Global Film Emperor

Chapter 295 Zhe Jian
Time passed slowly, and the venue grew quieter. Lu Ze closed his eyes to rest, only able to hear people around him talking and laughing softly in French.

French has been rated as one of the most beautiful languages ​​in the world. Although Lu Ze didn't know who made the judgment, he found it increasingly pleasant to listen to during his time in France, and the comment seemed to have some merit.

Although he had been caught up in a turmoil that negatively impacted Lu Ze's impression of France, one thing he had to admit was that the French have an extremely high level of love and pride for their language. They even believe that everyone in France, whether a native or a foreign tourist, should speak French. They do not accept speaking other languages.

In this internationally renowned tourist city, Lu Ze was surprised to find some menus and road signs that were not labeled in other languages. Italy was similar to France, but Lu Ze was not there at the moment, so let's not mention it.

You could call them arrogant, or say their attitude towards foreigners wasn't friendly, but Lu Ze prefers to interpret it as a sense of national pride. And the Chinese certainly have a sense of national pride, but it's still a bit weaker compared to some parts of France.

Here, Lu Ze didn't learn any professional knowledge or local customs to broaden his horizons. He only learned one thing: he should be proud of his country. If you are already proud of your country, then please be even more proud when you go out.

As I listened to the French spoken in what sounded like Xinjiang dialect, and drowsiness crept in, the stage lights came on, and a gentle symphony began to play from the speakers.

Zhuang Yu patted Lu Ze on the shoulder, and Lu Ze immediately opened his eyes, sat up straight, rubbed his eyes, and looked around.

Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, the red curtain of the stage was pulled back to both sides, and a symphony orchestra in suits began to play. At first, the music was light and cheerful, but it gradually became more and more solemn, and in a magnificent golden light, it played the last note.

It is said that music has no borders, and this seems to be true at this moment. Lu Ze, a typical Chinese, was also able to immerse himself in the music, becoming completely absorbed in the beautiful melodies until the music stopped. Only then did he, like everyone else, stand up and applaud the band he did not recognize, but which was definitely very famous.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Cannes."

Lu Ze couldn't understand what was said after that, so he could only laugh along and pretend it was just for fun. Like all the awards, the Golden Rooster and Golden Horse Awards were in Mandarin, the Hong Kong Film Awards were in Cantonese, and the Palme d'Or was in French, with no translations in other languages.

If you don't understand French but want to understand what they're saying, you can only wear translation headphones, which are like hearing aids, and listen to the synthesized female voices. These headphones are given to foreigners after entering the theater, and Lu Ze is no exception.

With translation headsets on, the camera suddenly focused on Lu Ze and his two companions to welcome the nominated film team. Other film crews had already given Lu Ze and his companions a demonstration, which wasn't too formal. They simply straightened their clothes, smiled, and waved to the camera.

Because a series of sub-competitions had already been conducted before the awards ceremony began, the host, after a long speech, directly announced the winner of the Film Cornerstone Award.

This award, to put it simply, is the Best Short Film New Director Award, intended to encourage fresh talent internationally. It's also like a ticket; the first feature film made by these directors who win the Cinéfondation Award will be shortlisted for the Cannes Feature Film Competition, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

The Cinémath Awards are divided into first, second, and third prizes. Lu Ze had never heard of the winners of the second and third prizes, but he was happy for a while after the nominator announced the winner of the first prize.

Keishal Deitre Mendeleev, a new Russian director, is only 23 years old this year. His award-winning film is "The Cold Period," which was filmed in Siberia. It tells the story of a tourist who gets lost in Siberia and suffers from many hardships such as severe cold, hunger, wolf attacks, and snow blindness before finally freezing to death in Siberia.

The entire short film was shot with only one actor, one director, and one handheld camera, which may sound and look rather rudimentary.

But these two reckless individuals actually made a name for themselves, capturing the essence of hope for life and despair for death. It is said that after filming, Keishal was rushed to the hospital for treatment due to widespread frostbite, most severely affecting his earlobes and lips, which were almost frostbitten off.

Lu Ze had also seen the film and had many thoughts on it, but his main admiration was for the two fearless brothers. Yes, the actor was Ke Yishar's older brother. The two of them risked their lives, and the Lao Men family almost died out.

That's why Lu Ze, who was a fan of Keishal himself, felt it was something to celebrate to see him win an award.

No matter how well you make a film or how much you praise it, it ultimately only provides people with a few hours of entertainment. But it is because of people who are not afraid of death and are willing to dedicate themselves to the film industry that film, as an entertainment product, has become less commercialized, proving that film is an art form and that it is pure.

Lu Ze stood up and gave a thumbs-up to Keishal, a burly man with a full beard who was only twenty-three years old. Keishal seemed surprised that a short film would receive such a formal congratulation from the guests present, and nodded and bowed slightly to Lu Ze. This was simply a communication between an admirer and the admired, nothing unusual at the awards ceremony. Whether a bond would form between Lu Ze and Keishal remained to be seen.

Next is the "Un Certain Regard" section, an award for emerging feature film directors, specifically designed to recognize and promote new directors with innovative spirit and unique vision.

It is further divided into three awards: Best Film (Best Newcomer Film), Jury Prize (Second Place), and Best Director (Best Newcomer Director).

However, this has little to do with Lu Ze. Zhuang Yu is not a new director. He had already come into the view of the Cannes Film Festival during the time of "Mr. Tree", but he was not selected. This year, the directors who were selected for the official competition and were nominated are not newcomers either.

Next is the short film section. The difference between it and the Cinémath section is that one is an award for established short film directors, while the other is an award for new short film directors. But this still has nothing to do with Lu Ze.

After a performance by Elena De Guin, a young female singer who has become incredibly popular in Europe in recent years, the official competition began, and the atmosphere became the most tense.

First, regarding the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards, neither of which were nominated for "To Live," so this is a commentary on the winners of these two awards from an objective perspective.

The Best Supporting Actor award went to Riccardo Mastrosny for his role as the second male lead in "The Gunman," although there were some dissenting voices in the audience, most of whom mentioned Jean Gassman, the second male lead in "Rainy Night."

However, in Lu Ze's opinion, Riccardo's performance was no worse than Jean Gassman's. It was just that the positive reviews and large number of supporters of "Rainy Night" led to some subjective bias. In fact, Lu Ze felt that the award could have been given to any of the blockbuster films.

The Best Supporting Actress award was largely uncontroversial, going to Kathy Mirren for "Vienna in March." This was undisputed; Kathy was the overwhelming favorite, without a doubt. Her stunningly beautiful face, considered top-tier in European aesthetics, coupled with her brilliant performance, led to a steady rise in calls for her to win from the moment the film was released, culminating in today's victory.

"Now, the Best Actor award... to be honest, there are just so many excellent films this year. The nominations alone have given the judges a real headache. So every actor nominated has delivered a truly outstanding performance this year. Let's see who they are."

The male host raised his right hand towards the big screen, which then lit up, playing clips of the four Palme d'Or Best Actor nominees' performances.

Richard Kotler, author of "The Gunman" (France): "I was told to kill someone, a woman. After drinking a whole bottle of whiskey, I picked up her picture. I swear I fell in love with her at first sight. Sexy, beautiful, gentle, and charming, all the beautiful words in the world are hard to describe her. She seemed to have a magical power that attracted me. With just one picture, I became obsessed with her beauty, but... I still shot and killed her."

"Lu Ze from 'To Live' (Huaxia): Hell? Where is it? It's right here. Look how blue the sky is in hell, how fragrant the flowers are. Damn, I forgot it's autumn. Look how yellow these leaves are. Doesn't it feel cool when the breeze blows? Hell? I'm right in there."

"Tim's Hotel (Italy): Driven by the pressure of survival, people like to choose to die here. Many times, I mean many times, when the room fee expires, I open the room and see them dead in various positions on the bed, on the floor, on the chair, in the bathroom. I am used to collecting the bodies, putting them in sacks, and throwing them into the sewer entrance on Belnington Street. From then on, the person disappears from the world. He will never come back and ring the check-in bell."

"From Anthony Taylor's *Rainy Night* (UK): You love me? Is this what you call son of a bitch's love? To hell with it! I'm working hard for our future, I want to marry you, earn more money for you and Jimmy to have a better life, and what about you? You're messing around with every man except me! Their eyes mock me, I'm like a fool being played by you! I'm ashamed of my judgment and naivety, especially because of you. I thank this rain for letting me see you for who you are. Now, pack up your underwear that countless men have touched and kissed, and get out of my house. Fuck you! Monique!"

The selections from the four films concluded, and the two presenters slowly walked onto the stage to the music, bowed slightly to the guests in the audience to express their gratitude, and then began to speak.

To be honest, among these four films, "The Gunman" is probably the weakest. Its reputation and popularity are not very high, while the other three films have similar support rates. It would be reasonable for any of them to win the award, and none of them can be considered an upset. This is the situation that the film festival organizers hope to see. No one likes a scene where one film dominates. Only competition makes the film interesting and generates discussion after the ceremony.

"Let's see who the winner is, hahaha, I'm getting a little nervous. Let's gently tear open the envelope and take a look. Oh, Drake, do you want to see? OK, the Best Actor at the 74th Cannes Palme d'Or has been decided! Let's give him a round of applause!"

“Anthony! Taylor!”

"."

(End of this chapter)