Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 340 We are no less capable than others, since we're already here...
"Director Zhang, what do you think of this year's Best Foreign Language Film? According to current records, Chinese films have been nominated for the Oscars a total of eight times so far."
Of those, only director Li An's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was successful. What do you think was the reason?

In the Sina Entertainment chat room, senior film critic and chat room host Gu Yu asked...
At that moment, Sina was broadcasting the Oscars red carpet event live.

For this Oscars ceremony, Sina Entertainment specially invited renowned director Zhang Yibai, Liu Fan, chief editor of the entertainment news department of the Beijing News, and senior film critic Bi Chenggong to the chat room to provide online commentary and reports for netizens.

Of course, the main reason is that this year's Oscars are extraordinary, with mainland Chinese films being nominated for and receiving multiple awards.

The four people sat around a small round table, on which was a sign for Sina Entertainment.

Netizens watched the live stream on Sina's live broadcast platform, and the various red carpet looks were captivating.

In the chat room, Zhang Yibai pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:
"It's hard to say. After all, the Oscars are an award dominated by Western film culture. The selection of foreign language films is based primarily on the judges' viewing experience and cultural resonance."

One reason for the success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was that it simultaneously possessed a shared aesthetic between East and West in terms of both form and story content. In particular, director Lee's transformation of genre films and traditional Eastern martial arts truly achieved cross-cultural communication, which is perhaps what other films lack.

Liu Fan, who was standing next to him, added: "Yes, the films that have been nominated over the years certainly have artistic value, but it is still a big challenge to get North American audiences and judges to overcome cultural barriers."

But I think Director Wu has a pretty good chance this time.

"This year's 'Black Peony' has potential," Bi Chenggong added. "Director Wu's market experience in North America is something many mainland directors haven't had in the past."

The number of comments from netizens instantly increased below the chat room screen:

"To be honest, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is indeed quite good. It's a kung fu film that appeals to both East and West, and director Anthony Wong deserves recognition for that."

"I have high hopes for 'Black Peony,' after all, Wu Chen's films have always taken an international approach."

"Director Zhang Yibai is quite right. It seems that the aesthetic gap between the East and the West is indeed very difficult to bridge."

"The Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, in the end, still depends on the tastes of Europeans and Americans."

"I don't know about other things, but I think that since 'Black Peony' won an award at Cannes, it shouldn't be bad at the Oscars, right?"

At that moment, the chat room screen switched to the red carpet live stream, and the host excitedly announced the names of the next group of guests:

"Now stepping onto the red carpet is one of the favorites for this year's Oscars, the crew of 'Black Peony' from China!"

Outside the Kodak Theatre, at the end of the long red carpet, the door of a Lincoln limousine slowly opened.

The first thing that catches the eye is a pair of gleaming black leather shoes. Wu Chen is wearing a classic fitted black suit and steps steadily out of the car. He then turns slightly to the side and extends his right hand into the car in a very gentlemanly manner.

Lights and flashes converged instantly.

With her slender hand outstretched, Liu Yifei slowly stood up from the car, her fresh and elegant oriental beauty instantly stunning the entire audience.

The Chanel haute couture gown, predominantly a delicate peach pink, was as vibrant yet understated as a spring peach blossom, its soft silk skirt swaying gently with her light steps.
Following closely behind, Han Sanping, Wang Changtian, and Li Qin stepped down one by one, smiling as they walked onto the red carpet.

"Director Wu!" "Yifei!" Several domestic media reporters at the scene waved and shouted excitedly.

Foreign media and audiences responded enthusiastically, especially when Wu Chen stepped onto the red carpet. Some Black spectators on both sides of Hollywood Boulevard held up posters with Wu Chen's English name on them.

Gu Yu, who was watching the live stream in the Sina chat room, couldn't help but exclaim, "Director Wu is very popular in Hollywood!"

Bi Chenggong responded with a smile, "After all, 'Get Out' grossed nearly $200 million in North America, and it's especially popular with African American audiences. He has quite a few fans there." The live stream chat instantly became lively.

"Wow, Wu Chen is awesome!"

"Holy crap, did you see that? There's a black girl holding up a sign that says 'Wu Chen, I love you,' and she's actually quite pretty."

"Damn, bro, you're really hungry. Do you think black girls are pretty?"

The red carpet procession continued to move slowly forward. After entering the middle section of the red carpet, Li Qin smiled and waved to the media. She stopped gracefully with Han Sanping and Wang Changtian to take a group photo with the reporters.

When this scene was reported back to China, it immediately aroused envy among many actresses in the country.

Liu Yifei and the others were already too envious to look at her. Just the various haute couture gowns and jewelry prepared by Chanel made them feel a huge sense of inferiority, not to mention that she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.

Li Shaohong was staring at the television screen, extremely pleased, because she had received confirmation that Li Qin would be starring in "Dream of the Red Chamber," which was definitely good news for the TV series.

As the red carpet procession reached the interview area near the theater entrance, reporters were already waiting. One of the female reporters quickly stepped forward and raised her microphone.

"Wu, your previous film, Get Out, was a huge success in North America. This time, you've brought us a completely different style, Black Peony. Do you think the Oscar judges will understand the Eastern story you want to convey?"

Wu Chen responded with a smile:
"I've always believed that good films transcend cultural boundaries, and the Oscars are a global stage. I hope that judges and audiences can feel the resonance in the films."

The female reporter turned to Liu Yifei: "Yifei, you look absolutely stunning tonight. Could you tell us how you feel about being nominated for an Oscar for the first time as a lead actress?"

"Thank you. This is certainly a stroke of luck for me, but I firmly believe that awards cannot define an actor. The true essence of acting is to convey the inner feelings of the character to the audience, and I will continue to strive for that."

"."

Applause erupted on both sides of the red carpet, and flashes of light rained down.

Having given the official interview to the Oscars, domestic interviews were naturally inevitable, especially with the movie channel following and recording the entire interview.

Wu Chen and Liu Yifei's responses were relatively restrained, after all, they hadn't won the award yet, and what if they failed? However, Han Sanping's emotions, which he had suppressed for a long time, were fully released at this moment.

"It would be a lie to say I don't want to win an award. I came here precisely to win an award, and if we do, it will be the first time for us in mainland China," Han Sanping said cheerfully to the CCTV movie channel reporter.

"Of course, I believe it was only a matter of time before we failed to win this time. Chinese films are developing rapidly, and we are not inferior to others."

Wang Changtian was also filled with excitement.

It's quite remarkable that Enlight Media's debut film has made it onto the international stage, but compared to Han Sanping's remarks, it's still much more restrained.

"Enlight Media has learned a lot from this film. We thank Director Wu and Chairman Han. To be honest, Enlight Media is still a newcomer. Of course, we hope to win all the awards. We Chinese really like the saying, 'Since we're already here.'"

"Hahaha!" A burst of laughter erupted from the Chinese-language media section.

However, when this live broadcast was transmitted back to China, many private film and television companies in mainland China had mixed feelings.

Although Enlight Media has risen rapidly, it is still far inferior to established film companies. However, it has chosen the right partner, and now its talent has even made it into Hollywood.
(End of this chapter)