Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 573 Full Power Off to Cannes

"Those who know me and those who condemn me, only history will tell."

Lu Kuan casually finished speaking those eight words and then left.

He was not worried about others not knowing him, but about not knowing others. He could only fulfill his duty to warn others, even if it was an obligation imposed on him by the time traveler for the sake of the overall situation of the Chinese film industry.

As Shen Hao, the current editor-in-chief of Nanfang Metropolitan Daily, said, apart from being interested in correcting wrongs and expressing opinions on topics involving the bottom line of "cultural ideology," this richest man and young director are not very willing to respond to these outside disturbances.

As for the reporter's purpose in asking the question, what Wanda's people think, and the praise and criticism from netizens across the internet, he cannot decide, and it is difficult for him to offer any further explanation.

If I tell the truth, will anyone actually believe me?
However, these eight words, which have a profound meaning, quickly sparked a huge discussion on the internet.

Extending the timeline to the last decade, this appears to be the first time a time traveler has addressed the controversies surrounding them in front of the camera.

The question of whether he was a "traitor" or a "savior" was raised by the person who had been subdued by a single sentence from the leader and who, even Nanfang, dared not speak nonsense for the time being.

In the aftermath of the leader's statement setting the tone, no major newspapers dared to voice dissenting opinions, but ordinary netizens were indeed discussing it extensively. You can't expect everyone to have a clear and rational understanding of the situation.

Moreover, most people's thinking, decisions, and opinions are influenced by their own biases and stances.

Netizen [Business Logic Representative]: To put it simply, the richest man's meaning is actually "If I say no, then no, you just wait and see." Wenjie just monopolized the IMAX theater business, and now that Wanda wants to go overseas to find a way to survive, he immediately jumps out to talk bad about it.

Isn't this a classic case of "the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are forbidden even to light lamps"? Besides, he's not even an official. Wenjie can acquire Netflix to create a global streaming service, but Wanda's acquisition of AMC is a strategic mismatch. Ultimately, isn't it just that they're afraid that if Wanda succeeds, it will shake Wenjie's established position in the industry?

Netizen [Guomao Wangfujing Ticket Agent]: Boss Lu is a bit like Xie Ruolin from the TV series "Lurking" produced by his own company—he talks about principles, but his heart is full of business.

Wenjie has already dominated the entire industry chain in China, both upstream and downstream, and has also controlled DVD distribution channels overseas. It can be described as a core hub connecting Chinese and foreign films, and of course, it hopes that everyone will play by its own rules.

But if Wanda Go Global succeeds, it will introduce a different set of competitive rules, which is the last thing he wants to see.

He now adopts the stance of an industry leader, using grand terms like "big picture" and "industry" to justify his business moat behavior and prevent any potential challenges to his model. While this isn't necessarily wrong, it's certainly not a very open and honest approach or statement.

Netizen [Rational Gossip Eater Xiao Chen]: I'm increasingly disliking Lu Kuan's "industry god" perspective. It seems the development of Chinese cinema must be defined by him and his set of industrial standards.

Wanda's approach may be radical, but it is also an exploration. It immediately characterized the situation as pessimistic and used its success to negate other possibilities, which is a monopoly of discourse power.

The phrase "It is only in the Spring and Autumn Annals" sounds like it's left to history to judge, but in the present moment when he already has enormous influence, this rhetoric itself is influencing the direction of historical judgment, which is very unfair to other competitors.

Opinion leaders and major media outlets on the mainland remained silent, and Nan Fang was also unusually silent on the matter, but that does not mean that Hong Kong and Taiwan media and film industry figures would keep quiet.

Apart from some directors and actors who still need to develop their careers in mainland China, biased media outlets and confrontational forces have started to stir up trouble.

Because the richest man has no power over them, and because their attacks on Boss Lu are seen as legitimate and correct by their "authorities".

Huang Chien-yeh, the chairman of the Golden Horse Awards in 2010, had something to say about it.

Huang Chien-yeh was then a full-time associate professor in the Department of Drama and the Graduate Institute of Film Creation at Taipei National University of the Arts. He previously served as the director of the Graduate Institute of Scriptwriting and the Graduate Institute of Theatre Arts, where he led courses in film aesthetics and practice, and was also the chairman of this year's Golden Horse Awards.

As Mr. Lu had previously publicly criticized twice, Huang Jianye's most famous "handling" in his previous life was a series of shady operations in the 2010 Golden Horse Awards, which ultimately elevated Ruan Jingtian, who was highly favored by the Taiwan film industry, to the Best Actor award.

These controversial actions included directly criticizing Xu Fan for his overly intense performance in "Aftershock," which resulted in him being heavily criticized by Kuzi.

This includes the failure to conduct a third round of voting as required during the second round, which led to Sylvia Chang's unexpected elimination, and the awarding of the Best Actor award to Ruan Jingtian for "Monga" due to widely criticized "local protectionism."

Who were Ruan Jingtian's competitors that year?
Wang Xueqi, who played the revolutionary Li Yutang in "Bodyguards and Assassins", embodies both patriotism and human struggle.
Qin Hao, who was nominated for Best Actor at Cannes, portrayed the hidden pain of same-sex lovers with delicate body language in "Spring Fever".
And Ni Dahong, who conveys the struggle between legal principles and human nature through micro-expressions in "Dialysis".

However, Huang Jianye, the host of the Golden Horse Awards, still "overruled public opinion" and awarded the Best Actor award to Ruan Jingtian, which caused a great deal of controversy at the time.

After winning the award, he only received two votes at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival. Judge Mai Ruoyu bluntly stated that "the deliberate performance of young actors appears stiff in front of veteran actors."
Mainland film distributors also collectively boycotted future Golden Horse Awards collaborations, with Huayi Brothers publicly stating, "We need to reassess the value of our participation."

Clearly, the Golden Horse Awards' decision was not solely based on artistic considerations—

In 2010, the film industry in Taiwan was at a critical stage of recovery. After the success of "Cape No. 7" in the past two years, there was an urgent need for new stars to support the industry's continuity. As the only young actor with box office appeal, promoting Ruan Jingtian was an emergency injection of blood into the local commercial value.

Huang Jianye wanted to build Ruan Jingtian, along with 2009 Golden Horse Award winners Dai Luren and Wei Tesheng, into a commercial and artistic matrix of "Taiwan Province's Pride," which was actually a way to construct a local hero genealogy. Dai Luren, in particular, was almost a given, as his stance was practically self-evident.

Later, through collaborations between Hong Kong and Taiwan, films such as "The Guillotines" were used to cast mainland leading men like Huang Xiaoming as supporting actors to elevate Ruan's status, thus penetrating the mainland market and gaining fans. This was a smooth and efficient operation.

Mr. Lu has had a feud with this group since 2002. His film "Whiplash" withdrew from the competition, and Liu Yifei withdrew from the award. In particular, now that he is the vice chairman of the Beiping Film Festival and in charge of the preparations, his deliberate "belittling" last year has further angered these islanders.

If the mainland cultural circles have kept quiet or shrank back because of that person's remarks, then there are far too many people in the Hong Kong and Taiwan film circles who want to express their opinions to enhance their reputation and earn extra money.

After the news broke, Huang Jianye stated in an interview with Taiwanese film media:
Director Lu Kuan's profound and insightful remarks on history today sounded all too familiar.

Because he, too, has taken on the role of an arbitrator of Chinese-language films, vehemently criticizing the Golden Horse Awards for being constrained by regional balance and for lowering artistic standards. Now, he is perfectly replicating the same set of logic in his predictive denial of Wanda's overseas expansion strategy.

The paradox lies in the fact that when he criticizes the Golden Horse Awards, he can still claim to be a "game-changer" challenging authority;
Today, however, now that he has become a "new authority" with enormous resources and who defines industry rules, he easily labels any exploration of a path that differs from the Wenjie model as a strategic mismatch.

This attitude of absolutizing one's own success and using it to deny other possibilities is essentially a monopoly of cultural discourse. The more transcendent the lofty ideals he speaks of, the more formidable his underlying commercial moat becomes.

From this perspective, at least the Golden Horse Awards are fortunate; we are able to maintain sufficient independence and not be influenced by this powerful figure.

On behalf of myself, I would like to appeal to and support Mr. Wang of Wanda Group, as well as directors Feng Xiaogang and Wu Ershan, because true industrial prosperity should not be a solo performance of the "Wenjie Model," but rather a symbiotic relationship with different paths.

Just like the inclusiveness of the Golden Horse Hall, it has never been about "regional balance" as Director Lu criticized, but rather the most steadfast protection of the diverse ecosystem of Chinese-language films.

Following closely behind was *Film Biweekly*, a publication that once hosted the Hong Kong Film Awards and held considerable influence within the industry, though its words still left room for interpretation:

Mr. Lu Kuan's seemingly casual remark about Wanda Going Global actually carries immense weight.

Behind this lies the enormous advantage that Wenjie has built upon the vast mainland market, and the resulting right to define industry rules.

As a free port, Hong Kong understands the value of openness and competition. Wanda's acquisition of AMC, despite its risks, is a market-driven decision that should be judged by capital and audiences.

Mr. Lu's preemptive denial, as an industry leader, is tantamount to erecting an invisible barrier. This is reminiscent of the fierce competition between Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest, where, despite the intensity, neither attempted to deny the other's right to exist in the name of the prevailing trend. True industry health should emulate the spirit of Hong Kong—inclusive and tolerant, rather than fixated on a single dominant force.

What's most surprising is that Wong Kwok-sang, a Hong Kong film star who hasn't had any good roles in a long time, has also dared to "criticize current affairs." In an interview with Apple Daily, he casually laughed and said:
"Lu Sheng's line, 'Only the Spring and Autumn Annals are good,' sounds like an ancient emperor writing history. Why is he talking about the big picture, and that Wanda's other path is a strategic mismatch?"

"Let me tell you, I don't like real estate developers like Mr. Wong, but I'm even more afraid of movie emperors like Mr. Lu!"

"I support Wanda going overseas because I don't want to see only one person in charge. Competition brings opportunities. It's a very simple principle, isn't it?"

……

Clearly, when the perspective of the time traveler's cultural journey shifts to the Greater China region, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, the commotion caused by the anti-government forces in mainland China is somewhat reduced, but the regions beyond his reach are filled with a noisy atmosphere.

It's either because he can't get involved yet, or because of the efforts of competitors and NGOs to sponsor him, and so on.

However, mainland netizens are not to be trifled with. They may not be fully aware of the true nature and stance of this newspaper or magazine, but the purpose of Huang Jianye's statement is immediately clear.

Isn't it just that "Little Jiang" criticized you and claimed that he would make the Beiping Film Festival a flagship event for Chinese-language and Asian films, which made you feel threatened?
As for this actor surnamed Huang, he has made many unfriendly remarks before, such as publicly criticizing the mainland production team for being unprofessional, calling on people not to go, or concluding that "civilization is dead" because of the "simplified vs. traditional Chinese debate".

His true colors won't be revealed for another year or two, which is when Liu Yifei posted her article. This mixed-race actor posted comparison photos of Nazis persecuting squid in the streets in 1933 on Twitter, the White Pig Headquarters and Command Post, and then wrote a long post, openly betraying his country.

From then on, his nickname became "Yellow Beast".

Mainland netizens are quite protective of their own. While the washing machine can be joked about in other aspects, it is almost impeccable in the eyes of the audience in terms of film art. Furthermore, there is no need to elaborate on the background and stance of those who hold opposing views.

After suppressing the controversy on mainland Weibo, enthusiastic netizens then ventured to Hong Kong and Taiwan to enter their core public opinion arena.

Netizen 【京城刀马旦】 posted on Hong Kong's Golden Forum and Twitter, listing Huang Qiusheng's past misdeeds, such as his attacks on mainland audiences for not understanding movies and art after the box office failure of "Infernal Affairs 2", refuting his claim that he was born with a BBC filter.

A netizen named "Twenty Years Little Swan" commented on Yahoo! Taiwan that the spirit of Hong Kong cinema might also be a double standard. Otherwise, where are these freedom fighters now when Shaw Brothers blacklisted Bruce Lee? The netizen then dug up an old news story from 2005 in which Hong Kong director Wong Jing publicly criticized the Hong Kong Film Awards for "favoring Hong Kong films and excluding co-productions," stating that the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards are all on the same table.

These are all examples of using the opponent's own words against them, but more often they are just mainland movie fans who support Mr. Lu and "some Hong Kong and Taiwan viewers" engaging in unrestrained verbal abuse.

Ultimately, it's just a series of back-and-forth attacks between foreigners and country bumpkins, hardly highbrow, but also remarkably real.

As discussions about Lu Laoban and Wenjie, as well as "Ball Lightning," intensified across Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, a trending topic on Weibo quickly emerged: "Mainland grassroots film critics set out to Hong Kong and Taiwan."

Many film critics who rose to fame on grassroots forums such as Night Ferry, Holy City Home, and Xisi Hutong couldn't stand it anymore and started using VPNs to go to foreign websites to speak out for the good directors they admired.

Regardless of other aspects, when it comes to his contributions to Chinese cinema and the industry, as long as he is not stupid or malicious, it is difficult for anyone who truly loves movies to have any overly negative opinions about Mr. Lu.

Even though he clearly expressed his pessimism about Wanda Global this time, some fans who didn't know his true intentions were willing to hold their noses and say that this was normal "business competition" in order to stand by him.

As a result, a large number of relatively professional film enthusiasts and grassroots film critics began to voice their opinions in Hong Kong and Taiwan forums and online in a reasoned and evidence-based manner.

Film critic Gu Xiaobai posted an article on PTT (Taiwan's largest film forum) titled: "Professor Huang Jianye, why can't the 'diverse ecosystem' of Taiwanese cinema transcend the island?"

Under your multi-dimensional evaluation system, why has the market share of Taiwanese films remained in the single digits for so long? Apart from the occasional miracle like "Cape No. 7," most Taiwanese films fail to attract even local audiences. Is this "multi-dimensionality" merely a self-indulgent exercise within a small circle?
Taiwan's top film talents, from Ang Lee to Wei Te-sheng, have all relied on the mainland market or financial support for their successful works such as *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* and *Seediq Bale*. If the Golden Horse Awards' diversity is so effective, why must top talents go west or north to realize their ambitions? Isn't this proof of a serious disconnect between a diverse evaluation system and market demands?
Director Lu Kuan's push for industrialization aims to enable Chinese-language films to produce high-quality products on a large scale and sustainably, so as to compete with Hollywood in the global market.

The diversity championed by the Golden Horse Awards seems to lean more towards auteur and niche expression. Both can coexist, but Professor Huang's dichotomy reveals a sense of powerlessness regarding the scale and international competitiveness of the film industry, leaving him only able to cling to a small, isolated world in the name of art.

Wei Junzi, a staunch supporter of Hong Kong cinema, published a lengthy article on the Golden Forum titled "The Truth Behind the Numbers: A Comparison of Boundary-Boundary Strategy and the Predicament of Hong Kong Cinema."

Hong Kong filmmakers often dream of becoming the "Hollywood of the East," but look at the data: in the past five years, the annual output of local Hong Kong films has dropped to around 20, and the box office champions are often crushed by Hollywood. The rivalry between Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest in the past was a clash of titans, but today's criticism of Lu Kuan for "dominating one place" seems more like a "banding of the weak" in the face of an overall industry decline.

In contrast, Wenjie's acquisition of Netflix to establish a global streaming presence is essentially building a "superhighway" directly to users for its content. Wanda's acquisition of AMC, however, is essentially buying an "old provincial road" about to be impacted by this "superhighway." Director Lu Kuan's pessimism is a rational judgment based on industry trends and data models.

To those who criticize Lu Kuan, aside from the repeated infighting in the police and gangster genres, has Hong Kong cinema made any achievements in genres that represent the strength of the film industry, such as science fiction and fantasy?
When asked whether Hong Kong cinema was still relying on nostalgia-driven marketing of "veteran actors + old IPs" when creating "Ball Lightning," he added, "It's easy to criticize others for monopolistic practices, but difficult to face our own lack of innovation."

In addition, there are Zhou Liming, Liar, Wei Xidi, Kafka Lu, and others...

The rebuttals from Hong Kong and Taiwan filmmakers and the strong support from mainland netizens intertwined in the online public opinion arena of the three regions. The opponents from this small island were rendered speechless by the rude or polite rebuttals of the flood of people, and finally they could only say one thing: "We will unite to boycott 'Ball Lightning'" before disappearing.

Meanwhile, starting in early April, the global promotional campaign for "Ball Lightning" also began.

Apart from Europe and other regions where copyright negotiations are still pending, marketing efforts have been launched in China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and North America, marking the quiet start of a meticulously planned global cultural offensive.

The sheer scale, complexity, and meticulous preparation of this project will undoubtedly set a new benchmark for film marketing in mainland China, Asia, and even the world!
The global marketing goal for "Ball Lightning" is simple:
Following the global frenzy for special effects sparked by "Avatar," "Ball Lightning," a pure "Chinese hard science fiction" epic, has forged a unique path. It aims not only to conquer the domestic market but also to attempt to implant its profound Eastern science fiction philosophy and aesthetics into the heart of mature markets such as North America, Japan, and South Korea.

With the collaboration of teams from both China and the US, Disney, and Miramax, the entire marketing campaign will last nearly three months and is divided into three interconnected phases.

The first phase, titled "Exploring the Unknown," aimed to abandon the traditional sci-fi blockbuster formula that emphasizes visual spectacle, and instead establish an initial impression that is profound, mysterious, and full of philosophical reflection. The first "teaser trailer," released globally on April 10th, became the catalyst.

This 60-second short film has no dialogue. It opens with a black screen and a line of elegant white subtitles, presented in a solemn and ceremonial manner:

“From Lu, Academy Award-winning director, two-time Golden Bear laureate, Golden Lion recipient, and Mastermind of the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony…”

"From Lu Kuan, winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, two-time Berlin Golden Bear winner, Venice Golden Lion winner, and chief director of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics..."

This weighty introduction is not only a summary of his artistic achievements, but also a promise of quality.

The screen then lit up, revealing not a grand space scene, but a highly detailed microscopic world:
A drop of water, under ultra-high-speed photography, reveals a complex refracted light spot resembling the universe; the values ​​on precision instruments jump wildly; the texture of a charred chessboard is clearly visible; and the passages in Liu Cixin's original work describing ball lightning strikes emerge sentence by sentence in handwritten form.

Zhou Xun's portrayal of Lin Yun is only shown in a brief profile shot, her eyes conveying a mixture of calmness, fervor, and an indescribable persistence.

The trailer's climax features a spherical halo, seemingly composed of pure energy, whose exact form is obscured, sweeping across the screen in a way that defies physical intuition. Accompanied by a tearing sound of shattering glass, everything falls silent, finally revealing the film's title and summer release date.

Domestic online and offline media were in full swing. The opening announcement on Weibo was dominated by an abstract light and shadow poster of "Ball Lightning". The hashtag "#LuKuanBallLightning#" suddenly appeared at the top of the trending searches and remained at the top of the list for more than 48 hours.

The entire Wenjie video website uses a site-wide pop-up to ensure that every logged-in user can see this trailer;
Focus Media mobilized millions of building advertising screens across the country, achieving high-frequency rotation more than ten times a day in office buildings and apartment elevators in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

In North America, partners Disney and Miramax placed it precisely on the homepage of Mytube's movie channel and contacted authoritative media outlets such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter for exclusive coverage.

Meanwhile, the Twitter platform, which Lu Kuan implicitly controls, has become the engine for guiding global public opinion. Through precise algorithm-driven push notifications, the topic "#TheUnseenIsComing" was prioritized and displayed to the timelines of science fiction fans, technology professionals, physics enthusiasts, and art film lovers worldwide, creating an initial atmosphere of "must-see for insiders".

It's worth mentioning that "The Unseen Is Coming" is the film's global tagline, and it's mentioned in all posters and marketing articles.

In addition, there is a secondary slogan: "A New Force of Nature. A New Era of Sci-Fi."

It signifies a new and powerful force of nature, and a new era of science fiction.

In terms of regional cooperation, the strength of allies has also been fully utilized.

In Japan, Toho Co., Ltd. has displayed highly designed concept posters in the lobbies of its cinemas located in prime locations such as Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Shinsaibashi in Osaka.

The poster features no character images, only a hazy, spherical light and shadow that appears as if seen through frosted glass. Below it are the Golden Bear, Golden Lion, and Oscar statuettes that Lu Kuan won, along with the words "Toho Announcement." The minimalist style is full of the charm of "space" and "blank space" in Japanese aesthetics.

Toho also proactively contacted the moderator of the film and television section of 2ch, Japan's largest online forum, and guided the initiation of an in-depth discussion thread on "How will Master Lu Kuan's first work after the Olympics redefine science fiction?"
In South Korea, its ally CJ Entertainment leveraged its extensive entertainment resources to insert the trailer into prime-time advertising slots on its flagship music chart show, M! Countdown, ensuring it reached the broadest possible young audience.

Meanwhile, CJ's cable television station tvN produced a special episode of its program "Film Talk," praising Lu Kuan as "Asia's next Akira Kurosawa," and providing a detailed review of his artistic achievements, thus setting a high-end tone for the film's reception in South Korea.

In Hong Kong and Taiwan, through local branches of the video platform "Wenjie" and in cooperation with local media controlled by Eagle King, the focus was on highlighting Lu Kuan's pinnacle status as a "shining light of the Chinese people," promoting the film as a "milestone in Chinese science fiction cinema."

However, due to the recent online debate, the propaganda in Hong Kong and Taiwan has caused some minor controversy due to the opposition of some people.

By the end of April, Ball Lightning had successfully planted a seed of curiosity in the hearts of a core audience. It was not a noisy announcement, but a profound whisper, inviting people to explore the "invisible" mystery together.

……

The marketing theme for April was "Questioning the Unknown," while the theme for May boldly proclaimed "Eastern Science Fiction Aesthetics."

While the Wenjie team was preparing for the Cannes Film Festival, which opened on May 12, the second phase of marketing quietly began.

The mission of this phase is to transform the mystery of April into concrete understanding, and to deeply analyze the film's hard science setting, unique Eastern philosophical speculation, and the visual aesthetic system that Lu Kuan has worked hard to create.

On May 1st, International Workers' Day, the highly anticipated official trailer was released globally. Unlike the deliberately "riddler" teaser, this two-minute and thirty-second trailer reveals the complete storyline for the first time.

The trailer opens with the tragic childhood of Chen Guang, quickly transitioning to the military's intervention and the immense possibilities and threats posed by the "macro-fusion" theory. The dialogue is concise and impactful.

"It is not lightning, but a state. It only exists when we observe it."

Zhou Xun's portrayal of Lin Yun, with the line "I will return, in countless forms," ​​perfectly captures her complex personality—a willingness to sacrifice everything for scientific ideals and national mission—and is imbued with the tragic heroism of Eastern collectivism.

Visually, the trailer highlights the "dual color gamut tearing screen" effect created by Lu Kuan and his team:
The stark contrast between the cool, rational world of blue and the passionate, sacrificial scenes of red is distilled into the "three primary colors of emotion": red represents passion and sacrifice, blue represents melancholy and rationality, and yellow represents hope and innocence.

Accompanying the release was a series of highly artistic character posters, each corresponding to a different color and showcasing the character's dual state under the impact of "normal" and "quantum state". Zhou Xun's poster was particularly eye-catching, with one side showing a calm scientist as cold as an iceberg, and the other side showing a "scientific martyr" with fanatical eyes, as if she wanted to talk to the creator.

On May 9th, the crew of "Ball Lightning" departed for Cannes, France.

At the same time, a global online masterclass series entitled "The Road to Eastern Science Fiction" was launched on Wenjie Video and Mytube.

In the first lecture, Lu Kuan and novelist Liu Cixin had a dialogue in a quaint bookstore in Beiping. The topic was "The Romance and Rationality of Chinese Science Fiction as Seen from 'Ball Lightning'", and they explored in depth how to combine the grand narrative of the East with rigorous scientific logic.

This dialogue instantly sparked in-depth discussions on social media about "Chinese science fiction aesthetics" and "scientific rationality and humanistic sentiments".

Many science fiction fans and cultural critics were amazed, noting that this was the first time a commercial blockbuster director had so seriously and profoundly discussed the "Chineseness" of science fiction with the original author, instantly elevating the film's tone and transcending its status as a mere visual spectacle. The Weibo hashtag #RomanticismAndRationalityInChineseScience# is filled with in-depth interpretations of the novel and film by viewers, generating immense anticipation.

In the second lecture, Lu Kuan, along with specially invited Hua Qing and MIT physics professors, explained the scientific basis of core concepts such as "ball lightning" and "quantum state" to the audience in the film's real-life laboratory setting. They also discussed how to transform abstract physical concepts into stunning audiovisual language, greatly enhancing the film's "hardcore" credibility.

This lesson successfully shifted the audience's focus from "whether the visual effects are cool" to "whether the concept is solid," giving the film a hardcore, rigorous, and well-considered golden label.

The most exciting part, and the one with the most views on Western social networks, is the third lecture.

In the technologically advanced editing room, Lu Kuan sat in front of the color grading table, manipulating the screen like a composer, explaining how he drew inspiration from the intense and conflicting color schemes of the Boca district in Argentina to create an "Eastern science fiction aesthetic" that serves the narrative itself. In the video, he emphasized: "This is an aesthetic that is warm, breathing, full of poetry and contradictions, and rooted in our cultural emotions."

From the final prelude and warm-up of these three film master classes, ordinary viewers are satisfied that they have "understood the tricks" and gained the "knowledge base" to go to the cinema;
Film fans were excited about being able to participate deeply in the "deconstruction" of a masterpiece, creating a heated wave of interpretations in the community;
Most importantly, film critics, film festival selectors, and academics worldwide have come to fully recognize that "Ball Lightning" is not just an ordinary genre film, but a work with auteurship, academic value, and grand cultural ambition.

It successfully redirected the aesthetic fatigue that might have arisen from visual effects after Avatar towards new expectations for the intellectual depth and aesthetic innovation of science fiction films. Like three precise ideological missiles, it not only provided the most solid "ammunition" for the film's positive word-of-mouth, but also crowned Ball Lightning with the potential laurel of "science fiction classic" on a global scale.

This is a pragmatic and unconventional marketing approach.

On the evening of May 11th, local time in France, the setting sun painted the azure Mediterranean Sea with a magnificent orange-red hue.

A flight from Beijing, with a stopover in Paris, landed smoothly at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport. Lu Kuan, dressed in a well-tailored light linen casual suit, was the first to step off the jet bridge. Behind him was the creative team of "Ball Lightning," led by Zhou Xun, Xin Baiqing, Duan Yihong, and Jing Tian.

Despite the low-key nature of the trip and the lack of official notification, a few astute journalists from Chinese media outlets in France and European Chinese-language newspapers still waited at the arrival gate.

"Director Lu! Look this way!"

"Zhou Xun, what are your expectations for Cannes this time?"

A few flashes of light went off, and most of the questions were friendly greetings. Lu Kuan smiled and didn't stop, simply waving in greeting. Guided by the staff of Wenjie and the security personnel arranged by the French partner, the group quickly and gracefully crossed the hall.

This was clearly Jing Tian's first time experiencing the grandeur of an international film festival. Despite trying to remain calm, her curious eyes couldn't help but wander around, revealing a hint of undisguised novelty and excitement. Today, she wore a crisp white tweed suit from Chanel's early autumn collection, looking both chic and dignified.

"Sister Xun, you're so famous! Several foreign media outlets recognized you just now." As the convoy drove along the famous A8 highway towards Cannes, Da Tiantian looked at Zhou Xun enviously from the back seat. To put it bluntly, her cameo role was just to crash the red carpet.

Zhou Xun laughed and said, "I only went to the Oscars a few years ago with the crew of 'Tangshan,' so I think the crew's publicity campaign this time was really effective."

Xin Baiqing nodded in deep agreement and continued, "Indeed, the strategy and scale of this promotion are completely different from the film crews I've worked with before. It's not just about throwing money at it, but more importantly, it's about that... layered, progressive rhythm. First, they whet your appetite, then slowly show you the real stuff, and finally, they teach you a lesson."

"I've been reading online comments these past few days, and many viewers have said that even before seeing the movie, just reading these trailers and interpretations makes them feel they absolutely have to go to the cinema to learn more."

He couldn't help but laugh as he spoke, a laugh tinged with a hint of teasing, but mostly with admiration.

Jing Tian immediately took out her phone, excitedly adding as she swiped the screen, "Yes, yes, yes! Pachinko hit the nail on the head. The online discussions are so lively! Especially after those three masterclass episodes, many film critics said that this is simply an amazing way to promote a movie."

“Hey, look at this.” She showed her phone screen to Zhou Xun and Xin Baiqing. “Many netizens have left comments saying that it’s a pity our film isn’t competing for the Palme d’Or. They think that ‘Ball Lightning’ is not a popcorn sci-fi film at all. Its humanistic depth and philosophical thinking are fully qualified to compete with those art films in the main competition.”

“It’s impossible, and there’s no need for it.” Mr. Lu, who was sitting in the front row, had just hung up the phone and turned around with a smile. “This year’s jury chairman, Tim Burton, also talked to me about the possibility of the main competition.”

"But the core of Ball Lightning is philosophical speculation driven by hard science fiction. In the Cannes judging system, this kind of thought experiment is sometimes considered to be conceptual or too intellectually stimulating, and not as solid and moving as those films that directly depict the human dilemma and social wounds."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Jing Tian also pouted in disappointment. It wasn't that she cared that this was the first film she had acted in to be screened at a European film festival. She knew that "Ball Lightning" was facing considerable global box office pressure, and it was obvious that even the marketing for this film was not much different from "making a movie".

If they can achieve something at Cannes, it will not only fill the gap in the three major European awards for men, but also help boost the film's box office.

However, this year's Cannes Film Festival is, in some ways, even more "political" than Berlin's.

If history hadn't changed, French actress Juliette Binoche would have won the Best Actress award on her home turf, achieving a grand slam in her career, while still expressing her support for director Jafar, who was arrested by the Iranian government. Her tears during the interview were genuine; an artist's humanitarian sentiments often touch upon complex political entanglements, but the audience already had their own preconceived notions.

Even when the mayor of Cannes led French veterans to protest the historical perspective in "Band of Outsiders" in front of the Palais des Festivals, the film brought the world a more direct and direct way of thinking.

This includes Abbas, another Asian figure known as a master, whose words were also heavily influenced by politics.

And Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who won the Palme d'Or, expressed his deep gratitude to his mother in his acceptance speech, letting the world know that the streets of Bangkok were still burning and that the Red Shirts were not tolerated by the Thai government.

It's almost impossible for a domestic film like "Ball Lightning," which is a commercial science fiction film, to stand out among works that often deal with real human nature and politics, based on the director's fantastical imagination and rich plot.

On the contrary, as Harvey said, they could focus their efforts on the Oscars early next year.

Boss Lu laughed and said, "Don't overthink it. We're here in Cannes to let you walk the red carpet, sell your films, and promote them. It's all about making money!"

Ding Dong!

He checked his phone and read, "Go drop off your things later, then we'll go meet up with some film crews from China, Japan, and South Korea."

Zhou Xun laughed and said, "Is it Wang Xiaoshuai and Fan Bingbing?"

“Yes, Wang Xiaoshuai and Section Chief Jia.” Boss Lu added, “The rest are Takeshi Kitano from Japan and Lee Chang-dong from South Korea. They’re all acquaintances. They can exchange ideas about their work, and the atmosphere should be quite good.”

This year's Cannes Film Festival is actually the same one that generated the famous "Bingbing in a dragon robe on the red carpet" hype from the previous life. Bingbing is walking the red carpet with the crew of "Sunrise in Chongqing," a film in which she doesn't have many scenes, which will surely surprise the world again.

Now that he has the identity of the president of Wuyue Culture, wearing this bright yellow dragon robe is even more legitimate.

At 7:30 p.m., filmmakers from China, Japan, and South Korea gathered at "Le Maschou," a traditional Provençal restaurant on Boulevard Croisette.

This restaurant may not be the most luxurious or high-end, but it is favored by discerning film industry insiders for its authentic southern French flavors and quiet environment away from the main street.

When Lu Kuan arrived with the main cast and crew of "Ball Lightning," Wang Xiaoshuai, Jia Zhangke, Bingbing who was dressed casually but exuded a powerful aura, and Asian film masters Takeshi Kitano and Lee Chang-dong were already seated.

However, even more radiant than Bingbing's smile was that of Old Tie Kitano Takeshi, who had rushed over laughing and embraced Boss Lu like a swallow returning to its nest.

(End of this chapter)