1RomanceEB Chapter 19: The Awards Ceremony? No, a makeshift affair.
Chapter 19: The Awards Ceremony? No, a makeshift affair.
That evening, Lin Ruiyang called Jia Zhangke: "Senior, did you receive the call?"
"No." It was a bit noisy on Jia Zhangke's end, like a party.
"The World title is out of the running for the main competition, but I'll stay here for a few more days. There are still a few regional distribution deals that haven't been finalized. What about yours?"
"Received."
Jia Zhangke chuckled on the other end of the phone: "Then what are you asking? Just prepare your acceptance speech. Remember to dress formally tomorrow, and don't be too nervous."
After hanging up the phone, the fat man poked his head out of the bathroom, his face still dripping with water: "What did my senior say?"
He didn't receive any notification.
"What about Han Jie?"
"I didn't receive it either, and the Critics' Week section has its own closing ceremony, which is separate from the main competition."
"Then let's—"
"Stop! I don't want to take any more risks before I receive the trophy tomorrow."
"Come on," the fat man said, wiping his face with a towel and not saying anything more about the topic.
September 11th, closing day.
The atmosphere on Lido Island has clearly changed.
Starting in the morning, the number of media and security personnel was more than double that of the previous days. The red carpet area was covered up again, and the temporary passageways were repeatedly adjusted.
The fat man adjusted his tie and said, "Old Lin, something feels a bit messy..."
"It's not a feeling." Lin Ruiyang glanced at the scene.
"It's already a mess. Look, the red carpet at the entrance of the Fenice Theatre is shorter than the one at the opening ceremony."
This year's Venice Film Festival, Marco Müller's first under his new leadership, didn't go very smoothly. He opened his arms to Hollywood, hoping to salvage the festival's previously lackluster performance.
However, since its opening, various technical problems and scheduling conflicts have arisen, and complaints from the media and audiences have been constant.
The most outrageous thing is that the release of the most expensive film in Malaysian history has been delayed until the early hours of the morning.
The Malaysian Crown Prince and musicians dressed in traditional costumes who insisted on going to the cinema could only find an empty screening room.
In response to the crisis, the film festival announced that it would hold a free screening a week later as compensation.
The media initially used subtle language, describing the organization as "somewhat hasty" and "there were problems with the scheduling," but later a well-known European industry insider openly declared it "amateurish."
The red carpet during the film festival is mostly graced by Hollywood A-list stars, such as Denzel Washington who brought two films with him.
When he and Meryl Streep appeared at the cruise ship dock, a Meryl Streep fan rowed an inflatable boat toward her and stood in the middle of the river shouting her name.
With more and more celebrities showing up, the film festival seems to be getting chaotic.
Reese Witherspoon, Al Pacino, Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet... Tom Cruise also appeared.
It took Tom Cruise a full hour to walk the less than 100-meter stretch of the red carpet, most of which he spent signing autographs for fans.
Later, some media outlets reported that "the secret to this super handsome guy's continued popularity seems to be: never let his fans down."
Nicole Kidman's appearance did not cause the expected sensation, as the evergreen actress Lauren Bacall stole the show as soon as she appeared.
Media reports also focused on the fact that Nicole Kidman was there mainly to meet her boyfriend, as well as the controversy surrounding her kissing scene with a ten-year-old child star in the film.
Johnny Depp's appearance on the red carpet to promote his new film was delayed by more than two hours, finally starting at 2 a.m.
Harvey Weinstein said in an interview, "I'm going to push Muller into the lake, and I'll have to cement his feet beforehand."
All the reviews can be summed up in four words: a makeshift operation.
"This is outrageous! This is Venice, one of the three great cities..."
"The bigger the event, the more likely problems are to arise."
"I hope nothing goes wrong with our closing ceremony too?"
Don't jinx it.
Unexpectedly, the fat man's words came true. The organizing committee announced the cancellation of the red carpet and asked everyone to quickly move into the theater lobby to begin the awards ceremony.
Lin Ruiyang and the fat man entered with the crowd. The theater lobby was brightly lit, and nearly half of the seats were already occupied.
Everyone was waiting, but the pace was clearly a bit chaotic.
Finally, half an hour later than scheduled, with staff running back and forth, the lights went out.
The host didn't waste any time and directly announced the award winners one by one according to the program.
Technical categories, independent units, lifetime achievement awards...
Soon it was time for the short film section, and jury president Renato Berta took to the stage.
He took an envelope out of his suit pocket, and perhaps because the stage lights were too bright, he squinted and took a long time to open the envelope.
"Silver Lion for Best Short Film—" Berta paused for a moment.
Lin Ruiyang's fingers clenched the fabric on his knees, his eyes fixed on the stage.
"A Letter of Condolence, Ryan Lam!"
For a moment, the sound in the room seemed to be pulled away, and then the applause returned.
The fat man jumped to his feet: "Holy crap! Old Lin!! It's us!!"
Lin Ruiyang slowly stood up, subconsciously straightened his shirt collar, and then patted the fat man on the shoulder.
He walked along the aisle toward the stage, the light overhead moving rhythmically with his steps.
Berta stepped forward, handed him the Silver Master trophy, and gave him a hug:
"This was a unanimous decision by the three members of our jury. Your film is reminiscent of the direct cinema tradition."
Lin Ruiyang accepted the award and stood in front of the microphone. The faces of the audience were somewhat blurred by the lights, but he could still see the fat man cheering for him at a glance.
"Thank you Venice, thank you Mr. Berta and the jury for your recognition."
This is a film about observation, and I'm grateful to the film festival for making it seen. The film was shot over three days with only four people on set.
We set up the camera in a yard that was about to be demolished, then stepped back and let life unfold on its own.
Thank you to the old lady sitting in the courtyard. She had never acted in her life, but she was the soul of this film.
I would also like to thank my teacher Liu Yibing. Without him, this script would still be just a stack of manuscripts today.
Thank you Li Ming, Jin Kai, and Li Li, you are the best team.
Finally, I would like to thank my alma mater, Yenching Film Academy, for its cultivation and support of us.
This award belongs to all of us.
Lin Ruiyang bowed and stepped off the stage amidst applause.
Back in his seat, Lin Ruiyang handed the silver lion to the fat man, who then examined the nameplate on the base repeatedly.
While Lin Ruiyang wasn't paying attention, she lowered her head and secretly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
The awards ceremony is still ongoing.
The Italian film "Slow Work" won the Best Newcomer Award in the main competition, while the Best First Feature Film Award went to the French film "The Long Journey".
The Technical Contribution Award was won by Hayao Miyazaki's "Howl's Moving Castle".
The cast and crew of "The Sea Inside" won Best Actor and the Jury Special Award.
The Best Director award went to Kim Ki-duk, who was nominated at the last minute with "3-Iron".
When the award was being presented, the host forgot to give the Best Director award, and then had to hastily give it out before the Golden Lion award was given out.
Ultimately, the British film "Vera Drake" became the biggest winner of this year's film festival, taking home the Golden Lion for Best Film.
Imelda Stoneton also won the Best Actress award for her outstanding performance in the film.
The 61st Venice Film Festival has now come to a close.