Chapter 00196: Animation
# Animation
Chapter 196
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 196: Animation
Just as the domestic literary and art circles were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards, the Cannes Film Festival, one of the three major European film festivals, had already kicked off.
Isabelle Adjani won the Best Actress award, with two films competing simultaneously: "Quartet" and "Possession"! I highly recommend "Possession," which features scenes of Adjani and the devil getting intimate...
Starting with the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, this year officially marked the beginning of Chinese films venturing overseas.
The Chinese film delegation also made its first appearance at Cannes, bringing two films for screening: "Street Angel" and "Wanderings of Sanmao."
Note that these were for screening, not competition.
The first Chinese film to compete would have to wait until next year's "The True Story of Ah Q."
Objectively speaking, at this stage, while Western audiences were curious about Chinese films, they weren't entirely sure what they wanted to see.
It wasn't until the emergence of the Fifth Generation directors that this demand was perfectly met.
With Chen Kaige's "Yellow Earth" and Zhang Yimou's "Red Sorghum" as representatives, foreigners took one look and exclaimed, "Yes! This is exactly what we want to see! Keep making films like this!"
What kind of films?
Those that depicted the nation's ethnic, barbaric, and backward aspects, a society bound by oppressive feudal traditions, oppressed men and women, and the struggle between the awakened and the conservative—these were the films that Western audiences adored.
The initial awards might have been coincidental, like with "Red Sorghum."
But the subsequent similar films were deliberately tailored to fit this mold, such as "Ju Dou" and "Raise the Red Lantern."
Let's not debate the quality of these films, but it's clear that both the directors and overseas investors knew that such films would be well-received at film festivals and had a high chance of winning awards.
In a way, the West defined Chinese cinema, and Chinese cinema willingly allowed itself to be defined.
By the late 1990s, as Chinese society developed, making films about feudal traditions felt too distant, and thus the Sixth Generation directors emerged.
They focused on the marginalized groups within China during its social transformation, and once again, Western audiences found a new point of interest.
While the Fifth Generation at least attempted to transition, the Sixth Generation dove headfirst into this niche, fully embracing the Western-defined mold, a trend that continues to this day.
For example, Lou Ye made a film "reflecting" the domestic pandemic situation and went to Cannes to curry favor with the West.
The foreign audience was so put off that many left midway through the screening, and the film ended up receiving a score of zero.
Lou Ye's original intention was to critique various inhumane authoritarian behaviors in China, but to the foreigners, it came across as, "Sure, you lost parents and children, and the hearses lined up like dragons, but we couldn't order takeout for three months! We couldn't go out for three months!"
The foreigners didn't see it as a critique of China but rather as a critique of themselves.
To this day, the voice of Chinese cinema has not kept pace with the growth of the nation's influence.
On one hand, it's due to a lack of effort, and on the other, tracing back to the roots, the issue stems from the 1980s.
...
Back to the story, Chen Qi was in Hangzhou, working on his script while waiting for the awards ceremony.
Occasionally, he would treat He Qing, the chubby girl, to a meal.
In the blink of an eye, it was May 22nd, the eve of the ceremony.
It seemed as if all the notable figures in the literary and art circles had suddenly gathered in Hangzhou.
The Beijing Film Studio sent a team led by Wang Haowei for "Romance on Lushan Mountain."
The Shanghai Film Studio was the most prominent, with two major hits: "Legend of Tianyun Mountain" and "Evening Rain."
The renowned director Xie Jin was also present.
Simply put, this year's ceremony was a showdown between "Romance on Lushan Mountain" and those two films.
The rest were just there to make up the numbers.
There were no flashy events like press conferences, star meet-and-greets, or red carpet walks.
It was more like a grand gathering of the literary and art circles.
These people didn't get to see each other often, so when they finally had the chance to gather, they visited each other, chatting and catching up.
Chen Qi had moved out of the previous guesthouse and into a hotel arranged by the organizing committee.
He also had people he wanted to visit, not the big stars or directors, but a very niche group within the literary and art circles.
"I don't know what the higher-ups were thinking, bringing 'Street Angel' and 'Wanderings of Sanmao' to the festival. Those are works from decades ago. When the French see them, they'll think we're still living in the old society!"
In the room, Xu Jingda was holding an industry magazine, also discussing the Cannes Film Festival.
Ma Kexuan laughed, "At least it's safe. Who knows what could happen if we brought other films? Hey, Lao Xu, it seems like there's an intention to venture overseas. Should we apply?"
"Apply for screening?"
"No, for competition! When it comes to live-action films, we don't dare to speak up, but for animation, haha, Chinese animation fears no one!"
These two were directors from the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, having worked on or directed films like "Havoc in Heaven," "The Cowherd's Flute," and "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King."
This time, they brought "Three Monks."
"Taking 'Three Monks' overseas? Will it work?"
"Absolutely, we know the quality of this film..."
"Knock knock knock!"
As they were talking, someone knocked on the door.
Xu Jingda went to open it and saw a young man he didn't recognize, who introduced himself, "Hello, seniors, my name is Chen Qi. I came specifically to visit!"
Chen Qi?!
Xu Jingda and Ma Kexuan had naturally heard of him and were puzzled.
What does he want with us, who make animation?
"Oh, please come in! Please come in!"
"Your visit is quite a surprise!"
"My apologies, I've watched your works more than ten times and truly admire them. Knowing you were staying here, I came to disturb you. Please forgive the intrusion."
Chen Qi was very polite, and the two couldn't just turn him away.
They smiled and said, "Since you're here, have a seat. The awards ceremony is a grand reunion of the literary and art circles. We just didn't expect someone who makes live-action films to also like animation."
"Ah, animation is severely underestimated. I've always believed that animation is suitable for all ages and holds great value. In some ways, it's even more worthy of being spread than live-action films."
Chen Qi's enthusiastic praise quickly warmed up the atmosphere, and the three of them engaged in a lively discussion, covering various aspects of the animation industry both domestically and internationally.
Chinese animation, starting with "Havoc in Heaven" in 1961, followed by "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King," "Three Monks," "Afanti," "Snow Kid," "The Deer of Nine Colors," "The Magic Brush," and then the longer series like "Calabash Brothers," "Shuke and Beita," "Magic Cube," and "The Slob King," truly produced a series of masterpieces.
Animation films were particularly popular overseas, winning numerous awards.
Unfortunately, by the late 1990s, the industry declined, with "Lotus Lantern" being the last masterpiece.
It wasn't until nearly 20 years later that it began to rise again...
Chen Qi was here to build connections.
Animation was a crucial part of his plans.
After a long and wide-ranging conversation, he finally got to the point before leaving: "May I ask, if we were to make a film of the same length and difficulty as 'Nezha Conquers the Dragon King,' or even more challenging, how long would it take?"
"We started preparations in May 1978 and completed it in August 1979, taking a year and three months," Xu Jingda said.
"That fast? Oh, I mean, I thought it would take several years!"
"It depends on the specific drawing difficulty. The character designs, costumes, backgrounds, and props in 'Nezha Conquers the Dragon King' were actually quite simplified. 'Havoc in Heaven' was much more complex, with the drawing alone taking two years for both parts."
"And how much would it cost?"
"..."
Xu Jingda and Ma Kexuan exchanged glances, sensing something, but didn't give a specific number, instead offering a rough estimate: "Over a million!"
"Ah, I see... Well, I've taken up enough of your time. I should be going!"
Chen Qi now had a rough idea of how long it would take and how much it would cost to make an animated film.
He stood up to leave.
Of course, he wasn't planning to start now.
He would wait until his company had saved up some money.
With the elite animators from the Shanghai Animation Film Studio still around, it would be a shame not to make a few more films while he had the chance.
(End of Chapter)