Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 257 Cannes Film Festival

The movie "Become Yourself" has some interesting content and premise.

This is because Hu Xiaobei adapted it based on An Xiaoqian's real experiences in the original timeline.

Of course, due to Hu Xiaobei's involvement, everything had already changed drastically during the filming of "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

Not to mention that it's only early 2006 now, and the timeline in the movie will extend to twenty years later.

Viewers can still relate to the events before 2006, but the events after 2006 will definitely not be the same as in the original timeline.

Therefore, Hu Xiaobei can confidently and boldly film An Xiaoqian's real experience in the original timeline, bit by bit.

To the audience, this is just a biographical film that envisions the future.

In Hu Xiaobei's view, this film presents An Xiaoqian's lost youth in the original timeline.

The movie contains many references that people in this era may not be able to discover at all, or even at all.

For example, in the movie, when Liu Qianqian and Yang Mi participated in a program together and walked the runway holding enamel cups, Yang Mi failed to hold Liu Qianqian's hand.

(PS: The video that most people see has been deliberately edited. In fact, when she was on stage, Xixi reached out her hand, but Yang Mi didn't notice.)

By the time she realized it, Sisi was already making her next move; it was just a series of unfortunate coincidences.

When she was leaving the stage, Sisi waited for her and helped her down the stage together.

So at the time, neither of them felt there was a problem, and Sisi did not deliberately embarrass her.

If he did, he wouldn't have waited for her to come off stage with him.

However, many things gradually change their meaning after being sensationalized by the media.

Some people don't care, while others might feel embarrassed but hold a grudge, and such friendships naturally cease to exist.
Therefore, during one episode, Yang Mi delivered a classic moment of giving up her seat.

He even specially posted a black and white photo of Liu Qianqian online to celebrate her birthday...

In light of this, Hu Xiaobei specially invited Yang Mi to make a cameo appearance as the star Da Mi Mi in the movie.

Although it's an extremely unlikable character, for Yang Mi right now, it's undoubtedly a huge windfall, and it's incredibly tempting!
The film was in preparation for a week, filmed for three weeks, and post-production took a week.

However, due to the need for some special effects, the film is not yet fully completed.

However, it doesn't matter; it won't affect Hu Xiaobei's registration at the end of March.

While submissions are welcome, films need to be exceptionally good to have a better chance of being selected, as the Cannes Film Festival receives a large number of complete films every year.

The Cannes Film Festival's main requirement for submitted films is that they be completed within a specified timeframe; it does not explicitly prohibit the submission of films that are not fully completed.

In other words, film festivals like Cannes will accept unfinished works for judging, but they will require that the film be the final, completed version when it is screened.

Therefore, there is plenty of time.

In March, An Xiaoqian was so engrossed in filming that she had no time for anything else.

They didn't even take on the subsequent CCTV dialogue series about the past and present.

The TV series "The Return of the Condor Heroes" also began to shine, starting its reign on television.

In the original timeline, CSM Media Research released survey data on the broadcast of TV dramas in the first nine months of 2006.

An Xiaoqian's version of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" ranks first with 45 broadcasts. (PS: It was also the most-broadcast TV series in 2006.)
The series did not premiere on Qilu TV until March 14.

In other words, from March to September 2006, the An Xiaoqian version of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was broadcast 45 times, going viral across the country and becoming extremely popular.

An Xiaoqian also became a top-tier celebrity thanks to this drama, and in October she became the first Golden Eagle Goddess.

第59届戛纳电影节于2006年5月17日至28日举办。

It's only the end of March, and with only a month and a half left, Hu Xiaobei hasn't been idle.

First, he was responsible for the final approval and editing of the special effects and other post-production work for the film "Become Yourself." Furthermore, this film, imbued with a strong personal touch, needed a substantial song to complement it perfectly.

Based on the plot of "Becoming Yourself" (which is Xixi's experience), Hu Xiaobei specially tailored a battle song for An Xiaoxi, a song about breaking free from her cocoon and being reborn.

(PS: I won't go into the details of this song.)

You can refer to the Empress's War Song, which is the Swedish love song "Hall Om Mig" released in 2005.

Of course, the two songs are completely different. After all, I can't write songs; as long as the meaning is conveyed, that's enough.
This song still presents a considerable challenge for An Xiaoxi.

Fortunately, with Hu Xiaobei patiently guiding her step by step, they finally managed to finish recording "Sissi's Battle Song," a song that blends Chinese and English.

Finally, there's the matter of doing some promotional preparations for the movie and the song in advance. Although it will cost a lot of money, it's all worth it.

Last but not least, we need to give ourselves and An Xiaoqian a little break.

However, with Hu Xiaobei's rapid writing—the new script has been completed, and the next film has already entered the pre-production stage, but we will leave that aside for now.

.......................................

On May 17, 2006, the opening ceremony of the 59th Cannes Film Festival was a star-studded affair, drawing global attention.

Shu Chang and An Xiaoqian, one on each side, affectionately linked arms with Hu Xiaobei, confidently and calmly stepping onto this dreamlike red carpet of the international film scene.

(PS: Yu Feihong doesn't need to come to the red carpet, but Shu Chang is different; she's young and can come to the red carpet to gain exposure.)
The red carpet at the opening ceremony of this year's Cannes Film Festival was different from that of the earlier Berlin Film Festival opening ceremony.

Because the movie "Sissi's Dog" had already been a hit in Europe and America, An Xiaoxi gained the love of many movie fans.

In addition to her Berlin Film Festival Best Actress award, her new film "Become Yourself" was successfully selected for the Cannes Film Festival's main competition, earning her a Cannes Film Festival Best Actress nomination.

An Xiaoqian is now quite influential in the international film industry and has become the focus of attention.

The three were dressed in brand-new, specially made Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) with a strong oriental charm, exuding elegance.

Except for Hu Xiaobei, who was dressed the same as at the last Berlin Film Festival.

What was different this time was that when An Xiaoqian and her two companions made a stunning appearance at the opening ceremony, their exclusive background music, "Xixi's Battle Song," also started playing.

The rousing and energetic melody instantly ignited the entire venue, with cheers from the audience and the constant clicking of camera shutters from media reporters creating a vibrant and exciting atmosphere.

"Become Yourself" is a key film in the main competition section of the Cannes Film Festival and will be one of the opening films.

Inside the main screening room of the Cannes Film Festival, numerous ordinary viewers, jury members, and international filmmakers gathered, eager to catch a glimpse of the film.

As the lights in the hall went out, the large screen gradually lit up with a faint glow.

"Becoming Yourself" will present Liu Qianqian's experiences at different ages and her coping strategies in a timeline format.

Act One: Early Career in the Entertainment Industry (2002-2005)
The story focuses on Liu Qianqian's difficult growth in the early days of her career in the entertainment industry, highlighting her enlightenment and difficulties in the field of acting, as well as the initial beauty.

This story begins when she unexpectedly landed the role of Bai Xiuzhu in "The Story of Jin Fen" when she was fourteen or fifteen years old.

（PS：6月28日回国，29日和刘小莉一起到天津《金粉》剧组报到，正式拍摄时距离15岁还差57天）
Liu Qianqian was new to the entertainment industry and knew nothing about acting.

On set, she truly experienced the complex interpersonal relationships within the entertainment industry.

He faced exclusion and verbal abuse from his peers, and was even hospitalized after drinking spiked liquor.

But she did not back down at all. With her own efforts and love for acting, she completed the drama and gradually became known to Chinese audiences.

Because of her stunning beauty and unique charisma, she was recommended by the producer of "The Story of Jin" to another wildly popular martial arts drama, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".

After several auditions, and with the unanimous praise of the crew, she successfully won the role of Wang Yuyan.

With the dedicated guidance and education of Xiu Qing, who played her teacher in "The Story of Jin Fen" and "cousin" in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," Liu Qianqian devoted herself wholeheartedly to shaping the character of Wang Yuyan.

She not only portrayed the character Wang Yuyan so vividly, but also won the hearts of the audience, earning her the nickname "Fairy Sister" that spread throughout China.

(End of this chapter)