The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 65 I Can Do It! I'll Take the Lead! (44, 11,000 words, please vote!)
After eating a few bites of food, Shen Shandeng started typing in front of Jiang Wen and Yu Dong.

The fingers were so long they left afterimages.

More than half an hour later.

Shen Shandeng pushed the notebook towards Jiang Wen and showed it to him: "How is it?"

"You dare to post it?"

Jiang Wen glanced through it briefly and gasped.

Shen Shandeng shook his head, then clicked the send button on the blog.

Venice Concludes, Golden Lion Returns to "Beauty": A Reassessment of "Weak Nations Have No Art" and the Only Path to a Film Power

Eight months ago.

In the auditorium of Beijing Film Academy, filled with restlessness and anticipation, I faced a question from a classmate who was obsessed with the "purity of art." I put forward a view that, perhaps then and now, still sounds somewhat harsh and even considered heretical: weak countries have no art.

Furthermore, it was explained that even powerful nations have no art.

This does not mean that powerful countries do not create works of artistic value, but rather that when a country's film industry is powerful enough to define global entertainment standards and hold absolute power, its very existence transcends the desire for so-called "artistic certification."

For him, the three major European film festivals—Venice, Cannes, and Berlin—are merely icing on the cake, not temples of judgment.

yesterday.

The 64th Venice International Film Festival has come to a close, and its outcome is like a resounding slap in the face, precisely confirming this somewhat cruel but undeniably true conclusion.

I believe this also serves as a vivid and practical lesson for those academics who are obsessed with the illusion of an "artistic temple."

Let's take a look at this list of winners, which is glittering with gold and waving the "Stars and Stripes".

Best Film (Golden Lion): "Paperclip", directed by Paperclip, nationality: very beautiful.

Silver Lion for Best Director: Brian De Palma, "Excerpt Revised," still brilliant.

Best Actor: Brad Pitt, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, still stunning.

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There," still stunning.

Director Paperclip is a source of pride for the Chinese-language film world. His talent and achievements are undeniable, and Paperclip's Golden Lion win is well-deserved.

However, an unavoidable and unnecessary fact is that the director of Paperclip is a very handsome Chinese man, and his success is deeply rooted in the mature Hollywood industrial system and capital support.

His creative work, technical support, and global distribution network all benefit from the strong film industry foundation of the US, and perhaps also from its influence in the industry.

Venice bestowed its highest honor upon him, which, in essence, was an award for a director who had achieved outstanding artistic success within the vast and beautiful film industry system.

This precisely confirms another side of the saying "powerful countries have no art." The "artistic" identity of directors in powerful countries has already been endorsed and defined by their powerful industrial matrix, and they do not need film festivals to "certify" their value.

Winning an award is the icing on the cake, and it is yet another demonstration of the system's superiority.

The other three most important awards—director, actor, and actress—unsurprisingly went to filmmakers who are also from the US.

This is by no means a coincidence.

It clearly outlines the current global film power landscape. In the face of the absolute power of Hollywood, the three major European cinemas are inevitably losing their "temple of art" aura, and have even become secondary stages for top Hollywood stars and directors to showcase their global influence and "gild their art."

Just like my somewhat inelegant but incisive analogy from eight months ago, when Hollywood, this "reckless young man," displays its unparalleled strength, showcasing its industry, capital, stars, and global market, the self-proclaimed "mature and voluptuous" Big Three European countries often have to yield to, or even actively "accompany" it, with their reserved "artistic rules."

Because film festivals themselves need the aura of Hollywood stars, the support of major studios, and the recognition of major markets in order to maintain their global attention and commercial value.

This is not a victory for art; it is a natural shift in the power of discourse under the overwhelming force of industrial power.

But what about ourselves?
Those academics who are obsessed with imitating European auteur films, who are addicted to obscure narratives and marginal expressions, and who regard being nominated for or winning awards at the three major film festivals as the highest artistic achievement.

I'm telling you, it's time to wake up!

The outcome in Venice starkly reveals the underlying logic of "weak nations have no art"—a weak industrial base limits artistic expression.

Without a robust production system, a mature technical team, and sufficient financial support, even the most ingenious ideas are difficult to bring to life perfectly.

Creators first need to solve the problems of "survival" and "the possibility of expression," rather than engaging in empty talk about artistic heights.

First, a small market leads to a lack of influence.

Without cultivating and controlling a domestic market with global influence, it's impossible to support an industry scale large enough to challenge Hollywood. Without market size, no matter how unique your "art" is, it will be difficult to enter the international mainstream, let alone gain respect.

Even when the three major European countries occasionally show interest, it's mostly for exotic "exoticism" or stories of "the other" that fit their specific ideologies, rather than genuine equal dialogue.

Secondly, without a commercial foundation, art is like water without a source.

A healthy film industry must be built on a virtuous business cycle.

Without successful commercial genre films constantly generating revenue, cultivating audiences, training talent, accumulating capital, and feeding back into technological upgrades, so-called "artistic exploration" can only be castles in the air, self-entertainment within a small circle, unsustainable, and unable to form a cultural force with international influence.

Art cannot save Chinese cinema, because the flower of art can only bloom on the soil of a powerful industry!

therefore.

The outcome in Venice did not shake my belief; on the contrary, it strengthened my conviction in the path chosen by "The Eunuch" and proved Mr. Han Sanping's judgment.

Based on the local market, returning to the essence of storytelling, refining genre quality, and contributing to the construction of China's film industry with solid commercial success.

This is not pandering to capital, but laying the foundation for the future.

We learn from Hollywood's industrial processes and genre experience not to become the second Hollywood, but to forge a narrative ability and industrial strength that is relevant to Chinese audiences and can reach the world.

Our ultimate goal is not to beg for the mercy of the three major European film companies, but to make them one day have no choice but to actively gravitate towards Chinese films, Chinese stories, and the Chinese market.

When our film industry is strong enough, when our market size is significant, and when our genre films are popular in Asia and even the world, the three major European film festivals will naturally adjust their selection criteria, actively invite our commercial blockbusters to participate, roll out red carpets for our stars, and set up special sections to study the "China phenomenon".

Because at that time, rejecting China meant marginalizing oneself.

Developing the film industry, consolidating the commercial foundation, expanding the domestic market, and cultivating global influence are the only correct paths for Chinese cinema to become a strong nation.

When the Chinese film industry, like a sycamore tree, has deep roots, lush foliage, and a majestic canopy, why worry about the golden phoenix not roosting there?
The art of that time was the true artistic achievement respected by the world, and it was true literature and art.

Venice's "great triumph" today serves as both a warning and a wake-up call. Instead of merely admiring the fish in the pond, we should retreat and weave our own nets.

Using cameras, box office revenue, and increasingly sophisticated industrial capabilities, we will win true dignity and a future for Chinese cinema.

A weak nation has no art! Only a strong nation has artistic freedom!

The path to a strong nation begins with each solid step taken in the "Du Gong" (a historical text).

Shen Shandeng.

2007 9 Month 10 Day.

Written by an ordinary Chinese filmmaker at a restaurant next to the Beijing Film Studio.

"You've got guts! You're awesome!"

Seeing that Shen Shandeng clicked the send button without hesitation, Jiang Wen was impressed; he was too damn bold.

Jiang Wen felt a sense of regret for not having met her sooner: "I share this view. When military power is strong, culture can naturally run rampant."

Yu Dong's eyes were filled with complex emotions. He understood why his old leader valued Shen Shandeng so much. Shen Shandeng had a set of theories, could put them into practice, and could then generate another set of theories.

The key is to actually do it and actually implement it!
Yu Dong cautioned, "There will likely be controversy."

Yu Dong downplayed it.

It's not a controversy, it's an explosion!

　11,000 again! Brothers, we've reached our limit, really reached our limit. We can't hold on any longer.

　　Please vote! Everyone, please vote!

　　Also, the first monthly pass prize draw will be held tomorrow night at 7 PM. The results will be announced in the lottery group, the full subscription group, and the new group, followed by a separate chapter announcement. A separate chapter announcement will affect everyone's reading experience, so it will be kept open for two days, and will also be mentioned in the author's notes.

　　The winner sent me a picture of the monthly pass and their account number to prove their identity and avoid disputes.

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(End of this chapter)