Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 226 When someone mentions this story, they won't misrepresent its origin.

The ceremony was still ongoing inside the Kodak Theatre.

As Monaghan left the stage, silence returned.

But no one can deny that the atmosphere of this awards ceremony has changed.

After stabilizing the atmosphere, host Ellen DeGeneres smoothly transitioned the audience to the next award: Best Costume Design.

However, everyone's attention was still focused on Wu Chen's speech. Even though the stage setting had changed and the candidate clips had been played, the whispers among the crowd continued.

Even as the ceremony continued, headlines were already flying across major North American news platforms.

The New York Times immediately published a breaking news report: [Wu Chen angrily denounces Oscar broadcast error; official clarification: "Infernal Affairs" is a Hong Kong film!]

The Los Angeles Times headline was even more direct: "Wu Chen's outburst at the scene against the college's misreporting shakes the entire Kodak Theatre!"

Even the BBC Culture channel unusually used an emotional tone: [Apologizing live at the Oscars, admitting 'Infernal Affairs' was a Hong Kong production!]

Meanwhile, domestic portal websites also redesigned their homepage titles in a very short time.
[Wu Chen clarifies the original source material for "Infernal Affairs" at the Oscars, drawing applause from the audience!]

This time, he speaks for Hong Kong and advocates for the stance of Chinese cinema!

Following his Golden Globe win, Wu Chen delivers another Oscar highlight!

[Wu Chen speaks out on set, forcing Oscar to apologize!]

【.】

In neighboring South Korea, the term "Wu Chen" has topped the real-time trending search list on the online platform NAVER.

South Korean netizens are having an explosive discussion:

"It's absolutely stunning! I've never seen a Chinese director so bold!"

"When will we have a director who dares to say to the whole world, 'We cannot be erased'?"

"Wu Chen is the pride of Asia. Look at our directors who don't say a word at international film festivals, they just bow and smile."

"To be honest, even Bong Joon-ho wasn't this tough back then."

"South Korean directors should learn from this. They represent their country when they go abroad, not to be at the mercy of others."

……

At this moment, the award presenters walked onto the stage.

"The next award is Best Costume Design."

Nominated films appeared one after another, and familiar scenes flashed across the screen.

The Queen, The Devil Wears Prada, Curse of the Golden Flower, Marie Antoinette, and Dream Girl.
A murmur rippled through the room, and many people turned to look at the mezzanine at the back, where the various costume design teams were seated.

At this moment, Chinese audiences are also paying close attention:
"Curse of the Golden Flower only has this one nomination, can it win?"

"To be honest, that golden armor in the palace attire was truly magnificent and imposing."

"Although the plot is so-so, the costume design is absolutely top-notch for a Chinese blockbuster!"

However, the award was ultimately given to "Marie Antoinette".

There was applause, but it wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as before.

"What a pity."

"Palace attire is no match for the palace."

"Forget it, Wu Chen just made us look good, this is not important."

Then, the Best Cinematography award, presented by Gwyneth Paltrow, was unveiled.

The lights went out again.

Here are the five nominees for this year's Academy Award for Best Cinematography:

On the screen, five works—"The Black Dahlia," "Pan's Labyrinth," "Children of Men," "Get Out," and "The Prestige"—flashed across the screen.

When the scene switched to Get Out, the applause in the audience was suddenly louder than for the previous films, with a clear sense of emotional resonance and support.

Domestic live stream rooms also exploded instantly:

"Here they come! Seven nominations! Let's get off to a flying start!"

"Damn, I'm still so excited! I'm begging for first place! Let's go!"

"It's good to start with a small prize to set the tone."

"."

Gwyneth opened the envelope and smiled slightly.

The Best Cinematography award goes to: Get Out!

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience, with Chadwick and Viola being the first to stand up and applaud, while Blum clapped rapidly beside them.

Wu Chen let out a soft breath and congratulated the photographers behind him.

The photographer walked steadily onto the stage, holding the Golden Globe Award, his voice trembling yet resolute:
"Thank you to the Academy, thank you to Director Wu Chen, you made every shot meaningful. And thank you to everyone who supported this film, what you saw was not black and white, but the world as it is."

There was thunderous applause.

But outside this stage, in Los Angeles, in the ABC headquarters monitoring room.

The live broadcast dispatcher almost instinctively looked down at the extra-large viewership analysis screen on the central control panel.

"Holy shit, they just broke the record!"

"What record?"

"Peak online viewership: 4203 million! Surpassing the 2004 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King awards night!"

"Wait, this is just the Best Cinematography award? Or is it a continuation of what happened earlier?"

"."

The data line surged like it was injected with adrenaline, even skipping the originally predicted peak at the Best Picture award ceremony.

At this point, Get Out had received seven nominations and won its first award, which was a great start for the production team.

Everyone eagerly anticipated the arrival of the event.

Inside the Kodak Theatre, as the ceremony progressed, a subtle yet warm resonance had already begun.

The sudden "signature controversy" that just occurred seemed to ignite the silence in the audience, but now it has made the atmosphere even more heated than in previous years. The announcement of each award is like an emotional rebound, including applause, anticipation, and even respect.

The award for Best Visual Effects went to Pirates of the Caribbean 2;
The Best Foreign Language Film award went to Germany's "The Lives of Others," and director Florian Henkel received the award with trembling hands as the audience erupted in applause.

But at this moment, all the focus is quietly shifting back towards Get Out.

George Clooney, dressed in a black suit, walked onto the stage with a carefree smile. As he opened the gold envelope, he joked, "Today's Best Supporting Actress nominees are all incredibly strong, so we male hosts are under a lot of pressure."

The room erupted in laughter, but this relaxed atmosphere couldn't dispel the nervousness in the nominees' hearts.

Viola Davis clenched her fists and sat upright. Although Wu Chen and others whispered to her, "You've done very well," she just gritted her teeth and didn't dare to look away from the stage.

“There’s no way around it, this award is just too important for a Black woman who plays a supporting role,” Jason Blum whispered to Wu Chen.

"If she wins this award, it means she will have the opportunity to emerge from the sidelines, and she will be qualified to play the lead role in her next work, instead of just playing a suffering mother or a heroic woman."

This award is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many supporting actors.

Wu Chen glanced at Viola Davis; given her physique, it was indeed too difficult for her to get a chance to become the lead.

However, it backfired.

"The Oscar for Best Supporting Actress goes to Jennifer Hudson for *Dreamgirls*!"

Viola's shoulders slumped slightly, but she could only continue clapping.

On stage, Jennifer was in tears, choked up and could barely speak.

The acceptance speech and applause lasted for nearly a minute.

The crew comforted Viola, who smiled and nodded vigorously, though her eyes were a little red.

The next award for Best Documentary Short Film went to "Children of Yingzhou" by Chinese-American director Michelle Yeoh, prompting many Asian audience members to stand up and applaud.

Then, Get Out won its second award, Best Original Score.

After this award, the spotlight went out again, and a beam of white light shone onto the stage.

Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst walked out together, and the golden couple drew a few chuckles from the audience.

“Next, we’re going to reveal a promise written to the silver screen,” Kirsten said with a smile.

"The best original screenplay belongs to every dreamer who sits in the corner and types out the first line of dialogue," Toby added.

Screen switching.

Clips from the five nominated films were shown one after another, and the audience held their breath:
Babel, Letters from Iwo Jima, Get Out, Pan's Labyrinth, The Queen.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Inside the screening room of the Beijing Film Academy, the air seemed to freeze.

"It's coming, it's coming! This award is pretty good."

"Damn, I'm still getting excited! Seven awards, I've won two, and now I'm out of the running. I'd love to win one more!"

"."

In all the live streams across the ocean, many movie fans and netizens who came on short notice held their breath.

The Oscar for Best Original Screenplay is:

Kirsten and Toby exchanged a glance, then spoke in unison:
"Wu Chen, 'Escape from Deadly Town'!"

The audience burst into applause.

The crew of "Get Out" immediately stood up in the third row.

Chadwick raised his right arm and shouted, "Yes!"

Blake Lively gave Wu Chen a gentle hug. "Congratulations on becoming a director!"

Jason Blum clapped so hard his hands turned red.

Wu Chen nodded to the well-meaning people around him, then slowly stood up, straightened his suit, nodded slightly, and walked steadily onto the stage.

Inside the ABC control room, the data began to rise sharply.

"WTF!"

"It really is him! Keep the camera focused on Wu Chen!"

"."

Inside the Kodak Theatre, thousands of people watched as the director from the East took the stage.

The lights shone on him, and it was as if the entire theater had fallen silent.

Meanwhile, in the villa in Beijing, Liu Yifei and Shu Chang were sitting in front of the stage, clapping their hands excitedly at each other.

After a long time of calming down, I'm getting excited again.

"Guess what your junior brother will say?"

"I don't know, but whatever you say is fine!" Liu Yifei grinned, propping her head up with her hand, her eyes full of gentle smiles.

The next moment, Wu Chen took the trophy and walked to the microphone.

Spotlights shone on him from all directions.

He didn't rush to speak, but instead slightly raised his eyes, scanned the entire audience, then looked down at the little golden statue in his hand, before slowly speaking:
"Thank you to the film academy, thank you to the judges, thank you to my crew, producers, actors, and everyone who believed in this work."

Applause erupted again.

Wu Chen paused for a moment, then changed his tone and said it again in both Chinese and English:
"Films are fictional, but the sentiments behind them are real. When we write a story, we want to leave behind a certain voice, sometimes a shout, sometimes a whisper."

In this world, some stories have been heard, while others are often misunderstood; some names have been remembered, while others have been changed.

He looked at the audience, his eyes showing no accusation, only a warm and firm determination.

"As a screenwriter, I know the weight of language. A single word can change a character, and a single sentence can shape a piece of history."

We continue writing so that one day, when someone mentions this story, they won't mistake where it came from.
Wu Chen looked at the camera last, his tone softening slightly:
"This is my first Oscar, but I know it doesn't belong to me alone. It belongs to the people who wrote the story, to everyone who wrote their name on the first page of the script and then worked their way up page by page."

There are many kinds of stories, and hopefully the world will remember them and where they came from.

thank you all! "

Wu Chen bowed slightly and waved the little golden figure in his hand again, and applause surged in like waves once more.

(End of this chapter)