Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

Entering the auditorium,

Following the staff's directions, Zhuang Huai'an looked at the seats reserved for the film crew. The second row, middle, with "The Elephant" on the left and "Savage Invasion" on the right.

Based on Zhuang Huai'an's experience attending film festivals many times, the major awards tonight will basically be shared among these three films; it's just a matter of how they will be distributed.

With this mindset, Zhuang Huai'an remained relaxed throughout the awards ceremony. Knowing the outcome, he didn't try to act nervous or excited.

If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred not to have sent Jiang Wen the message.

After the consolation prizes were awarded, the awards for the main competition were announced.

Parasite got off to a flying start, winning Best Screenplay, which is Chong Wai-On's second Best Screenplay award at Cannes.

The Best Actress award went to Mary José Croze for "Savage Invasion," while the Best Actor award went to the two male leads from the same film, "Far Away."

The Best Director award went to Gus Van Sant for "Elephant," while the Jury Prize was awarded to "5 PM."

Next up was the Jury Prize, which was once again awarded to "Elephant".

Finally, before the Palme d'Or was awarded, Old Xiahou took the stage to deliver a speech.

Good evening, friends!

Xiahou, holding an envelope, calmly said, "In the past ten days, in addition to the 22 films nominated this time, more than 800 films have been screened in various venues in Cannes. This number is the highest in the history of Cannes, and it is a grand feast for global film art."

On a side note, the organizing committee even applied for a Guinness World Record for this. Over the decades, Cannes has given out more than a thousand trophies, but this is the first time the Cannes Film Festival has received a trophy. As the jury president, I can say that I've made my mark in film history.

The audience applauded and laughed in response.

"Thank you all for listening to this old man's ramblings before the Palme d'Or is unveiled."

Xiahou glanced around the audience, taking in everyone's expressions. Seeing Zhuang Huai'an's calm demeanor, the old man smiled.

"The film that won the Palme d'Or at the 56th Cannes International Film Festival is, 'Parasite'!"

The entire venue erupted in applause, and the entire crew of "Parasite" clapped their hands excitedly.

Zhuang Huai'an smiled slightly, stood up, buttoned his suit jacket, and walked calmly onto the podium.

The spotlight followed his every step, accompanied by deafening applause from the stadium, like a new king ascending the throne.

When I received the Golden Palm trophy from Xiahou, it felt cool to the touch and quite heavy. Upon closer inspection, I saw a shimmering golden palm leaf embedded in crystal, its luster flowing.

Xiahou hugged him and whispered with a smile, "Lucky little guy, go and enjoy your glory."

"Thank you, Mr. Xiahou."

Zhuang Huai'an turned to face the audience and began his usual thank-you speech.

"Thank you to the organizing committee... thank you... to my alma mater, Beijing Film Academy... and..."

The main principle is to treat everyone fairly and without letting anyone slip through the cracks.

"Standing on this land that has given birth to countless great films, I come here with a story about poverty and wealth, human nature and the dilemmas of our times. Thank you for being willing to read and understand this film that mixes dark humor, thriller and the painful reality."

Although he was mentally prepared, Zhuang Huai'an still felt a little emotional standing on the stage, and he decided to show off his language skills.

"When I was young, I set my sights on movies. Countless classic films taught me that movies should not only create beautiful dreams, but also dare to tear open the wrinkles of reality. This is the core message that I have wanted to convey in all my films since my debut."

I hope this film can serve as a mirror, allowing viewers to have more empathy for the plight of others and less prejudice and labeling.

Finally, a salute to all creators who persist in filming realistic subjects; may we forever retain the courage to confront the suffering of the world.

Just when everyone thought he had finished his acceptance speech and was about to raise his hand to applaud, Zhuang Huai'an gave himself another bad surprise.

"In addition, the thriller 'Insidious,' which I wrote, is directed by James Wan (director of 'Saw'), and distributed by MGM, is currently in production. This film continues the theme of human struggle in 'Saw,' and I hope everyone will support it! Thank you!"

After finishing his speech quickly, Zhuang Huai'an deliberately avoided Old Xiahou's somewhat bewildered gaze and strode off the podium.

The crowd below was both amused and exasperated. In the 56-year history of Cannes, Zhuang Huai'an was probably the only one who had publicly lost his job.

This clever trick didn't earn him disdain from the crowd; instead, it sparked a burst of applause and laughter.

Jiang Wen, sitting on the judges' panel, even whistled, showing his tendency to stir up trouble. Zhuang Huai'an's actions made him think his younger brother was really awesome.

Xiahou also came to his senses, smiled, pointed at Zhuang Huai'an, and announced the official end of this film festival.

The organizing committee's artistic director and others had some complaints about this, but Zhuang Huai'an didn't care. He had already won the Palme d'Or, so he just wouldn't come again.

Giving up on yourself isn't shameful; it's acceptable at the Oscars, and it's acceptable at Cannes.

Make money, not shabby.

At the dinner,

Xiahou pulled Zhuang Huai'an aside and pretended to scold him a few times, but Zhuang Huai'an brushed it off with a joke.

Helpless, Old Xiahou could only smile and tap him a few times.

"Bro, you're awesome!" Jiang Wen gave him a thumbs up without hesitation. "I've never admired anyone else in my life, except you!"

"Basic operations, basic operations."

Zhuang Huai'an smiled and waved his hand, then inquired about the inside story of the voting.

"Speaking of which, I admire you even more!"

Jiang Wen tossed him a cigarette and said, "I was prepared to let you tear up the award, but I didn't even have to lift a finger. Old Xiahou voted first, and then everyone else followed suit. Out of a total of nine votes, one went to 'Dogville,' one went to 'Elephant,' and the rest went to you."

Jiang Wen pointed to Leo not far away and whispered, "I reckon MK2 has put in a lot of effort into this, and given your position as a director of MGM, it's possible that some people are trying to curry favor with you."

Tsk, this is the transformation brought about by different status. Zhuang Huai'an used to be just a director, but now he has become part of capital.

The jury members are mostly directors, screenwriters, and actors from various countries. Facing a director of a long-established film company, they naturally want to build a good relationship so that they will have opportunities to interact in the future.

Not to mention, the movie "Parasite" really touches people's hearts.

MGM, I'm willing to follow you for life, as long as you don't go bankrupt.

"And to put it bluntly, if this were a Chinese-language film, you'd win at most two major awards, but there's basically no hope of winning the Palme d'Or."

Jiang Wen's words made a lot of sense, and Zhuang Huai'an wholeheartedly agreed.

This time, winning the Palme d'Or was a perfect storm of favorable timing, location, and people. With the advantage in his hands, he was naturally able to achieve his goal.

"Now you have two gold medals."

Jiang Wen raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing, "So, are you going to try for Berlin again next time?"

"I'm not going to flush it anymore, let nature take its course."

Zhuang Huai'an waved his hand, "The three major awards need to maintain their high standards. It's impossible for me to collect all three major awards in a short period of time. Even if I send it over, no matter how well the film is made, it will probably just be a runner-up, at most a second prize. This would not only waste my inspiration, but also my time."

"That's true," Jiang Wen nodded in agreement, then asked, "So you plan to stay in Hollywood long-term?"

"Let's take it one step at a time. Hollywood may be great, but it's not home."

Zhuang Huai'an exhaled a puff of smoke, but a pretty figure suddenly flashed through his mind.

(A friend commented that the plot of this book is too bland, lacking the usual pretentious or shocking moments. Yes, because the current timeline is only 03, and in this era, not many people would pay too much attention to a director.)