On the sofa in the living room of a hotel suite, Wang Jiawei was sitting slightly bent over, looking at the news and comments on the laptop in front of him, all about "Hope".
As one of the Cannes judges, it is his job to browse online reviews of shortlisted films.
He was not surprised to see negative news about "Hope".
He didn't even try to guess who was behind it. Public opinion had become a fait accompli, so there was no point in thinking too much about it.
In the past, when Chinese films appeared at international film festivals, they were always met with inexplicable slander and disdain.
He, Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou and others have long been accustomed to this, and they can just ignore it in the face of such a situation. If they pay attention to it in the public opinion arena on the international stage, it will only make the situation worse and worse, which is not good for themselves.
There is no right or wrong in film art. No matter how you find faults, there is no absolute right or absolute wrong. It can only cause small-scale disputes.
Because of this, such slander often seems loud, but in fact the impact is only small.
But this time "Hope" is different. He did not expect that "Hope" would have public opinion. The public opinion had nothing to do with film art, which made him feel a little caught off guard.
When looking for faults in a movie, we don’t look for lens problems, light and shadow problems, actor problems, or scene problems. We put aside all these professional aspects of film art, but focus on the recall style that only takes one or two minutes in total.
Fragmentary scenes, and thereby bypassing the movie itself and rising to the level of international topics.
This is not only the first time this has happened in Cannes, but it is also probably the first time such a public opinion situation has occurred at any film festival in the world.
If you look for professional flaws in "Hope", unless you find a major flaw that affects the quality of "Hope", you can use small professional flaws to criticize "Hope". If the flaws are not hidden, it will not affect the quality of "Hope".
excellent.
The excellence of "Hope" is also obvious to many invited guests and judges. Some minor flaws will not affect anything, and using this as an excuse to slander it is not convincing.
The person behind "Hope" is a bit insidious. He also understands that "Hope" cannot be settled with professional disputes, so he focuses on non-professional elements.
A sci-fi disaster film from China. Most of the disaster scenes are in Europe and the United States. China's disaster scenes are only a small part. Europe and the United States are all tsunami, earthquakes and other tragic scenes. China's own disaster scene is just a flash.
And passed.
This situation raises questions: "Hope" comes with prejudice? Is the "Hope" production team insulting Europe and the United States?
This kind of doubt has nothing to do with the film itself, and it is also outside the scope of consideration in the Cannes selection.
But the effect is obvious. Creating such public opinion has successfully led the European and American people astray.
Different from the audience situation of domestic film and television festivals, Europe has a strong artistic atmosphere and a lot of people pay attention to the three major film festivals.
There are many people paying attention, but there are definitely only a few people who can participate.
There are a large number of people who have never seen the screening, let alone "Hope". Under such circumstances, one can imagine the situation when faced with such public opinion.
It's just like a foreign film is brought to China to participate in the film festival selection. During the selection stage, scandalous information is revealed. This film insults China.
Whenever Chinese people see such news on the Internet, especially those who have not seen the work, they will definitely insult and criticize the film without even thinking about it.
This is also the current situation in which the European public faces an almost one-sided tendency to speak ill of public opinion such as "Hope".
"Rumors are terrible." Wang Jiawei shook his head.
The person behind it seems to have found a loophole in "Hope", but he thinks this loophole is not problematic.
China is one country, and Europe and the United States are two continents, composed of many countries.
So, in order to reflect the global disaster effect, the disaster scenes are evenly distributed, and the Chinese disaster scenes are only shown for a small part of them. Isn't this a normal result?
But the European people who have never watched "Hope" don't know. After seeing the public opinion in the news, "Hope" insults Europe and the United States? Now they don't care whether it is true or not, they all criticize "Hope" with righteous indignation.
This is what he lamented, rumors are terrible!
If you take a look at "Hope", those people who are abusing it on the Internet will know how outrageous this public opinion is.
"It's outrageous, but it will definitely have an impact on the selection of "Hope"," Wang Jiawei thought.
Most of the judges at Cannes are European and American, and the voting process is based on real-name voting.
In order to maintain their image in the eyes of the public, these European and American actors or director judges will go against their hearts and choose not to vote for "Hope".
"This is bound to happen." Wang Jiawei was convinced that under normal selection circumstances, those so-called "colleagues" would have a fair and just attitude, but once something went wrong, they would unveil their hypocritical masks.
Having been a Cannes judge for four years, he has a deep understanding of this.
"Malicious slander is malicious slander. Guests and judges who have watched "Hope" must have a clear mind. Such public opinion may have a certain impact on "Hope", but it does not mean that "Hope" has no chance." Wang Jiawei responded.
Evaluate.
"Hope" is the biggest dark horse in this year's Cannes. It is unique in the minds of many professionals and judges, and it knows this very well.
Why do you say that?
The biggest difference between "Hope" and other films is not that it is China's first science fiction film, nor that its pictures are so stunning and beautiful, but that it lies in its scene composition, lens design, detailed settings, etc.
Things can be learned and learned from.
A short film can actually help professionals gain something on a professional level. What is this concept?
Just like "2001: A Space Odyssey" in the 1960s, it was the first science fiction blockbuster in global film history, and it was also the enlightenment work for subsequent science fiction films. It was quoted and used as a reference by countless directors, producers and screenwriters, and it made a difference for countless subsequent science fiction films.
Photography reference.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! What if the plot and pictures of this movie are really great? From the current perspective, they are just average, but the meaning, value and
His contribution to the film industry is very huge.
Comparing "Hope" with "A Space Odyssey"? It certainly can't be compared, and it can't be compared.
But "Hope" has the same attribute as "A Space Odyssey", its detailed prop settings, the first dumping scene composition design, the first 3D pictures shot with ordinary high-definition lenses, and its parallel scenes and simple use
The lens and the staggered montage editing technique present multiple spatial shots.
This series of things amazes many guest directors, judges, directors and professionals, and is an element that can be learned and applied.
In short, "Hope" provides all film and television practitioners who have watched it with inspiration in script design, lens design, and scene layout.
This is the reason why "Hope" received 45 votes in the first stage. This is also the reason why "Hope" received overwhelming support from the jury in the first stage. This is why "Hope" was able to leave behind its competitors.
The reason for the big cutoff.
Other literary and artistic films, whether it is the local humanistic atmosphere of "Norwegian Summer", the satire of human greed in "Black Hole", or the anti-war and humanitarianism of "Afterglow".
These literary and artistic attributes are all things that people already know in their hearts. They just add a layer of art to the lens and packaging to let the audience experience it again.
There are many unknown things in "Hope", and there are many things that the audience has never experienced before. These things look amazing in the eyes of the audience, but they can also be used for learning in the eyes of professionals.
After watching "Hope" on the first day, he never expected that a fledgling crew could actually produce such a short film. Director Fumi Kino was still a junior student at the time, which was very good.
Perhaps as Fumino said in the interview that day, only by facing the boundless imagination of the unknown can we make science fiction that is not available in China possible.
This is "Hope", the dark horse in the eyes of the judges and guests, and also a unique existence in this Cannes.
It was because of this that he thought that even if there was public opinion, it did not mean that "Hope" had no chance of winning the award. Moreover, the public opinion was obviously intentional and malicious, not spontaneous.
"Public opinion is not big yet, and not many judges should be affected. Judging from the uniqueness of "Hope", it is not difficult to win "The Afterglow of the Sun" in the second stage. Let's wait and see what happens when "Hope" enters the final stage.
Situation." Wang Jiawei made a decision.
He is not prepared to speak for "Hope" in the second stage of "Hope". This is also his selfishness.
As soon as "Hope" became public opinion, the only Chinese director jury at Cannes actively supported Chinese works.
People's hearts are complex, and what kind of disputes will arise if they are not fully protected?
It will have a negative impact on himself, and may also be detrimental to the selection of "Hope".
The most important thing is the emergence of public opinion. It is still unclear how much impact it will have on "Hope".
When considering this matter, he cannot rely solely on predictions. Only based on feedback from the facts can he have a standard for thinking and clarify the extent to which he can help "Hope".
He is not a good guy either. Since "Hope" is a Chinese work, he must support "Hope"? This makes no sense.
It’s just the public opinion’s insult to China and the humiliation of Chinese film and television. As a Chinese director, it would be a lie if he is not angry.
Furthermore, the energy of Brilliant Era is getting bigger and bigger, and now it has entered the film industry. "Hope" of Brilliant Era has been shortlisted for Cannes. The boss Chu Xuan is also the producer of "Hope". By helping "Hope", he can be considered as a way to get through with the film industry in the future.
A channel for cooperation in the bright era.
But now, we have to wait.
As soon as public opinion broke out, he helped "Hope" solve the problem. This is just the icing on the cake.
If "Hope" was still in public opinion when it entered the award-winning stage, he would have helped "Hope" solve the problem at that time. This would be a help in times of need.
Wang Jiawei had an idea in his mind and stopped thinking about "Hope". He browsed the news reviews of other films and read the viewing reports from different angles to prepare for the second stage of film selection.
I went to the theater during the day the next day to watch the second stage screening. Although it was a repeated viewing, for professionals like them, watching it more than once would be an extra bonus and they would also be more confident in their judgment on film selection.
.
In the evening, he came to the building where the Cannes organizers were located and voted with the judges on the films in the second stage.
First movies, then short films, then animations...
But what is different from previous years is that movies should have been the focus of most attention at a film festival, but the judges present focused on the short film "Hope", as if they wanted to see the short film "Hope" that was experiencing public opinion.
Is there any change in the selection of "Hope"?
"It's very interesting that a short film has surpassed the movie. This is the first time in my life that I have seen it," said jury chairman Sean Penn.
Sean is a Grand Slam Best Actor winner with four global awards including Oscar, Cannes, Berlin and Venice, and most of his films are directed and starred by him.
Sean is also Madonna's ex-husband. Most viewers only think that his acting skills are extraordinary, and only professionals know that his directing level is also very high.
As the chairman of the Cannes jury this time, Sean showed an interesting and gentlemanly smile when faced with the situation where the short film "Hope" was slightly surpassed in popularity.
"Other literary and artistic films are just repeating what has been done in the past, and they are more about exposing the humanities and human nature of the past. If you watch too many of them, you will feel bored. But "Hope" is special. It has given us a lot of gain. It is not normal to pay attention to it.
What's the matter?" The white-haired old man who spoke was called Richard, one of the world's most famous directors.
Some people present glanced at him, their eyes flashing with meaningful smiles.
This Richard was Philip's teacher, and many people know the relationship between the two.
But this Richard never spoke for his student Philip's work "Black Hole", but now he speaks for "Hope".
Richard is very disgusted with China. He doesn't know what kind of medicine is sold in the gourd at the moment. No one knows what the old fox is thinking in his heart.
After a round of voting, although the number of votes for "Hope" was somewhat lower than that of the first stage, it still successfully won the contestant "The Afterglow of the Burning Sun".
Wang Jiawei breathed a sigh of relief; this was also within the range of his estimate.
The final third stage of screening will begin tomorrow, and it will depend on the selection process the day after tomorrow. This will also be the most controversial stage among the jury as in previous years.
…
The sun was shining brightly, and a group of people walked out of the cinema.
The third stage screening of "Hope" still received as enthusiastic a response as the first two stage screenings.
Many viewers bought tickets out of curiosity and wanted to see whether "Hope" was really biased and whether it really insulted Europe and the United States.
After watching "Hope", this part of the audience was not calm anymore.
"The disaster scene is not the main plot, just a few clips. Public opinion is so fierce. Is this intentional?"
"I think this is no problem. The disaster scenes that happened in China were also quite tragic, but they only took up a small amount of time. This shouldn't be an insult."
"I just said, there is a sudden public opinion, it is a short film, there must be something evil."
"This "Hope" is very beautiful. I was amazed. Those negative comments on the Internet are obviously caused by someone else."
"..."
Hearing the comments from the audience, Chu Xuan and Liu Yifei felt a little relieved. As long as they saw the facts clearly, the eyes of the people were still bright.
But they were not very happy about it. As public opinion exploded, more European netizens who ignored the facts joined in the attack on "Hope".
There was a huge contrast between the audience who watched the movie offline and the audience who criticized it online.
It’s just that the number of viewers who come to watch the movie offline is only a very small number after all, and they are incomparable to the online army. Therefore, “Hope” has fallen into this quagmire and is getting deeper and deeper.
If public opinion doesn't have an impact on the selection of "Hope," then all this doesn't matter.
But after the second-stage voting results came out last night, they knew that this influence had already been born.
"Hope" versus "The Afterglow of the Scorching Sun", 31:20.
In the first stage, the score between "Hope" and "Summer Norway" was 45:6.
It would make sense to say that "Afterglow" is a higher-quality film than "Summer in Norway", leading to some changes in the voting results.
But they believe that it is the influence of public opinion that has biased the judges' preferences.
Although "Hope" successfully entered the final stage and was only one step away from the Palme d'Or, as public opinion continued to spread and the votes dropped significantly, the hope that "Hope" won the gold medal became very important in their hearts.
vague.
Everyone returned to the hotel in silence. Wen Muye walked into the room where Chu Xuan and Liu Yifei were and couldn't help but said: "Brother, would you like to ask about Director Wang's situation?"
Chu Xuan leaned on the back of the sofa and shook his head: "Didn't Director Wang say, wait for the news? If he is willing to help, he will help without making a phone call. If he is not willing to help, it will not matter if he calls 10,000 times.
If you use it, it will make people resentful."
Everyone nodded, that was indeed the truth.
I just don’t know if Wang Jiawei helped speak up in the selection last night. If he only got 31 votes because of his help, then it would be really hopeless for "Hope" to win the award in the final selection two days later.
Chu Xuan looked at Wen Muye and saw that he looked a little disappointed and uneasy, and said: "We all have special feelings for "Hope", but it does not necessarily have to win international awards to prove its existence. Relax,
Why are you so uncomfortable? Thousands of opportunities are waiting for you in the future."
Wen Muye raised his head and looked at Chu Xuan opposite.
Chu Xuan was leaning on the sofa, while Liu Yifei stood behind the sofa, bending over and stretching her arms around Chu Xuan's neck, with her chin still resting on Chu Xuan's head. She held a bottle of milk in her right hand with a straw in it, put it to her lips and sucked it.
This intimate look made Wen Mino complain: "It wasn't uncomfortable at first, but you guys are abusing the dog in front of me, which makes me very uncomfortable."
This sudden rant made Liu Yi next to him "chuff", and Kong Sheng and Li Xue laughed.
Liu Yifei smiled, but she didn't take it seriously. Instead, she lowered her head and rested her chin on Chu Xuan's right shoulder, cheek to cheek, and continued the behavior of spreading dog food to the end.
The sudden joking broke up everyone's depressed atmosphere.
"You all have your own things to do when you return to China. Xiaoxuan and Xixi should rush to film when they return to Los Angeles. Take a good rest in the last two days, don't think too much, just wait for the results of the award ceremony the day after tomorrow." Liu Xiaoli said, she can be said to have a mentality here.
The best person is an elder, who has been playing the role of comforting them these days.
Everyone nodded, no matter what impact public opinion had, they had nothing to do about it.
I just hope that Cannes, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, can let its works speak for itself and not mix in any messy things.
There will be another day of screening tomorrow, and the award ceremony and closing ceremony will be the day after tomorrow. The details will only be known at the award ceremony the day after tomorrow.