Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 661 Pointing the Sword at Venice?
Two days later, at Beijing Capital International Airport.

In August, the air in Beijing was thick with the oppressive heat of summer. The heat waves on the running track made the distant scenery appear somewhat distorted.

Wu Chen, dressed casually, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, stood alone by a pillar at the VIP exit.

With his flight still a while away, he leaned against the cold pillar, and the image of Liu Yifei pouting and looking unhappy when he left home came to mind.

Originally, Liu Yifei wanted to come with him, but he politely declined.

The main reason is that Liu Yifei's temperament and image are too eye-catching.

Whenever she appears, she inevitably becomes the center of attention.

Honestly, if he were alone, he could easily attract attention by keeping a low profile, wearing a hat and sunglasses, and not making a fuss.

Not long after, a familiar figure, accompanied by an assistant, quickly walked out of the exit pushing a luggage cart.

It was Marco Müller, the president of the Venice Film Festival.

He did look somewhat travel-worn.

"Wu! My friend! This should be the first time we've actually met in real life. I hope we can meet many more times in the future!"

Upon seeing Wu Chen, Marco Müller immediately opened his arms and gave him an incredibly warm hug.

This sudden enthusiasm caught Wu Chen off guard.

This person seems a bit too outgoing.

"Welcome to the capital, Mr. Marco," Wu Chen smiled and responded politely.

As they walked toward the parking lot, they began talking about the movie.

If it were just Wu Chen alone, it would be fine.

However, when he was accompanied by Marco Müller and his assistant, both of whom were clearly foreigners, the combination still stood out.

Some reporters who had been stationed at the airport for years finally turned their attention to this place.

"Hey, that figure looks familiar. And that foreigner next to him... I feel like I've seen him somewhere before too." A young reporter muttered to himself.

"Wait!" A more experienced senior reporter next to him suddenly widened his eyes. "That foreigner is Marco Müller from the Venice Film Festival!"
I remember he came to China a couple of years ago and even appeared in public with Zhang Yimou and Jia Zhangke!

"Holy crap! That...that guy next to him wearing a hat, could it be Wu Chen? He really does look a bit like him!"

The group exchanged glances and immediately realized that this could be big news!

While frantically grabbing their cameras to take pictures, they took off running after Wu Chen and the others in the direction they had gone.

Unfortunately, they were still a step too late.

When they arrived at the parking lot, Marco Müller and his assistant were already in the car, and the group headed to Starry Sky Visual Effects.

"Mr. Wu, the equipment in the screening room is ready."

When the special effects supervisor Ding Yanlai saw Wu Chen and the others coming over, he quickly stepped forward and said something.

"Okay, thank you for your help," Wu Chen smiled, then gestured to Marco Müller, "Because it's still in the rough cut stage, it will take a bit longer, close to three hours."

"Oh, it must be a really good movie to need such a long runtime."

Marco Müller was very good at speaking.

The heavy doors of the screening room slowly closed.

In the computer room, the engineers who were engrossed in their work couldn't help but exchange glances and begin to whisper among themselves.

Others gathered around Ding Yanlai.

"Engineer Ding, Engineer Ding, who exactly was that foreigner just now? He seems to be someone important."

"Why do you need to know so much?"

Ding Yanlai laughed and cursed.

“I know! I know!” one of the young employees said with a smile, pointing to his computer screen. “There was just a breaking news report! It says that Marco Müller, the president of the Venice Film Festival, arrived in Beijing today!”

A reporter at the airport captured photos of several people from behind, and was wondering if the person picking them up was Mr. Wu! Surprisingly, it turned out to be true!

"It has to be our Director Wu! He's got such influence! Even the film festival chairman came to review the film in person?"

"Holy crap! Really? Don't we usually send the films over to the review committee for a unified review?"

"That's just an ordinary director! Who's our boss? An internationally renowned director! Can you expect the same treatment?"

Hearing the murmurs from the crowd, Ding Yanlai had no choice but to put on a stern face and maintain order:

"Alright, alright! Get to work! Get to work! Stop gossiping, have you finished your tasks?"

"."

While Wu Chen and Marco Müller were quietly watching the rough cut of "The Warmest 30 Days of My Life" in the screening room, news of their meeting in Beijing had already spread rapidly online.

Although the reporters only managed to capture a few people's backs and lacked concrete photos of their faces, this did not stop them from confidently crafting headlines that were sure to grab attention.

[Exclusive Report! Wu Chen Meets Secretly with Venice Film Festival President Marco Müller; New Film May Be Aiming for the Golden Lion?]

[Marco Müller makes a surprise appearance in Beijing! Is he here for Wu Chen? Another highlight for Chinese-language cinema!]

Following Berlin and Cannes, Wu Chen is now aiming for Venice, potentially becoming the youngest director in history to win awards at all three major film festivals.

The impact of this news is quite strong.

For Wu Chen's fans and viewers who follow Chinese-language films, the fact that the chairman of an A-list international film festival personally flew to China to review the film is itself a form of recognition.

"Are they going to try and get a run at Venice? Really? Does that mean it'll be showing soon?"

"I've heard that Venice has always been quite fond of Chinese films, making it a lucky place for Chinese filmmakers. Doesn't this give Director Wu a chance to collect awards from all three major film festivals?"

"Guigui, I can't wait to hear the good news."

"."

Many people have already started to inquire about the news and verify the truth of the matter through various channels.

However, while some are happy, others are unhappy.

"Damn it! Was it really necessary to be so humble and fawn over Wu Chen? He even came all the way here to invite him."

Lu Xun was very unhappy, extremely unhappy.

He was even more disdainful when he saw people commenting and praising it.
In the afternoon, the doors to the screening room finally opened.

Wu Chen and Marco Müller shook hands and parted ways.

“That’s settled then, Wu. I hope to see your DCP copy soon.” Marco Müller’s face showed a satisfied and deeply moved expression.

"No problem, let's speed things up. Thank you for your trust." Wu Chen nodded with a smile.

Marco Müller then prepared to get into the car and leave.

His trip to China was very busy, and he even made an appointment with Jia Zhangke later.

Wu Chen only found this out later.

Just as the car started to leave, Marco Müller suddenly stuck half his head out of the car window.

"By the way, Wu! That song in the movie was really nice, but I don't think I've ever heard it before! What's it called?"

"Sorry, this is still a secret for now!"

Marco Müller paused, clearly not expecting Wu Chen's response. He recalled the key scene in the film where the song appeared, as if suddenly enlightened, and finally, he smiled and waved.

"Alright! Let's keep this surprise going a little longer!"

(End of this chapter)