Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

This year's Berlin International Film Festival coincides with the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

After spending the New Year in Qianzhou, Zhuang Huai'an, along with Zhang Lu and the Qiangli brothers, set off from the capital and headed straight for Berlin.

Wan Qian has another event to attend, and Du Hua will bring her over later.

In Hong Kong, Lai Ming, Leung Ka-fai, and Lau Ka-ling all came, and Tony Leung Chiu-wai also came. After all, he is Wong Kar-wai's favorite, and his reputation in the three major entertainment companies is much more famous than that of Lai Ming, a superstar.

With Liang Chaowei leading the way, Zhuang Huai'an didn't need to worry about these people; he was busy building relationships with various capital groups.

Things are different now. MGM is still a long-established Hollywood giant, and its influence may have waned.

As the second largest shareholder of MGM after Kirk, Zhuang Huai'an is no longer just a director. It's a matter of soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals. Major capital firms can no longer simply send a regional manager to talk to him as before.

Among the board members of major capital firms, Leo, the regional general manager of MK2, seems somewhat insignificant.

But Zhuang Huai'an did not look down on him in the slightest. After all, he and Leo had known each other since they were both humble beginnings, and there was a connection between them.

And to be honest, in the European Big Three, MGM doesn't have as much influence as MK2.

However, this year's Berlin Film Festival really had to rely on MGM's public relations efforts.

just because,

The jury president for this year's awards is Oscar-winning actress Frances McDormand. Among the jury members is Gabriele Salvatore, an Italian director who is a perennial contender for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and a regular in Hollywood.

Actress Valeria Bruni Tedeski, also an Italian actress who worked with Gabriele.

Kirk has already sent word that these three votes are secured.

Another big name on the jury is Dan Talbot, an independent exhibitor and curator in Hollywood, and one of the key figures in the New Yorker Film Society, who has repeatedly used MGM's distribution channels.

With this lineup, plus the quality of "Detachment," if it weren't for the fear of negative impact, Zhuang Huai'an would have directly tried to win the Golden Bear.

Of course, this is impossible to succeed at.

The three major European film festivals are closely linked, and as long as the Berlin Film Festival wants to continue operating in this industry, it's unlikely that Zhuang Huai'an will achieve a grand slam anytime soon.

December 6th,

The Berlin Film Festival has officially opened.

After Zhuang Huai'an led the crew across the red carpet, preparations were made for the screening.

The screening room was a large hall for a thousand people, arranged by the organizing committee, which shows the prestige of an internationally renowned director.

On the 8th, Screen Daily gave Detachment a high score of 3.6, ranking it first among all films.

In an instant, Zhuang Huai'an once again stood at the forefront of the wave.

"An, if you ask me, when it comes to voting for the Golden Bear, we should just go all in. Four out of the seven judges are our own people, so what are we afraid of regarding the organizing committee?"

Inside the room, Dan Talbot sat smoking a cigar, looking every bit the swaggering mob boss.

"Besides, with such a positive response to 'Detachment,' I don't believe the organizing committee would dare to veto it after the votes are in."

Zhuang Huai'an remained completely unmoved by the suggestion from this real big shot who came from the streets.

It's not that doing it this way is wrong, but since you've entered this circle, you have to play by the rules of the circle until you have the absolute power to set the rules.

Even if he wins the Grand Slam of three major gold medals, it will only add some glory to his reputation. What about after that?

What do the Oscars think of you? What do other international film festivals think of you?

Do you know how much capital is behind the three major corporations?

They might not help you succeed, but they can easily cut off your future access to overseas markets.

MGM has global distribution channels, but they are built upon the support of top distributors in various countries. If you don't give them any face, then you can forget about doing business with them in the future.

Therefore, Zhuang Huai'an doesn't really have any obsession with Grand Slams.

And does Dan Talbot, this seasoned veteran, really not know the unspoken rules involved?

If Zhuang Huai'an really decides to lobby Jin Xiong, the first one to run away will be this old bastard, and the other so-called "one of his own" will also defect at the last minute.

We're all in the same industry; no one will selflessly sacrifice their reputation to benefit you.

The fact that he came all this way to tell me this is nothing more than a different way of showing his loyalty.

To do something knowing it's impossible is irrational.

"Forget it, Dan."

Having figured things out, Zhuang Huai'an smiled calmly, "I don't want to put you in a difficult position. How about we compromise this time? I only need the Best Actor award, what do you say?"

"Oh, it's my pleasure to do this, my friend."

Talbot secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Zhuang Huai'an's guess was right; he had just been joking around and trying to build rapport.

As an independent exhibitor, MGM is someone he can't afford to offend, and the Big Three are even less likely to be offended.

Talbot arrived under cover of darkness, afraid of being seen as a judge privately contacting the participating directors. Although such things are quite normal, everyone tacitly kept the lights off.

After seeing that old bastard off, it was already past midnight.

According to winter time, there is a 7-hour time difference between here and China. After making a phone call to urge Liu Yifei to get up and practice her lines, Zhuang Huai'an was about to take a shower and go to bed when someone rang the doorbell again.

"Mr. Walker, what brings you here?"

When Zhuang Huai'an opened the door, he saw that the visitor was the renowned German director Volker Schlöndorff, whose status in the German film industry was equivalent to that of Wu Tianming, a fourth-generation director in mainland China, and who had mentored many younger generations.

Interestingly, this old man and his good friend Jiang Wen are close friends despite their age difference. Just a few days ago, Zhuang Huai'an arrived in Berlin and, at Jiang Wen's request, visited this famous director.

"An, sorry to bother you so late at night."

"How could that be? In China, the most intimate thing between good friends is to have a long, late-night talk by candlelight."

Zhuang Huai'an stepped aside to let him in.

"Sir, would you like a cup of coffee?"

"That's great, I was feeling a bit sleepy."

Not every director is like Zhang Yimou, who was transformed by aliens. Walker was born in 39 and is now 65 years old, so his energy is inevitably insufficient.

Zhuang Huai'an calmly turned the hand-grind coffee machine. For Walker to come to his door in the middle of the night, someone must have asked the old man to act as a go-between. He just didn't know what it was about yet, so he decided to put the old man to his toes.

The two exchanged dry pleasantries, and Walker was almost asleep when he finally got a steaming cup of coffee.

Walker took a small bite and felt completely revitalized.

"OMG, I swear this is the best coffee I've had recently."

"I'm glad you like it, sir." Zhuang Huai'an glanced at the inexpensive coffee beans provided by the hotel and smiled without saying a word.

"An, the reason I'm visiting so late at night is because I was commissioned by the film festival organizing committee."

It was already late, and Walker just wanted to finish what he had to say and go to sleep as soon as possible. "You know what, An? There are already betting odds out that you can complete all three Grand Slams this year."

"Is that so?" Zhuang Huai'an's focus was somewhat peculiar as he asked, "What about the odds?"

"The Golden Bear score of 3.6 to 1 is exactly the same as the rating in your 'Detachment' program."

These odds suggest no one is pulling strings behind the scenes; Zhuang Huai'an is practically washing his hair upside down.

He didn't want to beat around the bush anymore and went straight to the point: "So, sir, what is it you wanted to say today?"

"I'll make a deal with you."

"Please speak."

"Give up the PR Gold Bear, and the organizing committee is willing to give you two Silver Bears."

Walker felt a pang of sadness; who would have thought that the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival would engage in such shady dealings?

Oh, there's an unexpected surprise?

Wait a minute, Zhuang Huai'an raised an eyebrow. Could this be a scheme orchestrated by the organizing committee themselves?

hiss~

The more I think about it, the more likely it seems. Just looking at the apparent strength, I already have four votes, including the most important one: the chairman of the jury. If I really go all out to lobby for the Golden Bear, I can win it as long as I pay some price.

But the organizing committee was in trouble. They didn't know that Zhuang Huai'an had given up on winning the Golden Bear. The main reason was that the temptation of the Grand Slam was too great, and they didn't dare to gamble on Zhuang Huai'an.

The odds are set at 3.6. If they really lose all their money, the top three European teams will become just two next year.

and so…

Is the organizing committee only concerned about their own betting odds collapsing?

This is fucking ridiculous!

When Zhuang Huai'an looked up, he met Walker's eyes, which were somewhat cloudy and filled with an unyielding sorrow.

"An, can you grant me this request?"

Of course you can! Anyway, I've never even considered the Grand Slam.

That's what he said, but Zhuang Huai'an still pretended to be hesitant:

"Sir, you are also a director, so you should know how attractive the three major awards are to me. Human inspiration is ultimately limited, and I can't keep making films like 'The Hunt,' 'Seaside Town,' and 'Detachment.' Perhaps this is the closest I've ever come to the grand slam in my life..."

Zhuang Huai'an's feigned regret left Walker silent for a long time.

"How about this? Besides the two Silver Bears this year, I'll give you another ticket for next year. Any film you recommend will go directly into the main competition. Is that alright?"

Oh my god, why didn't you say so sooner!

That's great!

A spot in the main competition is equivalent to the Berlin Film Festival giving itself millions of euros!

Even if I don't use it myself, I can sell it to someone else!

They get the honors, and we get the euros – isn't that a win-win situation?

"Alright, sir, for your sake."

Zhuang Huai'an couldn't let his public image crumble, so he kept acting, saying, "Perhaps if I miss this opportunity, I'll never win the triple gold medal grand slam in my lifetime."

I was just kidding, I don't care!

"I'm sorry, An, perhaps you've already guessed the truth. But I don't want to see the Berlin Film Festival disappear."

Walker seemed oblivious to Zhuang Huai'an's acting, and after a sigh, said, "Then, you can make your request, and I will pass it on to the organizing committee."

"Detachment is a male-centric film, and I need the best actor and the best director."

Zhuang Huai'an didn't stand on ceremony and immediately asked for two prestigious awards. He had promised to compensate Li Ming with a Best Actor award, and he would definitely keep his word.

As for the Best Director award, his thinking was simple: rather than giving it to that freak Kim Ki-duk, he'd rather win it himself.

After robbing Lee Chang-dong, they'll rob Kim Ki-duk, letting the nation of thieves experience what it's like to be robbed.

Aren't you all riding high? Aren't you aiming for a major rise?

Go and get in line.

"I will pass on your message to the organizing committee, and I believe it will be as you wish."

After finishing their business, Walker got up to say goodbye, and Zhuang Huai'an saw him to the door.

"An, good night." Walker looked at the young man with a complicated expression and sighed again.

Good night, sir. Take care on your journey.

(The world is a giant makeshift operation, and anything is possible. This chapter is adapted from a true story at a film festival where the organizing committee was manipulated by capital, causing it to plummet in popularity and lose credibility.)