386. Am I losing it too?

The scene became somewhat awkward at one point.

Even the cheerful background music seemed out of place.

All the camera lenses were pointed at the empty space next to Lu Ban.

All eyes were on that spot, waiting for a miracle to happen.

Some people imagined Amber emerging from some dark place to amaze everyone; some imagined Amber descending from the sky, suspended by wires onto the stage; and some imagined a spotlight shining on her, revealing the incredibly beautiful girl already seated in the audience.

But nothing happened.

The band seemed a bit lost, and the host and award presenters looked at Lu Ban with blank expressions.

At this moment, Lu Ban seemed to pat the "person" next to him on the shoulder and said a few words, as if to encourage him.

The music started playing again, and the spotlight inexplicably began to move.

There are generally two modes for spotlights in a venue: manual lighting and automatic tracking. The automatic tracking mode is similar to camera focusing, automatically tracking a person's face. In complex situations, it is usually a combination of automatic tracking and manual adjustment by the lighting technician.

Now that the spotlight is on, it means...

The guests held their breath, watching the spotlight gradually move toward the stage, which, though empty, seemed to have someone inside.

As the lights moved, the scene fell silent.

Many people are thinking, confused, and searching for answers.

Why would Lu Ban do this?

What is the point of doing this?

Why do spotlights move with the void?

Could the Amber really be there?

At that moment, a senior figure in the art world, sitting in the front row, suddenly clapped.

Starting with him, the entire venue began to applaud, the thunderous applause drowning out the music and deafeningly loud.

The spotlight came to the stage and to the award presenter.

It was as if there was a person standing there.

The Cannes Best Actress who presented the award hesitated for a moment, but soon she seemed to understand something and revealed that healing and mysterious smile.

She picked up the trophy and handed it to the person next to her, as if there really was someone there.

However, nothing caught it.

The trophy was placed on the ground and in the center of the spotlight.

The applause stopped at that moment.

The audience fell silent, staring at the trophy on the ground as if they were listening to Amber's acceptance speech.

The silence lasted for a while, and after a moment, Lu Ban led the applause.

"Well said!"

He cheered.

Applause spread outwards from Lu Ban.

The guests present seemed to have heard a brilliant and inspiring speech, and displayed a fervent attitude.

Outside the venue, Pang Zhen and Bai Qiquan bewildered.

"What is this, performance art?"

Pang Zhen didn't understand.

"Yes, yes, I understand!"

Bai Qiquan pondered for a moment and seemed to have found the answer.

"This needs to be considered in conjunction with Director Lu's previous statements. He said that Amber is a real person, her story is beyond his control, and she is a living, breathing person. This means that the character has transcended the actor and is above our understanding!"

"Since the character Amber is dead, the actress who plays her should not appear in front of the audience. If she does, it will ruin the atmosphere of the film."

"Therefore, it would be perfect if Amber didn't appear at this time!"

"Right now, she may not appear before us, but in reality, it is precisely because of this that she can appear before us; it is precisely because she does not exist that she exists!"

"Her acceptance speech seemed to have nothing at all, but in fact, it was precisely this blank space that filled her with infinite possibilities. Whatever you thought she would say, she said. This is the true essence of art, the best display of human imagination!"

"Director Lu's move was brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"

"?"

Upon hearing her boyfriend's explanation, Pang Zhen's first reaction was that this guy must have something wrong with his brain.

But thinking about it carefully, with so many big names in the film industry present, it's impossible that everyone was out of their minds, right?

Their applause didn't seem like a performance; it seemed more like a genuine expression of their feelings.

So, is this a difference in artistic understanding?

She glanced at the live broadcast on the large screen outside the cinema, at the lone trophy under the spotlight.

As she watched, Pang Zhen suddenly felt as if there really was a person standing there, smiling at the audience.

When the spotlight dimmed and then came back on, the trophy was gone.

"Am I out of my mind?"

Pang Zhen was completely bewildered.

The host calmly continued announcing the next item: the grand prize, the Palme d'Or.

For the audience at the scene, the answer was already self-evident.

If "Spring No War," which won Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress, fails to win the Palme d'Or and complete its grand slam, it would be an insult to art, a regret for Cannes, and history would remember this shameful moment.

The award presenter, a veteran of the French art film industry and one of the organizers of the Cannes Film Festival, picked up the envelope. Almost without hesitation, as if he knew the answer himself, he opened the envelope and read out the name on it.

"Best Film: ' Spring No War,' directed by Lu Ban."

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted as Lu Ban arrived at the awards ceremony.

Taking the heavy trophy with its crystal base and pure gold palm leaf decorations, Lu Ban went to the microphone.

"I've already said almost everything I could say in the previous few times."

Hearing Lu Ban's teasing, many people at the scene laughed good-naturedly.

Being able to stand on the stage of Cannes and give an acceptance speech is an honor that many people can hardly attain, let alone speak several times in the same year.

"As I said, I wanted to bring a different feeling to everyone with this movie, a story about warmth, growth, and healing. I believe that the audience who has watched the whole movie will definitely understand my thoughts."

"I believe that times have changed and humanity has reached a point where it must change itself to adapt to the future. While maintaining the status quo, we must also make some changes, otherwise civilization will only face destruction."

"I make movies not for fame or profit, but for the world. I only hope that my insignificant contribution can delay the process of world destruction by just a little bit, and that will be enough."

Lu Ban's speech gave the audience a lot to think about.

Some believe that "Lu Ban" refers to the increasingly serious environmental problems, and that if humanity does not seize the time to promote environmentalism, the Earth will be overburdened.

Some believe that Lu Ban refers to the current art world, where many people hold outdated ideas, are stuck in their ways, and suppress new talents. If this continues, art will not survive.

Some believe that Lu Ban is criticizing the current film industry, arguing that most people are just filling their positions without contributing anything and are destroying the film industry, while his existence is to save the entire film industry.

Some people believe that Lu Ban refers to his own creative work. From classic horror thrillers to current art films, Lu Ban has surpassed himself in order to keep moving forward and making progress.

No one voiced their true thoughts; instead, they exchanged understanding, healing, and mysterious smiles.