New Age Artists

Chapter 317 International Film Festivals Have Nothing to Do with Art (33)

Jiang Wen just remembered that Shen Santong was just a very young director who had never even been to the Big Three.

Jiang Wen looked like he knew nothing and asked, "Do you know who the chairman of the jury for this year's Venice Film Festival is?"

Shen Santong said: "Zhang Yimou."

In May this year, news came out that Zhang Yimou was invited to become the chairman of the jury of the Venice Film Festival.

Jiang Wen: "You knew it was Zhang Yimou, but you still said it would be hard for me to win the award? We have been friends for nearly 20 years since Red Sorghum! Boy!"

Shen Santong could only sigh, Jiang Wen was completely unaware: "Do you think Zhang Yimou likes you? Who do you think is your biggest rival in Venice?"

Yu Dong was not interested in winning the award.

His face was gloomy and uncertain.

As a distributor, he only cares about box office.

Shen Santong's words poured a bucket of cold water on him.

An international award only earns five or six million at the box office. Can this movie make over 100 million?
If it were someone else, Yu Dong would laugh and say that this person doesn’t understand movies at all, but how could Shen Santong not understand?
Jiang Wen was a little anxious and wanted to clarify things with Shen Santong: "Zhang Yimou and I are old acquaintances. We are both Chinese."

Shen Santong asked again: "Do you know who your opponent is?"

Jiang Wen thought for a moment: "Li An?"

Many Chinese-language films were shortlisted for this year's Venice Film Festival.

With Zhang Yimou as the chairman of the jury, it is clear that he is giving the grand prize to the Chinese-language film.

Shen Santong said bluntly: "Who do you think you are? You are a young master of a big courtyard!"

"Zhang Yimou is different from you. He has suffered a lot and has to wait for many years for an opportunity."

"You will be the director, and Mr. Xie Jin, the leader of the third generation of directors, will guide you."

"What about Li An? He has also wasted many years. If you were put together with Li An, who would he like more?"

"Who are you, and who is Zhang Yimou?"

Jiang Wen was silent and opened his mouth subconsciously.

He really wanted to say, we are all Chinese.

But this statement was too degrading, as Jiang Wen was a proud man.

Shen Santong continued: "Even if Zhang Yimou agrees to give you the award, you have no chance."

Yu Dong adjusted his mood and started talking about the award: "How do you say it?"

Shen Santong said: "With Zhang Yimou as the chairman of the jury, I can be sure that Brother Jiang Wen will not win the award."

"If he doesn't serve as the chairman of the jury, there is still a possibility. But if he does, it is definitely impossible."

“Do you know who has the biggest film festival?”

Jiang Wen thought of something: "Artistic director of the film festival?"

Shen Santong sighed: "When Zhang Yimou's film Not One Less was screened in Cannes, it encountered difficulties because of the scenes of the national flag and the singing of the national anthem."

“We, the audience, may not understand your play, but the artistic director in charge of the film festival will definitely understand it.”

"That's what they do for a living. A movie like 'The Sun' will never give you an award."

Yu Dong asked in confusion: "Isn't the jury chairman the most important person at the film festival? How did the artistic director get involved?"

Jiang Wen has been to many foreign film festivals and knows some of the situations. He explained: "The chairman of the jury is just a figure on the surface, and the artistic director is the leader behind the scenes."

Shen Santong knows them all: "Behind the three major European film festivals, there are artistic directors."

“The artistic director is the planner and hub of the festival, planning and organizing the content.”

“It involves every aspect of the film festival, from the formation of the team to the setting of the sections.”

“From film selection to the formation of the jury, from the invitation of important guests to the invitation of the media, from the planning to the execution of the event.”

“It can be said that the artistic director is the helmsman of the film festival, and conveys the festival’s positioning and philosophy through the selection of films.”

Yu Dong was confused: "Thinking about it carefully, I have heard of the artistic directors of film festivals, but I ignored them. It seems that I subconsciously ignored them before. What happened?"

Shen Santong said: "This is a trick. If you stand in front of the stage, you have to take responsibility. If you stay behind the scenes, you can enjoy endless power without taking any responsibility."

"Compared with minor roles such as directors and actors, the art directors who are unfamiliar to the public are the driving forces behind the movies, the real big names." "Gill Jacob served as the artistic director of the Cannes Film Festival for more than 1978 years from 2000 to . It was he who had strong opinions about the national flag and national anthem shots in Zhang Yimou's films."

"Alfred Bauer directed the Berlin Film Festival for more than 1980 years, and Moritz de Haderden directed it from 2001 to , also for more than years."

"The artistic directors of the Venice Film Festival are different from those of Berlin and Cannes, who often serve for 20 years. The replacement is common."

"Around 00, the Venice Film Festival experienced a period of obvious shock."

"In 04, Marco Mueller took over as artistic director from Moritz de Haderden."

"Moritz, who left the Venice Film Festival, worked at the Berlin Film Festival for 02 years and served as the artistic director of Venice in 03 and ."

"According to some of our media, after Marco became the artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, he paid more attention to Chinese-language films, and Chinese-language films also ushered in the best era in the history of Venice."

"I think it would be more accurate to say that they have stepped up their offensive against Chinese, or more precisely, domestically."

"These artistic directors, the people who run the film festival, are all the same people. They are backed by the same group, and they share one thing in common."

"Simply put, if you are not absolutely anti-China, you are guilty."

Yu Dong was like seeing a ghost.

Not to mention Yu Dong, even Jiang Wen felt like he had seen a ghost.

If Shen Santong hadn't told them, they really wouldn't have known that there was a group of people behind these film festivals.

Actually, if you think about it, it’s inexplicably understandable.

Yu Dong said: "Why didn't I notice it before? A 20-year term in office, isn't that what it is?"

According to the West, isn't this naked gilding and naked authoritarianism?
Yu Dong has been working in the industry for a long time, but he seems to have never noticed this.

Jiang Wen also had a solemn expression.

He has attended many international film festivals, married a foreign wife, and heard of the names of art directors, but he has never had this kind of intuitive feeling.

According to the facts presented by Shen Santong, there are no three major film festivals. They are actually just a group of people.

Moreover, this group of people have the same stance and are all against Tokyo University.

Jiang Wen blinked.

He thought about it and found that Shen Santong was right.

Among the domestic films that won the three major awards, most of them received criticism to a greater or lesser extent. It is very rare that they won the awards without receiving criticism.

Shen Santong continued: "It's very simple that we don't pay attention to it, because the people behind it are too good at media communication."

"First of all, the foreign media is very disciplined and deliberately ignores it."

"The role of the art director will not be mentioned, the main thing is the people on the stage."

"Secondly, our media basically only listens to the news and does not reveal the stories behind it."

“We look at foreign countries in the way of repetition and worship.”

“Even if they find out, they will write that he worked as an artistic director for 20 consecutive years abroad to ensure the stable operation of the film festival.”

“It won’t involve criticism or denial.”

“I can’t even utter a compliment.”

"Because praise will send effective information, the people behind the scenes don't want these small actions to be seen."

These so-called international film festivals have nothing to do with art.

There is no objectivity, neutrality or freedom at all.

Not at all.

Often the more you emphasize something, the less you have.

Jiang Wen was quite shocked and said something that made him lose points: "The Sun is actually a bit confusing, but it's not without hope."

Shen Santong looked at Jiang Wen sympathetically and said, "Lust, Caution is too good. It will win awards at any film festival."

"This kind of film that shines a light on one's ethnicity, sells out one's ethnicity, and debases oneself is so rare."

(End of this chapter)