come right over!" Ma Liwen was visibly emotional.

Ma Liwen came quickly, and she kept urging the taxi driver along the way, eager to fly over.

The movie did not disappoint Mark Muller, it was cleverly conceived and conveyed real human warmth. Although there is still sensationalism, it is more restrained on the whole, and the level of the whole movie is much higher than "The One Who Loves Me the Most in the World", which is the genre he likes very much. Mark Müller told Marien that he would recommend the film to the selection committee after returning to Venice and strive to bring the film to Venice.

Ma Liwen is different from Zhang Ran, she is not well-known in the world, and her film must be reviewed and approved by the film selection committee to determine whether she can go to Venice and which unit to go to. However, with Mark Muller's recommendation, there must be more chances than Ma Liwen to sign up for the competition.

On June 10th, the students of Form 01 did not stay at school, and all ran to the set of "Three Fools". If it was usual, he would definitely be scolded by Zhang Ran, if he didn't study well at school, how could he run around? But Zhang Ran didn't scold them today, because today is the day when "Three Fools" is finished.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, as Zhang Ran's shout of "this shot has passed" sounded, the students of the 01 table suddenly let out a shocking roar. "Three Fools" is their graduation drama, and now it's finally finished!

This drama is a boy-dominated play, and there are very few girls in the scene, and many people just play soy sauce and show their faces in it. However, this drama has a very important meaning for them, this is everyone's graduation work, and it is also a movie in which all the students and teachers of 01 Table participated, and I am afraid it will be difficult to have such an opportunity in the future, so they all have a special affection for this movie.

Zhang Ran hugged Cao Bingkun and the boys, and just stretched out his hand to pat Bai Ling's shoulder to show encouragement. Unexpectedly, Bai Ling leaned on his chest, grabbed his clothes, and cried loudly.

Zhang Ran was stunned, patted her on the back gently, and asked, "Bai Ling, why are you crying, what's wrong?"

Bai Ling choked up and said, "Teacher Zhang, I can't bear you, I can't bear everyone!"

The students in the class know what Bai Ling is talking about, and now Wu Qilong's "I Wish You a Happy Journey" has begun to be played on the school's radio, the graduation season is really coming, and everyone is talking about graduation the most these days. Bai Ling's words seemed to be contagious, the girls cried one after another, and the boys' eyes turned red unconsciously.

Zhang Ran comforted: "Okay, okay, don't cry, I hate who to cry and cry the most! Now that you haven't graduated yet, you are not allowed to cry even when you graduate." You guys walked into Nortel with a smile, and I hope to walk out with a smile!"

"Teacher Zhang, will you still ask us to make a movie after graduation?" Jia Niliang looked at Zhang Ran, her eyes full of expectation.

"Definitely, you are my students! Of course, it also depends on your performance, if you don't perform seriously, then you will definitely not look for it!" Zhang Ran smiled and patted Jia Niliang's shoulder.

comforted the students, and Zhang Ran slowly breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, he is also a little sentimental in his heart, the graduation season has arrived, and the students will soon leave the school, and he is very reluctant to these students. However, there is no feast in the world that will not be dispersed, and people need to learn to part.

At the finale banquet in the evening, not only the students of Zhang Ran's class were present, but even Chen Daoming, Feng Yuanyi, and others who had finished the finale early also came to participate, and the whole scene was very lively.

"The graduation work of our 01 table has finally been filmed!" Zhang Ran looked at his students and smiled, "But the journey of this drama has just begun, and the film should be shortlisted for the Venice Film Festival, so you coordinate the next schedule and go to Venice with me when the time comes." In addition, when the Chinese New Year movie premieres, everyone has to be present. If anyone doesn't show up, they will be expelled from the division!"

The students in the class laughed and applauded: "Whoever is absent will be expelled from the school!"

After the celebration banquet, Zhang Ran did not have time to personally grasp the later stage, and lost a lot of work to Ding Sheng, because there was a more important job waiting for him, bidding for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Of course, it is impossible to completely ignore it, he can only use the evening time to deal with the movie.

On the morning of the 13th, Zhang Ran drove to the Capital International Airport. He got out of the car, took out a sign with "Lin Ying" written on it in the trunk, and came to the exit to wait. There were a lot of people waiting to pick him up at the exit, but fortunately, Zhang Ran was wearing a mask, a baseball cap, and a pair of big sunglasses, but no one recognized him.

Soon after, the sound of the airport radio was heard in his ears, and the flight from New York had arrived, and Zhang Ran immediately took action, took a favorable position, and raised the sign in his hand.

After more than ten minutes, Lin Ying, dressed in casual clothes and carrying a backpack, appeared at the exit, accompanied by Shen Wei and several other artists from New York; Lin Ying saw the sign in Zhang Ran's hand, beckoned, and quickened her pace at the same time.

Zhang Ran greeted him and greeted him with a smile: "Everyone, welcome to Beiping!" )