Who are you calling "little fresh meat"? I'm the king.

Chapter 611 Closing Ceremony (23)

Wang Xiaoshuai…

It seems like I won't be making any more movies after "Chongqing Blues".

My mind was filled with thoughts of the Third Front construction; I wrote "11 Flowers" and "The Intruder." The former wasn't even accepted by the three major European film festivals, but ended up being screened at the Toronto International Film Festival...

Actually, The Intruder is pretty boring too...

But Venice needs Chinese-language films!
Or rather, it needs China.

The shrinking European market and the disappointing Italian film industry cannot save Venice from its decline. Americans are unwilling to come, so only China can save the Venice Film Festival!
Uh, a bunch of Chinese buyers came and bought a bunch of movies.

Of course, they are all light-hearted films with a storyline!
Films like *The Silent Image*, *Nymphomaniac 2*, *The Secret*, and even Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto's *Wildfire* are simply impossible to buy…

Leaving aside the first two films, "The Cut" confronts the face of hell. The first half of the film presents a panoramic view of Turkey's biggest taboo topic: the genocide of Armenians in Turkey in the 20s.

"Wildfire" is also brutal—on a small island in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, on the eve of World War II, a group of Japanese soldiers struggled to survive under immense pressure and in a horrific environment. Piles of corpses littered the battlefield; the survivors resorted to any means necessary to survive, killing each other and even cannibalism…

In conclusion, "Burning" does have its advantages...

However, I heard from people at A24 that Chen Chong is leaning towards "The Intruder"...

But she wasn't good at speaking and couldn't persuade the judges to vote for her...

Good thing, she didn't specifically target "Burning"...

……

"I don't have high expectations for the box office of 'Burning'. It's an art film, and most viewers usually hate the subtle and unpleasant narrative style of art films."

Nowadays, movies are a form of entertainment for the general public, something they hope to experience and feel "enjoyed" after watching.

Shen Yan continued his conversation with the reporter from Mtime.com about "Burning"...

"I ask you, which viewer enjoys doing reading comprehension questions while trying to relax and have fun? Art films are not meant for entertainment!"

"Then why did you take the photos?"

"I have something to express. Most importantly, I think the subject matter of art films in Chinese cinema today is too outdated. It's either about the Third Front construction or Wen Ge, with a melancholic autumn wind, or lamenting how fast the times have changed and how many people have been left behind... Leave them behind? Our poverty alleviation policies ensure that even the most remote mountainous areas have access to water and electricity! Sometimes I really feel like they're living in the last century... They don't understand the policies or the times. After all, the subject of their creations—the living conditions of marginalized individuals—is just a fragment of overall social life, not the essence of real life."

"So, you look down on them?"

Shen Yan nodded: "The most crucial point is that they hold high positions, have extensive networks, and are closely connected with their relatives and friends, giving them considerable influence. Even if the filming is utterly terrible, everyone around them is praising it..."

"Do you also think they are pandering to Western stereotypes?"

"Isn't that what they mean? If you don't cater to them and join their discourse, how can you expect to be accepted by them? You have to understand that in the Western cultural perspective, their understanding of China's modern society is often biased. They consciously or unconsciously selectively cling to the impression of China as backward and peculiar in the past."

Therefore, the thieves, prostitutes, migrant workers, and homosexuals depicted by the "Sixth Generation" directors aptly catered to Western society's perception and imagination of Eastern culture.

In postcolonial cultural studies, postcolonialists divide the world into several regions, including the Far East, the Middle East, and the Near East. These divisions are centered on the European continent, and those regions far from the European continent are naturally considered marginalized and backward.

Therefore, the phenomena of confusion in people's lives, cultural backwardness and isolation, and political undemocraticness presented in the films of the "Sixth Generation" directors naturally became a cultural interpretation of the Western mainstream consciousness's imagination of Chinese society.

"Then...why is it so difficult for them to win awards now?"

"Because other countries and regions have also joined this game, such as Thailand and the Philippines... They attract the judges' approval by revealing their own scars... and their scars are even more extensive than those of Chinese-language films!"

"So... 'Burning' is also like that?" "The central theme of 'Burning' is class, which is a common topic globally..."

"So what kind of award do you think you can win?"

"My opinion doesn't count!" Shen Yan waved his hand. "If it were up to me, I'd definitely want to win the Golden Lion Award!"

The reporter chatted with Shen Yan for over an hour, and afterwards, Shen Yan treated him to a meal.

After all, encountering fellow countrymen overseas...

During the discussion, the topic of competing for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film came up, and Shen Yan frankly stated, "I entrusted the North American screening of this film to A24; they were responsible for the publicity, release, and public relations..."

"Public relations?"

"It definitely requires spending some money on public relations... otherwise, the judges will think you look down on the Oscars..."

"Did you do any public relations for Venice this time?"

Shen Yan shook his head decisively: "I haven't even met the judges, how am I supposed to make connections? Besides, I don't know any of the judges!"

……

Brother Yan definitely can't tell the truth!

Just like when "Still Life" won the Golden Lion Award, would you dare say that it had absolutely nothing to do with Marco Müller?
Although Zhang Weiping is outspoken, what he says is mostly true—during his previous feud with Jia Zhangke, he said that "Jia Zhangke and Marco Müller, the president of the Venice Film Festival, are playing dirty tricks; Marco Müller was the investor in 'Still Life'."

Was it really him who invested?
Who knows.

The closing ceremony was held on September 2nd. Shen Yan watched "The Golden Era" with Dilraba, Wang Kai, and Shi Shi, then had dinner before heading to the Lido Island Cinema Palace, the venue for the awards ceremony.

People weren't in a good mood—"The Golden Era" was terrible!

I had absolutely no idea what An-Hua Hsu was filming.

Even Wang Kai looked completely bewildered—he was really looking forward to this movie!
"The Golden Era" was the closing film of the Venice Film Festival!

Overall, it feels like Xu Anhua tried too hard to tell history from an objective perspective, but the result was neither a drama nor a documentary, and just a rambling account.

The detached, camera-centric narrative is a new attempt, but not necessarily a good one. The overall approach is too inconsiderate of the audience, a huge test of patience. After half an hour, Shen Yan couldn't take it anymore; she was just too sleepy and tired…

When I woke up, it was still the same group of people muttering to themselves and talking to themselves!
A truly awful movie…

Guan Jin has so many characters that Shen Yan can't even recognize them all, and you're still holding the premiere in Venice?

And... why is it called "The Golden Age"?
Do you really think the Republic of China was a golden age?
Shen Yan clapped his hands: "Everyone, perk up, it's time to walk the red carpet!"

Shi Shi interjected, "...Would it be inappropriate for me to come with you?"

"What's wrong with that? We have enough invitations..."

"But I have nothing to do with your film crew!"

"Who said that? You're our producer!"

(End of this chapter)