Entertainment: I am the peak

Chapter 713 Return in Triumph
Liu Yifei has not yet returned to China, and the Chinese entertainment industry is still immersed in the joy of a Chinese actress winning the Cannes Best Actress award again after 14 years. It has only been 4 years since the last time a Chinese actor won the European Third Award for Best Actor – Liao Fanbai won the Best Actor award in 2014.

This year's Cannes Film Festival is a fortunate event for Chinese-language films and for Asian cinema as a whole.

The Palme d'Or for Best Film went to the Japanese film "Shoplifters," the Best Actress award went to a Chinese actress, the Best Screenplay award went to an Iranian film, and the highest score ever recorded in Cannes' history, the Asian film "Burning," also received the award.

It can be said that Asian cinema has achieved a major victory this year.

It's a pity that the section chief failed to make it to Cannes again, but he's a regular at Cannes, so this small setback won't defeat him.

Tao Jie is still young, and her future as a Best Actress is promising.

Strangely, after Liu Yifei won the award, the entire online entertainment section was discussing Liu Yifei and "Marriage Story," but Autumn Pictures only reposted Liu Yifei's award-winning Weibo post and sent their blessings.

They didn't take advantage of the hype to start promoting the movie, remaining very calm.

It's really unnecessary. "Marriage Story" won't be released for a while yet. If we start promoting it now, we'll lose interest before the movie is even released. It's a thankless task.

In the past few days, besides praising Liu Yifei, Zhang Zhen has also inevitably received praise from netizens, who said he was excellent at bidding for awards and thanked him for his outstanding performance.

Zhang Zhen, of course, would not respond to such a statement. The confidentiality agreement was still in effect, and he could not disclose the review process.

Of course, there are also nitpickers who insist on arguing that Liu Yifei's victory was unfair, and that she would not have won the Best Actress award at all if Zhang Zhen hadn't helped her tear down the award.

This angle of argument is truly novel and interesting.

But Liu Yifei winning the award is an undeniable fact, and anyone who tries to argue against it now will be doomed.

Some netizens found and translated the press conference of the main competition judges after the awards ceremony.

Speaking about the Best Actress selection, Chair Cate Blanchett said, "We reached an agreement very quickly, almost unanimously. Liu Yifei's performance was as vivid and sincere as 'Marriage Story,' without any trace of acting. All her reactions came from a deep understanding and appreciation of real life, and we felt it was the best performance. The voting for Best Actress was completed in a very short time."

Fans countered with Kate's words: "See? All nine judges unanimously agreed that Yifei acted well, and she was elected Best Actress with a unanimous vote."

Asian films received a lot of attention at this year's film festival. As the only Asian jury member, Zhang Zhen clearly stated his role in the selection process when answering related questions: "I helped other jury members better understand the core of Asian films. When selecting 'Marriage Story,' I told the other jury members why the director handled the family relationship between the male and female protagonists in this way. This is a typical case of East Asian families and is very representative."

These words almost certainly confirmed that Zhang Zhen had torn up an award and made statements regarding "Marriage Story".

On Monday the 21st, the Ministry of Rites held its regular press conference for the first day of the new week. The first question was: "What is your opinion on Chinese actress Liu Yifei winning the Best Actress award at this year's Cannes International Film Festival? What impact will this have on Chinese films going international and expanding their international influence?"

In the eyes of foreigners, no matter how Liu Yifei's nationality changes, she is a Chinese actress.

The spokesperson smiled first, then replied tactfully, "We have noted that Chinese actress Liu Yifei won the Best Actress award at the Cannes International Film Festival, and we extend our warmest congratulations. Liu Yifei's achievement is a microcosm of the dedication and pursuit of excellence that Chinese artists have made over the years, fully demonstrating the profound heritage of Chinese culture and the professional competence of Chinese filmmakers."

"As an important part of world film culture, Chinese cinema has always upheld an open and inclusive attitude, committed to promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and other countries. This award is not only an affirmation of the individual artistic achievements of Chinese actors, but also a recognition of the ever-improving artistic level of Chinese films by the international film community. This will inspire more Chinese filmmakers to create outstanding works that blend Chinese and Western elements and connect the past and present, making positive contributions to promoting dialogue among civilizations and enhancing mutual understanding among people of all countries."

"The Chinese government has always supported the healthy development of cultural undertakings and encouraged the film industry to broaden its international perspective while upholding its cultural roots. We are willing to work with the international community to jointly create an international film culture ecosystem that is equal, mutually beneficial, and pluralistic, so that the world can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the real, three-dimensional, and comprehensive China through the art of film."

This is the second time the Ministry of Rites has introduced Liu Yifei since "Lucy" in 14.

This makes the fans feel very comfortable.

If you say having a diplomat as a father is all it takes, then there's nothing I can do about it.

On the morning of the 22nd, Li Qiutang and Liu Yifei appeared at the airport.

For the sake of maintaining order at the airport, no fans were organized to greet them, but the two were still spotted by some die-hard fans. It's unclear how they obtained the itinerary.

She was very happy to receive the award, but she was extremely busy during the two extra days she spent in Cannes afterward. Now that she's back home, she's not feeling well. All she wants to do now is go home and rest.

Li Qiutang put his arm around her and walked forward, surrounded by several assistants.

Fans greeted her warmly, and Liu Yifei waved back.

A fan bought a gift and handed her the bag, but Liu Yifei's assistant refused, saying, "I don't accept gifts."

Liu Yifei also said, "Don't spend money to buy gifts." But seeing that the fans had written letters, she said, "I can accept the letters." She reached out and took the fans' letters.

Her assistant collected six or seven letters before the group left the airport.

In the past two days, countless invitations have been sent to Liu Yifei.

But Liu Yifei really couldn't take the award. She was still filming "Mulan" in Yili. Winning the award disrupted all of Liu Yifei's original work schedule, and she had to ask Guo Fan for two more days off to deal with these matters. She simply didn't have the time or energy to take on other activities.

Dior even considered changing the September issue cover originally intended for Zhou Xun. If Liu Yifei had agreed, it would have been easier to negotiate with them. However, Liu Yifei didn't want to do that and wouldn't do anything that would offend anyone.

She's already maxed out all five major magazines, so she has no ambition for magazine covers. Besides, she doesn't have time to shoot these last-minute covers right now.

But after returning to China, she couldn't avoid many of the interviews.

That afternoon, just before Dior hosted a celebratory banquet for her at the Bulgari Hotel, she gave an exclusive interview to China Film Report.

She intentionally addressed some questions: "Xiaoming and Qin Lan were in Cannes at the time and congratulated me in person. We even had a small celebration party in Cannes." After Liu Yifei won the award, some people stirred up trouble by criticizing Huang Xiaoming and Qin Lan, who usually claimed to be close friends, for not posting congratulatory messages on Weibo. Liu Yifei was actually aware of all of this.

In fact, quite a few Chinese celebrities stayed in Cannes that day; they were taking a gamble.

If "Marriage Story" wins an award, they can congratulate each other in person at Cannes and get some recognition in front of Li Qiutang. If it doesn't win an award, they won't lose anything; they'll just have to return to China a day or two later.

As it turns out, many people made the right bet this year. At least they all received invitations to the celebration party Li Qiutang held in Cannes, and most of them became friends with Director Li.

Excluding Huang Xiaoming and Qin Lan, the two have been friends with Li Qiutang for over ten years, so they wouldn't stoop to such a scheming act.

“There are also some very close friends who specifically called and texted me.”

Liu Yifei frankly said, "Don't get too caught up in this award. Marriage Story has come to an end, and this award is just the beginning."

She said she actually wanted to take a vacation to rest and calm down.

The reporter asked her, "Who are you going on vacation with?"

Liu Yifei laughed and said, "Of course it's with my husband. There's still some time before 'Marriage Story' is released, and he's a bit free. But I have another movie to film, which is a bit of a pity."

The reporter said, "In your acceptance speech, you encouraged others to pursue their dreams of becoming actors, saying that they should be brave to try and persevere. I think that should encourage many people."

Liu Yifei said, "That's just how it is. You have to be brave enough to try and keep going in whatever you do. What if you succeed? Aren't I that 'what if'?"

“I used to say that I wanted to be a Best Actress and leave my mark on film history. Many people told me not to dream. There have been many people who have said that to me, saying that I am not the type of person who is good at acting. For me, acting skills are enough to not be out of place.”

"Of course I'm not satisfied. I'll set my goal there and work towards it step by step. I also hope that my experience can encourage some people."

At the end of the interview, Liu Yifei jokingly expressed her concern: "Will I only be offered wife roles in the future? I can play other roles too."

(End of this chapter)