Chapter 00160: This is Chinese Cinema!
# This is Chinese Cinema!
Chapter 160
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 160: This is Chinese Cinema!
"I... I'm so nervous!"
The next day, at the opening ceremony, Gong Xue, wearing a white dress she had bought in Hong Kong, was so nervous that her forehead was sweating.
She wanted to take out a handkerchief to wipe it, but after fumbling around, she realized the dress didn’t have any pockets.
"It's fine, it's fine! You’ve already done sixteen roadshows in Hong Kong. Think of it as a rehearsal. If you’re really nervous, just imagine they’re all big radishes!"
"Brother Qi, I’m a bit nervous too!" said Jet Li.
"Why are you nervous? Even Nixon patted your head before!"
"It’s different. This is the red carpet. Wow, it’s so long..."
Jet Li exaggeratedly gestured with his hands, while Li Wenhua stood stiffly beside him, unable to speak.
This was the waiting area for the red carpet.
Seeing that it was almost their turn, Chen Qi quickly said, "Just remember: smile, wave, keep your head up, and walk confidently, just like in Hong Kong! Alright, let’s go!"
The four of them took a few steps and stepped onto the red carpet of the Berlin Film Festival.
The several-meter-wide crimson carpet stretched straight to the entrance of the main venue, the Zoo Palast cinema.
On both sides, barriers were set up, and reporters with their cameras were ready to shoot.
"Director Li, you’re walking awkwardly!"
"Gong Xue, don’t trip on your dress!"
"Wave! Wave!"
Chen Qi was like a mother hen, guiding the three rookies.
The reporters on both sides didn’t recognize them, but since they were from mainland China, they quickly raised their cameras to take photos.
Mainland China was still a mysterious place to them.
The three were dazzled by the flashing lights, but they managed to make it through without any mishaps.
Chen Qi had walked the red carpet many times in his past life.
As an investor or producer, he often brought along some low-tier celebrities, though he had never managed to bring any big names, not even someone like Fan Bingbing.
The red carpet wasn’t as glamorous as people thought.
Take the Cannes red carpet, for example.
Anyone with a ticket to the opening ceremony could walk it.
All sorts of minor celebrities and internet influencers had walked it, leading to widespread ridicule both domestically and internationally, tarnishing the reputation that Fan Bingbing had worked so hard to build.
"Whew!"
"That scared me to death!"
Gong Xue patted her chest, feeling both frightened and exhilarated.
This trip abroad had really broadened her horizons.
The four of them entered the main venue as guests to watch the opening ceremony.
After a while, Fu Qi and the others arrived, along with Fang Yurong and Fu Jingong.
However, they were there as part of the competition and had special seating arrangements.
The opening ceremony began quickly.
The chairman and the jury made their appearances, said a few words, and then the opening film was screened.
Li Wenhua, Gong Xue, and Jet Li were all frustrated because they couldn’t understand anything.
After finally enduring the ceremony, the group quickly left and headed straight for the market.
That was their real target.
…………
Mainland China didn’t have much experience with film festivals, so they only sent one official, Fang Yurong, to accompany them.
The festival covered their accommodation, but they had to pay for their own plane tickets, so they tried to save wherever they could.
Fang Yurong didn’t have much experience either, and she had to take care of two films.
On the first day, she was already overwhelmed.
Especially after the opening ceremony, when she realized Chen Qi and the others had disappeared, she panicked and searched everywhere.
She finally found them in the market and scolded them, "Don’t run off like that! What if something happened?"
"We’re not competing, so we might as well help Uncle Fu out," Chen Qi said with a smile.
"Xiao Yu, it’s fine. I’ll take care of them. I have a translator here too. You go and focus on *The Return of Swallows*," Fu Qi said, proving to be the ultimate support.
"That’s too much trouble for you! I’m really stretched thin... *The Return of Swallows* has a lot of events, so I won’t be able to look after you. Just follow Fu and call me if anything comes up!"
Fang Yurong hurried off.
As soon as she left, Chen Qi said, "Let’s set up our booth!"
And so, right next to *Deadly Turn*, another booth was set up, displaying *Tai Chi*! The setup was simple, with just a large poster and some pamphlets.
Chen Qi signaled to Jet Li, who immediately took off his jacket, revealing his martial arts uniform underneath.
He walked to the front of the booth and began performing a set of martial arts moves.
As he performed, he couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated.
Damn it, I used to perform for leaders, Nixon, and Kissinger.
Now, anyone can watch me?
"Oh! Kung fu!"
"Bruce Lee?"
The market was a large hall with rows of booths set up.
In those days, there wasn’t much in the way of new media technology, so it was all posters and pamphlets.
Film producers and buyers from all over the world gathered here, hoping to strike a deal.
Jet Li’s performance was like a firefly in the dark, instantly attracting a crowd of foreigners.
Chen Qi took the opportunity to hand out pamphlets, speaking fluent American English:
"An action film from China, even better than Bruce Lee! Tomorrow at 3 PM!"
Gong Xue’s English wasn’t great, but she did her best to help hand out pamphlets, smiling as she said, "Tomorrow at 3 PM, thank you for your support!"
"Tomorrow at 3 PM, thank you for your support!"
"Give me one!"
Suddenly, a tall, burly white man stood in front of them, looking at Jet Li with interest.
"You’re amazing! I’ve been to Berlin twice, and this is the first time I’ve seen a Chinese booth."
"Every journey starts with a single step. You should come and watch this film. You won’t be disappointed," Chen Qi said with a smile.
"Of course! Let me introduce myself. Harvey Weinstein, from America!"
"You can call me Chen!"
Chen Qi shook his hand with a smile, watching his back as he walked away.
He couldn’t help but snort.
So this old guy is here too.
He must be just starting out, right?
Harvey Weinstein had founded Miramax in 1979. He was known for scouting films overseas, buying them at low prices, and then distributing them in the U.
S.
He was a master of public relations, with over 300 Oscar nominations and more than 70 wins for the films he handled.
His infamous "casting couch" had seen more Hollywood actresses than anyone else’s.
If they agreed, fine.
If not, he would force himself on them.
Many actresses, fearing his power, dared not speak out.
He wasn’t just a lecherous old man—he was a rapist.
During the later Hollywood cleanup, he was sentenced to over a decade in prison.
Weinstein loved buying Chinese films. *Hero*, *Shaolin Soccer*, *The Promise*—all of these were distributed in the U.
S. by him.
But for now, he was still a newcomer, not yet a big name at the festival.
After a day of setting up their booth, many big shots had shown interest in *Tai Chi*.
Chen Qi collected a stack of business cards, including those from major players like Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox.
…………
While *Tai Chi* was preparing to make a breakthrough, *The Return of Swallows* finally made its appearance.
Chairman Hadel was very serious about it, almost accompanying them the entire time.
Whenever there was an event, he was there.
He specifically arranged for *The Return of Swallows* to be screened at the Zoo Palast and invited a large number of media outlets.
"Director Fu, how do you feel?"
"Ah, to be honest, I never thought in my lifetime that my film would be shown in such a setting."
On the second floor of the screening room, Fu Jingong was extremely excited.
He was a typical old-school director trained by the domestic system, the kind that the film bureau loved—steady and ideologically correct...
There was nothing wrong with that, but it was a bit outdated.
Fang Yurong translated for him, and Hadel smiled.
"This is a good start. Whether your work wins an award or not, the Chinese flag is already flying over the Zoo Palast. That in itself is significant."
"Yes, yes!"
Fu Jingong nodded repeatedly, his face glowing with pride.
Indeed, he had come with the mindset of bringing glory to his country, much like an athlete competing in the Olympics for the first time.
As the first Chinese film to compete for the Golden Bear, Western media paid special attention.
Reporters sat in the front and middle rows of the audience, while the back rows were filled with regular viewers who had bought tickets.
Phillip and Matteo were good friends and film enthusiasts.
Hearing that a Chinese film was competing, they had specifically bought tickets to come.
"Hey, buddy, did you understand the synopsis of this film?"
"It seems to be about a man and a woman who separate, reunite, and then separate again... Probably a love story?"
"Wow, what would a Chinese love story be like? Something like Soviet films? I heard they’ve opened up a bit."
"Will we see any nudity?"
"Probably not. If there were, the festival would definitely ban it."
As they chatted, *The Return of Swallows* began.
(End of Chapter)