1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

Following this, two or three more experts echoed similar views!

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy!

Among the leaders in the front row, some frowned slightly, while others remained expressionless. The team leader tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
Experts who support the film want to refute it, but they can't seem to find a good angle to start.

After all, the questions raised and the labels attached to them were all within the framework of academic discussion and care and concern. To directly confront them would only make one appear petty!
Seeing this, the host spoke up at the opportune moment, turning his gaze to Cheng Xuemin with a formulaic smile: "Thank you for your valuable opinions, teachers!"

"Comrade Xuemin, as the screenwriter and director of the film, you have listened to the speeches of the experts and teachers. Do you have anything to say in response?"

"Or, if you have any insights into the creative process, you can share them with everyone!"

All eyes instantly focused on Cheng Xuemin!

There are concerns, expectations, scrutiny, schadenfreude, and also pure spectators!

Cheng Xuemin slowly stood up from his seat.

He walked with a straight posture and steady steps toward the small podium at the front.

He stood still, his gaze calmly sweeping across the audience, taking in the diverse expressions on their faces.

The screening room was completely silent, except for the slight hum of the air conditioning vents!

He picked up the microphone from the podium, tested the sound, and then began to speak.

The sound came through the speaker, clear and steady, without excitement or timidity!

"Thank you to all the leaders, teachers, and seniors for taking the time out of your busy schedules to watch 'The Redemption' and offer your valuable opinions."

He bowed slightly, adopting a very humble posture!
"I listened carefully to the opinions and suggestions that the teachers just mentioned regarding the film's ideological content, artistic merit, and creative direction, and I took notes."

He held up his notebook as a gesture, then put it down.

"These opinions are very pertinent and valuable. I have benefited greatly from them and they have given me a deeper understanding of the work 'Redemption'!"

He paused for a moment, his gaze seeming to deepen as he slowly swept across the audience, lingering particularly on the faces of the experts who had spoken sharply.

Then he continued speaking, not quickly, but every word was firm and resonant:
"The fact that 'Redemption' won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and achieved certain international distribution results is inseparable from the organization's support, the efforts of the entire studio and crew, and the opportunities given by the times."

"As the director, I was just doing my job."

"But!" He changed the subject, his tone still steady but with a heavy weight, "As the teachers just pointed out, a film, especially one that carries so much attention and expectation!"

It must withstand the scrutiny of international judges, and even more importantly, the test of domestic audiences, history, and our own conscience.

"In the process of preparing and filming 'Redemption,' my team and I always approached it with reverence, striving for authenticity and a profound reflection of the individual's fate and the struggle of humanity under a specific historical context."

We pursue authenticity in art, and also depth of thought. But the path of artistic exploration is always accompanied by controversy and differing interpretations!

He took a deep breath, his gaze became firm and bright, and his voice rose slightly, carrying clearly to every corner of the screening room:
"Given the various discussions currently surrounding 'Redemption,' especially the differing opinions regarding the film's content and the boundaries of its ideological expression!"

"I think that at this stage, publicly screening 'Redemption' nationwide may not be the most appropriate choice!"

Upon hearing this, a suppressed murmur arose from the audience, and many people showed expressions of astonishment.

The experts who had just spoken were also visibly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Cheng Xuemin to say that.

Cheng Xuemin seemed oblivious to the audience's reaction, and continued speaking in a steady and clear voice:

"To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings and controversies, and also to give the film, and myself, more time to reflect and mature."

"After careful consideration and consultation with the factory's main leaders!"

He paused again, his gaze sweeping over the key leaders in the front row before returning to his own, and announced, word by word, with unwavering certainty:
"I have decided, and I am officially announcing on behalf of the 'Redemption' crew, that the film 'Redemption' will be put on hold for five years, effective immediately."

"Within five years, there will be no public commercial screenings or broadcasts in China!"

"Five years from now, we will reassess the situation based on the social and cultural environment and audience acceptance at that time, and decide whether to reopen the screening and in what form!"

silence.

Deathly silence!

The entire screening room seemed to have been muted.

Everyone was stunned, staring dumbfounded at the calm young man on the podium.

The experts, who had been talking animatedly and were about to delve deeper into the discussion, stood there with their mouths agape, their pens hovering over their notebooks, their expressions frozen between astonishment and disbelief.

The commentator, Zheng, stared wide-eyed behind his gold-rimmed glasses, seemingly doubting whether he had misheard.

The scholar surnamed Hu stood there with his chin slightly raised, looking somewhat comical!
The leaders in the front row also looked surprised and exchanged glances.

The leader in charge of the industrial sector, the head of the work group, stopped tapping his fingers on the handrail, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently at Cheng Xuemin, as if trying to see right through him!
Self-imposed isolation for five years?

At the peak of his career, he won the Palme d'Or, generated $50 million in foreign exchange, and received high praise from CCTV News and the People's Daily on the front page!

Just when everyone thought this movie would be swept up in unparalleled glory and dominate the domestic market!
Its director actually announced that he would shelve it for five years?

What... what's going on here?

Is this a strategic retreat? Or has the person truly recognized the problem and is now engaging in self-reflection and taking a step back?
The overwhelming sense of shock and disbelief left everyone present speechless.

They considered many possibilities: Cheng Xuemin might argue his point and refute the criticisms;

They might humbly accept the offer and indicate that they will improve in the future.

They might even make some concessions under pressure...

But what no one expected was that he would respond to all the doubts and potential difficulties in such a self-destructive way.

This is not surrender; it's more like a resolute act of self-protection!

Or rather, it's a more sophisticated strategic avoidance.

Don't you think there's a problem or controversy?

Okay, then I won't release it! It's not that you banned me, it's that I voluntarily sealed it away!
Five years will be used to cool down the hype and digest the controversy, and at the same time, these five years will be used to propel the film and its director to a more legendary and intriguing position.

As Cheng Xuemin stood on the podium, he could clearly feel the shocked, bewildered, confused, and even slightly annoyed gazes of those below him, as if they had been outmaneuvered.

His heart was as still as water!
This decision was not made on a whim!
Since returning from Cannes and feeling the complex atmosphere, from the fervor he felt watching the evening news last night to the ultimate glory he witnessed on the front page of the People's Daily today, and then to the subtle hostility he sensed upon entering this screening room, he has been reflecting!
We need to consider how to find a relatively safe path that can protect our work to the greatest extent possible while also creating space for the future, amidst this immense honor and potential turmoil!
By voluntarily sealing the film, it may seem like they're giving up easy domestic box office returns and greater fame, but in reality, it's a strategic retreat.

First, it silenced all those who tried to nitpick or find fault with the ideological content!

The film itself has been voluntarily removed from the airing, so what are you criticizing?
Secondly, it demonstrates the creator's appreciation and responsibility for the work in an extreme way!

It may even create a sense of tragedy and mystery, suggesting that the work is too ahead of its time and not yet acceptable to the times, which may further enhance its artistic value and public expectations.

Finally, and most importantly, it relieved him, the Dongfang Factory, and the working group that was about to begin of work of removing a potential burden and focus.

He can temporarily escape the huge spotlight brought by "Redemption" and devote more energy to more important, future-oriented matters!
For example, work in Hong Kong, or preparations for a new film.

Five years can change a lot! Times are changing, and so are our perspectives!
Five years from now, the environment will be more open and inclusive.

When it is reopened, "Redemption" may receive a fairer evaluation, or perhaps it will have already become a legend.

Of course, this requires tremendous courage and determination, as well as the willingness to bear the corresponding risks and criticisms.

However, after careful consideration, Cheng Xuemin concluded that this was the best option under the current circumstances!

Facing the various complex gazes from the audience, he slowly put down the microphone and bowed slightly to them once again.

Without saying another word, he turned around and walked away with steady steps!
Yes!

Instead of returning to his seat, he left the screening room and walked away!

His back was straight, and he did not sway at all under the gaze of countless eyes.

The host opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something to smooth things over, but found himself speechless for a moment.

This is completely outside the original script!
The group leader surnamed Jiang gave Cheng Xuemin's back a deep look, a fleeting, elusive glint in his eyes.

It seemed like surprise, admiration, and a reassessment.

He then stood up and left the screening that had already ended as soon as it began!

The heavy wooden doors of the screening room closed silently behind Cheng Xuemin, shutting out his upright figure.

The slight creaking sound of the door hinges turning was unusually clear, even somewhat jarring, in the deathly silence.

On stage, the host still held the microphone in his hand, his mouth was half open, and the formulaic smile on his face froze completely, like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut.

He stared at the door that was still trembling slightly, then looked back at the audience, his eyes filled with a bewildered cry for help.

What's the next step in this process?
The main participants have all left, so what's the point of this seminar?

The silence that had been frozen in place by Cheng Xuemin's earth-shattering declaration and his decisive departure lasted for less than five seconds.

Then, with a deafening roar, as if the ice had suddenly shattered, a tremendous sound wave erupted, more intense and noisier than any of the previous discussions!

"He...he just left like that?!"

"He's been in seclusion for five years? What does that mean?!"

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! What kind of attitude is this?!"

"This is blatant defiance of discussion! It is a contempt for the opinions of all the experts and teachers present!"

The first to erupt was that commentator Zheng!

He suddenly stood up from his seat, and due to the sudden movement, his knee hit the back of the seat in front of him with a dull thud, but he didn't care at all!

His face flushed red, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses practically spitting fire, and his finger trembled as he pointed toward the door.

His voice became shrill with extreme shock and anger, and a feeling of utter suffocation from a completely strained back: "Arrogant! Utterly arrogant!"

"This is a normal academic discussion, meant to help him improve his understanding!"

"What's he doing? He just quit? And he's shutting himself off? Who is he threatening? Is he expressing his dissatisfaction?!"

His chest heaved violently, and he felt a surge of anger rushing to his head!
He came here today fully prepared!
He meticulously studied every potentially flawed detail of "Redemption" and prepared a lengthy critique.

I intend to take this opportunity to properly educate this overly ambitious and arrogant young man, and also to demonstrate my own insight and principles as an authority in the field of commentary.

He even anticipated all sorts of possible defenses from Cheng Xuemin and prepared a series of progressively stronger rebuttals.

But to his utter surprise, the other party didn't take the bait at all!
Instead of accepting the challenge, they flipped the chessboard over!
One sentence, "I've kept myself sealed away for five years," caused all his pent-up criticisms and carefully prepared accusations to fall flat on his face!

It's like throwing a punch with all your might, only to hit soft, fluffy cotton!

No, it hit thin air and almost made me trip!
This feeling of frustration, of being completely ignored, of being defeated in a way he could never have predicted, filled him with extreme anger!
"Mr. Zheng, calm down, calm down."

Someone nearby offered quiet words of comfort, but their voice also betrayed their astonishment and a hint of schadenfreude.

"What are you getting angry about?!" Commentator Zheng shoved away the hand of the person trying to pull him down, his voice rising even louder, almost roaring, "This isn't a personal issue!"

"This is a matter of attitude! This is a matter of principle! Just because you've achieved something doesn't mean you can be arrogant! You can't tolerate any dissenting opinions?"

"We offer our opinions for his own good, for the good of the film, and for the healthy development of the Chinese film industry!"

"What a childish act he's playing!"

"Self-imposed seclusion? Who does he think he is? Films are collective property, national assets. Do you think he can just decide to seal them away on his own?!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, as if he wanted to unleash all the critical firepower that had been suppressed by Cheng Xuemin's calm declaration.

However, this firepower, lacking a specific target, seemed somewhat hollow and strained!

……

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