Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 304 New Position
Cao Yang went to Beijing Film Academy early this morning and arrived at Lao Tian's office.

Old Tian was already waiting for him.

"Have you read the script I sent you yesterday?" Cao Yang asked Lao Tian as he sat down.

Old Tian took out the fine tea he had specially prepared, and while brewing it, he said with a showy air:

"This is excellent tea, top-grade Mao Feng from Huangshan, a fairy among teas nourished by clouds and mist. It is covered in white down, with buds resembling peaks. The tea soup has a delicate orchid fragrance, and the taste is fresh and mellow, neither bitter nor astringent..."

"You took it from Old Situ?"

Cao Yang noticed that the tea packaging looked familiar, so he interrupted Lao Tian's introduction and asked.

Old Tian paused for a moment, turned his head, and asked with some surprise, "How did you know?"

how could I know?

This was given to me by Lao Han. I thought it tasted alright, so I gave some to my teacher.

If you didn't dislike tea, I would have gladly given you a couple of ounces to try.

Cao Yang didn't mention that he had given the tea to Old Master Situ, ignoring the topic, and asked again, "Have you read the script? What do you think of it?"

Old Tian put down the teapot and gave Cao Yang a thumbs up.

"The script is excellent, like a sharp knife, deeply dissecting the complexity and multifaceted nature of humanity. Revenge and love-hate are intertwined, revealing the most real and tragic side of human nature."

Then, he smacked his lips and asked again to confirm, "You really intend to give me this script and let me direct it?"

"Of course, we agreed that I would write a script for you when I had the chance. I've been busy with the movie promotion lately, so I just wrote a script as a pastime."

Cao Yang laughed and offered a haphazard explanation, then deliberately asked, "What, you don't like it?"

"Hey, what are you saying?"

Old Tian slammed his hand on the table.

"Your script, Director Cao, is now incredibly valuable. You could write any script for those Hollywood people and it would win an Oscar for Best Picture. Why would I look down on it? It would be my honor, Old Tian, ​​to be able to adapt your script..."

"Alright, stop joking. Judging from the tone of your voice, I know you definitely have ideas about the script. Tell me about them."

Cao Yang interrupted Lao Tian's flattery and said with a smile.

He knew Lao Tian too well. This guy might seem joking around with him, but that's because they were best friends, close brothers, and Lao Tian's mentor.

If you ask anyone who knows Lao Tian, ​​they will definitely say that Lao Tian is stubborn and inflexible, and he is very principled in his work.

Old Tian thought for a moment, then said cautiously, "Cao Yang, what do you think about setting the story in the mainland?"

"Is the setting in mainland China?"

Cao Yang frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "What are your plans? The protagonist is a professional debt collector, a debt collector who is also ruthless. He often uses violence to threaten the other party and even cripples the debtor."

Chopping off hands and feet is a common occurrence; is such a background suitable for a mainland Chinese setting?

Old Tian smacked his lips and explained, "You became famous at a young age, so you may not know how cruel the outside world is. Many cities around here have similar professions, but..."

They are equally ruthless in their methods, perhaps even more so, and it's common for debtors to be driven to the brink of ruin and death... That's what I wanted to film, not to set the scene in Hong Kong.

Cao Yang frowned. It was only 2006. In the early 2000s, there was indeed such a group in society that fought for territory, engaged in gang fights, used knives, and even used trolls.

These people obviously work part-time collecting debts.

Overall public security began to improve, with three turning points.

The 08 Olympics was a significant turning point, marking the beginning of the nationwide promotion of Shanghai's experience and the construction of numerous local police posts.

The year 14 was a real, thorough, and further improvement in public security, with a significant increase in police presence in most areas and wherever there were large populations.

A year later, armed police patrols began, and the phenomena of street fraud, theft, and mobile phone snatching improved significantly. The most direct impact was on the improved security at train stations and long-distance bus stations.

The third turning point, which can also be said to be the turning point of true qualitative change, a huge turning point, was in 2018.

It can also be said that the turning point that truly propelled China into the ranks of the world's safest countries began in 2017 was the full-scale rollout of the Skynet system, and its effectiveness speaks for itself.

Only those who have been to Europe and America can truly understand what safety means when they return.

"If we set the background in China, it might be difficult to pass the censorship, right?"

Cao Yang said.

He then glanced at Lao Tian, ​​frowned, and asked, "You're not planning to get it approved? You're going straight to the film festival?"

Old Tian smiled, not answering the question for the moment, but instead asked, "Which film festival do you plan to send me to? You should already have a plan in mind, right?"

“Venice.”

Cao Yang didn't hide anything and answered directly.

Why go to Venice?
First, he wanted to "praise" Lao Tian.

Before Lao Tian was banned from directing, he was a director whose fame was similar to that of Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige. Now, however, he can't compare and has fallen far behind.

Cao Yang had previously promised Lao Tian that he would give him a script. Although he later gave Lao Tian "Crazy Stone", Lao Tian was unwilling to take advantage of his apprentice Ning Hao, so they did not co-direct.

So Cao Yang always remembered this incident.

Secondly, it was for another matter.

Although Lao Han said that the filming of "Lust, Caution" should be restricted at the source, namely the copyright of the novel, this is not a sure thing.

Even though Li An didn't win an Oscar for Best Director, several of his films received numerous Oscar nominations and won a number of awards.

Furthermore, Li An currently has two Berlin Golden Bears, one Venice Best Director award, and one Golden Globe Award for Best Picture and two for Best Director.

In addition, there are the Best Director and Best Film awards at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Although he doesn't have as many awards as Zhang Yimou at the three major European awards, he has won an Oscar and a Golden Globe, which gives him an influence worldwide, especially in North America, that neither Zhang Yimou nor Chen Kaige can match.

Therefore, if such an internationally influential director were to make a film called "Lust, Caution" and, like in history, win the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, its influence would be even greater.

To be honest, at this crucial moment of the Olympics, it's not necessarily possible to prevent "Lust, Caution" from being released in mainland China—many films have been released on schedule without much impact due to copyright disputes; at worst, there's just a lawsuit afterwards.

Therefore, Cao Yang needs to add another layer of insurance.

The script he gave to Lao Tian was called "Pieta," one of Jin Yong's masterpieces. It had won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and was qualified to compete with "Lust, Caution" for the Golden Lion.

Another advantage is that Lao Tian was the director most favored by Marco Müller, the current president of the Venice Film Festival, and the two are also very good friends.

Cao Yang's first film, "Empty Room," which won the Venice Golden Lion Award, was produced by Lao Tian, ​​and Lao Ma gave it his full support at the time.

This shows that Lao Tian holds a special place in Lao Ma's heart. Also, Zhang Yimou will be the chairman of next year's Venice Film Festival.

After awarding the Golden Lion to a Chinese person for the third time in a row, Lao Ma blamed Zhang Yimou, saying that Zhang Yimou was the chairman of the jury and that it was Zhang Yimou who insisted on awarding the Golden Lion to Li.

Without Ma Long's authorization, how could Zhang Yimou have decided who would win the Golden Lion? Wouldn't that have caused the film festival to "get out of control"?
If Lao Tian takes "Pieta" to Venice next year, as long as the film's quality isn't bad, Lao Ma will almost certainly give the Golden Lion to Lao Tian.

And he can shift the blame even more smoothly—Zhang Yimou and Tian Zhuangzhuang are classmates in the same year, and he insisted on giving Tian Zhuangzhuang the Golden Lion. He is the president of the Venice Film Festival jury, what can I do?
If Li An's "Lust, Caution" hadn't won the Golden Lion at Venice, given its controversial copyright and its core message of insulting revolutionary martyrs, it certainly wouldn't have been able to be released.

Cao Yang was somewhat frustrated. If it weren't for the upcoming Olympics, with his current status and influence, it wouldn't be difficult for him to "crush" Li An domestically.

There's no need for such trouble.

When Lao Tian heard that Cao Yang wanted to go to the Venice Film Festival, he wasn't surprised at all; he even had an expression that said he had expected it.

He laughed heartily, patted Cao Yang on the shoulder, and said with emotion, "I understand what you mean, kid. You want to give me a golden lion to enhance my status and influence in the industry."

He then sighed dramatically, shaking his head, and said:

"Sigh, although I've long since given up any ambition and now just want to be a teacher and train more film and television talents for the country... But since you've given me some scripts, I can't let your hard work go to waste."

"Go away, if you keep pretending, I'll give the script to your good apprentice Ning Hao."

Cao Yang joked with a smile.

Old Tian smiled, smacked his lips, and let out a sigh.

Seeing that Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, who were on the same level as him, had left him far behind, it was impossible for him not to have some thoughts.

Back then, he, Zhang Yimou, and Chen Kaige were known as the "Three Heroes of Beijing Film Academy".

These two are now called "internationally influential" directors, while he is called a famous domestic director. The difference is huge.

"Do you know why we directors, who are known as the Fifth Generation, always like to make grand narrative films with rural, folk, and marginal themes? This is related to our social experience, historical background, and education methods."

From the moment we entered the Beijing Film Academy, we were patiently instructed by some senior colleagues:

You are a generation shouldering a special mission. You must explore the history of national culture and the psychological structure of the nation through films, demonstrating a strong sense of historical responsibility.

The aim is to use the hardships and fates of ordinary people as a metaphor for the deep-seated problems and future of the nation, demonstrating profound sympathy for the underprivileged and ordinary people in society…

Then, he waved his hand and said with a wry smile, "Forget it, you wouldn't understand. People who haven't experienced that era can't comprehend these things."

Cao Yang paused for a moment, then changed the subject and asked:
"So, you also have your own principles. You don't want to compromise for the sake of passing censorship, and you don't want to set the story in Hong Kong. Instead, you want to stick to your long-held beliefs and express your compassion by depicting the suffering and fate of marginalized people in China?"

Old Tian remained silent for a long time this time. He could vaguely sense that there was some sarcasm in Cao Yang's words.

He slammed his hand on the table, glared at Cao Yang, and said, "Do you know why Beijing Film Academy made me the head of the directing department?"

Isn't it because our "lineage" is just too awesome?

Old Tian was unaware of Cao Yang's thoughts. His expression then changed, and he laughed.

"Because I, Lao Tian, ​​am no longer the Lao Tian I used to be. I have kept up with the times and am no longer limited to my previous understanding. Things always move forward, and I understand that."

"?"

Cao Yang had a question mark in his mind. Old Tian, ​​do you want to listen to what nonsense you're spouting? Go ask around outside, everyone knows that you're the most stubborn person at Beijing Film Academy.

Old Tian smiled slyly, patted Cao Yang on the shoulder, and said with a laugh:

"You need to keep up with the times, don't become an old fogey. Let me put it this way, with your script, if I just make a few minor changes and set the background in mainland China, there's a high chance it will pass censorship. Do you know why?"

"because I?"

Cao Yang added a sentence.

"Cough, cough..."

Old Tian seemed to choke on his own words, coughing several times before continuing, "For controversial scripts in China to pass censorship, there must be villains. The villains must either all die or be brought to justice. It's good that the protagonist dies in the end."

There's something in this script that goes against human ethics, so we'll remove that scene when we submit it for review.

Finally, after the movie ends, the credits or news report should state that, following an investigation, the city has dismantled a criminal organization headed by a certain individual…

Of course, the most important point is that in June of this year, the State Administration of Radio and Television issued another document stating that scripts only need to be filed and do not need to be reviewed!

See? You've fallen behind the times and become a stubborn old man, haven't you? Haha…

Cao Yang looked at Lao Tian with a complicated expression. "You've really compromised thoroughly to put your background in China. Why bother?"
It would be much easier to just put it in Hong Kong.

I don't understand Lao Tian's thinking.

"What if the film can't pass censorship after it's finished?"

Cao Yang, oblivious to the tact, asked a question.

"Don't worry, it definitely will. I guarantee that this film will be able to participate in next year's Venice Film Festival as scheduled."

Old Tian said in a serious and earnest tone.

Cao Yang sighed. Judging from Lao Tian's expression, even if the film didn't pass the censorship, he was determined to participate in the Venice Film Festival.

Sigh, Lao Tian, ​​I think the main reason you don't dare to set your background in Hong Kong or abroad is that you can't step out of your comfort zone and are afraid to try new things. Is that what it means to lack ambition?

Ten years of prohibition on spiritual guidance, have you lost all your spirituality and self-confidence?
Damn it, if we weren't such good friends and you hadn't done me a favor, I wouldn't have bothered to help you.

"I heard the organization intends to give you more responsibilities? You're going to be temporarily assigned to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles?"

Old Tian changed the subject; this was the latest news he had received.

Cao Yang nodded. He had already been informed, mainly because they knew that his book, "Cao Yang's Fantastic Journey," was a huge hit in North America, in addition to the astonishing box office and influence of "Inception."

"What position will you be given, a member of the Presidium or a secretary of the Secretariat?"

Old Tian asked with some curiosity, as this was the most suitable position he could think of.

"It might be the vice chairman, but the formal election and appointment will not take place until the 8th National Congress of Literary and Art Workers in November."

Cao Yang said with a calm expression.

"I rely on!"

Old Tian was extremely shocked, and a series of interjections came out of his mouth.

The vice chairman of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, that's a vice-ministerial level, right? It's even higher than the leadership of the Beijing Film Academy!

(End of this chapter)