The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 159 Lu Chuan's Frustration (14)

Compared to the atrocities depicted in "Lust, Caution," Shen Shandeng found Lu Chuan much more pleasing to the eye.

Seriously, the kind with delicate features.

Like "Assembly," the points of criticism against "Nanjing! Nanjing!" now are the opposite of the points of criticism later on.

Actually, there is no contradiction, because these two groups of people are not the same.

The former is a self-colonizing person, the latter is a normal person.

In the film industry, there is a small group of people who would never make films on this kind of subject matter.

Lu Chuan's willingness to film is several levels above the small group who find beauty in ugliness.

It sounds strange, but it's true.

Among the short, the best is chosen; Lu Chuan is also of impeccable character and belongs to the category of "the best among the worst."

Shen Shandeng couldn't help but glance at Han Sanping with pity.

I must say, Old Deng really knows how to stabilize the film market by teaming up with a bunch of scoundrels.

Shen Shandeng chose to listen to what was going on with "Nanjing".

After the wrap party, back in their hotel room, Shen Shandeng, Han Sanping, and Lu Chuan had a detailed discussion.

The dampness from the river seeped into the hotel room.

The aroma of tea wafted through the living room of the suite.

Han Sanping didn't stand on ceremony with Shen Shandeng and said directly, "You can help out with the 'Nanjing' project."

Then, his gaze turned to Lu Chuan, whose face was gloomy.

“Lu Chuan, you tell us about your difficulties. You are both young directors, so you should exchange ideas more.”

Han Sanping's words implied that Shen Shandeng was above him, and Lu Chuan gritted his teeth inwardly.

Lu Chuan was not entirely convinced by Shen Shandeng, and she only came today because Han Sanping and the investors insisted.

"Director Shen, we just finished filming 'Lost in Thailand' and you're already being asked to come here to talk about this."

After a few simple pleasantries, Lu Chuan launched into a long and detailed account of her life.

He harbored a dream and, even when the project was still uncertain, gritted his teeth and borrowed a million yuan to support a makeshift team of about ten people.

By the time they discovered the project was stalled, the crew had already snowballed to forty or fifty people. Costumes, props, and location deposits were being paid off, and money was flowing away like water every day, every moment.

"At that time, we were truly helpless, with no one to turn to for help."

Lu Chuan looked at Han Sanping and said, "Later, it was Third Master who handed the book to Tan Hong of Xingmei, which finally brought in the life-saving money. But on the other hand, the two original investors withdrew at this critical juncture."

Speaking of this, Lu Chuan couldn't help but feel a bit proud: "During the most difficult time, I really didn't know how I would face the brothers in the crew the next day. They were all young people who had been with me for several years. When they talked about this movie, their eyes lit up. They really wanted to film this period of history and do something meaningful."

"Fortunately, we did the right thing."

Lu Chuan was very satisfied with her decisiveness, and a feeling of tragic heroism welled up in her heart.

Han Sanping was exasperated. What kind of bad habit was this? Asking for help without any manners. He reminded her, "Lu Chuan, let's get down to business."

Looking at Shen Shandeng, who just created a box office miracle of 4.3 million, there is not a trace of arrogance on his face.

"Sigh, we can't compare, we can't compare," Han Sanping told himself.

"it's okay no problem."

Shen Shandeng chuckled, listened quietly, and leaned back comfortably on the sofa.
Speaking of which, Lu Chuan is a very intelligent person.

"Nanjing" is his third film. His first film was "Looking for a Gun" directed by Jiang Wen, in which Lu Chuan hitched a ride.

The latter two films, "Kekexili" and "Nanjing", firmly occupied the moral high ground from the very beginning of their subject matter, which at least guaranteed them awards.

The film *Nanjing*, due to its subject matter and the painful history it depicts, is inextricably linked to history itself. Choosing this subject matter guaranteed it would generate considerable buzz. From a commercial perspective, this early advantage already puts it halfway to success.

smart.

But intelligence alone is not enough; without ability, one cannot handle this kind of subject matter.

Of course, Shen Shandeng hopes that there will be more and more smart people like Lu Chuan in the industry.

What he hates most is someone who is bad, stupid, and tacky—purely disgusting.

Similar to the future curator of Taiwan, someone who can turn things around quickly is needed.

Currently, Lu Chuan is considered to have some strength.

Shen Shandeng continued, "It's rare to see a group of young people with dreams working together towards a righteous goal."

"Although the subject matter is heavy, it is a way to remember history and warn future generations. As filmmakers, shouldn't we feel more empowered the more we work on such projects?"

"Director Lu, I'm a little curious. Why has something so meaningful become so difficult?"

Shen Shandeng asked the question sincerely.

The subject of the Holocaust is indeed heavy and painful, but if done well, it can be a way to comfort our compatriots.

Even anger grows stronger with each passing moment.

Yes, Han Sanping also thought Shen Shandeng's question made sense.

Logically, the feedback shouldn't be distorted or broken, unless one is psychologically very fragile.

Meeting Shen Shandeng's gaze, Lu Chuan's face instantly turned three degrees red, and her lips trembled a few times.

Why is it difficult?
Could it be said that his lack of control over the production team caused the investors to lose confidence?

Or is it that he plagiarized "Schindler's List"? There are some parts that are not in the movie, so there's nothing to plagiarize.

There are also some points that, as they were being copied, turned out to be incorrect, leading to an ambiguous tone and questionable stance in the script, which only made things more painful and confusing.

Lu Chuan couldn't utter a single word, as if an invisible hand was choking her.

Shen Shandeng's question goes straight to the heart: does the problem lie in objective factors or in his own actions?
Seeing that Lu Chuan's face had turned red and he was sweating, Han Sanping tried to smooth things over, saying, "For my sake, please take a look and see if there's any hope for this project. He brought the script and shooting plan with him."

Lu Chuan took out a thick stack of documents from her briefcase.

Shen Shandeng took it and glanced at it: "Hmm? A confidentiality agreement?"

He couldn't help but look at Han Sanping.

Lu Chuan said awkwardly, "This play is not only my own hard work, but also the hard work of many people in the crew."

This was an agreement he had prepared before he arrived.

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping's face darkened, and he said, "Lu Chuan! Put it away! Do you need this in front of Shan Deng? Don't you know your own limitations and how to weigh the consequences?"

Lu Chuan blushed crimson and said, "Third Master, Director Shen, I'm sorry, it was my assistant who prepared it!"

He felt a deep sadness in his heart. He was also a young director with three works to his name and a graduate student in the directing department of Beijing Film Academy!
He's also quite good at making movies!

Judging success solely by box office revenue is a desecration of cinema!
"it's okay no problem."

Shen Shandeng was still all smiles.

Don't rush to look at the heavy script and storyboard plan.

"If the factory manager asks, I will naturally help."

Shen Shandeng asked another question: "But how to help, and to what extent, depends on what Director Lu really wants."

"Is the goal simply to finish the film, win an award, and make some money at the box office, or is the goal to create a film that is worthy of that period of history and will be remembered by future generations?"

(End of this chapter)