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

As Chen Yan walked out of the China Film Building, he took off his clothes, as he had been sweating inside.

Back in his dormitory, Chen Yan was forced into a difficult period of seclusion to write his script.

There's no other reason than that the school is under martial law, and students are not allowed to go out unless it's absolutely necessary.

Throughout the end of May, Liu Yifei made countless phone calls to Chen Yan, terrified by the sudden shock.

Chen Yan could only keep reassuring her: "It'll be better in June, don't be afraid. Just focus on filming on set and don't go out unless necessary."

Liu Yifei replied, "I didn't go out. My mom won't let me go out, and now the film crew won't let us go out freely either."

She tapped the screen. "This phone can't even see your face."

Chen Yan smiled. This little girl was indirectly saying she wanted to see him.

Chen Yan thought about it carefully, "It seems that mobile phones with video calling capabilities are not officially sold in mainland China yet, but they are probably available in Hong Kong. I'll ask someone to help me inquire."

"Really? If you have any, could you bring me one? That way we can chat face-to-face!"

Liu Yifei spoke very casually and naturally, as if she were a familiar face to everyone.

"Okay." Chen Yan was willing to spoil him.

I don’t know if it’s because of SARS, but Liu Yifei has been very clingy these past few days, and she doesn’t want to hang up the phone even when it’s very late.

It was Liu Xiaoli who knocked on the door this time, and Liu Yifei hurriedly hung up the phone.

Chen Yan finally managed to get information about mobile phones with video calling capabilities, but was told that two-way calling was only possible in Hong Kong, not in mainland China, because 3G networks have not yet been fully deployed there.

Chen Yan ultimately had no choice but to give up.

In mid-to-late June, as SARS gradually subsided, the film industry began to recover.

Some viewers, who were going crazy from being cooped up at home, chose to go back to the cinema. However, cinemas are still crowded places, so the films released at the beginning of the month did not receive a very good response.

Only "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" maintained a relatively strong box office performance, while "Warm Spring" gradually spread from second- and third-tier cities to first-tier cities thanks to its good word-of-mouth.

By mid-June, "Warm Spring" had surpassed "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" at the box office, which gave Han Sanping great confidence in "Love" once again.

Chen Yan, however, did not have such confidence. Compared to Warm Spring, the underlying tone of the film "Love" was actually more tragic, and Chen Yan was not so confident in its box office performance.

"Amour" was released nationwide on July 1st. By then, the film market had fully recovered, and people were clamoring online to see it because of its status as one of the three major Cannes Film Festival awards.

However, a minority of people expressed deep skepticism.

"Isn't it just another 'Warm Spring'? I'm tired of seeing it."

"Family relationships are just about this, what's so special about them? To be honest, Cannes is really ignorant. They actually awarded the Palme d'Or, the highest award, to a family drama. They've never had a good experience before. Anyway, I'm not going to watch it."

But Chen Yan is no longer an unknown person; he has a good public image, and instantly many passersby and fans surrounded and attacked him.

"You'd better keep your word, or it'll be incredibly embarrassing if someone finds out and secretly checks it."

"Just say you're jealous. You're upset because you see a handsome young man winning three gold medals at Cannes while your favorite director didn't win anything, right?"

Chen Yan felt quite pleased as he watched his fans sweep across the internet for him, swarming around him.

The thief was defeated after only a few words and fled underground.

The second day, "Love" grossed 863 million at the box office on its opening day.

The release of this data stirred up some ripples in the otherwise calm entertainment industry once again, thanks to Chen Yan's intervention.

The numbers dropped a bit on the second day, which is understandable. It's not a commercial film, and it's a tearjerker, so it's already pretty good to have this kind of opening day performance.

I suspect some people are only going because of his status as a Cannes Film Festival three-time Oscar-winning director.

There was a chorus of sighs online.

The People's Daily was the first to repost: "This is undoubtedly a masterpiece, raw and heartbreaking, and the Palme d'Or is well-deserved. Love is not a comfort to death, but rather makes death more meaningful, yet also more unbearable."

We should draw inspiration from this and pay more attention to the lives and mental health of the elderly in their later years.

"The film 'Amour' is minimalist and restrained, yet profoundly powerful. It is filled with despair and oppression, but also possesses a delicate and moving quality that is almost indescribable. The performances of veteran actors You Banchang and Qin Yi are stunning. Qin Yi, in particular, has a very nuanced grasp of expression and emotion, making her the well-deserved winner of the Best Actress award at Cannes."

Some ordinary comments are also very captivating.

"I cried while watching it, and it took me a week to recover. The emotions in it were too heavy."

"The final scene with the pillow was devoid of tears, only showing respect for the wife's dignity. Those who understand will know that it wasn't killing, but rather fulfilling her wishes."

Of course, along with his rise to fame came some dissenting voices, and Chen Yan's name was frequently mentioned.

"The ending is simply unacceptable! How can a husband suffocating his wife be glorified as 'love'? This is murder, not tenderness! Chen Yan is a psychopath; how could he film such an inhumane plot!"

In fact, the version released in China has already been edited, with only some hints and no direct shots, which most viewers have already noticed.

Even so, some sensitive viewers still couldn't accept it.

But none of this prevented "Love" from leading the box office and continuing to rise.

This slot is simply unstoppable.

The box office still managed to break 5000 million.

However, the film started to lose momentum in the second week, but Chen Yan guessed that it would easily break 100 million yuan.

Didn't you see that Han Sanping has already started preparing for the victory celebration banquet?

Chen Yan politely declined, but Han Sanping directly rejected it. The film market was already sluggish this year due to SARS, and he certainly couldn't let go of such a good opportunity that China Film Group had finally found.

Chen Yan thought he could invite Liu Yifei to come and play together, so he agreed. The filming over the past few months had driven the little girl crazy.

Just after the celebration banquet, Su Mang's first Bazaar Charity Night extended an invitation to Chen Yan Film and Television.

It was said that: SARS had just passed, and they wanted to hold an auction of celebrity personal items, with the proceeds donated to the Beijing Red Cross Society. They sincerely invited director Chen Yan to attend the charity event.

The time is August 7st.

Liu Yifei also received it and even asked her if she wanted to go.

Chen Yan replied, "Do you want to go?"

Liu Yifei was clearly interested and replied, "Anything is fine."

Thinking that he could take the little girl out for a stroll and broaden her horizons, Chen Yan agreed.

Liu Yifei can simply attend the event as an artist under Chen Yan Film & Television, alongside Chen Yan.

Then Chen Yan noticed that Liu Yifei had been restless ever since she learned that she was going to the Bazaar Charity Night, and even asked him which dress she should wear.

When Chen Yan saw the two photos of the dresses she sent, his vision went black.

Chen Yan tried to be tactful and said, "Well, this occasion might not be suitable for such a vibrant color. Why don't you talk to Aunt Liu and ask her to help you choose one?"

It's really hard not to refuse; a dowdy yellow dress that looks old-fashioned and another outfit that's fuchsia with gold accents—you really can't pull it off unless you're in your 30s or 50s.

Chen Yan didn't understand. She was now a hot young actress in the Chinese entertainment industry, and brands were vying to send her clothes. How did she choose these two outfits from so many beautiful clothes?

In the end, it was Aunt Liu who stepped in and chose a light pink tulle dress for Liu Yifei. It looked ethereal and, most importantly, suited her age perfectly.

Liu Yifei, wearing a pink dress, glared at Liu Xiaoli angrily: "Mom, you and Chen Yan are just looking down on my fashion sense!"