Chapter 00132: Berlin
# Berlin
Chapter 132
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 132: Berlin
"Three steamed buns, a bowl of mixed grain porridge, and some pickles, please."
In the morning canteen, Chen Qi held his lunchbox, waiting to get his food.
There were no buffet trays here, just aluminum lunchboxes.
The porridge was poured in, pickles sprinkled on top, and the buns were skewered with chopsticks, ready to be taken away.
Fortunately, he had some money and could occasionally treat himself to better meals.
He glanced around and sat down across from Gong Xue, who was eating even less—just a single coarse grain bun.
The two often ate together, and the factory workers were used to it, though some were jealous and had even reported them for having an "improper relationship."
But that kind of accusation usually referred to affairs or extramarital relationships, like the ones involving Liu Xiaoqing and Pan Hong.
Both Chen Qi and Gong Xue were single, so what was improper about it? The factory leaders didn’t want to get involved.
As for the charge of "hooliganism," would Gong Xue report Chen Qi for being a hooligan? Well, if he went too far, maybe she would.
"Director Yang Jie mentioned something to me," Gong Xue said.
"She asked if I’d be interested in playing the role of Qin Xianglian."
"What do you think?" Chen Qi asked.
"I’m quite interested. I don’t have any roles lined up right now, and I’d like to try different types of characters."
Seeing him hesitate, Gong Xue asked, "You don’t like the idea of me playing that role?"
"No, no, it’s not that. I just think…"
Chen Qi felt that TV dramas were still in their early stages and wouldn’t do much for her career.
He didn’t want her to waste her time, but if she really wanted to do it, they’d have to consider the schedule.
He said, "I just think there might be a conflict. The Tai Chi Master will finish filming in August, and post-production will take about six months. It should be ready by early next year. We’ll have a lot of promotional activities, and TV dramas tend to drag on. There’s a good chance the schedules will clash. I think you should focus on the movie first. Besides, what if a new movie comes along and you’re tied up with the TV drama? That would be a loss."
Gong Xue didn’t respond, so Chen Qi asked, "Do you really want to do it?"
"I’ve never played a role like Qin Xianglian before. She’s a mother with two kids. It’s a real challenge."
"Then talk to Director Yang. We’ll make sure you get time off for The Tai Chi Master promotions. But you’ll only give her a certain number of days, say two months. If it goes over, you walk away."
"Ah? That doesn’t seem right!"
Gong Xue shook her head, repeating, "No, no, that’s not good!"
"The situation is what it is. We’re just being upfront about the conditions. It’s not like we’re being difficult."
"What do you mean by 'being difficult'?"
"Putting on airs, acting all high and mighty, thinking you’re the center of the universe wherever you go."
After some discussion, Chen Qi made the final decision.
"Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll give them the script in September. That gives them four months to prepare. If they can start filming by January, you can do it. If not, forget it. If they can’t get a six-episode TV drama ready in four months, who knows how long they’ll drag it out? Time is precious. We need to make effective choices."
Gong Xue thought it over and nodded.
"Alright, I’ll listen to you."
…………
Room 302.
Chen Qi sat at his desk, writing on a sheet of paper.
In no time, he had finished two song lyrics.
Music was a big highlight in movies and TV shows.
Done well, it could stand the test of time and add a lot of charm.
One of the songs was naturally the theme song for The Tai Chi Master, titled Who Is the Hero: "The blood runs hot, the earth trembles, all for a glimpse of your smile… Who is the hero? It’s none other than me…"
He could write the lyrics, but he couldn’t compose the music, let alone arrange it.
The composer for Who Is the Hero was Bian Liunian, but the guy was only in his teens right now.
Chen Qi would have to find someone else to compose the music and then find a singer.
The other song was an insert song for the scenes where Yang Yuqian and Chen Shaomei were traveling and enjoying the scenery.
It was called The Beauty’s Song: "Blue skies above, the water flows gently, a jade hand raises the whip, the horse trots on, the moon rises over the willow branches…"
The original singer was Li Lingyu, from The Secret History of Xiaozhuang.
Some of the lyrics didn’t fit, so Chen Qi made some changes.
He’d also need to find someone to compose the music.
Li Lingyu was 17 this year and probably still in the Beijing Yue Opera Troupe.
He could go check her out later.
"Speaking of which, she’s the first-generation 'Queen of Sweet Songs.' In the '80s, every one of her albums sold over a million copies, and her best one sold eight million. By the '90s, it was Yang Yuying’s turn…"
"How old is Yang Yuying now? Just nine, right?"
Chen Qi clicked his tongue in amazement.
He was only 11 years older than her.
He put away the two lyrics and started thinking about the release of The Tai Chi Master.
Timing-wise, the most suitable film festival would be the Berlin Film Festival early next year.
A martial arts film becoming part of the main competition was something the domestic authorities would never agree to, but that was fine.
Just being able to screen it there would be enough.
If they could get approval for Berlin, they could contact the leftists and release it in Hong Kong first.
Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year season would be perfect.
So the plan was: release in Hong Kong first, connect with East and Southeast Asian distributors, then go to Berlin and connect with European and American distributors.
That would be the ideal approach…
"But I’m not capable of handling all this," Chen Qi sighed.
This kind of thing was beyond his reach.
It involved a lot of official connections, and only someone like Old Director Wang Yang could deal with it.
"I’ve done all I can. Now it’s up to you, Old Director!"
…………
Fang Yurong was from Shanghai.
After graduating from the Foreign Language Institute, she was assigned to work in film import and export at China Film.
This year, she was sent to Germany for further studies, where she met a big shot—Harald, the chairman of the Berlin Film Festival.
Harald gave her the authority to become a film selector for the festival.
"Yu, I hope you can bring a Chinese film to compete. Let the Chinese flag fly high at the festival!"
Harald’s attitude was urgent, and his intention to win her over was clear.
The year before, the American Vietnam War film The Deer Hunter had been screened at the festival, and the socialist bloc countries had protested, claiming that many scenes in the film insulted the Vietnamese people.
Berlin was a complicated place, with East Germany on one side and West Germany on the other.
But the festival believed that art shouldn’t take sides and tried to remain neutral.
As a result, all the socialist countries, including the Soviet Union, withdrew their films, and two judges resigned.
A film festival thrives on a rich variety of films, a gathering of talents from all over.
Having offended the socialist bloc, Harald was desperate to fill the gap and turned his attention to the untapped market of mainland China.
This friendly attitude would last for decades.
Zhang Yimou’s Red Sorghum winning the Golden Bear wasn’t just because of the film itself—it also had something to do with this stance.
Fang Yurong had returned to China this time specifically to select films.
And with this opportunity, she became one of the first people in the country to look overseas.
Later, she became the general manager of New Picture Company—the one founded by Zhang Weiping and Zhang Yimou, which played a big role in distributing Zhang Yimou’s films abroad.
Now, she stood at the entrance of the Film Bureau, feeling the Berlin Film Festival authorization letter in her bag, and strode inside.
As soon as she entered the building, she bumped into Wang Yang and was startled.
"Old Director!"
"Little Yu?"
Wang Yang recognized her and asked, "I heard you were sent to Germany for studies. Are you done?"
"Yes, I’m back for some business. Take care!"
She hurried inside, and Wang Yang, with his old revolutionary instincts, sensed something was up.
"Damn it, there’s something fishy going on!"
He rolled his eyes, turned around, and went back into the building.
(End of Chapter)