This director loves making friends.

Qin Keqing ultimately chose to send "The Uncle" to the main competition section.

He also wanted a closing film, but film critic Zhou Jia felt that the closing film was still lacking something.

If it were Critics' Week ten years or so later, it would be fine, because by then Critics' Week would have been an official section of the Venice Film Festival and would have been given a very important role.

At that time, the Critics' Week section had become a parallel section specifically set up to discover directors' first or second feature films. Its core function was to discover emerging talents, provide a stage for international premieres, and establish artistic recognition through professional review.

Furthermore, this section encourages films with bold styles, unconventional themes, or innovative forms, serving as an important experimental field for artistic exploration outside of the main competition.

However, the current Critics' Week section, while not entirely dispensable, doesn't garner much attention either, even less than the non-competitive screening section.

For an ordinary director, it would be fine to participate in the Critics' Week section. The key issue is that Qin Keqing just won two major awards at Cannes four months ago. Going to the Critics' Week section in Venice would not only damage his reputation, but even Cannes would have a problem with him.

To outsiders, Qin Keqing is a Cannes Film Festival director.

This is lowering Cannes's prestige.

Therefore, the main competition is still better. Even if you don't win an award, your reputation won't be damaged, and you can also get points, which is a good way to promote the film.

Xu Qing's arrival made Qin Keqing feel much more comfortable.

To be fair, Xu Qing is a very proactive and dedicated actress; she's eager to improve.

That's why she's such a good actress.

Last time I asked about "A Bittersweet Life", this time I asked about "The Man from Nowhere".

Upon arriving in Venice, despite the fatigue of the journey, he immediately took Qin Keqing to his hotel room to ask her about some of the metaphors in "The Uncle" that he didn't understand, and he was also particularly worried about the little girl's mother who had a tragic fate.

Xu Qing really wanted to talk to Qin Keqing about some fighting moves in movies, hoping to change the tragic experience of the little girl's mother.

Qin Keqing is very familiar with "Uncle", especially some of the action scenes in the movie. He hopes that the little girl's mother can learn more action scenes and that she can change her fate.

He personally demonstrated and explained some action scene techniques to Xu Qing. His explanation was not a dry repetition, but full of infectiousness and power.

Xu Qing studied very diligently, occasionally exclaiming in surprise. She grasped the key points of the movements quickly and could even use techniques to perfectly replicate the core principles of the movements.

Seeing how seriously Xu Qing was practicing, Qin Keqing stopped resisting and let Xu Qing do as she pleased.

However, when she reached the most exciting part of the practice, Xu Qing ran out of energy and started panting heavily. Even though she kept encouraging herself, she eventually had to stop.

Qin Keqing tested Xu Qing's limits and then began to teach Xu Qing to practice stance training.

This is a set of exercises that can enhance inner potential. Simply kneel on the ground and remain as still as an old tree stump. When practicing, you must keep your body stable and not fall down before completing the exercises.

At the same time, breathing can be coordinated with a special rhythm, which helps to deepen the practice of the technique.

After practicing the action scenes for a movie, both of them felt they had gained a lot.

Wash up and rest.

"Wasn't it supposed to be in the screening section? How did it suddenly get selected for the main competition?"

Xu Qing rested her head on Qin Keqing's arm, facing Qin Keqing. Her peach blossom eyes blinked, and she had two small dimples. Although she still looked a bit immature and lacked the charm of later generations, she was still quite pleasing to the eye.

"I don't know. I was all set to go to the screening section, but then the organizing committee suddenly notified me that I had been upgraded from the screening section to the main competition section. I guess they value a certain aspect of the film and want to make up for what was missing in the main competition section."

Qin Keqing smiled and rambled on, saying things he himself didn't believe.

What else can I say?

Could it be that I used a lot of points to become very good friends with Marco Müller, a very powerful and senior film selector in Venice, who will later become the president of the Venice Film Festival, and he found a way to give me a hand...?

Xu Qing thought about it seriously for a moment, and then said, "I heard that Europe attaches great importance to social issues such as child protection and lack of justice. In the plot of 'The Uncle,' Xiao Mi's tragic fate was caused by the lack of child protection in society."

The Venice Film Festival is a temple of art films, and it certainly recognizes works that embody a strong sense of social responsibility within their artistic forms. This is probably why "The Man from Nowhere" caught the attention of the organizing committee.

"Um?"

Qin Keqing looked at Xu Qing with some surprise; Xu Qing's words were indeed beyond his expectations.

"are you serious?"

"Isn't that right?"

Qin Keqing smacked his lips, momentarily at a loss for words; there were too many things in Xu Qing's words that were open to discussion.

"How do you know that Europe places great importance on social issues such as child protection and judicial deficiencies?"

"Many domestic newspapers and magazines report it this way, and many people feel that Europe's exploration on related issues has something worth learning from."

Xu Qing said, looking like she was seriously thinking.

Qin Keqing frowned and couldn't help but ask, "With your status, understanding the true nature of Europe and America should be very easy, right?"

Xu Qing was clearly puzzled. She blinked her big eyes and asked, confused, "What do you mean by 'real'?"

"Have you never lived abroad?"

"I spent more than a year in Singapore on a government-sponsored trip. I rarely go to Europe and America. If I'm not going to settle there permanently, it's a bit troublesome to go to Europe and America for a short time."

Qin Keqing thought about Xu Qing's identity and realized that it was only 93, so he understood.

Indeed, as Xu Qing said, their descendants might still be able to find ways to study or settle in Europe and America, but if they don't go abroad with the "group" for a short time, the review and other aspects are very troublesome.

Moreover, even if they go abroad, it's generally difficult for them to understand what the lower classes in Europe and America are like.

Qin Keqing was at a loss for words.

In this era, there are articles praising Europe and America everywhere in China, so those born in the 1970s and 1980s are the most influenced group and generally have a wrong understanding of Europe and America.

"Do you know why 'The Man from Nowhere' was suddenly selected for the main competition? It was even after the Venice Film Festival had already started, which is against the rules."

Xu Qing was a little confused. Weren't they the ones I mentioned?

"What could be the reason?"

Qin Keqing chuckled and said, "It's because of connections. Beijing Film Academy has connections in Venice, and these connections played a role. 'Uncle' is also a film co-produced with Beijing Film Academy's Qingying Studio, which is why it was exceptionally admitted to the main competition."

Qin Keqing's main emphasis is on personal connections rather than any so-called "social responsibility".

However, Xu Qing focused on the word "exceptional" in these words.

"Of course, connections are necessary. There are many things in the world that require connections, but if the quality of a film is poor, connections won't help. Otherwise, why would Venice make an exception for 'The Man from Nowhere' but not for other films?"

Qin Keqing was once again at a loss for words.

Xu Qing's words sound perfectly reasonable, but something just doesn't feel right.

Oh well, forget it.

Why should I bother explaining this?

Let's use the methods we're best at to strongly spur this stubborn individual on!

Soon after, Xu Qing screamed in agony.

"The Man from Nowhere" ultimately did not become the closing film. Marco Müller did his best. He is now just a senior film selector at Venice, far from having any real power there.

However, Marco Müller still managed to arrange a special date for the premiere of "The Man from Nowhere," which was September 8th.

This day is the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, an important Catholic holiday that heralds the coming of salvation and is one of the major liturgical days of the year for the Vatican and the Catholic Church worldwide.

The theme of "The Man from Nowhere" is precisely "redemption".