nucmednet Chapter 149
Chapter 149
Chapter 149
After a moment of silence, Wang Zhonglei said, "Your film has received very good reviews."
"Thanks."
"Mine doesn't seem to be working."
Wang Zhonglei chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Zhang Ziyi's performance was criticized for being too forceful," and the plot was said to have distorted values.
They spent so much money and generated so much buzz, and the result was—"
He didn't finish speaking, but Li Jun understood.
"Movies are not commodities."
Li Jun said.
"At least not entirely."
"What is that?"
"It is expression, it is recording, it is a love letter to time."
Li Jun said.
"Mr. Wang, you've been making movies for so many years, you should know more about them than I do."
Wang Zhonglei smiled bitterly: "I used to understand, but then I forgot. Later, when I tried to remember, I found I couldn't go back."
He looked at Li Jun: "You're better than me. You know what you want, and you dare to stick to it."
Li Jun didn't speak. He didn't know what to say.
"Cheng Guoqiang's matter—"
Wang Zhonglei suddenly said.
"I'm sorry. I was dishonest in dealing with that 100,000 yuan."
I will cover the remaining medical expenses.
Li Jun was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Wang Zhonglei to apologize.
"Master Cheng won't blame you."
Li Jun said.
"A person like him only has movies in his heart."
Wang Zhonglei nodded and downed his drink in one gulp: "I should go now. Best wishes for your trip to Berlin."
He turned and left, his figure appearing particularly lonely under the dazzling lights of the banquet hall.
Li Jun stood there, watching his figure disappear through the doorway.
"What did you say?" Zhang Liangying walked over.
"It's nothing."
Li Jun said.
"It just suddenly occurred to me that everyone has their own crossroads. If you take the right path, the world will be your oyster. If you take the wrong one, it might be your whole life."
"Did you go the right way?"
""
"I have no idea."
Li Jun looked at her.
"But I know that the path I'm walking with you is the right one."
Zhang Liangying's eyes reddened. She grasped his hand and held it tightly.
Shanghai outside the window is ablaze with lights.
And they, in this noisy night, in this bustling city, found their own quiet corner.
After returning to Beijing from Shanghai, Li Jun devoted himself to perfecting the final version of "Dreams of Mountains and Rivers".
The Berlin Film Festival has high requirements, requiring submission of both 35mm film and DCP digital versions.
Old Yang, along with A Feng, Old Zheng, and Su He, formed a post-production task force, spending every day in the studio polishing frame by frame.
In terms of color grading, Ah Feng made minor adjustments to make the overall tone of the film closer to the cool and austere feel of the New German Cinema.
In terms of mixing, Lao Zheng rebalanced the sound layers to ensure the best effect in the standard screening room of the film festival.
In terms of soundtrack, Su He added several environmental sound samples to make the sound world of the film more complete.
Li Jun was responsible for the final editing and fine-tuning.
He cut three shots that he felt were a bit redundant and added an empty shot, which is an animated version of Lin Mo's painting "The Passerby," which slowly appears at the end of the film and then fades out.
This shot lasts only five seconds, but it elevates the film's atmosphere to a whole new level.
The final version was completed in mid-December.
Li Jun, Lao Yang, A Feng, Lao Zheng, and Su He watched it one last time in the screening room.
Two hours and six minutes.
From the terraced fields shrouded in morning mist to the final, faint silhouette of distant mountains.
All the light and shadow, all the sounds, all the emotions, are condensed into this time.
At the end of the film, none of the five people spoke.
The screening room only had the end credits song, a variation by Su He using a few single notes on the guqin, ethereal and melodious, like an echo in the mountains.
"It's done."
Old Yang was the first to speak, his voice choked with emotion.
"That's fucking good."
Old Zheng wiped his eyes.
Ah Feng just nodded, unable to speak.
Su He clenched his fist: "This is the best sound design I've ever done."
Li Jun stood up and bowed deeply to the four of them: "Thank you. Without you, there would be no movie."
In late December, the Berlin Film Festival organizing committee sent a formal invitation:
"Mountains and Rivers in Dreams" has been shortlisted for the main competition and is vying for the Golden Bear Award.
The news caused a stir in the industry.
It's rare in Chinese film history that a low-budget art film, without a star-studded cast or commercial packaging, could be shortlisted for the main competition of the three major European film festivals.
The media was in an uproar.
Li Jun's phone was ringing off the hook, and his studio's inbox was overflowing with interview requests.
Yuan Tao had to hire two temporary assistants to handle these matters.
"Li Jun, you're famous now!"
Yuan Tao said excitedly on the phone.
"It's not the kind of commercial film that's popular, it's artistic recognition!"
Do you know what this means? It means you're a world-class director now!
Li Jun remained calm.
I'm happy, but I feel an even greater sense of responsibility. The film is about to face the test on the international stage, and I can't afford to embarrass myself.
He called Nicholas Tse and Qin Hailu.
Both were very excited and said they would definitely adjust their schedules to go to Berlin together.
"This is our movie."
Nicholas Tse said.
"Let's go and witness it together."
Lin Mo also called.
His painting "Passerby" garnered attention in the art world after being used as a movie poster and end credits animation, and several galleries wanted to hold a solo exhibition for him.
"Director Li, thank you."
Lin Mo said sincerely.
"You made my paintings visible to more people."
"It's because you draw well."
Li Jun said.
"Are you going to Berlin? The film festival has related art events, and your paintings can be exhibited."
"Really? Can I go?"
"Of course. I'll have Yuan Tao arrange it for you."
After hanging up the phone, Li Jun stood by the window of his studio.
It's snowing in Beijing; fine snowflakes are slowly falling from the gray sky.
He thought of the rain in southern Anhui, the nights in Shanghai, and all the little things that had happened over the past six months.
A film, from its inception to its creation, is like planting a seed, watching it sprout, branch out, grow leaves, and blossom. Now, it's time to bear fruit.
The quality of the fruit, however, should be judged by the world.
My phone vibrated; it was Zhang Liangying.
"Is Berlin settled?" she asked.
"It's settled, early February."
"I'll go with you."
"What about your new album launch?"
"It's been postponed."
Zhang Liangying said.
"Wouldn't it be better to call the album 'Wrinkles of Time' and release it at the same time as your movie?"
Li Jun laughed: "Are you trying to sell this to me as a package deal?"
"Is that not allowed?"
Zhang Liangying also smiled.
"Directors and singers, movies and music, are inherently interconnected."
"Okay, let's go together."
After hanging up the phone, Li Jun continued to look at the snow outside the window.
The new year is coming soon.
And he and his films are about to embark on a new journey.
Berlin, Europe, the world.
The invitation to the Berlin Film Festival was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples in Li Jun's life.
For the next month, he barely slept a full night.
Yuan Tao assembled a temporary team for him to handle all matters related to the trip to Berlin:
Itinerary planning, media coordination, material preparation, custom-made formal wear — and even a simple crash course in German.
"Although the official language of the film festival is English, it's always good to learn a few German phrases."
Yuan Tao handed a small booklet to Li Jun.
"Thank you" is the eggshell, and "hello" is "hello".
"I really liked this movie," said a visitor from Delfamu.
Li Jun opened the booklet, and the unfamiliar letter combinations gave him a headache.
He was more concerned about the film itself; the final version of the DCP had been sent to the Berlin organizing committee, and the film-to-magnet transfer was also underway.
Every day, Lao Yang would email the laboratory in Berlin to confirm the technical details.
"The Berlin Film Palace screening rooms use top-of-the-line Barco projectors and a Dolby Atmos sound system."
Old Yang reported this over the phone.
"Our sound design will be best presented there."
This gave Li Jun some comfort.
The sound design of "Dreaming of Mountains and Rivers" is the soul of the film; if the screening conditions are not up to standard, the effect will be greatly reduced.
As for the actors, Nicholas Tse and Qin Hailu have both adjusted their schedules and confirmed they will accompany the group.
Nicholas Tse even hired a German teacher, saying he wanted to "at least learn how to answer reporters' questions on the red carpet."
Qin Hailu, on the other hand, was more pragmatic. She contacted a Chinese designer living in Berlin and commissioned a dress for the film festival.
Instead of glamorous evening gowns, they were several well-tailored, modernized Chinese-style outfits that combined Eastern charm with European aesthetics.
"We can't dress too 'Chinese style,' that would seem deliberate."
Qin Hailu said in a video conference.
"But we can't completely Westernize and lose our own cultural identity. We need to strike a good balance."
Li Jun completely agreed.
He recalled Zhang Liangying's moon-white dress in Shanghai, simple yet elegant, possessing both Eastern beauty and modern flair. It was a perfect example.
Speaking of Jane Zhang, her new album "Time Wrinkles" has been recorded and the release event is scheduled for the Berlin Film Festival.
This is a clever arrangement to leverage the international attention garnered by the film festival to promote the album.
As the singer of the Chinese theme song for "Looper," she will also participate in several related events in Berlin.
"We will meet in Berlin."
Zhang Liangying said on the phone.
"Your movie premieres on February 14th, Valentine's Day."
My album release is on February 15th. Don't you think this is some kind of fate?
Li Jun laughed: "You arranged this?"
"Lionsgate arranged it."
Zhang Liangying also smiled.
"But I think it's great. Movies and music should be together."
Besides his work preparations, Li Jun also had to deal with a barrage of questions from the domestic media. Ever since the announcement of his nomination for Berlin, his studio has been constantly visited.
Every day, reporters want to schedule exclusive interviews, and every media outlet wants to get an exclusive.
Yuan Tao formulated a strict interview plan:
Before departure, I only accepted in-depth interviews from three authoritative media outlets, and turned down all others.
These three are Film World, CCTV's Cultural Viewpoint, and Southern Weekly.
The interview with Cinema World took place in the studio.
The reporter, a middle-aged man with a background in film studies, asked a very professional question: "Director Li, compared with your previous works, 'Dreams of Mountains and Rivers' shows a significant change in style."
Quieter, more reserved, and more focused on atmosphere. Is this a conscious transformation on your part?
"It's not a transformation, it's an evolution."
Li Jun answered.
"As we grow older and gain more experience, our way of expressing ourselves will naturally change."
When I was young, I liked things that were intense and outward; now I appreciate restraint and inner strength more.
"But such a film might not be well-received by the market. Are you worried?"
'
"I was worried, but I'm not worried now."
Li Jun said.
"Being shortlisted in Berlin gave me confidence—the standard for a good film is universal."
The quiet and steadfastness that the Chinese can understand, the Germans can understand, and the whole world can understand.
CCTV's interviews focused more on cultural export.
How can Chinese films go global?
It's a well-worn topic, but Li Jun has his own insights.
"It's not about 'moving towards,' it's about 'dialogue.'"
He said.
"We don't need to deliberately cater to Western aesthetics, nor do we need to cling to Eastern traditions."
Good art finds common human emotions and values while respecting the roots of each culture.
"The Dream of Mountains and Rivers" tells the story of perseverance during wartime, a theme that resonates across cultures.
A reporter from Southern Weekly asked a more personal question: "Director Li, what does the trip to Berlin mean to you personally?"
Li Jun thought for a moment: "It means—a partial answer. For years I've been asking myself:"
What exactly is film? Is it box office? Awards? Art? Or something else entirely? Now I think I have a preliminary answer:
Film is amber of time, a container of memories, and a love letter to the future.
The Berlin Film Festival was the first mailbox into which this love letter was mailed.
The interview article generated considerable buzz within the industry after its release.
Many people share Li Jun's quote, "Film is amber of time," believing that this statement accurately summarizes the essence of film art.
Three days before his departure, Li Jun went back to his parents' home.
My father is retired and spends his days tending to his flowers and walking his birds; my mother still teaches traditional Chinese painting at the community senior university. Seeing her son return, my mother was overjoyed and busied herself preparing a feast.
"It's cold in Berlin, bring more clothes."
My mother kept nagging during the meal.
"I packed a wool scarf in your suitcase. I knitted it myself; it'll keep you warm."
"Mom, Berlin has heating, so it's not cold indoors."
"It'll be cold going outside."
"That's what my mother insisted on."
"Also, I heard things are expensive abroad, so I packed some pickled vegetables and instant noodles for you to have when you don't like Western food."
Li Jun was both amused and exasperated, but felt a warm glow inside.
The father didn't say much, but silently served him food.
After dinner, the father and son sat on the balcony drinking tea.
In winter, it gets dark early in Beijing, and the lights of the buildings in the distance light up one by one.
"Dad, do you think I've made the right choice by taking the path of making movies?" Li Jun suddenly asked.
His father glanced at him and slowly took a sip of tea: "When you were little, I always wanted you to be a doctor or a teacher, something stable. But you wouldn't listen and insisted on going to film school."
Your mother and I both object.
He paused for a moment: "But looking back now, you made the right choice."
It's not easy to find something you love and do it well in your life.
You did it.
Li Jun's eyes felt a little hot.
"Berlin----"
The father continued.
"Perform well. It's not about winning awards, but about showing foreigners that Chinese films can be more than just kung fu and emperors; they can also be quiet and profound."
""