novellhall Chapter 15: Questioning
Chapter 15: Questioning
Surprisingly, every award in this year's short film competition was a tie.
At this point, the three major European powers were already showing signs of dividing up the pie.
No, it may have already started, they just haven't agreed on a price yet.
However, Gu Qing was confident in the quality of his short film; if anyone disagreed, let's have a competition.
The award winners are all excellent films, and no one would suspect that the prize money is being distributed among the winners.
"Contact," also a Golden Bear winner, is a science fiction short film, and a pixelated RPG short film. It is also the first RPG compatible with Wi-Fi, allowing users to play online with friends.
It is indeed of epoch-making significance, and it is not shameful to share the award with it.
The spokesperson was clearly an engineering student, and he appeared somewhat shy. He and his production team were quite bewildered by the award.
Before leaving the stage, he gave Gu Qing a hug, clearly indicating that the other person was also a fan of his.
Soon it was Gu Qing's turn to speak. Standing on the stage, he was filled with a sense of pride and excitement.
Stared at by hundreds of eyes in the audience and broadcast by television stations in dozens of countries around the world, Gu Qing thought he would be very nervous, but surprisingly he was very calm.
Perhaps this moment has been brewing in his mind for decades.
"Congratulations on winning the Golden Bear for Short Film, young director. We hope you will continue your efforts, reach new heights, and bring more excellent works to everyone."
"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't think this will be the last time we meet."
After embracing Chairman Paul, Gu Qing accepted a trophy and certificate of honor from him.
"Thank you to all the members of the jury for your recognition, thank you to my fans who support me, and thank you to my friend Mr. Ning Hao. Without him, this film would probably have taken a long time to be released."
Gu Qing raised the trophy and proceeded with the usual thank-you segment. "I've already given you the award, what's wrong with saying thank you?"
Ning Hao, sitting in the audience, was also smiling happily. He had also done some photography on the film, so he felt he had a part in it too.
"Gu, did you really write and direct this film yourself?"
"You know, China has never made short films like this before; they mostly glorify suffering."
Questioning will not be absent, it will only be late.
Some filmmakers have still offered their opinions, saying that not to mention science fiction films, even traditional commercial films are poorly made in China.
This person used very tactful language, refraining from directly questioning whether Gu Qing's short film was plagiarized during the live broadcast.
"Thank you for your different opinion, sir. The praise I've received these past few days is enough to make me so proud and carried away."
"Although barren soil cannot produce bright flowers, it can still unleash the vitality of life."
"In my view, science fiction represents the future of humanity, and that future will only be in the hands of a select few!"
"Furthermore, suffering should never be glorified."
"At the same time, I'm also preparing to start shooting my first feature film, and I hope everyone will support me."
It's unwise to engage in verbal battles on someone else's home turf. All Gu Qing can do is reserve his doubts and then launch a powerful counterattack.
He walked gracefully off the podium, and after three seconds of silence, thunderous applause erupted.
These words demonstrated both his magnanimity and his arrogance, and even those who disliked the short film couldn't help but applaud Gu Qing.
It is immature to panic and become angry when questioned, and to retaliate in a fit of rage.
"Ah Qing, well done! We'll make a movie about it when we get back and give those foreign devils a good thrashing!"
Ning Hao accepted the Golden Bear trophy from Gu Qing, his eyes momentarily dazed. For someone who had always wanted to make art films and win awards since entering the industry, the three major European awards were truly comparable to Lord of the Rings.
Although it's a film made by my own brother and it's just a short film, at least I have some hope in my heart, and the flame that seemed to have been dormant for many years is now secretly growing stronger.
"Is this trophy made of real gold? It doesn't look like it weighs right."
Xing Aina accepted the trophy, stroked it for a while, and concluded that the trophy was gold-plated, which made her look slightly disgusted.
"Director Gu, if you have any plans for a feature film, please consider me. We can discuss the salary and other details."
"Yes, we'll see when the time comes. Right now, it's still very far off."
Gu Qing shook his head at Fan Binbin's request, feeling rather pessimistic.
There was a plan, of course, but funding was a big problem. However, he had a backup plan, but it was not something he would tell outsiders.
Gu Qing wasn't really in the mood for the subsequent award ceremony. It was more about watching others win awards than winning herself, so it was rather uninteresting.
The Jury Grand Prize was awarded to "Others" by Argentine director.
The Golden Bear for Best Picture was unsurprisingly won by director Wang Quan'an's "Tuya's Marriage".
Wang Quan'an and Yu Nan went on stage together to receive the award, displaying their affection for each other.
However, a director's fame is not very friendly to his wife, because many people want to become the director's wife.
After the awards ceremony, there was a banquet afterwards, but before the meal, Gu Qing unsurprisingly received coverage from a number of domestic media outlets.
Why don't you report on director Wang Quan'an? He won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival.
Gu Qing glanced at the microphones handed to him; they were mostly from several large entertainment companies in mainland China, including CCTV, and even some foreign journalists.
In fact, almost every award-winning film crew was interviewed, but Gu Qing was the youngest and also the most talked about.
"Haha, our colleagues have already gone over there. We want to talk to you about your feelings, since you are the youngest Golden Bear winner in China."
The reporter smiled, having gained a slight understanding of Gu Qing's personality.
Young and talented, with a good sense of humor, and even a bit down-to-earth.
Of course, they won't admit it, mainly because Gu Qing and Fan Binbin are both handsome men and beautiful women, which undoubtedly makes the visuals more appealing, and young people love watching this.
Gu Qing didn't mind. Although directors don't need as much exposure as actors, he was still a newcomer, and increasing his fame would undoubtedly be better.
This is also why he was willing to have Fan Binbin by his side.
This was the first time he had been interviewed by so many people, and he seemed a little uncomfortable. Fan Binbin, on the other hand, handled the situation with ease, even appearing quite comfortable, chatting and laughing with the reporters.
The key to her success in the industry, despite being a woman, is seizing opportunities.
For this nationwide interview, she naturally had to make a good impression.
"Director Gu, I didn't embarrass you this time on camera, did I?"
"Very good, it seems I need to learn from you."
"Hey, stop talking about studying, let's all improve together."
……
Meanwhile, domestically...
Berlin time is seven hours behind China time.
It's noon in Berlin, which is 12 pm in China.
Major media outlets and online platforms are already reporting on the grand occasion of this film festival.
Sina.com has even published a large headline on its homepage.
Congratulations to our Chinese directors Wang Quan'an and Gu Qing for winning the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival!
Nowadays, the prevailing sentiment in China is that the grass is always greener on the other side. Although most people are unaware of the Berlin Film Festival, it is always something to celebrate when Chinese people win awards abroad.
In a manor in Xi'an, Jing Tian looked at the information online and couldn't help but feel happy, a touch of unrealistic joy welling up in her heart.
The script I wrote right under my nose actually won an award abroad?
A Golden Bear? Isn't it supposed to be very hard to obtain? Isn't he only twenty-three years old?
Jing Tian couldn't help but laugh when she recalled the man she had teased and amused on set half a year ago.
But when she turned her gaze to the computer and saw Gu Qing and Fan Binbin appearing together for an interview, her face immediately fell, and she was no longer happy.