I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 375 The Winner of the Berlin Golden Bear!
In the following days, with the screening of the films nominated for the main competition at this year's Berlin Film Festival, the top contenders for the awards have been revealed.

Some films generated buzz both before and after their release, becoming even more popular afterward, such as "Jinling" and "Caesar Must Die," directed by the Italian national treasure directors, the Taviani brothers.

Of course, there are also films that were unknown before their release but gained recognition at film festivals after their release, such as the German director Feligh Feligh's "Only the Wind"!
These three films are considered the most likely to win the Golden Bear this year.

However, there are a few other films that should not be overlooked, such as "Sister," which was nominated for the first time as a director and received much praise, ranking second among the nominated films in the festival's daily publication. This is a directorial debut.

Ursula Meyer, a young female director who is only 30 years old.

It is well known that the three major film festivals offer preferential treatment and support to new actors and directors, which is why the media is so optimistic about them, and audiences are also lenient towards them, giving them extremely objective scores.

The 3.2 rating is partly due to the encouragement I received for directing my first film.

Unlike "Jinling" and "Caesar", this is a masterpiece, requiring rigorous scrutiny and some external interference.

In short, ratings don't tell the whole story, and high expectations for an award don't guarantee a win. It just means there's a chance, but every year there are surprises where unmentioned films win big awards or even the Golden Bear.

Although, according to media observations and inquiries, the aforementioned films have all been reserved for the closing ceremony on the last day of this year's Berlin Film Festival.

In other words, everyone has a chance to win the Golden Bear, but... there is still a possibility of a dark horse emerging.

Therefore, with the help of many film enthusiasts and media, the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival finally ushered in its grand finale.

Red carpet + awards ceremony!

……

The 62nd Berlin International Film Festival will come to a close on February 18, 2012.

Of the more than 300 films from around the world competing this year, only 23 were shortlisted for the main competition, and ultimately only 10 made it to the closing ceremony red carpet.

The creators and teams of 10 films were retained.

The closing ceremony red carpet was walked hand in hand by these film crews, the jury, and the organizers.

Moreover, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than the opening ceremony's red carpet.

Chen Jin, Bale, and Ni Ni, all dressed in formal attire and suits, prepared to walk the red carpet laid out in front of the Palais des Festivals.

Meanwhile, back in China, even at 2 a.m., many people were still glued to their computers, watching the live broadcast of the Berlin Film Festival's closing ceremony.

Of course, some people also lie in bed scrolling through Weibo on their phones.

In the past few days, news about "Jinling" has occupied several trending topics and headlines in the country almost every day.

One very bad thing about domestic news media is that they like to celebrate prematurely; they start boasting before the award is even won or the results are announced.

Of course, there are some advantages, such as the traffic will surge instantly if you actually win an award.

Because "Jinling" was destined to win an award, all the portal websites, including Sina and NetEase, speculated every day that "Jinling" might win the Golden Bear, which made many netizens quite disgusted.

The media often does the opposite of what they intend, which is why there are so many people criticizing them in the live stream.

"I vaguely remember the last time Zhang Yimou had such a presence, it was also in Berlin, wasn't it?"

"Yes, in 2002, the media was raving about how 'Hero' was a sure thing, but it ended up winning a consolation prize, something like the Alfred Bauer Silver Bear!"

"Haha, I remember now, Blind Shaft actually won a major award that year!"

"Yes, this is what they call 'dying in extreme heat'!"

"I don't think 'Jinling' has a good chance of winning the major award!"

"Me too, who knows, maybe it'll be another Alfred..."

"If that's how you put it, I feel that 'White Deer Plain' actually has more potential than 'Nanjing'!"

"Zhang Yimou is like this: all talk and no action. Basically, anything that gets heavily promoted ends up failing. I suspect he only had the media hype it up so much for the box office of 'Jinling'!"

"On the contrary, there's not much of a chance. Look at 'Under the Hawthorn Tree,' it still managed to win a third prize!"

"Don't hype up 'Under the Hawthorn Tree,' it's just a consolation prize!"

"..."

Netizens chatted and argued with each other in the live stream, and Zhang Yimou, Chen Jin, and others appeared on camera.

Unlike the opening ceremony, which had no camera focus, this time the media reporters were clearly all focused on Zhang Yimou, while Bale and others only got a few snapshots.

The closing ceremony red carpet was unremarkable, lacking in star power, and the interviews were mainly with the director and a few leading actors who were likely to win Best Actor and Best Actress awards.

The individual awards for "Jinling" are not predicted to rank very high.

In other words, awards like Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director are ranked very low; although Bale's performance was quite good, it wasn't enough to win him an award, at least... that's how many film fans and media outlets at the film festival felt.

It's not that he's certain he won't win, it's just that the prediction for him to win is very low.

Although an upset is possible, the media is only asking routine questions.

On the contrary, "Jinling" is one of the favorites for overall awards such as the Golden Bear and the Jury Grand Prize.

Therefore, the interviewee naturally became Zhang Yimou, the leader.

"Director Yi Mou, are you confident that 'Nanjing Hero' will win the Golden Bear tonight?"

A local European journalist was asking Zhang Yimou a question on the red carpet, with Zhang Mo acting as the translator.

"That depends on the jury's vote, but my opinion is that getting it would be best!"

Zhang Yimou spoke with a smile, and it was clear that he was in a good mood, but his speech sounded too old-fashioned.

In the words of future netizens, he's a complete old-school Deng.

"Nanjing Heroes is a strong contender at this year's Berlin Film Festival. What award do you think it will win?"

Then another reporter started asking questions.

Domestic media outlets, unable to secure prime viewing spots, were forced to begin interviewing Chen Jin and Bale.

After being questioned the entire way, Chen Jin and her companions finally finished walking the red carpet. A group of netizens in the live broadcast room started criticizing Chen Jin because she had just said that "Jinling" deserved to win the Golden Bear.

This was too much for netizens to bear, and they all said he was dreaming.

It's a classic case of "people fear becoming famous, just as pigs fear growing fat." Those watching the Berlin Film Festival at this hour are mostly film enthusiasts.

Zhang Yimou is known for his foul language, not to mention Chen Jin, who has a "stain" on her reputation and low emotional intelligence, and netizens have been mercilessly attacking her.

At this moment, Chen Jin and the others had already entered the cinema, where they had just taken a group photo.

Chen Jin's direct statement to the media that "Jinling" deserves the Golden Bear was certainly not just empty rhetoric.

His feelings are becoming increasingly intense.

It's not just about the jury attending the screening; MK2 is also making efforts, along with various official statements, indicating that it's not just the organizer, Chairman Dieter Sr., showing goodwill.

First, regarding their seating at the awards ceremony, they were seated in the very first three rows.

There's a saying about this among the three major groups.

Diamond District.

Westerners like to play word games like this, just like how the closer you are to the stage at the Oscars, the easier it is to win an award.

The diamond section, which houses the most prestigious awards, was perfectly positioned to be seen by the broadcast cameras.

Moreover, there's a lot of interesting information about that group photo.

Many film crews will make a point of including this step if they are very optimistic about a particular film; not all film crews that participate in the closing ceremony red carpet have this honor.

While it might be due to Zhang Yimou's status in the industry, Chen Jin felt that it was probably not that simple.

The upcoming 2019 film *Parasite* was asked to return to the Lumière Hall an hour before the Cannes awards ceremony to retake the group red carpet photo, a clear signal that it was poised to win a major award.

An occasional coincidence is nothing, but when coincidences happen too often, they cease to be coincidences.

Rather—it's certain!
Chen Jin initially shared a similar bad idea with netizens: that Zhang Yimou would receive another Alfred consolation prize.

But upon reflection, this level of attention and buzz is not the so-called "cultural confidence" that was only promoted by China 10 years ago, but a true breakthrough for the film festival.

The level of buzz generated domestically and at film festivals is completely different.

There's an old Chinese saying: "Ducks are the first to know when the river warms in spring."

Are all those film distributors who have been frantically trying to buy the European distribution rights for "Jinling" from him these past two days idiots?
They must know some inside information to be giving it such enthusiastic support!

Some journalists and film distributors will try to find out firsthand news by making reservations for celebration parties.

There are other subtle signals, such as hotels offering late check-out and upgrading rooms for film crews; Chen Jin could not possibly be as adept at film festival operations as these local reporters and film distributors.

Even if you know a lot about locals, do you understand the value of being a local expert?

So Chen Jin and Zhang Yimou sat comfortably in the third row of the Diamond Zone at the Berlin Film Palace, where they could see a live broadcast camera just by looking up.

Chen Jin also greeted her politely and warmly.

It's safe to say that just sitting here... his exposure is far greater than everyone else's. Who knows, many foreigners watching the live stream might find Chen Jin handsome and just Google him, which would boost his fan base, wouldn't it?

"White Deer Plain" seems much more shabby. Even though it's from the same Chinese team as "Nanjing", it's ranked lower and in the oblique area. Who says Europeans don't know how to behave?
They are much better at interpersonal relationships than Africans.

……

Inside the Berlin Film Palace, more than 1600 deep red velvet seats extend in a fan shape toward the stage, and under the Baroque-style gilded dome, the warm yellow glow of crystal chandeliers spills onto the dark red carpeted aisles.

Actress Ni Ni, sitting on the very edge, stood out exceptionally brightly under the lights.

To be honest, she was already somewhat captivated by the light and shadow alone.

Attending one of the three major closing ceremony award ceremonies in her lifetime would be the highlight of her entire acting career.

Don't think that Ni Ni is as unsophisticated as a country bumpkin. In fact, many female stars think the same way as her: 99% of them will never have such a wonderful moment in their lives.

Even if you don't win the Best Actress award, participating in this event will benefit you for life.

This was Chen Jin's first time in Berlin. Looking at the ancient columns on both sides, it was like a scene from an old movie from the 20s and 30s, with mirrored columns reflecting the shadows of people coming and going.

Once everyone was seated, old Dieter took a seat in the front row, while the jury stood on the stage.

The awards ceremony is finally beginning!
After Dieter Sr. gave his thank-you speech, he went straight to presenting the first award.

This is what makes the three major European film festivals completely different from other awards; there is no excessive small talk or song and dance, and everything looks very serious and solemn.

In addition to the special political factors of the Berlin Film Festival and the particularly rigid and meticulous nature of the older generation of Germans, the entire awards ceremony appeared even more solemn, with everything displaying good order and not too much embellishment.

The first award was, of course, for Best First Feature Film, and surprisingly, it didn't go to Urasue Meyer, who was making his film debut in "Sister."

"Sister" only received a Special Award for Best First Feature, which is definitely a consolation prize.

They didn't even win the Best Newcomer award, and one of the biggest favorites turned out to be a comedy, so predictions are very inaccurate; among all the nominated films, "Sister" ranked second in the festival's daily ratings and was a strong contender for the Golden Bear on the eve of the awards ceremony.

It's a joke that they haven't even landed any new talent yet, so the young female director receiving the award on the stage didn't even have a smile on her face.

This is a huge disappointment, and those who receive a consolation prize for newcomers are destined to miss out on any other awards, let alone the Golden Bear.

Many awards are based on strict rules.

The Newcomer Award and the Newcomer Special Award will definitely disqualify them from winning the Golden Bear; the Jury Special Award and the Grand Prize are second or third prizes, and even if you win them, you will definitely not win the Golden Bear.

On the contrary, cinematographers, Best Actress and Best Actor winners can continue to win awards after winning for their films.

These are all default operations of the three major systems.

Now, two competitors have been eliminated from the Golden Bear competition, leaving only eight winners.

Then, one award after another was successfully presented.

It's almost like a process of elimination; Alfred gets his consolation prize, eliminating another competitor.

Then came the Jury Prize, also known as the Special Jury Prize, for Philioff's "It's Just the Wind." The biggest favorite lost another one, which was a complete disaster.

Many media reporters present were already wailing, wondering if there would be an upset in this year's Berlin tournament.

Although upsets have become the norm.

It's worth noting that of the four films predicted to win the Golden Bear in the festival's program, two have now been lost, leaving only "The Golden City" and "Caesar," the only two masters in the audience.

So a master is a master, and this year's Berlin International Film Festival might just be a way to promote a master.

"An outstanding artistic contribution, Lutz Reitmayer's *White Deer Plain*!"

The jury announced the Silver Bear for Best Cinematography, and the Wang Quan'an crew was ecstatic.

We won an award!
Moreover, it is a highly prestigious photography award.

More importantly, this does not conflict with other major awards. In other words, even if "White Deer Plain" wins the Outstanding Artistic Contribution Award, it is still possible for it to win the Golden Bear and the Jury Prize.

The domestic live broadcast room was clearly buzzing with excitement as Lutz Reitmaier, the cinematographer for the film "White Deer Plain," gave his acceptance speech on stage.

"Hahaha, what did I tell you? 'White Deer Plain' has a better chance of winning the Golden Bear than 'Nanjing'!"

"Will Zhang Yimou not win an award?"

"No, attending the awards ceremony means you'll receive a prize!"

"Don't laugh, upstairs. I just analyzed it. There were only ten films on the red carpet, and six awards have already been given out. There are still four that haven't won yet!"

"But there are still 5 awards that haven't been given out yet!"

"So, there's bound to be one film that wins two awards..."

"The most important thing is-"

This guy delivered a decisive blow and a slap in the face: "The remaining five are all major awards at film festivals!"

Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, plus the Jury Prize and the Golden Bear!
At this point, some of the netizens in the live stream who had been mocking Jinling couldn't laugh anymore.

However, there are still rebuttals.

"There's still a chance that 'White Deer Plain' could win the Golden Bear!"

"The other four films will take the remaining four awards!"

"Yes, theoretically it's possible, but judging from the feedback, 'White Deer Plain' wasn't well made. Foreigners didn't give it high ratings, and many domestic media outlets said they couldn't understand it!"

"Heh, do you think foreigners have the same aesthetic sense as us? 'White Deer Plain' is a smear campaign against the country, it's bound to win awards..."

"..."

The group started arguing again in the live stream until the Best Actor and Best Actress awards were announced.

The film that won two awards has been created.

A Royal Affair!
He won Best Screenplay and Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival.

In other words, this movie actually killed off the final suspense.

"White Deer Plain" has no awards anymore.

Because there are still 3 films that haven't won an award, which happens to correspond to the three major awards.

Of these three, "Jinling" has already won regardless of which one wins.

Zhang Yimou deserves the Best Director award!
The Jury Grand Prize is also the highest honor; of course, the Golden Bear is definitely the strongest.

"You got slapped in the face, didn't you?"

"This time, Zhang Yimou is making a triumphant return!"

"I don't know what you have to criticize? Isn't it good that Director Zhang won an award? Doesn't he deserve to be the director of the Olympics?"

"..."

Now, Chen Jin and Zhang Yimou's fans are at the pinnacle of victory. After holding back all night, they can now unleash their fury on these trolls without restraint.

In sports competitions, the winner takes all.

Many people dislike a sports star, even if he or she has won an Olympic gold medal; they can unleash a torrent of criticism during the finals simply because they dislike him or her.

And now, it's actually the same.

They disliked Zhang Yimou and Chen Jin, hence the endless mockery.

Many supporters endure silently, but when they finally erupt, it will surely be a roar that burns to the extreme.

Best Director: Christian Petzold, "Barbara"!
The Jury Grand Prize goes to the Taviani brothers' "Caesar Must Die"!
After these two awards were presented, audiences around the world who watched the Berlin Film Festival awards ceremony already knew the final answer.

In particular, the viewers in several live streaming rooms in China went completely crazy.

They were all scrolling through the comments.

"The Flowers of War!"

"The Flowers of War!"

Upon arrival, everyone was greeted with the same unanimous phrase: "Remember history, never forget national humiliation!"
Remember history and never forget national humiliation!
"!!!"

Amidst the frenzied barrage of comments from Chinese netizens, the jury chairman, Mike Lee, walked onto the stage and smiled slightly at the camera, saying each word clearly: "The Flowers of War!"

"The Flowers of War" won the Golden Bear at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival!

This is the correct foreign translation of "The Flowers of War".

The Flower of War!

This is the only romance that the Chinese people have given to the painful memories of history!

"The Flowers of War" won the Golden Bear!

(End of this chapter)