The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 130: Immortal in the River of History!
The studio lights were a bit too hot, and the atmosphere of the interview was lively.

Shen Shandeng was perfectly clear-headed, but he couldn't suppress his excitement.

Become!

On the stage of "Face to Face", the new syntax and new paradigm of Chinese core + Chinese visual effects were fully explained!
At the end of 2007, television remained an important platform for the public to access in-depth information, and "Face to Face" was at its most influential and still an absolute authority.

Although the internet has emerged, social media platforms like Weibo have not yet become mainstream information channels, and short videos are still a decade away.

Blogs and forums were abuzz with discussion, but the impact was far less than that of a major interview on CCTV.

This is also why Shen Shandeng, anticipating that Chai Jing's arrival was ill-intentioned and even vaguely sensing that there were opposing forces trying to sabotage her, still wanted to participate in the program.

What he wanted was never to defeat Chai Jing, nor to argue with her; Chai Jing wasn't worth his effort.

Shen Shandeng's goal is to construct a framework, starting with historical film themes and the film industry, to gradually force out and drive out Western values.

Chai Jing sat opposite her, her face still bearing a compassionate expression, but her eyes held a hint of barely perceptible wariness and resentment.

She took a deep breath.

"Director Shen, the grand visions and heroic narratives you depict can indeed bring hope and strength to people. But it is undeniable that sometimes, this grandeur itself can also become a kind of anesthetic, making people ignore the more specific and subtle pain in reality."

Chai Jing blinked and said sincerely, "I've noticed that you've repeatedly emphasized 'industry' and 'market.' You've also publicly stated that 'Chinese films should prioritize the market before discussing art.' Does this mean that, in your view, the value of art can be completely measured by the market and box office revenue?"

"When box office revenue becomes the new, or even the only, important criterion, is this a logic of businessmen, rather than the logic of artists?"

With just a few casual words, Shen Shandeng's artistic credentials were stripped away, and he was relegated to the category of a profit-driven businessman, thereby negating the credibility of Shen Shandeng's words.

Shen Shandeng simply retorted, "What about Hollywood?"

Chai Jing was clearly taken aback, not quite following the leap, and lowered her voice, saying, "This, this has nothing to do with Hollywood, right?"

“How could it be unrelated?” Shen Shandeng said, “When we’re discussing the film industry and market metrics, isn’t Hollywood the most successful example? In terms of artistry, who can compare to the three major European film festivals?”

Shen Shandeng changed the subject and said with a smile, "Didn't the Venice Film Festival a few months ago prove my point? I even wrote an article about it called 'Venice Returns to America'."

Chai Jing's pupils suddenly contracted!
The article "Venice Returns to America" ​​practically pointed the finger at the three major European entertainment venues, claiming they were essentially appendages of Hollywood, causing a huge uproar within the industry.

Chai Jing's smile vanished: "Really?"

Shen Shandeng didn't give her a chance to play dumb: "In my article, I pointed out that the myth of the three so-called 'temples of art' in Europe is essentially a secondary stage subject to the industrial power and market discourse of Hollywood."

"You... do you doubt Hollywood's power? Do you doubt the legitimacy of Hollywood's industrial system?"

boom!
Chai Jing felt a buzzing in her head, and her fingers gripping the manuscript tightened suddenly.

This is a huge pitfall!

To refute Shen Shandeng would be to deny Hollywood's successful model and the world-leading film industry system of the Great Britain.

This is unfilial!

To uphold the authority of film festivals like Venice, it is necessary to reject Shen Shandeng's theories, which in turn negates Hollywood's industrial discourse power.

This is disloyalty!

Loyalty to one's country and filial piety are mutually exclusive!
It's not just a double bind; the problem itself is a huge pitfall.

Filial piety, beautiful, and loyal to Europe
You can do it outside of the program, but not on the "Face to Face" program.

Therefore, regardless of whether she is loyal to the country or filial to the country, appearing in such a public setting will have a negative impact, and may even lead to consequences that she cannot bear.

She could even feel the production manager's murderous gaze.

Chai Jing felt aggrieved, but she had to maintain a worried expression on her face and swallow her previous words again.

To reiterate, factual errors are far less serious than issues of stance.

Chai Jing said, "It seems that I have subconsciously set commerce and art against each other again."

"In fact, the two are not contradictory. Is Godard an artist? He is extremely experimental. Is Spielberg an artist? He is extremely commercial. Artists should not be defined, and it cannot be said that only those who are not commercially successful or misunderstood are considered pure."

Chai Jing gritted her teeth until they were about to break, but she still had to smile!
Shen Shandeng nodded, looking at her with a "you're teachable" expression, and said, "My logic is very simple: without a healthy industry and market, Chinese films are like water without a source."

"We can discuss art and the market here today because the box office success of 'The Eunuch' has given us confidence!"

"If Chinese filmmakers make ten films and nine of them lose money, eventually the entire industry will collapse. Where will we talk about the artistic freedom you speak of? At the three major European film festivals?"

Chai Jing tried to regain some ground: "But when we focus on grand themes, we really can't ignore the specifics, can we?"

Shen Shandeng smiled and said, "Perfect timing, let me use your platform to reveal some exclusive news."

Chai Jing's heart skipped a beat, and she had a bad feeling: "What news?"

"The statement issued by Mr. Jiang Zhiqiang, the producer of 'The Creation,' was actually to create a more rational atmosphere for our subsequent meeting."

"The two films, 'The Eunuch' and 'The Sinner,' came together through a series of unexpected events. With the coordination of Tian Lili, director of the Beijing Film Academy, and Marco Müller, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, we have reached some preliminary consensus."

“Marco Müller?!” Chai Jing was genuinely shocked this time, her eyes practically bulging out: “The artistic director of the Venice Film Festival? Why would he be involved in coordinating this?”

Tian Lili is alright, but Marco Müller is one of the three most influential figures in Europe, a big shot who holds international art power!

"Doesn't this just illustrate my artistic philosophy? Only when the strengths are equal can there be equal dialogue."

Shen Shandeng said matter-of-factly, “Mr. Mark Müller understands what the true art ecosystem is better than we do.”

"If I didn't have the market success of 'The Eunuch' to back me up, why would he sit down and talk to me on equal terms? Artistic recognition can never be based on the charity of others!"

Shen Shandeng's purpose was not only to interrogate Chai Jing, but also to use the CCTV platform to confirm the existence of the dinner with Marco Müller.

This will ensure that the old bastard can't run away even if he wants to!
What could Chai Jing say?
She could only offer a dry, echoing: "Indeed, Cannes, Venice, and Berlin—it's hard to say they haven't been influenced by Hollywood's industrial power and market influence."

Shen Shandeng cut to the chase and brought the truth to the surface: "I respect Mr. Mark Müller, but we must acknowledge a fact: the current European film festivals, to some extent, are just a stage within the Hollywood global system!"

These words were like a thunderclap, making Chai Jing's scalp tingle and leaving the staff on site looking at each other in bewilderment.

Words are words, but Shen Shandeng's confident pronouncements are another matter entirely.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Shen Shandeng continued to promote his new grammar: "This also tells us that Chinese films must develop their own strong market and follow a market-oriented and industrialized path. Moreover, our film market has unlimited potential for the future!"

Chai Jing was stunned by this series of punches, her rhythm completely disrupted. She subconsciously added, "We do have great potential, but we also need to see reality. Last year, the national box office was only 26 billion RMB."

"We should look at problems from a developmental perspective."

Shen Shandeng's eyes shone brightly, as if he could see the future: "Look at South Korea, a mature film market where the average person watches movies four to five times a year. Considering that South Korea is a multi-ethnic and multilingual country, lacking a unified cultural background,"

Shen Shandeng paused briefly before dropping a figure that sent gasps through the audience: "Let's make a very conservative estimate. Assuming China's population remains unchanged at around 13 billion, that's roughly four times that of the United States."

"Because we share a unified cultural background, an average of 10 movie viewings per person isn't unreasonable, is it? That's 13 billion moviegoers!" "Based on a future average movie ticket price of 50 yuan," Shen Shandeng lightly tapped his finger in the air, "that's a 650 billion yuan film market!"

"Six hundred and fifty billion?!" Chai Jing gasped, exclaiming in shock, "We don't even have six billion right now! How is this possible?!"

"This is just a conservative estimate," Shen Shandeng said calmly. "We've had our glorious moments in history. In 1979, the number of moviegoers nationwide reached 293 billion! That's equivalent to more than 70 million people going to the cinema every day! If we calculate it this way, the ceiling for the film market should be in the trillions!"

Chai Jing looked at Shen Shandeng as if he were crazy: "How can that be the same? People were just bored back then! Now there are so many entertainment options, like the internet and games, how can we possibly go back to that heyday?"

Shen Shandeng nodded readily, as if he had truly accepted her opinion: "Hmm, that makes sense. Let's offer another discount then. Even if it's only one-sixth of the most conservative estimate, it's still hundreds of billions."

Shen Shandeng paused, then said, as if haggling at a market, "This is a very conservative estimate; it can't be any lower!"

Chai Jing understood: Shen Shandeng was first throwing out an astronomical figure, and then reluctantly lowering expectations.

In this way, the equally astonishing market of hundreds of billions actually sounds somewhat reasonable.

However, this is completely unreasonable!

A film market with box office revenue of hundreds of billions? Considering his earlier descriptions of the "Ming Dynasty Cinema Universe" and "Chinese Heroes," Chai Jing was once again filled with immense shock.

Shen Shandeng's ambition is far greater than imagined!
Chai Jing forced herself to calm down and pressed on with the numbers: "A box office of over 100 billion is indeed very exciting. But it's hard to believe. Director Shen, your judgment can't be based solely on these simple multiplication and division calculations, can it?"

Shen Shandeng's smile faded, and his tone became exceptionally serious: "I don't believe in myself. First, there are many impressive success stories to follow. Second, and more importantly, my confidence comes from our own expectations for development."

"Our five-year plan has enabled us to achieve a leap from poverty and backwardness to initial industrialization, and then to the establishment of a huge market."

"Especially in the last few years since the turn of the millennium, the pace of development has been changing rapidly."

"My confidence comes from the thousands of specific targets to be achieved in the national plan! We have adhered to such plans for more than 50 years and have accomplished ten of them!"

"This is the certainty that five-year periods after five-year periods have given us!"

China and the US team up for doubles!

Chai Jing opened her mouth, but all the words got stuck in her throat.

She felt that she could only muster 30% of her strength when facing Shen Shandeng.

Chai Jing abruptly changed the subject, saying, "Director Shen, you're not here on 'Face to Face' today just to promote your cinematic universe, are you?"

Shen Shandeng smiled confidently and said, "The 'Governor' cinematic universe currently has three planned projects with a total production cost of 150 million. The share has already been determined."

Shen Shandeng paused deliberately, as if casually mentioning a small matter: "To be honest, just a few days ago, Mr. Marco Müller from Venice and Director Tian from our Beijing Film Academy organized a dinner party. At the dinner table, Mr. Jiang Zhiqiang seemed quite interested and wanted to invest as well."

The studio was so quiet you could hear hissing.

Everyone gasped for air in the cold noodles!
Chai Jing's heart sank. It was Marco Müller again! And Tian Lili again!

Even Jiang Zhiqiang, who was defeated and routed, wanted to invest money.

Shen Shandeng said regretfully, "But I refused. On the one hand, we don't lack money, and on the other hand, we have strict financial requirements."

Chai Jing felt heartbroken again. The parties involved in "The Sinner" took the initiative to admit defeat. The Venice Art Director and the top five generations of Chinese actors formed a group. These are all real achievements!

This is especially true when Jiang Zhiqiang's investment was rejected.

Shen Shandeng has won too many times in reality. As long as you don't fall into her trap, she can't do anything about it!

Chai Jing attempted to return to a neutral stance in the media: "Isn't this a good thing? We should encourage diversified funding sources; it's healthier that way."

“We don’t need it,” Shen Shandeng said firmly. “On the one hand, we are not short of money. On the other hand, and more importantly, we have strict requirements for funds.”

Chai Jing was a little confused: "Strict requirements?"

Shen Shandeng's gaze swept across the camera, as if piercing through the screen: "Because what we are doing is not just a business, but a cause, a great cause."

"The Zuo Zhuan says that the highest pursuit in life is the 'Three Imperishables': establishing virtue, establishing merit, and establishing words."

"Establishing virtue means setting a moral example and becoming a role model for future generations; establishing merit means creating achievements that benefit the world and bring peace to the people; establishing words means leaving behind thoughts and words that will be passed down through the ages."

The studio was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Even the production manager backstage subconsciously held his breath, his eyes shining.

Anyone who has even a slight affinity for Chinese culture would find it hard not to be moved by this explanation.

Shen Shandeng's voice was clear and firm: "If we do historical action films well, we can bring our own ancestors, those heroes who should be remembered, back to life through the light and shadow!"

"Many of them were towering heroes with immortal achievements and countless moving stories. The First Emperor unified China, Emperor Wu of Han drove out the Xiongnu, Emperor Taizong ushered in a golden age, Zhuge Liang devoted himself to the cause, and Emperor Hongwu rebuilt China."

“These great figures with immortal achievements can be brought to the screen step by step.”

"We witness their immortality through film, and at the same time, we are also building our own career."

Shen Shandeng explained in detail: "Of course, what I'm saying might be a bit too grandiose. What we're pursuing is a smaller kind of immortality."

"With the development of technology, establishing a discourse is no longer just about writing books and establishing theories; film is one of the best tools. When we make good films, that can be considered establishing a discourse."

"We have created a historical action film, established a preliminary film industry, promoted the upgrading of the entire industry, and will make China a film powerhouse in the future. This is our contribution to the industry."

“When we discover and present the great heroes of our own nation, allowing them to regain their vitality through film, to get closer to us, and even to become moral exemplars, we can also be considered to establish virtue.”

Chai Jing was completely stunned; her mind was buzzing!
This vision and ambition completely exceeded her preconceived notions.

Offstage, all the staff listened intently.

Many people couldn't help but clench their fists, their faces flushing red.

It's hard for Chinese people to refuse the blueprint described by Shen Shandeng.

Shen Shandeng's work depicts the deepest dreams in many people's hearts!
Shen Shandeng said with a burning gaze, "So by making movies, we can leave a mark on film history, on the long river of culture, and even on the long river of time, and achieve our own immortality."

"Our cause is glorious and great, and those who participate in it naturally share in this glory."

Shen Shandeng's tone hardened: "That's precisely why our requirements are so strict!"

"We must tell the stories of our ancestors and martyrs well, and better showcase their deeds through film!"

"We welcome investment, but we don't accept just anyone's money. There's definitely profit to be made in participating, but we don't welcome those who are only after profit!"

"We also need to see if you have this cultural confidence, this backbone of national pride! If you don't, even if you have money and want to join, we don't want you!"

Shen Shandeng said firmly, "Even if you bring ten times the money, I'm sorry, we don't want it."

(End of this chapter)