Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 261 Cannes Under Fire
The early summer morning light in Beijing shines on Chang'an Avenue, the warm light reflecting on the morning rush hour traffic, and the air is refreshing.

But this morning, the domestic film and television industry was extremely lively.

Various opinions arose.

The newsstand at the subway entrance had just rolled up its shutters, and many passersby were still glancing at it to see if any of the latest news was printed there.

China has not achieved many successes at Cannes.

In fact, many people in the industry thought it would be good enough to win an award, and never expected to win a big prize.

At this moment, countless industry professionals are discussing this special Palme d'Or trophy.

The actresses, on the other hand, were preoccupied with the Best Actress award.

It's worth noting that Maggie Cheung was the only person to have previously won the Cannes Best Actress award, and now there's another one.

There are truly very few actresses who have won Best Actress awards at the three major film festivals.

In recent decades, apart from Maggie Cheung, only Gong Li and Josephine Siao have won the Best Actress award at the Venice International Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival, respectively, among Chinese actresses.

Even at that time, Zhang Ziyi, the top actress in China, did not have the title of Best Actress at the three major film festivals.

Liu Yifei's fan base has now split into several factions.

"Best Actress! My sister really won the Best Actress award at Cannes! Director Wu also won an award! Isn't this the epitome of fairytale romance?!"

"Honestly, if this isn't a good match, then what kind of love is there in the entertainment industry? I'm declaring this a done deal!"

"I admit Wu Chen is talented. But why should he stand next to my Fei Fei?"

"Don't say anything, I'm in terrible pain right now, brothers, all I want to do is kill Wu Chen."

"."

At this moment, there were supporters, opponents, and even those who wanted to kill Wu Chen.
The two departments of the Beijing Film Academy are in an uproar.

Guan Yue was holding her phone, looking out the window at the sycamore branches swaying in the wind. After thinking for a long time, she finally dialed that familiar number.

"Xuan'er."

"Mmm!" Dong Xuan's voice was lazy and low, as if she hadn't slept well last night.

"You saw the message?" Upon hearing the voice, Guan Yue immediately knew Dong Xuan's current situation.

"I took a look."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yue sighed softly, unsure of what to say.

"I'm fine," Dong Xuan said calmly. "Sometimes, meeting early or late is indeed not as good as meeting at the right time."

There was silence for two seconds.

"Will this year's graduation ceremony be held at the same time as usual?"

“…” Guan Yue hesitated for a moment.

"Don't worry, I just want to go back and see for myself, and also see just how outstanding the girl next to him really is."

"Yes, it's good to have given up on those thoughts." Guan Yue breathed a sigh of relief.

And it was also early morning.

Shu Chang had just gotten up, her hair still disheveled. She waved her fist at the window and mumbled something under her breath:
"Oh yeah!"

"Forget about circles, from now on, Sisi and I are our circle!"

Shu Chang grinned happily. She had a sister who was a Cannes Film Festival Best Actress winner. What did the others have that they still wanted to exclude her?

At this moment, the editorial departments of some domestic media outlets were suddenly surprised.

"Hey, editor-in-chief, it seems the French media aren't too happy with the results."

"Hmm? Let me see!"

The crowd immediately gathered around, and upon seeing the reports from several major French media outlets, they gasped in astonishment, then excitedly exclaimed:

"Quickly, quickly, send it back to China!"

"Don't waste a single moment, hurry up!"

"."

Early morning in France.

The full-page headline in Le Monde is now online.

The title reads: "A flower heavier than the Palme d'Or – Cannes misses out on 'Black Peony'."

The text is ruthless: "When the jury awarded the 60th Anniversary Special Palme d'Or to 'Black Peony,' we knew they had left themselves a way out: a way to avoid controversy but cover up the truth."

Without the constraints of an award system, this film, which blends Eastern aesthetics with psychological thriller elements, should rightfully stand at the pinnacle.

Following closely behind was a review in Screen Magazine titled "Black Peony: The Palme d'Or Cannes Dares Not Give".

He directly criticized the Cannes rules: "The victory of '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days' may be due to political correctness, but the regret of 'Black Peony' is the real shock on an artistic level."

It challenges rhythm, structure, and cultural belonging—the very core of Cannes—and perhaps it's time for some rules to change.

However, the most incisive commentary comes from "Film Notes".

This media outlet, known for its outspokenness and daring articles, is famous for its sharp and incisive commentary. The headline is straightforward: "Is 'Black Peony' not the Palme d'Or? The mistake lies with Cannes, not Wu Chen."

The content is even more straightforward:

"For sixty years, Cannes has sacrificed too many truly complete works by adhering to the ironclad rule that the Palme d'Or cannot be awarded to the Best Actor/Actress.

"Black Peony" is a complete culmination of auteurism; its aesthetics, themes, performances, and structure are enough to make it the most "Cannes" film since 2000.

If rules don't reward greatness, then the rules themselves need to be examined.

The news was quickly reposted by major domestic media outlets, and even the movie channel gave a brief report.

Countless netizens are scrolling through the trending post:

"Damn, there are actually rules like this?"

"Damn, no wonder Leslie Cheung couldn't win Best Actor back then, so that's where the problem lies."

"Ah, it deserves to be criticized; this system is unreasonable!"

"."

"Although I haven't seen 'Black Peony' yet, director Wu Chen's talent is undeniable. French media and film critics have also given it high praise. Otherwise, it wouldn't have generated such a heated discussion. I believe the French people will also be very dissatisfied with it after they wake up."

"Cannes has indeed sacrificed too many good films in order to ensure fairness in its awards, just like I did back then."

When Jiang Wen was interviewed by reporters, he was also very blunt.

He still harbors resentment over the fact that "Devils on the Doorstep" only won the Grand Jury Prize. In his view, he only lost because of the value of the judging system and the fact that he failed to match the "more emotional and more political" tendencies of the jury president, Luc Besson. In reality, he did not lose.

Zhang Yi also took a break from her busy schedule to give a telephone interview to the media.

"It's a real pity. Although I arrived late, I did get to see Director Wu's 'Black Peony,' which was excellent. While it didn't address popular social issues, it was artistically superior. It just goes to show that the French media's criticism wasn't entirely unfounded."

However, Chen Kaige declined media interviews and stayed home alone.

"What was Director Wu's movie actually like?"

Chen Hong was very curious; she hadn't gone to Cannes with them, but now the entire film industry was talking about this movie.
"It's fine." Chen Kai sighed.

"Oh?" Chen Hong was a little surprised. This was the first time he had seen Chen Kaige give such an evaluation. The last time was back in Zhang Yimou's movie.

Just as the discussion was still in full swing in China, the morning light quietly peeked through the gaps in the curtains of the Martinez Hotel, falling on a messy yet soft mattress.

The bed sheet is wrinkled.

Liu Yifei lay curled up on her side on the bed, her arm draped across the soft pillow, her skin glowing in the gentle morning light, delicate as porcelain.

Her fingers were slightly bent, her wrists were slender, and her shoulders were half-hidden in her loose hair.

The other foot peeked out from under the thin blanket, the ankle as white as snow, the instep soft and rounded, the toes slightly curled, and a trace of lingering redness still present.

She frowned slightly, as if disturbed by some faint light. Her eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were still watery and sleepy, but when she saw Wu Chen sleeping soundly beside her, her gaze softened and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Listening to Wu Chen's even breathing, she couldn't help but secretly pick up a strand of hair and gently brush it across Wu Chen's nose with a mischievous smile.

Wu Chen's nose twitched slightly, his brows furrowed slightly, and then he slowly opened his eyes, immediately meeting those clear eyes that were both tired and mischievous.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a low voice, his voice still hoarse from just waking up.

"What do you think?" Liu Yifei smiled, her expression a mix of naivety and smugness.

Wu Chen didn't reply, but suddenly rolled over and pinned her down.

"Oh no!" Liu Yifei exclaimed, her face flushing red as she frantically tried to block his approaching lips. "No! You're doing it again!"

“Didn’t you say last night that I had the right to half of the trophy?” Wu Chen said seriously.

"You pervert!" Liu Yifei blushed and lightly punched his chest with her small fist. "I have to go back to my room. My mom will definitely knock on the door later."

Wu Chen tilted his head and glanced out the window. The sunlight had already filled the balcony. He said slowly, "It might be a little late."

"Huh?!" Liu Yifei exclaimed, turning her head sharply to look at the clock on the bedside table. Her mouth gaped open in an "O" shape. She carefully got out of bed, but then frowned and couldn't help but slap Wu Chen again, "It's all your fault!"

"Why is this all my fault?" Wu Chen sat up and said innocently.

"I don't care, it's all your fault anyway." Liu Yifei muttered arrogantly, bending down to pick up the clothes scattered on the floor and quickly starting to change, but she didn't forget to remind him, "Turn around, don't peek!"

Wu Chen shrugged, first turning his head to look out the window obediently, a smile playing on his lips, before turning back the next second.

In such a setting, if you don't peek out, you'll truly miss out on a breathtaking sunrise.

After a long time of playful banter, Liu Yifei finally put on her clothes, tidied her hair, and tiptoed to the door, peeking out cautiously.

To everyone's surprise, the familiar face appeared not far away diagonally opposite.

Liu Xiaoli was standing on the other side of the corridor, about to go back to her room, when she heard the door open on the other side and couldn't help but look over.

Seemingly unsurprised, yet also as if prepared in advance, he simply waved his hand, signaling Liu Yifei to come over.

"Oh no, my mom saw us, and she wants me to come over," Liu Yifei whispered in alarm, quickly turning back to Wu Chen.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No need for that." Liu Yifei waved her hand, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Don't make things worse. I'll handle it myself."

As she spoke, she gently nudged Wu Chen, took a deep breath, and like a little soldier going into battle, tiptoed to open the door and went over.

(End of this chapter)