The King of Soft Rice in Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 445 Heavy Punch
"The reason I chose the mockumentary format is because I wanted to use a more realistic image to show the predicament the anti-poaching team faced at the time..." After the film ended, Lu Chuan, one of the main creators, spoke eloquently to the media and audience in front of the big screen.

At this point in his life, he still had some youthful vigor and hadn't degenerated into a giant baby; he could still say a few words.

“Mr. Lu, I have a question. Since the purpose of filming it as a mockumentary is to show the situation of the anti-poaching team more realistically, why is a large part of the filming devoted to depicting things like sky burials, which are full of sensational scenes? Don’t you think that this is a bit of a distraction?” A Japanese reporter raised his hand and asked.

After being translated, Lu Chuan was clearly taken aback, then coughed lightly and tried to remain calm as he explained: "Because sky burial is one of the spiritual sources of Tibetans and one of the driving forces for Tibetans to protect their homeland, and 'Kekexili' is ultimately a movie, it will inevitably artistically depict some of the plot."

After he finished speaking, his vest was visibly sweating, and his throat was heaving. He had been targeted like this three or four times and was starting to feel the strain.

Fortunately, the next person chosen to ask questions was a local plant hired by the production team, who began to steer the questions toward the male and female leads, which made Lu Taro breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Finally, the day ended. He Ping, who had been sitting below, came over to Lu Chuan and asked, "How was it? Everything alright?"

"It's...it's alright..." Lu Chuan said, still shaken. "Uncle He, is this...is this okay?"

"Don't rush, let's wait and see," He Ping was also a little unsure, but in front of Lu Chuan, he still appeared very confident. "President Liu from the 'Red Cliff' team is also here for the premiere today, and he has a good impression of you, so don't worry."

Yes, "Red Cliff," a film co-produced by China Film Group and Columbia Pictures that took nearly two years to prepare, produce, and film, is also participating in the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Although neither Zuo Shandiao nor Angela came, there were still some important leaders accompanying them. "Kekexili" was one of the more attention-grabbing mainland films at this year's Tokyo International Film Festival, and given the plagiarism scandal, it was natural for the leaders to come and inquire about it.

When questioned by his superiors, He Ping, who had experience in the system, naturally told the truth: "Although Xiao Lu denied it, I think he must have read 'The Glacier Flowed Here'. It's not plagiarism, but it must have been inspired by something."

Although he wasn't a seasoned shrew, he could still sense that something was off about the whole plagiarism incident.

"Kekexili" was screened internally, and Liu Yujun is also an insider in the industry. "The Glacier Flows Here" was also exhibited at the 9th Shanghai International Television Festival. It is normal for someone to tip him off or even help him collect evidence.

However, helping him cover up his tracks, filing lawsuits for him, and even mobilizing the media for him is quite unusual.

Even now, domestic media outlets are still harassing Lu Chuan Laozi, accusing him of plagiarism and demanding that he prove his innocence.

In this situation, how could He Ping possibly stand completely on Lu Chuan's side? At most, he would try to cover it up.

His caution proved to be correct.

Initially, the early release strategy had some effect. With the premiere of "Kekexili" in Tokyo and Xiao Wang's connections, some Japanese media changed their tune and began to praise "Kekexili".

When this praise returned to China, the domestic media also changed. Although it wasn't as obvious a shift as the Japanese media, at least the previous one-sided skepticism disappeared.

Logically, this should have been a happy occasion. In fact, the crew was indeed happy for two days. Even Lu Chuan's mind started to wander, and he hinted to Xiao Wang several times that they might be able to win an award.

However, on the third day, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The Yomiuri Shimbun posted two pictures, clearly labeled as being from the documentary "Kekexili" and "Glaciers Flow Here." The two pictures were about 80% similar, both showing a group of people with their pants down, ready to wade through the river.

"Lu Sang repeatedly stated that he had not seen the documentary 'Glaciers Flow Here,' yet the almost identical shots speak for themselves." The article states.

As a result, Lu Chuan's reputation plummeted, seemingly on the verge of collapse.

"This is piracy! This is piracy! How could they do this! Aren't they supposed to protect intellectual property rights? Aren't they a civilized nation?!" Lu Chuan was on the verge of collapse in his hotel room. He Ping sat on the sofa with a grim expression, opening his mouth several times as if to say something, but no sound came out. In the end, he simply gave his assistant, who was waiting beside him, an impatient look, signaling him to calm Lu Chuan down.

However, it was of little use. Lu Chuan still looked like she was about to cry and make a scene, unable to withstand any pressure, to the point that He Ping couldn't help but slam his fist on the table.

Fortunately, Xiao Wang came in from outside at that moment, but judging from his solemn expression, he probably brought nothing good.

It was actually worse than they imagined.

"Oh no, oh no!" Xiao Wang exclaimed, pulling out his laptop, connecting to the internet, and opening the CNN website.

Then, the others waiting there saw a comparison with a picture that was similar to the one in the Yomiuri Shimbun.

"What...what does this mean?!" Lu Chuan's face turned ashen. Although his English was not very good, he could still recognize the letters CNN.

"The Yomiuri Shimbun report..." Xiao Wang swallowed hard. "...was reprinted from the US, and now...now the US media is hyping it up...the plagiarism incident..."

Lu Chuan plopped down in a chair, his finger trembling as he pointed at the computer screen: "This...this..."

"Isn't that more than just this?" Although He Ping's face was also pale, he remained calm.

Xiao Wang gave a wry smile, looked at himself, then at producer Xiao Du, and finally at Lu Chuan, saying through gritted teeth, "In the US... some critics have directly stated that they suspect... suspect that several of Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige's films are also plagiarized works, and even... even suggested that Cannes and Berlin investigate Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, and if it is true, their honors should be revoked!"

“It’s over…” He Ping slumped onto the sofa.

He knew very well that this matter had blown up; it had even reached the United States, and that was the United States!

Not to mention the investigation of Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige. Even if the higher-ups eventually manage to persuade the Americans to withdraw the accusation, they will still make Lu Chuan and his son a prime example internally.

It was only at this moment that Lu Chuan reacted, asking in horror, "How... how did Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige get involved... how did Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige get involved?!"

"They said in the US that the movie 'Farewell My Concubine' is very different from the novel, and that many of its visual structures can be found in other movies..." Xiao Wang said dejectedly.

"Bullshit! Of course there's a difference between movies and novels!" Lu Chuan's voice, filled with fear and anger, became exceptionally shrill. "How could they slander someone's innocence like this? How could they slander someone's innocence like this!"

Xiao Wang's face twitched. If there weren't other people in the room, he would have loved to get up and slap this guy across the face twice.

If only this bastard had just given a heads-up and said he'd seen the documentary "Glaciers Flow Here," or even that it was because of that documentary that he had the idea to make "Kekexili," we wouldn't be in such a passive position now.

However, this guy insisted from beginning to end that he didn't, and getting involved with him was the worst luck imaginable.

"Withdraw from the film festival," Xiao Wang said coldly.

(End of this chapter)