I am a literary giant in Europe

Chapter 500 The Shadow of the Wind

The author of The Shadow of the Wind, Zafón, grew up in Barcelona.

I have an indelible affection for this ancient city that has witnessed so much history.

If Liu Jin hadn't come to Barcelona for his studies, he wouldn't have dared to touch this book, because the story is too unique.

Moreover, Zafón himself was deeply influenced by 19th-century novels.

Liu Jin can be said to have done so well, as he created "The Old Man and the Sea" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," which are enough to make up for this deficiency.

The book "The Shadow of the Wind" is a long and rich novel.

It encompasses everything and depicts all aspects of human life.

At first glance, it might seem like a coming-of-age story with a dark gothic atmosphere, a poignant love story, elements of mystery and deduction, and a meta-narrative style.

However, if you delve deeper, something more profound and insightful will gradually emerge.

The novel is set in the 1960s.

That was a point in time in Europe and America where visual culture was gradually replacing reading culture.

In fact, the modern history of Spain is somewhat similar to that of China.

They were all once glorious and powerful...

Of course, some idiots disagree with the notion that China has a glorious five thousand years of history. For example, a certain well-known writer once made the outrageous claim that China's true strength only lasted about 150 years out of its five thousand years of history. This writer, whom Liu Jin disliked intensely, became famous for his Beijing-style hooligans. Based on this one sentence alone, Liu Jin held a lifelong grudge against him, even in his later years when he maintained a low profile.

But I digress. Let's get back to the main point.

Spain once dominated the seas and possessed a formidable Spanish navy.

But in the end, it was surpassed by a weaker opponent.

Spain, too, declined from its peak due to political struggles, civil war, and foreign invasions.

Therefore, in the interruption of "The Shadow of the Wind," as the protagonist approaches the mystery, the fear under the flames of war, the brutality of the secret police, and the helplessness of good people who are bullied but still hold hope amidst suffering... one scene after another leaps between the lines.

This also gives the book an extremely profound sense of historical depth.

This is a collection of love songs that Zafón dedicated to Barcelona!

Liu Jin felt that this book should not be overlooked.

Before heading to America, he even asked someone to inquire about the name Zafon.

Believe it or not, there really is a screenwriter in Hollywood named Zafón, a very talented one, who earns a lot of money.

I've never heard of him writing novels; he's just a screenwriter.

Liu Jin can confirm that this Saffon is the same as that Saffon, but this Saffon is not that Saffon.

The distortion of time and space made Zafón an excellent screenwriter, but it also caused this timeline to lose a writer, Zafón.

This relieved Liu Jin of any psychological burden.

After completing the English version of "The Assassination of the Emperor", he rested for a few days and then devoted himself to the creation of "The Shadow of the Wind".

"The Shadow of the Wind" tells an extremely complex story.

At his father's urging, Daniel chose a novel by Julian Callas, titled "The Shadow of the Wind."

Daniel was captivated by the novel and became deeply engrossed in it.

So he began searching for Julian's other works, only to discover that a deformed man named 'Guber' was also looking for his writings and wanted to destroy them.

The copy of "The Shadow of the Wind" in Daniel's possession is likely the last one.

What began as a simple journey to explore the roots of literature unexpectedly opened the door to a terrifying adventure into Barcelona’s dark past.

The outline of the mysterious writer Julian gradually emerges.

Daniel's life gradually intersects with his own... If the truth cannot be found soon, Daniel's loved ones and friends will become victims of murder, magic, and madness...

……

In his previous life, Liu Jin was already an old man in his forties when he read this book.

Originally, it was just something to do to kill time and pass the time during that extraordinary period, but it sparked his great interest.

I only bought one book at first.

Later, all four parts were put together.

A truly captivating work...

Perhaps it's because of the close timing; he read this set of books after 2020, which is only seven or eight years ago, so his memory of it is very clear.

In addition, the whole of February was uneventful. Although there was the Chinese New Year in the middle of the month, it did not have a significant impact on Liu Jin.

Mr. An called to invite him to a Spring Festival gathering hosted by the Chinese business community.

Liu Jin declined, saying he couldn't get leave.
He still didn't want to have any dealings with those Chinese businessmen.

During the Spring Festival, Qianqian took the train to Barcelona alone, saying that it was her grandmother's order to come and keep Liu Jin company for two days.

true and false?

never mind!

Most importantly, Qianqian brought Eva, Julie, and Adrian with her.

This made Liu Jin's previously quiet little building much more lively.

Not long after the Spring Festival, Eva came from Prague.

Her scenes are finished, so it's good time for her to take a break.

After that, she had two acting offers.

One is "Paris, je t'aime," recommended by Juliette Binoche.

This film is an anthology, comprising eighteen short stories set in twenty arrondissements of Paris, directed by seventeen different directors. The overall director, Olivier Assayas, is Maggie's ex-husband and previously directed the film *Clean*, which garnered significant attention at last year's Cannes Film Festival. He is also a well-known French director.

Juliette Binoche is the female lead in this film.

After completing "Life Is Beautiful," she finished the thriller "Hidden Camera" in the second half of last year, and then took on the role in "Paris, je t'aime," recommending Eva for the part.

This is a film about Paris.

In the original timeline, Eva was not qualified to have access to this movie.

but now……

Ana, a minor character.

Originally, the role was played by Colombian actress Catarina Sandino Moreno.

She is a good actress. Last year at the Berlin Film Festival, she competed with Charlize Theron for the Best Actress award but unfortunately lost.

She will also appear in the upcoming film "John Wick: Ballet Killer," scheduled for release in 2025.

But now, Juliette Binoche believes it would be best for a French actor to play the role.

Initially, the Coen brothers, one of the directors, disagreed because it was they who recommended Katharina.

But later... not only did the other directors agree, but even the general director Olivier thought that Eva was the best choice.

I only found out privately that this film had a total of seventeen directors.

In France, besides Olivier, there were Isabelle Adjani, Pierre Jeunet, and two other French directors; all five of them agreed that Eva Braun should play the role. Of the three Italian directors, two voted in favor.

reason?

In 04, Liu Jin served as a jury member at the Venice Film Festival and was regarded as one of their own by the Italian film industry.

Christopher Doyle from Hong Kong Island also agreed to Eva's performance.

The two German directors abstained.

Of the four directors in America's film, two agreed, while the Coen brothers disagreed...

Almost everyone in the film industry knows about the relationship between Eva and Liu Jin, though Liu Jin himself may not be aware of it, given his considerable fame in Hollywood. However, while Eva is nominally the second female lead, her screen time is limited.

Eighteen stories... just a bunch of fragmented scenes.

Another resource is "La Vie en Rose," produced and edited by Emmanuelle.

The female lead was decided from the beginning; it was Marion Cotillard.

However, the second female lead, who is also the character of Tina in the play, Emmanuel chose Eva.

Director Olivier Dahan knows Liu Jin, and they're quite familiar with each other...

Thus, Eva naturally landed the role.

After those two films were finished, it was time for the audition for "Blood Diamond".

Although Jennifer Connelly may be his rival, Leonardo DiCaprio is the real driving force behind this film, so it's practically certain that Eva Longoria will play the lead role.

Eva is getting better now!
However, she discussed with Liu Jin that next year, after "Blood Diamond" is completed, she wants to find a university in New York to study.

"why?"

"It feels a bit strenuous!"

Eva has never been a naturally gifted athlete.

Starting with "Before Sunrise," she took on seven or eight roles in just two or three years.

I feel the pressure!

With Liu Jin's help, she won't lack acting opportunities.

But I still feel like I'm struggling a bit.

Especially in the previous film "Meet the Parents 2", the cast was full of veteran actors.

She felt she needed to pursue further education.

"Have you decided which university you want to go to?"

"I've already inquired with NYU Tisch School of the Arts; there's a training program running from March to September next year."

However, I'd prefer to learn it more systematically.

"I'll ask Spike about it later. Learning is no problem, but it would be best if he could go to Broadway for further training to gain more experience."

"May I?"

Eva rolled over and landed on top of Liu Jin.

"Don't you think I'm being a little dramatic?"

"What's so pretentious about reading more books and learning more? But let me tell you in advance, there are even more geniuses on Broadway."

"I'm not afraid!"

Eva smiled, looking exceptionally happy.

……

Eva Green had planned to stay in Barcelona until March.

However, the unexpected turn of events forced her to change her plans.

Joan P. completed the acquisition of Ubisoft's shares... He acquired 8 percent of Ubisoft's shares from a minority shareholder for 27 million euros.

Eva, as the head of an investment fund, needs to make an appearance.

Then, Joan P will use his status as a Ubisoft shareholder to try to buy shares in Ubisoft Montreal.

He also received the news.

The City of Montreal launched a $5 million subsidy program to boost employment in Montreal.

For every local worker Ubisoft hires, the city government will provide a subsidy to Ubisoft Montreal.

Total value: five million US dollars.

Joan P. told Liu Jin that Ubisoft Montreal was interested in accepting subsidies from the Montreal city government.

The main issue is that Ubisoft Montreal is at a critical stage of expansion, and Ubisoft headquarters cannot provide more funding, so they have to find a solution on their own. In other words, Ubisoft Montreal is currently very short of money…

“I have already contacted Martin, the CEO of Ubisoft Montreal, through Ubisoft Software.”

He welcomed the new blood and invited us to Montreal for detailed discussions. I estimate that $20 million could secure a 30% stake. Combined with the 8% acquired by Ubisoft, 38% wouldn't be a controlling stake, but it would be enough to give us significant influence on the studio's board of directors…”

"Next, I will have Eva handle it; she's quite well-known in North America."

"of course can!"

Joan Pérez moved too fast for Eva to stay in Barcelona any longer.

But Eva knew this was important, so without hesitation, she set off for Rennes, France at the end of February.

With her gone, Liu Jin's life once again felt empty.

Fortunately, I still have writing to keep me company.

……

In March, "Life Is Beautiful" was selected for the Cannes Film Festival.

Meanwhile, the list of jury members for the 58th Cannes Film Festival was announced.

Jury President: Emir Kusturica
The jury members are: Toni Morrison, Fies Akin, Javier Bardem, Landita Das, Salma Hayek, Benoît Jacques, and Maggie Cheung.

One chairperson and seven judges.

After Liu Jin finished reading the list, he couldn't help but laugh.

The white dove, Woo, is gone; it's now Maggie Cheung.

Liu Jin had previously recommended Leslie Cheung.

But then I thought again, Leslie Cheung has a film submitted for selection this year, and I guess the Cannes organizing committee wouldn't agree to it.

Coincidentally, Maggie Cheung won the Best Actress award at Cannes last year and is also a Cannes insider.

Liu Jin then contacted Patrick and replaced Leslie Cheung with Maggie Cheung.

Jacob readily agreed.

Javier Bardem was someone Liu Jin met at the Venice Film Festival last year. Since Liu Jin arrived in Spain, Bardem had visited him several times, making them quite good friends. Last year, Liu Jin was a judge for Javier Bardem.

This year, he became a judge.

But Liu Jin became the one being judged...

That's one thing, but there's also Salma Hayek?

François-Henri Pinault's fiancée!

When she was filming "After Sunset" with Pierce Brosnan, Liu Jin visited the set.

Moreover, she and Henri Pinault will officially get married this October.

The location is a church on the Left Bank in the Saint-Germain district of Paris... Liu Jin has already received an invitation from Henri Pinault.

This is one of our own!

Liu Jin couldn't help but laughed.

Seven judges, three of whom were their own people.

Okay, I do know Benoît Jacques, through Claire Denis, a guy who's a director, actor, and screenwriter.

Four judges...