Huayu: I was immediately ensnared by Jing Tian as soon as I entered the industry.

Learning from the experience of "Buried Alive," Wang Xuan plans to go to the film festival early this time to promote the film.

Media hype, renting venues for the premiere, promotion and publicity—all these need to be considered; we can't be as clueless as we were last time.

On the 28th, Wang Xuan, accompanied by his assistant and two employees, arrived at the airport early in the morning, only joining the film's main cast and crew at the opening ceremony.

"Look, it's Director Wang! They're heading to Berlin, right?"

The reporter who was staking out the airport immediately had his eyes light up.

"Nonsense, of course we'll go to Berlin. Two Chinese-language films were nominated this year."

Wang Xuan noticed he was being photographed, but he didn't mind and instead smiled and waved.

Before boarding, I sent a text message.

"Tian Tian, ​​I'm getting ready to board."

···

Wang Xuan is on a plane, and news of his departure for Berlin has already been reported by the media.

"Director Wang Xuan departed for Berlin in high spirits, waving to reporters."

"Congratulations to Director Wang on winning gold and silver medals and making history as the youngest director ever."

"..."

···

"Master, I wish you all the best."

···

"Young people are just restless; they can't hold back their emotions so early."

"Kaige, when do we set off?"

When asked by Chen Hong, Chen Kaige calmly replied, "Later, the day before the closing ceremony is fine."

···

On the plane, Wang Xuan pulled down his eye mask and forced himself to fall asleep so he wouldn't have to deal with jet lag.

Ten hours later, the flight landed at Berlin Airport.

This is Wang Xuan's second trip to Berlin. He had a fruitful visit last time, and he hopes he won't leave empty-handed this time either.

Upon exiting the airport, an official convoy of vehicles was arranged to pick them up, a privilege reserved for nominated film crews.

During the film festival, numerous media outlets from all over the world were stationed at the airport.

Pfft~

Pfft~

The sound of flashing cameras went off one after another.

Wang Xuan, a "dark horse" at the Berlin Film Festival, won the Silver Bear Award as an actor in the previous edition. This time, he was nominated as a director, and local media gave him extensive coverage on the day the list was announced.

When the official team saw Wang Xuan's name and the quality of "Hunting", they decided to hype up this topic.

At the age of 21, he is the youngest director to be nominated for a Berlin Film Festival nomination.

Film festivals also need buzz.

They talk about art, but behind the scenes it's all about business.

"Your Majesty, how does it feel to be back in Berlin?"

"Of course I'm very happy, Berlin is my lucky place."

After a brief interview with local media, Wang Xuan got into an official car and headed to his designated hotel.

On the way to the hotel, you could feel the atmosphere of an upcoming movie through the car window, with promotional slogans and posters of popular movies everywhere along the road.

Upon arriving at the hotel and settling his luggage, Wang Xuan personally went to the film festival's official registration office and rented a large screening room.

A total of 25 films were shortlisted for the main competition this year. If you want your work to attract more attention from film distributors, you have to put effort into promotion.

Wang Xuan rented it for half a month, starting tomorrow.

The next day, promotional posters for "The Hunt" appeared in the film festival's huge exhibition hall.

Film distributors always like to chase after big directors and politically correct films. The last one, "Buried," was anti-war and was favored by many film distributors.

I saw many familiar film distributors; they were all people who had previously purchased [Buried Alive].

"Wang, I never expected to see you again, this time as a director."

Wang Xuan chuckled and shrugged, jokingly asking, "So, have you prepared the US dollars?"

"Of course, [Buried] is very popular in Europe, and I look forward to your new work."

"Remember to come to the movie premiere, you definitely won't be disappointed."

Wang Xuan handed over a ticket; there would be no more than 10 public screenings of "The Hunt".

At the movie promotion booth, Wang Xuan handed over the tasks to the employees he had brought and started watching movies himself.

The films that were shortlisted for the main competition haven't premiered yet; we can only watch those works that have been sold for their rights.

On February 1st, the purchasing team from China Film Group arrived in Berlin, led by Lapekang as always.

That evening, he invited Wang Xuan over for dinner, his tone mysterious.

When they arrived, besides Lapekang, there was also an old white man.

"Wang Xuan, you've arrived. Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Maran Carmitz, the president of the MK2 Group."

The older white man stood up and extended his hand, a friendly gesture that would be beneficial for the negotiations to come.

"Wang, you are the most outstanding young director I have ever met. MK2 is very optimistic about the market performance and reputation of [The Hunt] and wants to seek the European rights."

Wang Xuan was somewhat surprised. The movie hadn't even been released yet, so how could he be so optimistic about its performance and reputation?

Thinking about it carefully, given MK2's influence in Europe and its status as the official art cinema partner of Berlin, it's not surprising that they got to see the film in advance.

Wang Xuan took a sip of water but did not immediately agree.

I'd like to hear what kind of incentives you can offer; otherwise, why should I give them to you?

Big face?

He is confident about the prospects of winning awards in the [Hunting] event, as the price difference between winning and not winning is definitely several times.

Seeing Wang Xuan frown and remain silent, La Peikang coughed lightly twice, then took the initiative to bring it up:

"Mr. Carmitz, since you have high hopes for 'The Hunt,' what can the MK2 Group do for it?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan looked up at La Peikang. It turned out that this was the real reason he had introduced the old white man.

The white man, with a look of sudden realization, cut straight to the point:

"【The Hunt】is of very high quality and is a strong contender for the Golden Bear and Best Actor awards. MK2 can provide lobbying services."

It would be a lie to say Wang Xuan wasn't excited upon hearing this; he certainly didn't have any moral fastidiousness.

The Oscars have public lobbying parties. The three major European Oscars organizations appear to compete based on quality, but behind the scenes, they are rife with power and money transactions, though they are done in a more discreet manner.

Films by Jia Zhangke, Hou Hsiao-hsien, and Wong Kar-wai that have won awards in Europe all bear some resemblance to MK2.

This company was also responsible for the European distribution of "Mei Lanfang".

Wang Xuan hesitated because he had a God's-eye view.

Mei Lanfang's performance in Berlin was a complete failure.

Therefore, the so-called lobbying that increases the chances of winning awards only applies when the film is of high quality.

The only good thing is that MK2 is optimistic about the chances of winning awards in the "Hunting" category.

Wang Xuan fell into deep thought, unable to make a decision for a moment.

He needs to choose between awards and money.

Before making a choice, Wang Xuan realized that they hadn't discussed the price yet after chatting for so long:

"Mr. Carmitz, what price can you offer for the copyright fees in Europe?"

The white man shook his head vigorously: "NONONO, you're the one who has to give me money. Lobbying also costs money, just like the Oscars' public reception."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan's face immediately darkened.

After all that, not only do we have to hand over the European copyright, but we also have to pay him.

Damn it!

Always thinking good things.

This is treating him like one of those directors in China who don't understand the unspoken rules.

Take Mei Lanfang for example. It's unknown whether he received public relations expenses, but it's certain that he didn't win any awards.

If Wang Xuan pays money and there's a reward, that's fine; at least he can make a profit from the copyrights in other regions. But what if he doesn't get a single penny?

Who can he turn to for justice?

Seeing that Wang Xuan's expression was off, La Peikang gave him a wink and whispered:

"If you can win an award or have a chance to win one, even if the chance is slim, it's worth spending money on public relations."

With awards to my name, I can quickly earn back the money I spend.

Wang Xuan frowned: "Is this China Film Group's intention?"

"No, it's just my personal suggestion," Lapekang said solemnly.

Wang Xuan's expression softened. The film had a share from China Film Group, and if it won an award, it would be considered a political achievement.

The older white man standing to the side wasn't in a hurry at all. In his experience, the young director would soon agree, unable to resist the temptation of the award.

Wang Xuan tentatively asked, "How much is the lobbying fee?"

As expected, Karmitz revealed a smug smile:

"2 million euros, MK200 will do its best to lobby the jury to win Best Director."

He paused, then tempted, "400 million euros, with a chance to win the Golden Bear."

Wang Xuan nodded noncommittally, then asked curiously, "How much lobbying money did you provide to Mei Lanfang for that award?"

"Chen is a Palme d'Or winner, so of course he's aiming for the Golden Bear. As for the amount, I can't disclose that."

Hearing a definite answer, Wang Xuan made a decision.

It's clear that MK2 has public relations capabilities, but those capabilities are limited.

The first principle of judging awards is that the film itself must be of high quality in order to increase the chances of winning an award.

If awards are given to mediocre films based on lobbying, who will still be eager to attend Berlin in the long run?

Moreover, the authorities would not allow it. The reason why the three major European cinemas are considered the highest hall of art films is because of their good reputation.

"Mr. Carmitz, I have confidence in [Hunting], so I don't need MK2 to persuade me."

The unexpected rejection caused the old white man's stereotypical smile to vanish instantly.

The young man in front of him was different from the other Chinese directors he had met.

Those people's eyes lit up when they heard they could win an award through public relations.

"You'll regret this." With that harsh remark, the white-haired man walked away with a sullen face.

Only Wang Xuan and La Peikang remained in the private room.

I was so busy talking that I didn't even get to eat a couple of bites of food.

Lapekang asked curiously, "Wang Xuan, why didn't you seize this opportunity?"

You should know that awards are highly valued in China. With an award in hand, you can easily earn back this amount of public relations expenses.

"Art is sacred, how can it be traded!" Wang Xuan mumbled, while eating.

Upon hearing this, Lapekang choked and began coughing incessantly.

She looked so interested just a moment ago, but now she's pretending.

"La Dong, eat slowly, I won't fight you for it."

Wang Xuan smiled and handed him a glass of water.

After recovering, La Peikang looked at Wang Xuan with annoyance, wanting to say that he was short of food.

"If you come up empty-handed, will you regret your decision?"

"No, I have a lot of confidence in my film." Wang Xuan took a sip of soup and cleared his throat.

We can't be foolish enough to say that Mei Lanfang was a great traitor who wasted money and didn't get a single penny.

Film festivals are ultimately about the quality of the films.

···

On the eve of the opening ceremony, Ge You and several other members of the main cast arrived in Berlin.

Wang Xuan clearly felt that there were more people in Berlin. In addition to filmmakers and celebrities, media reporters, movie fans and tourists from all over the world had gathered in Berlin.

Many domestic reporters came, including CCTV, but even more were from major portal websites.

This year's red carpet was lackluster, with local stars making up the majority and very few well-known international celebrities.

Both men and women were dressed very warmly. Berlin was experiencing extremely low temperatures and frigid weather at the time, and female celebrities were all wrapped in fur coats on the red carpet.

There's nothing interesting about it, so I won't go into details here.

Wang Xuan, the director of "The Hunt," was invited to watch the opening film, "International Organization," a film about financial crime.

The shadow of the financial crisis has not yet dissipated, and watching this movie has left many people sighing.

It's like an illusion coming into reality.

Following the opening ceremony, the films shortlisted for the main competition held their premieres one after another.

The premiere of "The Hunt" was held in Berlin on the morning of February 6, 2009.

The Berlin Palace, also known as Potsdamer Platz, has only one huge main hall, which is also the screening room for today's "Hunting".

As the youngest director to be nominated at the Berlin Film Festival, and with the official hype, he attracted a large number of media, film critics, and film enthusiasts.

In addition, Wang Xuan won the Best Actor award in Berlin last year, so he is not an unknown actor and has fans in the city.

As the audience continued to enter, Wang Xuan saw many film companies he had worked with before, especially the chubby Harvey, who stood out the most.

"My king, I did the work for you last time with the 'Burying Alive', so you have to make it up to me this time."

The fat guy immediately started complaining, with a long face, looking like his son wasn't his own.

"Since you haven't made any money, don't force it. Let others have the opportunity."

Wang Xuan didn't believe his nonsense. The box office of "Buried" in North America was just over ten million. After deducting copyright fees, theater revenue sharing, and promotional costs, it might lose money, but DVD rentals were the real money.

We haven't even discussed copyright yet, and this chubby guy is already trying to drive down the price.

"Haha, I was just kidding, you really don't understand American humor."

Seeing that Wang Xuan wasn't fooled, the chubby man, who knew how to change his expression, said obsequiously, "Let's talk about the copyright after the premiere."

"No rush, please take a seat. The premiere is about to begin."

Wang Xuan gave a perfunctory answer, saying that regardless of the outcome, the copyright issue could be discussed after the closing ceremony.

···

Wang Xuan and his creative team went on stage to express their greetings and gave an interview, after which the screening began.

After the dragon logo, a pair of sneakers covered in mud came into view.

The camera slowly pans upwards, revealing Ge You's face, etched with the marks of time, her eyes clean and gentle, watching the children playing in the distance.

An unremarkable opening.

Berlin audiences, perhaps having seen too many art-house films, were somewhat disappointed by this narrative.

However, some film critics who understand movies say that, judging from the film's title, it is not a heartwarming film.

With the girl's confession, the plot took its first turn, and some viewers noticed something amiss.

When Zhao Xiaoqing lied to the dean, Wei Jianguo's explanation was not accepted. His balding hair and thin body fit the stereotypical image of a sleazy man, which deepened the dean's suspicion.

As the plot unfolded, a sense of oppression filled the theater, leaving the audience feeling deeply powerless.

The gunshot at the end of the movie shattered everyone's illusions, who thought Wei Jianguo had proven his innocence. In reality, the townspeople had buried the seeds of doubt deep in their hearts.

As the film ended and the credits rolled, the theater remained silent, the audience completely absorbed in the story.

This is a film that requires time to process the emotions after watching it.

Someone broke the silence, and applause broke out, gradually spreading throughout the entire venue.

It took ten minutes before any audience member left.

Awards aside, this is clearly a critically acclaimed work.