This director loves making friends.

"The Berlin Film Festival is insane. With so many good films to choose from, why did they have to pick this lousy movie as their opening film?"

Xu Feng looked at the hall, which was almost full, and felt a little resentful.

The importance of the opening film is self-evident.

Therefore, the opening films of almost every one of the three major European film festivals have extremely high attendance rates, and they also attract the most media and film critics, which is so good for the film's publicity and exposure that it's enviable.

The lights in the screening room gradually dimmed, and the previous noise subsided. When the screen lit up, the noise disappeared completely.

Zhiyuan Pictures

"Beijing Youth Film Studio"

"Works directed by Qin Keqing"

As these words appeared, Xu Feng couldn't help but feel uneasy again.

"A shell company that doesn't even have a proper office, what gives it the audacity to appear here?"

"I don't know what Qingdao Film Studio was thinking. Why would they cooperate with a shell company? Why would they cooperate with a 'small' director who has never won any major awards? Wouldn't a Palme d'Or winner like Chen Kaige be more worthy of their efforts to win him over?"

"You're incredibly arrogant, calling it a 'directed work by Qin Keqing'? Aren't you ashamed...?"

As Xu Feng continues to grumble and complain, the movie's plot unfolds.

Xu Jinglei, Ren Dahua, and the others hadn't seen the official version yet, and today was their first time seeing it, so they watched it very attentively.

Xu Jinglei, in particular, was both excited and somewhat at a loss. She didn't know how the nude scene she filmed would be presented, how much of it would be exposed, and she was even worried about whether her nipples would be exposed.

After all, he is still a freshman in college. He missed a lot of classes because of filming, and he hasn't "liberated his nature" yet, and hasn't "let loose" in all aspects.

Finally, we arrived at that part of the plot.

Xu Jinglei was somewhat hesitant to look at the big screen, but she still kept an eye on the reactions of the people around her while watching the screen.

To her relief, Qin Keqing hadn't lied to her; he hadn't actually exposed his breasts.

What made her a little embarrassed was that most of her buttocks, or rather, almost her entire side profile, were exposed, but she cleverly avoided revealing her nipples.

Although her figure isn't particularly curvaceous, it exudes youthful vitality. Paired with a lightly made-up face, she appears both youthful and incredibly pure.

There aren't many girls in mainland China with a pure and innocent look like Xu Jinglei.

Gao Yuanyuan could be considered one, but only in the context of her younger days. The later Gao Yuanyuan was much more charming and didn't appear as innocent anymore.

There is also Jiang Yiyan, who also looks very innocent.

Directors aren't blind; which of these seemingly artistic and innocent actresses didn't start out in art-house films? Xu Jinglei, Gao Yuanyuan, Jiang Yiyan, and even Taiwanese actress Xu Ruoxuan all belong to this category.

Art films often use actresses who look pure and innocent, while commercial films need sexy, charming actresses with long legs.

Actually, Xu Jinglei didn't know that she had exposed her nipples, especially her abundant pubic hair and the small mouth beneath it; the initial shot captured all of this.

However, after Qin Keqing discovered this, she used the blanket that Ren Dahua had used to cover her to block the camera, so the hair was not exposed in the subsequent shots.

She didn't even show her little mouth.

After cutting out the necessary footage, Qin Keqing reviewed the earlier shots and decided they were unusable. He had promised not to show any nudity, so he destroyed them all in the end, ensuring no one would see them again.

Xu Jinglei paid attention to other people's reactions, but she was disappointed.

There was no murmur or discussion in the hall; there was almost no reaction.

European audiences, especially those attending film festivals, really don't need to react to scenes that don't even show nudity. There's not even any sex scene, so what's the point of reacting?

They've seen all sorts of art films from film festivals; what kind of passionate scenes haven't they seen?

For European directors, nudity is nothing new; even scenes involving sword fights and close-ups of the camera for ten minutes or more are common at film festivals every year!

You can find the latest updated chapters of this book by searching "Deqi Novel Network" on Bing!

It's all true, it will all happen!

Yes, in Hong Kong movies, it's commonly known as "beating the real man".

The version of "Lust, Caution" that was later shown at the Venice Film Festival actually had scenes of swordplay and fighting, which the audience could see clearly.

The version of "Lust, Caution" shown in Hong Kong was partially cut.

The version of "Lust, Caution" shown in mainland China was cut even more.

Anyway, after Tang Wei starred in this movie, not only did her boyfriend break up with her, but even though she became famous and a top star, she couldn't find a suitable man in mainland China who was willing to marry her. You can probably understand why by thinking about it.

There is actually feedback in the screening room regarding other movie plots.

The scene where the male protagonist eats raw octopus at a sushi restaurant right after "escaping" caused quite a stir, with the most common reaction being "My…".

Later on, the male lead, Wu Daxiu, showed off a claw hammer and fought a group of thugs in a one-shot fight, which completely stunned the audience.

One minute ago, Wu Daxiu was dressed in a suit and tie, which perfectly matched Qin Keqing's new fighting style. He was unstoppable, fighting with incredible skill and precision. His moves were all about striking with perfect precision and delivering devastating blows. He looked incredibly dashing.

Just when the audience thought it was going to be a thrilling battle, Wu Daxiu started panting, panting heavily, and bending over to catch his breath.

He was exhausted.

This is something that all viewers can see.

Sure enough, what followed was a chaotic melee, until Wu Daxiu was pinned to the ground and brutally beaten by the numerous thugs. Then he rallied his remaining strength and continued the melee, finally scaring all the thugs into submission before collapsing, and no one dared to step forward again.

The fight lasted for more than three minutes, all in one continuous shot without any cuts.

Before the audience could react, the film critics, including many directors who had come to support the event, were almost all in an uproar, their discussions drawing the attention of many viewers.

Some nearby viewers gestured for them to shut up, saying it was disrupting the viewing experience.

Near the end, when Lee Woo-jin reveals the truth, the male lead Oh Dae-soo breaks down, fearing that Lee Woo-jin will tell the female lead everything, and cuts off his own tongue, the discussion suddenly becomes very loud.

"My ……"

"Fuck..."

"ht..."

Whether in the audience seats or the media and film critic seats, various exclamations of elegance rang out continuously, and some conservative audience members who could not accept it even got up and left.

"Trying to attract attention, serves him right!"

Seeing the dozen or so audience members leaving, Xu Feng felt secretly pleased, wishing that all the audience members in the hall would leave as well.

Unfortunately, only a dozen or so people left the hall, which was nearly a thousand people in total, which made Xu Feng very dissatisfied.

"Isn't Germany known for its conservatism? You bastards, seeing this sensationalist ethical drama, why don't you go outside and organize protests? Where did that German spirit go? Are you even Germanic anymore?"

A while later, the movie ended with the male and female leads embracing.

The credits rolled, finally settling on "A film directed by Qin Keqing".

As the lights in the screening room gradually came on, no one left the thousands-seat theater for a moment. Someone started clapping, and then, like a chain reaction, the applause grew from a few to many, eventually becoming a continuous, loud clapping until it completely erupted.

The applause lasted for almost three minutes before gradually subsiding and stopping. Some audience members began to leave, while others waited for the media to interview the director.

After the screening, there will be a Q&A session with the media.

Numerous film critics and media reporters rushed to ask questions.

"Director, this film contains a lot of violent scenes. Why did you choose to present the story in such a direct way?"

After hearing the first reporter's words, Xu Feng felt somewhat disdainful. Such a mild question must have come from a reporter arranged by the authorities.

I didn't want to portray revenge in a romanticized or idealized way. I wanted the audience to truly feel the depth of anger an ordinary person feels after being deprived of 15 years of their life.

Qin Keqing replied.

"Sir, the film contains very daring scenes that raise ethical concerns. Aren't you afraid of sparking controversy and protests?"

Xu Feng's spirits lifted. This was the kind of question a reporter should ask. You media outlets could actually be a little bolder.

"The core of this story is actually Oedipus Rex, which is about the cruel tricks of fate and the powerlessness of man in absolute predicament."

I didn't deliberately exploit taboos; I simply pushed an ordinary person, manipulated by an extreme fate, to the brink of an ethical precipice with no way out, allowing the audience to see the most naked aspects of human nature.

Qin Keqing's answer startled Xu Feng, who was then enraged.

"What a load of rubbish! What a ridiculous question! That reporter was definitely a plant arranged by the film festival. They're trying to steer the film towards a religious classic. That shouldn't be happening! It can't be like this!"

"Director, what are your thoughts on your film? Do you have high hopes for the Golden Bear award?"

Qin Keqing replied with a smile: "Humanity knows no borders. Whether you are in Beijing, Hong Kong, Berlin or New York, when a person is imprisoned for 15 years without cause and then finds out that his life was a trap set by others, the collapse and pain can be empathized with by audiences all over the world."

My purpose in coming here is to show European audiences a different possibility for Chinese films. The recognition I've received is already a pleasant surprise. Awards are just an extra gift to me; of course, who doesn't want a gift?

"Despicable! Shameless!"

Xu Feng was furious. "She was certain that all these reporters who were named were shills, all planted by the authorities. Otherwise, they wouldn't have asked questions that would have highlighted the film and the director!"

"Director Qin Keqing, I cannot condone the violence in your film, nor can I tolerate the challenge to traditional family values. As a responsible director, such taboos should not be brought to the big screen."

Xu Feng was disappointed when she heard that it was the last day to ask a question.

But after hearing the question posed by the last reporter who was called upon, Xu Feng perked up. This was a responsible and good reporter!

This question should have been asked a long time ago.

She looked at Qin Keqing with great anticipation, hoping that Qin Keqing would embarrass himself. It would be even better if he could get into a fight with the reporter.

"I did not deliberately glorify violence. Every instance of violence in the film corresponds to a moment in the protagonist's life when he was deprived of something. If people only see the bloodshed and not the pain behind the violence, then it is precisely because our era is numb to suffering."

As for the taboos you mentioned, ethics are just the dramatic shell of the story. What I really want to explore is what kind of resilience humanity will unleash when fate pushes an ordinary person to the brink.

Defining a work using a single moral label is itself a disrespect for the art of film.

As you can probably tell, this film is a tragedy reminiscent of Oedipus Rex, and it pays homage to the pinnacle of ancient Greek tragedy. It has been highly praised by many prominent figures in the fields of literature, philosophy, and psychology.

Does anyone really believe that *Oedipus Rex*, praised by Aristotle, Freud, Seneca, Corneille, Dryden, Voltaire, and Shakespeare, is a work that challenges traditional family values?

The hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in applause once again.

"Splash splash splash..."

Xu Feng looked at all of this with some confusion. At this moment, she felt that the world was a little unreal.

"Those damn Europeans are a bunch of shit, a complete freak!"

Xu Feng almost cursed out loud; she felt extremely upset.

"They're all shills, all hired by the authorities!"

Xu Feng figured it out.

"These questions may seem like they're putting the director in a difficult position, but they're actually coordinated so perfectly. It's not about putting the director in a difficult position; it's about silencing all controversies and turning every disadvantage into an advantage!"

"Go ahead and act, all of you, go ahead and act. Very well, when the judging panel is awarding prizes, even if I have no shame, I'll personally tear up all the awards they're going to give him..."

What upset Xu Feng even more was the rating in the program booklet.

The Berlin Film Festival special edition of Screen Daily featured a front page dedicated almost entirely to brief reviews of Oldboy.

In particular, the opening review stated: This is the most unexpected Eastern surprise at this year's Berlin Film Festival. It is a dark revenge film from Chinese cinema. It uses the classic tragic shell of "Oedipus Rex" and nests it with an extreme violent aesthetic narrative to complete a sharp questioning of the boundaries of human ethics!

This is the opening film review on the front page of "Screen Daily." Based on past experience, the opening film review on the front page is usually a more neutral one and not so strongly worded.

What's more, the opening film review on the front page listed almost all the merits of "Old Boys".

What tragic shell of "Oedipus Rex"? If that's the case, who would still question ethical taboos? Questioning "Old Boys" is questioning the status of the European classic "Oedipus Rex".

What kind of extreme violent aesthetics narrative is this? It's extreme, and it's narrative. It's using "violence" as a film style to tell a story. How can you question whether it promotes violence?

And what about the sharp questioning of the boundaries of human ethics—what is this? This is the exploration of human nature that all three major European powers advocate!