So what if I work with celebrities?

On stage, the main creative team stood in a row, none of them minor roles, all big stars, including Hsu Tsan, Ko Chun-hsiung, Brigitte Lin, Dillon, David Chiang, Chin Han, Gu Minglun, Chin Hsiang-lin, Sylvia Chang...

If any of these people are in one movie, they are guaranteed a certain level of box office success, let alone if they are all in one movie.

In this era, Chinese-language films don't emphasize big-name casts; most films are lucky to have one or two well-known stars.

The film distributors in the audience were already eager to try their luck. Although this film was a propaganda film, it had many big stars, and they could make a lot of money just from movie fans.

Some directors who hadn't seen the film dismissed it, saying that even if they filmed around a pile of dung with so many stars, they could still make money.

Some celebrities are envious; nowadays, appearing in "The Eight Hundred Heroes" signifies stardom, while not participating means a minor role. Which actor navigating the world of fame and fortune doesn't crave vanity and pursue fame and profit?

How can I be content with this?

"Next, please welcome Song Chuyu, member of the Central Cultural Work Conference and director of the Information Bureau, to deliver a speech for the premiere!"

The audience was very supportive, and the applause was thunderous.

It would be impolite for Ilizalov to personally deliver a speech on such a matter; that would be improper. Inviting Song Chuyu was already a great honor.

It's also evident from the side that the Cultural Work Conference and the Information Bureau intended for Song Chuyu to gain exposure in front of Ilizalov, paving the way for his future career.

As a member of the Information Bureau, he naturally makes frequent public statements, standing there with a commanding presence and speaking clearly and logically.

First, the film's investment by China Film Group was affirmed; second, the creative team behind "Eight Hundred Heroes" was recognized; and finally, a series of recent false statements were refuted. The film also represents the best wishes from the cultural and journalistic fronts for its box office success.

As the core of "The Eight Hundred Heroes", Xu Zan spoke on behalf of the main creative team. Instead of mentioning how difficult the production was, he praised the troops that provided the greatest support for the filming.

As everyone left the stage and returned to their seats, the curtain slowly descended, the lights in Hall A went out with a snap, the scattered noises gradually subsided, and everyone looked at the screen.

First, there's the logo of China Film Group. Then, a panda rolls in from the edge of the screen, pulls out a bamboo stick from behind, and grins as it snaps it in half. From the middle of the bamboo stick, the artistic lettering "Panda Entertainment Company" pops out.

This animation was produced by a local Taiwanese team.

Tsai Chih-chung's team participated in the production of the animated film "Investiture of the Gods" last year. It was Taiwan's first full-length color animated film, and the character Yang Jian was played by Li Xiaolong. It is likely that Jackie Chan's ability to make so many action films was inspired by this format of real people playing roles in animation.

"Eight Hundred Heroes" - a work by Xu Zan.

The screen went black, and then rows of Chinese and English characters appeared:

"The revolutionary martyrs and heroes who emerged during the War of Resistance Against Japan are the glory and pride of all Chinese people. They, along with countless unsung heroes, have erected for us one after another..."

Then came an old woman's voice. Xu Zan had specifically chosen a Zhejiang accent to deliver this speech, actually to flatter his superiors. He couldn't help it; he was too eager to advance his career.

As the camera moved through fields of corn, it panned to a city engulfed in smoke and fire. Film professionals immediately recognized it as a real movie, not a special effects film, and couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"A multi-million dollar investment, all for this?"

To create this cityscape of Shanghai, China Film Group spent several months rebuilding the studio—a truly extravagant undertaking!

These filmmakers were all making plans to talk to Mingji later, saying they absolutely had to rent the property for filming.

In the ruins of the city, flocks of crows cackled, one of them leisurely landing on the head of a charred human.

The film's portrayal of the military is very realistic; officers are officers, and soldiers are soldiers. Officers wear woolen overcoats and military boots and ride tall horses, while soldiers wear uniforms and straw sandals and walk on foot.

The film uses the Sihang Warehouse as a dividing line, with one side being the prosperous and peaceful concession and the other side being a living hell.

When Gu Minglun's character, Chen Shusheng, with a grenade strapped to his neck, leaped from the gap to sacrifice himself for his country, the audience fell silent.

Immediately afterwards, the soldiers lined up, carrying explosive packs on their backs, and said in their dialect: "Tie them tight, we're going to blow those bastards to death."

Li Mancang from Tongcheng, Hubei!

Wang Jindou from Liuyang, Hunan!

……

……

They fell into the Japanese's chaotic formation. Explosives shattered the soldiers' bodies, and blood mist drifted in the air. After the smoke cleared, only severed limbs and broken bodies remained.

At this moment, even seasoned officials who had been in power for a long time couldn't help but shed tears, recalling those years and marveling at how they had survived.

This was the first time they had ever seen such a realistic war film; the cruel smoke of the battlefield seemed to be able to be smelled even by these old guys.

Brigitte Lin, playing Yang Huimin, stands on a military vehicle, calling for donations and swimming to deliver a flag. David Chiang, playing Daozai, kneels before "Du Yuesheng" to plead for his life, clutching a telephone wire, and single-handedly rushes across the Suzhou River bridge, which is blocked by Japanese fire...

As the situation escalated, the audience gripped the handrails with tension, as if they were soldiers in the movie.

Xu Zan retained many scenes from "The Eight Hundred," especially those depicting the views and actions of different social classes towards this seemingly unwinnable battle.

Qin Xianglin, a far cry from his usual handsome young man appearance, sported a scruffy beard and played the role of Lao Tie, wielding a large sword and singing: "This letter came at just the right time, Heaven helped Huang Zhong achieve his success, standing at the camp gate, the three armies shouted, young and old, listen up..."

Amidst the sounds of opera singing, soldiers braved Japanese bullets, charging towards the bridge and rushing towards the concession, while the people inside the concession reached out through the fence.

Xu Zan put a lot of thought into this scene, trying to make the lighting and snowflakes look beautiful and tragic. With the cinematography technology of the late 1970s, it was actually very difficult to achieve the level of "The Eight Hundred".

But this film encapsulates his skillful use of existing technology, and before the audience, immersed in the cinematic world, has even come to their senses, the film ends.

The words "Eight Hundred Heroes" in large, blood-red letters on the screen—a work by Xu Zan!

No one moved; they all looked toward the best viewing area, waiting for the person to react.

Ilizarov had heard Mei Changling say how good the play was, and at first he thought it was just Mei Changling exaggerating to avoid responsibility.

Surprisingly, it suited his taste perfectly, and the film was so well-made that it deeply resonated with audiences.

During the movie, he glanced around at the people and could tell they enjoyed it; no one was dozing off, indifferent, or distracted.

Only after being reminded by Master Wei did Ilizalov come to his senses, stand up and applaud, and in an instant everyone in Hall A followed suit.

He said to the officials around him, "Well done! This is a benchmark for war films about Taiwan! Hsu Tsan, keep up the good work and make more and better films!"

With the departure of the VIPs, the tense atmosphere in Hall A dissipated. Officials from the Information Bureau and the Cultural Bureau warmly conversed with Hsu Tsan, saying, "Go ahead and shoot boldly! The future of Taiwanese cinema depends on you young people!"

"Only under the guidance of leaders can we produce good films and avoid going astray!" Xu Zan offered a few words of flattery.

Li Xing, Bai Jingrui, and others came over to exchange filming experiences, wanting to know how war films are made and what the techniques are all about.

Before they could even get a result, managers from various cinema chains and overseas distributors such as Cathay and Shaw Brothers had already surrounded them, pushing aside the directors.

"Damn it! Lu Weizhen, you're really breaking the rules! You only want 30% of the box office profits?" a theater owner shouted in dissatisfaction.

"Damn! This is such a great film, it should be treated like a Hollywood movie! Even President Ilizarov said it's good, you don't have any objections, do you?" Lu Weizhen's reasoning was quite sound.