Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 515 The boy and the morning light are the same color

The lights gradually came on, and the last frame on the screen slowly disappeared.

In the main hall of the Berlin Film Palace, a brief silence seemed to freeze for a few seconds, the air still so tense that you could almost hear your heartbeat.

Immediately, thunderous applause erupted, spreading from the front row to the back, surging like a tidal wave.

The audience rose to their feet, and applause echoed under the dome.

Some people had tears in their eyes and silently wiped them away; others hurriedly opened their notebooks, eager to record their feelings, but hesitated to put pen to paper.

"Well done. This battlefield marathon, taken from the perspective of a messenger, is more realistic than the grand battlefield itself."

While clapping, Zhang Yi couldn't help but offer his comments.

"Thank you, senior brother."

"Zhang Yi and Li Gan, you two did a good job too. The characters are both master and apprentice, and like father and son, which has a universal appeal and can evoke emotional resonance from the audience."

"Thank you for the compliment, Director Zhang!"

Zhang Yi humbly agreed, while Li Gan seemed slightly excited.

Liu Yifei listened with a happy expression to everyone's evaluation of "1939".

Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese in the back row exchanged a glance, and the former couldn't help but exclaim in amazement:

"I actually understood this uniquely Chinese story completely. Wu did a great job filming it; he managed to tell this story of hope and inheritance so clearly using only two people."

"Because Wu handled it well, the character Wei, who is a father, an elder brother, and a mentor, his sacrifice easily moved us Western audiences. We can directly compare this character to the 'guardian' figure in Schindler's List."
It's truly a fantastic film, and what I find even more incredible is its masterful handling of the camera work.

Martin Scorsese clapped while discussing the plot with Leonardo DiCaprio.

“I’ve seen Wu’s information; he graduated from the photography department of Beijing Film Academy,” Leonardo added.

"Is the cinematography department at Beijing Film Academy this strong now? They used to have Zhang, and now they have Wu. There's absolutely no trace of editing, even though I know it's a fake one-shot."

Scorsese, a film student at New York University, was still somewhat surprised.

Meanwhile, the media section was in complete chaos.

One reporter couldn't help but exchange a glance with his colleague, his lips clearly forming the words: "Unbelievable."

After Wu Chen led Zhang Yi and Li Gan to receive applause from the audience, the premiere of "1939" at the Berlin Film Festival was considered partially complete.

There will be a media segment later, which is unavoidable as it's part of the closing ceremony film.

At the very end, media reporters who hadn't attended the screening rushed to the exit, quickly taking out their phones to record their impressions.

European journalists were excited: "Now I finally understand why Berlin chose it as their closing ceremony film and still included it in the competition!"

"Hurry up."

The reporter from *Screen* smiled upon hearing this and immediately drafted an outline:

[An unprecedented one-shot war experience, "1939" redefines our understanding of cinematic cinema.]

After the Japanese media left early, they just stayed outside. Seeing this, they couldn't help but mention "The Caterpillar" in passing, which resulted in an awkward moment.

The moviegoers were still caught up in the excitement of the story when they left the theater.

"This is the most impactful film I've seen this year; I feel like I'm still immersed in it."

"I felt like I ran alongside them for dozens of miles, but I couldn't stop because this was real war. But they had new hope. That run in the morning light brought tears to my eyes."

"."

"Chairman Han, Factory Director Ming, how is it?"

The people who were supposed to leave had mostly left, so Wu Chen stood up and asked the two of them with a smile.

"No need for further discussion. Whether we win an award or not, Director Ming and I don't care anymore. Just tell me, what date do you want the film to be released? I'll remove all obstacles for you."

Han Sanping was very assertive and made his statement directly.

"Really? So I'm not going to attend the closing ceremony?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Han Sanping quickly added, "We should still take what we can, we can't waste it, right?"

"Hahaha"

Ming Zhenjiang, Liu Yifei, Zhang Yi, Li Gan, and the others immediately burst into laughter.

"By the way, have you received a notification from the organizing committee? Is it possible to win an award?"

"It's hard to say now, because the films shown at the closing ceremony will definitely be included in the ceremony, so the organizing committee won't inform you in advance."

Wu Chen was also a little embarrassed.

There was supposed to be a little hint, but now things are really complicated because it's both the closing ceremony and the main competition, making everything quite suspenseful. Just then, a staff member came over to give a reminder.

Wu Chen led Zhang Yi and Li Gan into the special media area first.

Countless microphones and cameras were pointed at him, and reporters bombarded him with questions.

"Wu, why did you choose to do it in one continuous shot?"

"War is fragmented, but human memory is continuous. The transmission of intelligence cannot be interrupted, so the camera cannot be stopped either. Of course, I also hope that you can be like soldiers, without a chance to breathe."

"clap clap"

Applause erupted immediately, followed by a series of technical questions, but some knowledgeable film critics saw a deeper level of interaction between the environment and the characters.

"Wu, your film doesn't have many lines, but it creates a strong emotion through the environment and characters. What does night mean in the film?"

Wu Chen pondered for a moment, his gaze slightly lowered, but his tone remained steady:
"The night is dark, but it is also unknown. For our nation, the night of that era was not just natural darkness, but a symbol of the nation's predicament on the brink of survival."

Another reporter chimed in:
"What about that oppressive feeling before dawn?"

"The time before dawn is the coldest and most difficult. You can't see the road ahead, but you must keep going, regardless of whether it costs you your life, because dawn isn't something you wait for, but something you 'walk' out of."

The European media fell silent, just as they had during the anti-fascist era.

"When the young soldier Huang Xiaoshan ran, the dawn was already breaking on the screen. He crossed the finish line at the break of dawn. What is the significance of this?" a French film critic asked.

Wu Chen nodded, his smile faint:
"He was 16 years old, and he himself was the 'dawn'. That period was not a 'nighttime escape' but a 'bearing in the light'."

He wasn't running for a life, but to finish the relay race of several undelivered orders and several fallen brothers in the first rays of sunrise.

Therefore, we set the time for running at dawn because youth and the morning light are the same color.

Of course, I know you also want to ask about the last rays of sunlight shining on the earth; I think you already know the answer to that.

After a brief silence, a burst of applause erupted spontaneously.

Film critics and media frantically took notes as the interview concluded.

CCTV staff came up.

Wu Chen thought there might be some other questions, but the latter smiled and shook his head: "Director Wu, we have no more questions. We've already heard the answer we wanted to hear. Congratulations to Wu Chen on your achievements at the upcoming closing ceremony awards ceremony."

"Thank you!"

Wu Chen nodded and then waved.

He also had to prepare for the red carpet and ceremony that evening.

The special treatment given to the closing ceremony film at this time meant that Berlin officials had to comment immediately.

In the press center, Berlin Film Festival director Dieter Kosslick, facing the media cameras, gave a cautious and solemn evaluation:
"This is a film that will be written into the annals of Berlin's history. It shows us the limits of film, while also revealing the pain of war and the indomitable dignity of a nation."

The Berlin Film Festival media and its program are also following up.

[A Stunning Performance at the Berlin Film Festival Closing Ceremony: China's "1939" Impresses the Audience!]

[1939: A poetic long take between night and dawn.]

【"1939" returns the narrative of war to the individual, allowing the dawn and the boy to overlap, like a poem without narration!】

Just when everyone thought the war genre had been exhausted, "1939" redefined the audience's breathing rhythm with a single, continuous take. This Chinese film, using near-limitless long takes, places the war within the reality of time.

【.】

Just a few days after the Lunar New Year, domestic newspapers and television news quickly responded.

The Film Journal published a full-page article in its culture section with the solemn title: "1939: A Witness to Night and Dawn".

The report begins by stating:

"On the screen in Berlin, a 16-year-old boy runs in the morning light, merging with the light. His steps are not only an individual's struggle for survival, but also a nation's perseverance."

The night will eventually pass, and dawn will surely come.

Major portal websites are all featuring it on their homepages:
"When '1939' was featured at the Berlin Film Festival closing ceremony, Wu Chen remarked that the youth is the same color as the sunrise."

"The Dawn from the East"—Overseas Media Praise "1939"!

"The audience gave '1939' a standing ovation; foreign media: the most talked-about film at this year's Berlin Film Festival!"

From the Individual to the Nation: Why is "1939" the Biggest Suspense of Berlin's Sixtieth Anniversary?

"."

At this moment, the hashtags #1939Berlin# and #1939Closing# instantly topped the trending charts on Weibo.
(End of this chapter)