Became the best actor, the system just finished loading

Chapter 427 The Palme d'Or

It wasn't just Spielberg; there were other judges as well.

Li An goes without saying; no matter how much he works in Hollywood, he is still Chinese. Moreover, he hopes to change the status quo of cross-strait film exchanges through Qi Hao.

Nicole Kidman has had two daughters in recent years.

Qi Hao also just started having children, so their main topic of conversation was their children.

Children are also an important element in the film.

In the film, children and adults often clash, but they coexist with the adult world. Children, through the metaphor of the inherent goodness of human nature, become a dual mirror of human origins and the future. The entanglement of the id, ego, and superego becomes a beautiful landscape in the world of film.

It encompasses human self-examination and embodies the profound logic of what it means to be human and how one should be human.

Another actor is Christoph Waltz, who is Qi Hao's favorite actor. He has seen almost all of his films.

In 2010, he won the Best Supporting Actor award at the 67th Golden Globe Awards and the 82nd Academy Awards for his role in the crime film "Inglourious Basterds".

Just a few months ago, he won the Best Supporting Actor award at the 70th Golden Globe Awards and the 85th Academy Awards for his role in the Western adventure film Django Unchained.

Both of these films were directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Given the relationship between Qi Hao and Quentin, you simply cannot imagine that Christoph Waltz is an upright and honest person.

Qi Hao and Christoph Waltz didn't interact much.

There's no need to say more.

Nicole Kidman didn't need to either. As fellow beauties, and having children as a common topic, it was far too easy for her to win the other person's favor.

The reason the two didn't go to the hotel for a full-blown battle was because Qi Hao was a man of integrity.

Qi Hao's main strategy was to win over Spielberg and the other three judges.

The main competitor this time should be Abdellatif Kechiche, whose style is unique and irreplaceable. He is a distinctive film director in contemporary France, and being in Cannes gives him an extra edge.

Then there's "Inside Llewyn Davis," directed by the Coen brothers.

In fact, the competition among the films in this year's Cannes International Film Festival was far less intense than in previous years. One jury member, during an interview during the selection process, said that there were very few films in the main competition that were worthy of his attention.

Interestingly, Hirokazu Kore-eda brought his film "Like Father, Like Son," which was also nominated for the main competition.

Qi Hao went to see the premiere.

The film tells the story of a comfortable middle-class family in neon who suddenly discover that their 6-year-old child was switched at birth in the hospital, plunging them into a family ethical dilemma.

According to the information provided by the system, "Shoplifters" is a film by Hirokazu Kore-eda.

This time, the fake Li Kui has met the real Li Kui.

However, by comparing the two films, Qi Hao can see that although the two films are somewhat similar in style, the story of "Shoplifters" is more exciting than that of "Like Father, Like Son".

The subject matter of "Like Father, Like Son" is too ordinary, even melodramatic.

The topic was mediocre, which was a fatal flaw.

After the premiere of "Like Father, Like Son," the media and film critics, while praising the film, had already predicted that it would not win any major awards.

Qi Hao's "Shoplifters" premiered on the 21st.

He was already quite well-known, and having spent more than a week since the opening ceremony on the 15th, he had already made countless international friends.

In addition, many Chinese filmmakers attended this year's Cannes Film Festival, so the premiere was packed to capacity.

This work by a promising new director has surprised and delighted both the media and professional audiences.

It's actually difficult for outsiders to have a unified opinion on a legendary figure like Qi Hao.

Everyone knows that Qi Hao is a business genius with a net worth of 175 billion RMB, or 25 billion USD.

In the current climate of Hollywood action movies where people are willing to risk their lives for $1000 million, $25 billion is truly a huge sum of money.

Last year, Nicole Kidman's ex-husband, Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise, and his new wife Katie Holmes quickly reached a divorce agreement within 11 days, with Tom Cruise giving one-tenth of his net worth to the other.

Based on the compensation amount, Tom Cruise's net worth is only $2.5 million.

This is already the richest star in all of Hollywood.

Qi Hao is worth 10 Tom Cruises.

Perhaps due to his outstanding business acumen, Qi Hao's achievements in commercial films are also evident to all.

He himself has directed many box office hits.

Zhonghao Entertainment, the largest privately owned film studio in China, now belongs to him.

However, this isn't Qi Hao's first time directing an art film.

His previous film, "The Piano in a Factory," was also widely acclaimed, especially as his legendary experiences became more and more widely known, people often tried to glean the secrets to his success from the film.

Qi Hao's new film premiered at Cannes this time, and everyone was surprised to find that the film was unexpectedly perfect.

Although it contains a few personal touches, such as setting the story in Hong Kong during the British colonial period.

The film, titled "Shoplifters," portrays a family where every member is guilty. Beyond theft, they commit crimes such as disposing of corpses, kidnapping children, and engaging in pornography. The root of these evils ultimately lies in poverty, profoundly revealing the wealth gap and the suffering of the lower classes behind the prosperity of Hong Kong during the British colonial era.

However, the film did not focus much on this aspect.

In this film, the director calmly presents the problems and neglected aspects of modern civilized society to the audience, and provides a detailed display and analysis of the composition, ethics, meaning of life, and human morality of modern traditional families.

You could even consider this a profound and moving film, which, through its delicate narrative and realistic character portrayals, allows the audience to deeply understand the true meaning of family.

With its delicate and heartwarming narrative style and profound insights into human nature, this film received a high score of 3.4 in the festival's daily publication, breaking the record for this year's Cannes Film Festival and becoming a new hot topic.

Previously, the highest score was the Coen brothers' new film "Inside Llewyn Davis" with 3.3 points, leading the pack, followed by "A Touch of Sin" with 3 points.

Hirokazu Kore-eda's "Like Father, Like Son" is rated 2.5.

Of course, the Cannes Film Festival's ratings in its daily publication cannot be used as the final criterion for the Palme d'Or. In fact, there's a saying that the highest-rated films in history are unlikely to win the Palme d'Or.

According to statistics, in the past fifteen years, only four times has the film with the highest score in the festival's daily publication won the Palme d'Or.

The only Chinese film to date to win the Palme d'Or, the highest honor at the Cannes Film Festival, is "Farewell My Concubine," which topped the festival's ratings with a score of 3.6 when it won the Palme d'Or.

Qi Hao was also unsure whether he could win the Palme d'Or.

The Venice Film Festival places greater emphasis on artistic balance, the Berlin Film Festival on the director's personal style, and Cannes is generally recognized for encouraging innovation and promoting creativity.

As a young director, he should theoretically meet the standards that should be encouraged.

However, the Cannes Film Festival is the most conservative among A-list film festivals.

Directors who typically come from Cannes follow a clear and predictable path: be nominated in parallel sections, be nominated in the main competition, become a jury member, be nominated in the main competition multiple times every now and then, win a few awards, and whether they can win the Palme d'Or depends on fate.

So in Cannes, surprises are completely unpredictable.

Two days later, the lesbian-themed film "Blue Is the Warmest Color" received a high score of 3.6 in the festival's daily publication, replacing "Shoplifters" as the highest-rated film.

Director Abdellatif Kechiche, who previously directed "The Grain and the Mullet," presents "Blue Is the Warmest Color," a three-hour film that tells the story of two lesbian girls from their first meeting to their eventual estrangement with exquisite detail and vivid realism, bringing tears to the eyes of many.

The film's high score put immense pressure on judges who might not have been particularly fond of it.

Even Qi Hao's staunchest ally, Christoph Waltz, expressed his concerns about Qi Hao winning the Palme d'Or.

Furthermore, Qi Hao was informed that the judging panel was currently severely divided.

Surprisingly, the person who supported Qi Hao the most was not Li An, who is also Chinese. Li An actually appreciated the gay film "Blue Is the Warmest Color" more.

Besides Christoph Waltz, Nicole Kidman was the biggest supporter of Qi Hao.

In addition, Indian actress Vidya Balan also supports Qi Hao.

Perhaps because of his good looks, both female judges favored Qi Hao.

Japanese judge Naomi Kawase favored "Like Father, Like Son".

The last judge, Christian Mungiu, favored "Blue Is the Warmest Color".

Of the seven judges, three supported Qi Hao, two supported "Blue Is the Warmest Color," and one supported "Like Father, Like Son." Therefore, the attitude of Spielberg, the chairman of the jury, was crucial.

However, Spielberg has remained silent.

It's true that he and Qi Hao had a very pleasant conversation, but he himself is a particularly conservative person.

Conservative individuals are particularly prone to following a step-by-step approach, such as first qualifying for the parallel categories, then the main competition, winning several smaller awards before vying for the grand prize. Qi Hao made two preparations.

After the film's release, it was scheduled to be screened in Hong Kong so that it could be submitted for the Hong Kong Film Awards.

If we can't get the one from Cannes, the one from Hong Kong will do.

At worst, there's the Shanghai International Film Festival.

With three safeguards in place, it's unlikely that all of them will fail.

Therefore, Qi Hao was in a very peaceful state of mind, and even had the leisure to accept several media interviews, including those from domestic and foreign media.

He was even interviewed by a French financial channel.

This is both funny and frustrating.

However, Qi Hao still went to participate and discussed some economic topics.

He has obtained a lot of information about future businesses, and can see some clues from Apple, Tesla and Sina. In addition, he is well-read, so he will not show any weakness in the interview.

Of course, he couldn't possibly offer the French anything of value.

After watching his business interviews, I realized he's amazing. His success wasn't accidental; there was no luck involved.

But to think you can extract something useful from it and follow in his footsteps to the pinnacle of life is pure fantasy.

Time flew by and the day of the closing ceremony arrived.

Qi Hao has been here for over ten days, only able to see his wife and children through video calls each day, and he is already longing to return home.

Screw the Palme d'Or.

I should have accepted the invitation to be a judge at the Shanghai International Film Festival and then won Best Film at the College Student Film Festival.

In the capital, it doesn't affect taking care of the children.

On the closing ceremony red carpet, Fan Xuexue stole the show, having already attended the opening ceremony once before.

This falls under the category of business activities.

A few days ago, she attended the premiere of "Beauty in the City" and also attended the "Fan Xuexue Night" party held in Cannes by the film magazine The Hollywood Reporter, where she was awarded the "International Artist of the Year" award, which is the first award established by the magazine.

She also attended the premiere of "Shoplifters" and complained to Qi Hao for not casting her as the female lead.

Qi Hao walked the red carpet with a group of stars from "Shoplifters".

The awards ceremony began shortly after it started.

It was divided into several sections. For example, "Over the Boundary," directed by Hong Kong director Lau Wan-man, was shortlisted for the Un Certain Regard section, and "Blind Detective," directed by To Chi-fung, was shortlisted for the Midnight Screenings section.

The main competition segment was placed last.

The Best Short Film Award kicked off the main competition, with Bangbang Films' "Safety" winning the award.

Then Hirokazu Kore-eda's "Like Father, Like Son" won the Jury Special Award.

The third winner was Huaxia Film, with Jia Zhangke winning the Best Screenplay award for "A Touch of Sin".

Qi Hao keenly sensed that Jia Zhangke was slightly displeased.

Some media outlets previously reported that Jia Zhangke was a strong contender for the Palme d'Or or Best Director, but now that he has been awarded Best Screenplay, his chances of winning the Palme d'Or have been greatly reduced.

Of course, Qi Hao had no right to sympathize with Jia Zhangke.

At least they won an award.

Jia Zhangke's winning the award means that Qi Hao, who is also Chinese, is very likely to not win any awards.

After all, it's not common for two Chinese people to receive the award in the same year.

Of course, it's not that there aren't any.

At the 46th awards ceremony, Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine" and Hou Hsiao-hsien's "The Puppetmaster" both won awards.

In addition, "To Live" won the Jury Prize and Best Actor at the 47th International Film Festival.

The 53rd edition was the most outrageous. That year, not only did "In the Mood for Love" win Best Actor and Best Technical Achievement, but Edward Yang also won Best Director for "Yi Yi," and Jiang Wen won the Jury Prize for "Devils on the Doorstep."

However, it is ultimately a minority phenomenon.

The casting for Best Actress Bérénice Bejo and Best Actor Bruce Dern was quickly finalized.

The atmosphere was lively, and both awards were considered prestigious.

Shoplifters is an ensemble piece, so it's unlikely to win any of those awards.

All that's left are the Jury Prize, Best Director, and the Palme d'Or.

Qi Hao sighed inwardly.

The real competition hasn't even started yet. If Abdellatif Kechiche's "Blue Is the Warmest Color" and the Coen brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis" can win awards in the minor stages, then "Shoplifters" will truly have a chance.

Currently, neither of the two strong contenders for the Palme d'Or has made a move.

Currently, only three awards remain.

Qi Hao had no desire to win the Jury Prize or Best Director, even though for most people, winning these two awards would mean instant success and would be an honor they could boast about for a lifetime.

Jiang Wen's highest award was the Jury Prize.

It's just a matter of personal preference.

Qi Hao had no obsession with gaining prestige through the three major European film festivals; he was only here to fulfill Brother Tong's mission requirements.

"...Blue Is the Warmest Color...Abdellatif Kechiche...Best Director Award..."

Qi Hao clapped enthusiastically, genuinely happy for his friend Abd Kechiche.

I was so happy!

Damn, finally one got rid of.

"...Inside Llewyn Davis...Ethan Cohen, Joel Cohen...Grand Jury Prize..."

Another one has left.

Qi Hao almost forgot to applaud.

Of course, as an actor, he wouldn't lose his dignity.

His face appropriately displayed surprise and admiration, as well as genuine happiness for the Coen brothers, who were two of his favorite directors.

Of course, Qi Hao did not think he had it all figured out.

We all understand the principle that excessive joy can lead to sorrow.

Moreover, his "Shoplifters" was at most a contender for awards, far from being the most popular.

Most fatally, he had not previously gained recognition from the three major European filmmakers as a director. This was the first time he had entered the international film industry's field of vision, and he even encountered a conservative like Spielberg as the jury member.

Even if he didn't win any awards, just being shortlisted for the main competition is enough for him.

When it came to the final awards ceremony, all the jury members went up on stage, and Spielberg, as the jury member, announced the winner of this year's Cannes International Film Festival Grand Prize.

Qi Hao sat upright.

He subtly revealed a hint of nervousness at just the right moment.

The cameras were already pointed at the young billionaire.

"..." The old man completely failed to grasp Qi Hao's feelings, rambled on for a while, and then began to announce the results: "Shoplifters, congratulations to our young director Seventh, Qi Hao!"

Finally, Qi Hao's name was said in Chinese.

This is one of the Chinese words that Qi Hao taught him; there are many others.

Become!

Qi Hao took a deep breath. He didn't need to act; he had already performed very well.

(End of this chapter)