Who says Beijing Film Academy has no great directors? (2002)

Before the meeting, the staff gave a brief introduction to the shortlist and the rules for shortlisting for this conference.

Chen Yan turned his head and looked at You Panchang on his left, who had been sitting upright for a long time and looked both excited and nervous.

So he turned to look at Qin Yi again. As expected of a veteran artist, she was so composed. Today, Qin Yi had even specially worn a beige cheongsam embroidered with bamboo leaves, looking very elegant.

He appeared completely at ease, showing no sign of nervousness whatsoever, as if he had just come to visit someone abroad.

A moment later, Patrice Scherough, the chairman of the conference, bowed slightly to all the guests present and said, "Distinguished guests, fellow filmmakers, good evening. For the past twelve days, we have gathered in Cannes, surrounded by the most sincere light and shadow from around the world."

We watched every film in the main competition, witnessing humanity, loneliness, struggle, and hope from different countries and lands. Film is never just simple entertainment; it is the eye of the times, the monologue of the human heart, and a common language that transcends language, national borders, and barriers.

This year's jury, with respect, honesty, and prudence, carefully considered the creative intentions of each director... Thank you everyone.

Then they started talking about all sorts of random things, which made Chen Yan sleepy.

They slowly entered the first major part of the evening, the judging session. Chen Yan was too lazy to even complain; the French were indeed slow throughout.

After several short film awards were announced, the atmosphere gradually heated up as the winners took the stage to give their acceptance speeches.

Isabelle Huppert came out to present the first award of the night in the main competition, Best Screenplay.

She wore a black dress, exuding a cool, intellectual, and elegant aura.

She read it clearly: Congratulations Denis Alcan on the 'Savage Invasion'!

The audience erupted in applause.

Denis Alcon warmly embraced those around him, then strode happily onto the stage to accept the award and deliver his acceptance speech.

"It's a pity, but I really think the script for 'Love' is the best script I've seen in the last ten years or so." Qin Yi praised Chen Yan's script without reservation, seemingly trying to comfort Chen Yan.

"It's alright. Every loss is a gain. The awards that follow will be even more significant," Chen Yan replied with a smile.

Qin Yi nodded: "You're right."

With Denis Alcon off the stage, the next award to be presented is another one that the entire nation is watching: Best Actress.

This award can almost be considered the best recognition of an actress's acting career.

Because France's censorship mechanism is, in some ways, even stricter than Hollywood's Oscars.

Geraldine Chaplin, dressed in a white tuxedo, exuded a gentle, British charm.

She pulled out the envelope: "Oh, this is truly a remarkable actress. She deserves the highest praise. The Best Actress award goes to Qin Yi for 'Love'."

"My God!" Qin Yi was shocked. She never imagined that she could win an international award in her old age, especially the prestigious Cannes Best Actress award.

Qin Yi stood up, hugged Chen Yan, and said softly, "Thank you, Chen Yan."

"Your acting skills have won over the world, and you deserve it," Chen Yan responded sincerely.

With tears in her eyes, Qin Yi nodded to Chen Yan, then gently hugged You Panchang and the others before slowly walking to the front of the stage.

He gave Geraldine Chaplin a cheek hug, then accepted the trophy with both hands, a gentle smile on his face. He first bowed slightly to the judges and all the filmmakers in the audience, his voice soft and composed.

Speaking slowly in Chinese, he said, "First of all, it's a great honor to stand here. I come from China and am an ordinary film worker. I've dedicated my life to the screen, only thinking about doing my best to portray every character and tell the stories of us Chinese people. I never imagined that in my old age, I could stand here and receive such a weighty honor..."

I am grateful to Director Chen Yan for giving me this opportunity to play this role. I am also grateful to everyone for their understanding and support. I will continue to respect the screen and stay true to my original aspirations.

May Chinese and foreign films always understand and integrate with each other, making progress and developing together. Thank you all.

After the translator was a beat late in finishing the dialogue, everyone spontaneously stood up and gave the 81-year-old actor a deafening round of applause.

Qin Yi's eyes welled up with tears, and she bowed slightly again to thank everyone.

In that instant, everyone recognized this talented and sincere actress from China; her name was Qin Yi.

When Qin Yi walked back, people kept coming up to hug her. Although they couldn't understand each other's languages, she could feel from their sincere gestures that they were genuinely congratulating her and wishing her well.

She could only keep saying "Mercià tous" (thank you in French), and the people who received the reply were surprised, then smiled and watched her slowly return to her seat.

Qin Yi sat down and thanked Chen Yan, saying, "If you hadn't given me some French lessons these past two days, I wouldn't know how to respond to those people who congratulated me earlier."

"I'm getting older, so I learn things a bit slower. Luckily, I remembered how to say thank you." Qin Yi smiled, looking much younger since returning from this trip.

"You're absolutely right," Chen Yan praised Qin Yi's remarks.

Chen Yan watched as she carried back a small 24K gold palm branch, which contained 19 small leaves, three-dimensional and graceful, and was quite heavy.

The award went through many hands, and everyone loved it, especially Mr. You Zichang, whose envy was practically overflowing from his eyes.

Qin Yi's powerful speech was met with applause that lasted for more than eight minutes.

Next up were Liz Hurley and Sting, a handsome couple. Hurley wore a sexy red dress, while Sting wore a gentlemanly black suit. The two of them shone like they were glowing.

The two exchanged a few jokes before opening the envelope.

Chen Yan felt Old Master You Panchang beside him clench his fists nervously.

As the two came together, they read aloud: "Best Actor Muzaffar Ozdemir, Mahamed Imin Tuprak, Uzak."

The old man You Panchang's fierce energy dissipated, and he returned to his gentle and kind appearance.

"There will be other opportunities," Chen Yan comforted her.

Zhang Jianya patted You Banchang on the shoulder and said, "You're still very young, come again next time!"

You could only smile and say, "Yes, one shouldn't be too obsessed."

His smile was strikingly similar to that of Ji Gong from back then, dashing and unrestrained.

Now Chen Yan wasn't nervous anymore. Since he already had a backup plan, he looked over at Lou Ye and, lo and behold, their eyes met.

They could only offer polite smiles.

Lou Ye straightened his face, but his tense heart didn't relax for a moment. The big prizes that followed were all bigger than the last. If he won just one, he would have made a fortune this time.

Zhang Ziyi looked at Qin Yi with envy, muttering, "He made a Cannes Film Festival Best Actress..."