Shen Shanden praised it a little. "Apple is a realistic, urban fringe subject that's popular for winning overseas awards. Director Jia and the others all make this kind of film."
"But," Fan Bingbing reclined against the bed and slowly helped him lead into the next point, word by word.
"Yes, but." Shen Shanden said, "That trend is for countries within America's allied system, not for us."
"I'll break it down and you'll understand. Urban fringe subjects are about marginalized groups in cities."
"First, there's a city. That alone won't do. What they want is the countryside. Their dream is for us to still be in the Qing Dynasty."
"Then there's 'fringe,' which corresponds to a center. That means there are still beneficiaries at the center of the city. That's even worse."
"And 'groups' is a disaster. It means there are marginalized people in the city, central populations too, and even quite a lot of people."
"Isn't that just a normal city in a Western country? And if there isn't a police siren every few dozen minutes, it implies you even have decent public safety."
"Oh my God! To Western film festivals, that's terrifying. There's a city, plenty of people in it, central populations and marginalized populations, plus pretty good public safety."
"And making this kind of film in the first place is meant to show that the director cares about marginalized groups, thereby demonstrating a sense of morality."
"And you actually have a sense of morality. You're even someone with 'noble' feelings, a decent gentleman."
"You have cities, population, public safety, and gentlemen. That's downright outrageous."
"The subject itself no longer matters. You're not giving them the stereotype they want."
"From the director's perspective, filming an urban fringe story means showing that he uses art to care about marginalized people and follows Western values."
"But to the West, that's an insult."
Fan Bingbing was rendered speechless.
She had originally thought Shen Shanden would chat with her about art, then they would undress and get down to business, keeping up that artist's mood.
Who would have thought he would really discuss winning overseas awards with her, and do so this profoundly?
The key was that she understood it!
This was even crazier than their last conversation about the domestic entertainment industry!
Fan Bingbing cracked. "Y-you, that's twisted logic!"
"Whether it's twisted or not, you know perfectly well."
Shen Shanden said, "Use my standards to look at Tuya's premise. Isn't it exceptionally gifted? A grassland story, a primitive landscape. That alone is far stronger than Apple, which drew from the city."
At that point, Shen Shanden could not help complaining, "What were you people thinking? One of the characters is a high-rise window washer."
"Doesn't Li Yu understand? High-rise window washing as a profession means there are skyscrapers, and there can't be too few of them, or the job wouldn't exist as a profession."
"With just that one character, no amount of exotic framing will help."
"To put it bluntly, even if two people of the same sex were actually having sex in a skyscraper, it still wouldn't work. That skyscraper shouldn't exist in the first place!"
"Unless you renamed it Lost Beijing and aimed to get banned. Then maybe you'd have a shot."
"The reason you made it into the main competition lineup was probably related to the revised title. The tone was just too wrong."
"A high-rise window washer."
Shen Shanden clicked his tongue in amazement, almost amused by his own words.
He could practically imagine the agonizing deliberations of the Art Directors and committee members involved.
Was this sucking up to them?
This was slapping them in the face.
Fan Bingbing remained silent for a long time.
Her head faintly buzzed as years of artistic understanding vanished in an instant.
If she had not been involved, if she had not been the lead actress or the one pushing the project together, she could have lied to herself. But she was.
Fan Bingbing shuddered and grabbed a pillow, smashing it against the bed.
Then she started hitting herself with it.
"Don't, don't do that."
Shen Shanden quickly wrapped his arms around her, stopping her from getting worked up.
Fan Bingbing cried. She had shattered.
"You're horrible! Why did you tell me all this? Do you know how much I suffered to make this movie? You made me look like a clown!"
In her breakdown, Fan Bingbing told him many behind-the-scenes stories about Apple.
To get the project approved, they first made it into a Co-production Film and registered it on Hong Kong Island.
When that still did not work, they changed distributors to Bona Film Group. Bona Film Group had connections, and only then did it barely get approved.
Shen Shanden was speechless as he listened.
So it was predecessors like you who had completely blocked the road behind you.
With two years left until the Olympics, regulations concerning films seeking foreign awards were tightened.
Shen Shanden had considered taking the overseas award route himself. At the time, he felt the restrictions were excessive, but later he learned that some predecessors had exploited the timing to please outsiders.
Put plainly, the stereotypes people in later years held about art films already existed within the relevant departments.
The moment they heard about seeking awards abroad, they thought of smearing the country, of using their own ugly or beautiful stories to please the West. It had become a conditioned reflex.
Those before planted trees so those after could enjoy the shade. Those before cut down the trees so those after had to bake in the sun.
Every carrot had its hole. The Fifth Generation and Sixth Generation directors occupying those holes could keep making movies, but new carrots had new rules.
At this rate, if some of those carrots exposed themselves, retired, or died, their positions might not necessarily be passed down.
When some films in later years could not be released and pretended to be victims, it was probably not because the authorities were obstructing them. The films themselves simply had problems.
It could not be said that all ten out of ten were like that, but nine and a half out of ten probably were.
You had to trust the average standard of the film industry.
Sunlight fell across her face.
The winter sun was warm.
Splash, splash!
The sound of water woke Fan Bingbing. She opened her eyes, her pupils shrinking instinctively as she checked that her clothes had not been touched. Then she remembered what had happened the night before and relaxed.
The emotional shock, combined with the exhausting journey, had put her to sleep.
Fan Bingbing wiped her face with a wet tissue, then instinctively teased Shen Shanden as he emerged from the bathroom after showering. "I gave you a chance yesterday. Are you okay?"
Shen Shanden immediately went red with fury.
Then Fan Bingbing realized she had been wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.
"I was wrong. I'm sorry."
"Too late."
"Let me use the bathroom first. Let me shower first."
Fan Bingbing still managed to secure some time to deal with her personal hygiene. Then the humidity in the bathroom gradually rose, and before long, water was appearing on people too.
"Okay or not? Okay or not?"
"Not okay!"
"Say that again?"
"Okay, it's more than okay! So okay it can't be put into words!"
"Is there anything wrong with me?"
"Nothing's wrong."
"Can I do it?"
"You can! You can!"
"Do I count as a man?"
"You do! You do!"
"Am I a man?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
"What kind of man am I?"
"You're an upright, towering man!"
"Do you object to Chen Hao joining the cast?"
"Yes!"
"Say that again?"
"Yes."
"Say that again."
"No more. I surrender, no more. Chen Hao should be in it. I shouldn't have gotten angry."
"You got angry for no reason, so you're a bad woman!"
"I'm not—"
"Say you are!"
"I'm not."
"You are!"
"I am!"
"What are you?"
"I'm a bad woman! I'm a bad woman! I stole Mimi's man, I'm a bad woman, sob sob sob~~~"
Sixty minutes later.
Forget being called a bad woman. Even if he called her a cat or dog, Fan Bingbing would have accepted it.
"You're not human!"
Fan Bingbing returned from the clouds, timidly accusing him.
"Why, not convinced?"
Shen Shanden glanced at her. "Let's be clear, I was afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it, so I didn't even use my full strength."
"Of course, you can try."
Shen Shanden let Fan Bingbing choose whether to gamble on whether he still had bullets.
Fan Bingbing did not dare gamble and hurriedly said, "I meant you're an extraordinary man."
The sun was high in the sky.
The little assistant entered the room and jumped in fright.
"The thermos is broken?"
Fan Bingbing naturally knew what had shattered. Of course, it was her beliefs.
She hurriedly packed her things and fled as though she were escaping.
Shen Shanden quietly hid his accomplishments and reputation.
Mission accomplished: the lead actress had been soothed!
He had given everything for the film!
The main cast of The Grand Director arrived one after another, sending the project into the fast lane.
February 23.
The sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the production side released news that Chen Hao had joined the cast.
Fan Bingbing and Chen Hao entering the same project and crew sparked heated discussion.
After that.
A series of major official announcements followed.
On February 25, the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, Huang Xiaoming officially announced that he had joined The Grand Director.
On March 3, before the Lantern Festival, Chen Kun, who had previously been rumored for the role, officially announced that he had joined The Grand Director as the male lead.
With Fan Bingbing, Chen Kun, Huang Xiaoming, Chen Hao, Wu Jing, and several other top-tier stars joining, no one inside or outside the industry looked down on The Grand Director anymore.
Judging from the star-studded cast alone, it was already no weak project.
It was no longer an ordinary mid-budget production and increasingly lived up to its title as an important China Film Group project.
Where some people were happy, others were naturally uncomfortable.
Sun Li felt miserable. She had clearly been there first. Chen Hao joining the cast only further proved how valuable the role of "Su Xiaoxiao" was.
If she had never been given the chance to get that role, she would not have felt so awful.
But that chance had landed in her hands first.
It was like buying a stock you had high hopes for, then selling after it rose a few points for various reasons. Sure, you had made a little money, but the stock had doubled, and not only doubled but kept climbing. At that point, buying it back was impossible.
It was agonizing.
Sun Li had argued with Huang Li too many times and had not wanted to debate it anymore, but she could not help herself.
The Grand Director had already taken on a certain symbolic meaning, representing a collective breakthrough through the ceiling for the mainland's new and middle generations.
This was not merely fame and profit. It was also honor.
Originally, she had been mentioned alongside Wu Jing, Chen Kun, and Fan Bingbing.
In her distress, Sun Li could not help texting Shen Shanden about her troubles.
Even when she only occasionally received a response, it was stern instruction, yet it made her feel relieved instead.
After the Lantern Festival.
The Grand Director's crew held casting for non-main roles, declaring, "Reject Hidden Rules," and inviting university students to supervise.
As its reputation grew, The Grand Director's collaboration talks with relevant parties became smoother and smoother, and the project operated more fluidly.
March 23.
The Grand Director's crew released its first batch of stills and announced that casting had been completed.
April.
At the beginning of the month, preparations for The Grand Director entered an accelerated phase.
Chen Kun began joining the crew for physical conditioning and martial arts training.
Shen Shanden visited major film and television production bases, personally inspecting the locations selected by the assistant directors and producers for final approval.
Midmonth.
The main cast and creative team gradually arrived to take part in rehearsals and script readings.
May arrived.
Shen Shanden invited Han Sanping, China Film Group's newly appointed chairman, to attend the start of filming ceremony.
An all-star cast had its advantages and disadvantages. No matter how well things were discussed in private, every star's individual needs had to be balanced.
Unless there was someone who could keep all the stars in line.
Shen Shanden had invited Chen Daoming for a cameo, but that still was not enough. Fortunately, he had a trump card: the old man.
Once he played it, every star would have to behave.
Shen Shanden did not like playing games that tested human nature. He believed more in nipping conflicts in the bud before they could erupt.
If he had a card, he would play it.
Han Sanping gladly accepted the invitation.
More importantly, Han Sanping had not expected Shen Shanden to bootstrap The Grand Director, a project worth tens of millions, into its current momentum from nothing.
Among China Film Group's many projects, The Grand Director was more than worthy of a place near the top.
No one had bestowed that ranking upon it. The project itself already had the strength to earn it.
It was no less impressive than the company's key projects helmed by Big Directors with major casts!
No matter how Shen Shanden had done it, he had done it.
Han Sanping had seen John Woo's underhanded moves, as well as the Hong Kong and Taiwan media stirring things up. Those forces had worked with the media to repeatedly paint The Grand Director's all-star cast as lacking box-office appeal, giving the project special significance.
Han Sanping could not refuse!
He knew Shen Shanden was aiming for Paperclip. As long as that project was completed, it would most likely succeed.
Putting aside the long-term goal of upgrading the Blockbuster Strategy, and putting aside how Shen Shanden's success would give him another formidable general, simply breaking the rejection and suppression of the mainland's New Generation was enough to draw him in.
As a leader, if he still did not dare to charge forward at a time like this, he would never have reached his current position.
A true leader dared to take responsibility!
May 4th, Youth Day.
After more than four months of preparation, The Grand Director crew held its start of filming ceremony in Wuxi.
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