independent filmmaker

Coming out of the gate of the Film Bureau, Xie Lansheng unexpectedly met Director Li Xian (Chapter 2) at an intersection.

Director Li Xian was Xie Lansheng's director when he was filming "Fortune and Prosperity" in Xiaoxiang. He was very patient with Xie Lansheng and willing to teach.However, because Xie Lansheng felt that his style was different from Li Xian's, he did one thing in person and another in the back, and did not really follow suit.Li Xian said that he was too cruel and straightforward, but he wanted to face the truth, face up to human nature, and accept all the good and evil of people.

Director Li Xian suddenly appeared and Xie Lansheng was quite happy, shouting: "Director Li, Director Li!!!"

Li Xian turned around, but didn't expect: "Lan Sheng?"

"That's right, it's me!" Xie Lansheng burst into a big smile in front of the other party, and asked foolishly, "Director Li, did you also go to the Film Bureau?"

"Well," Li Xian nodded, "There is a film that has not been approved for a long time, and I will fight for it myself. After "Fortune and Prosperity" was banned, I don't want to be banned again."

Xie Lansheng sighed: "I hope there will be a good result." The sudden rejection of "Fortune and Prosperity" is also a pain point for him.

"Lan Sheng, what about you?"

"It's a long story..."

Li Xian looked at Xie Lansheng and smiled: "Why don't we have lunch together?"

After waiting at the gate of the Film Bureau for two full hours, and chatting with Deputy Director Fang for another hour after entering, Xie Lansheng also felt tired, and wanted to chat with Director Li Xian and catch up on the past, so he nodded in agreement.

The two entered a restaurant and ordered some home-cooked food. Xie Lansheng asked, "Director Li, is your mother feeling better?" When he was in Xiaoxiang at the beginning of the year, Li Xian's mother was seriously ill and had been undergoing chemotherapy.

"..." Speaking of this, Li Xian felt a little dejected, "I think it's okay now, and I have finished six chemotherapy treatments. The doctor said that I will have a review every six months, and after ten times, I will change it to one year, because the first five years of cancer The recurrence rate is the highest."

"Well," Xie Lansheng said, "Take mom out for a walk! I heard that being happy every day is very important!"

Li Xian was a little silent after listening, and answered after a long while: "Yes."

Because talking about his family's illness, the chat went blank for a while. A few seconds later, Li Xiancai said again: "Don't talk about her, talk about something else. I got married in July. July [-]st."

"Huh?" Xie Lansheng said, "Wow, congratulations! Who is the bride?"

Li Xian was still gentle and refined, and didn't seem very excited: "She is an actress from Renyi, her name is Liu Yao, she has never played a leading role, and she is not very famous."

Xie Lansheng nodded - he really hadn't heard of it.But having said that, he didn't know much about Renyi's actresses.

Director Li Xian, is this a flash marriage?

Li Xian saw Xie Lansheng's silent confusion, and took the initiative to answer: "I only met during the Spring Festival this year. Because it was not stable at the time, I didn't let everyone know. After looking at it, I found that it was very suitable in all aspects, so it's proof."

Xie Lansheng: "Oh oh oh oh!" No wonder.He resigned at the end of March. Li Xian and his wife had only known each other for a month and a half at that time, so naturally they wouldn't yell around.

The topic of the two finally turned back to Xie Lansheng.Xie Lansheng did not hide anything from the other party, and told all his experiences, including shooting, editing, developing, participating in the Turin Film Festival, selling Japanese copyrights, and being banned from filming for several years... Li Xian listened politely and seriously, and finally sighed Said: "This road is really not easy."

Xie Lansheng laughed: "But I like it! As long as I can make a movie, no matter how hard I work, I will be happy!"

Li Xian looked at him for a while, and finally said: "Yes, that's right."

The two ate for an hour, and Li Xian paid the bill.After coming out, Xie Lansheng reluctantly bid farewell to Li Xian, thinking that this was the only person he was grateful for in Xiaoxiang—the other was Zhang Fugui.Let's say goodbye today, and I don't know when we will see each other again.One of them is in Changsha and the other is in Beijing, and their relationship is not particularly close. If they didn't meet at the gate of the Film Bureau today, they might not have heard from each other.

…………

Xie Lansheng didn't tell Xin Ye about the film bureau's interview, nor did he tell anyone else.He thinks he can do it himself.

However, after Xie Lansheng was banned from filming, some reporters went to interview "accomplices" such as Xiaohong and Xiaolu. They all answered each other according to Xie Lansheng's instructions: "Director Xie needs a team to make a film, so we will all go there. Knowing that to make a movie, you need to get a factory label first."

So all is well.

Until December 12th, the actor of Xinda committed suicide by himself.

On that day, Xin Ye went to Hong Kong Island to participate in a large-scale event.His "God of Gamblers" movie at the beginning of the year won the annual box office champion, so he attended this event with a high profile as the leading actor of the movie.

At the event, facing "Focus", some reporters asked them very curious questions: "Mr. Xin Ye, the director of your other film "Rooting" has just been banned this year, what is your attitude towards this...? "

Xinye looked at the reporter, blinking his long eyelashes.

Now that he's been asked this...

He can be as ambiguous as Little Red and Little Green, he neither supports Dao Xie's ban, nor opposes Dao Xie's ban, saying "I don't know", staying out of the matter, neither hot nor salty.

However, for matters that may be related to the "life" of his beloved, he can't stand on the sidelines, let Xie Lansheng struggle alone, or be misunderstood as "to make a movie with the crew, he won the best director, but others are at risk." ——Now the outside world feels this way about Xie Lansheng, and his future path will be even more difficult.

If that's the case, there's no right to like it anymore.

and……

Xinye thought about it, and smiled lightly: "Well, I knew from the beginning to the end that "Rooting" was an underground movie, and I always supported Director Xie in making it, and even helped Director Xie to participate in the exhibition."

There was a burst of "wow..."

Xinye said again: "I don't know what will happen if I say this, but I still have to say it. The film bureau really needs to wake up-it is the end of 1991, and globalization is the general trend, including movies and TV. Opening factories and encouraging private companies are the only means of competition. Otherwise, China will suffer a crushing defeat after American blockbusters come in. I estimate that "American blockbusters will enter China" will happen within two or three years, either through national release or through other media. It’s urgent. The film bureau should stop dreaming, if you continue this mechanism for a few years, you will regret it—young people will only want to watch American movies and Japanese animations, and they can’t hold back.”

After a pause, he continued: "Also, criticism is the essence of literature and art. If some people continue to suffer in order to whitewash the peace, it would be an idiot. From these two levels, I unconditionally support Dao Xie and unconditionally oppose the ban. , is now, and will be, and always will be.”

His words were too arrogant, and they were sent back to the mainland as soon as possible. Therefore, on December 12, Xin Ye was temporarily blocked, and the interviews of "Popular Film" and other interviews were canceled within a day.

The official document did not specify the time limit, but Xie Lansheng heard from Wang Xianjin that he would be banned for at least two years, maybe even three to four years.

Xie Lansheng knew in his heart what Xinye was thinking.

He's doing himself a favor on the one hand - he's starting to think about "reform" with this public statement.It may not be useful to talk to one or two veteran leaders, or 99% of them may be useless. However, if more people in the political, business, media, and public start to think about this and ask the film bureau for this, it is possible to welcome Come reform.And once the film bureau agrees to let go of the "factory label", it will inevitably lift the ban on itself, without a doubt.Xinye couldn't speak publicly in the mainland, so he said publicly in Hong Kong, anyway, it can be passed back.

On the other hand, Xinye should also be really worried about Chinese films—when Hollywood films come in, domestic films with their own values ​​will be abandoned, and the market will be devastated, both economically and culturally. .

Xie Lansheng once again felt that Xin Ye really studied economics.What Xin Ye said was absolutely unexpected to him.

But...he is for his own good, for the good of China, what about him?How do you think that once you come out, you will come out as soon as you come out?

Public criticism, he was too arrogant, saying things like "Director Xie is right", "The ban is wrong", "I supported Director Xie in the past, I support Director Xie now, I will support Director Xie in the future, and I will always support Director Xie", so the first reaction of the radio and television was Don't promote him anymore.

If you think about it, if you just said, "Because of making movies and participating in film festivals without permission, starting from today, Xie Lansheng and Sun Fengmao are prohibited from engaging in film production, and no individual or unit is allowed to support or help the above two people to make movies." A person popped up and said "I have already helped", "I will continue to help" and "I will always help", but the radio and television did not respond and did nothing to continue to publicize him. He is not afraid at all and continues to help those disobedient underground directors make movies.What's more, in September, a certain native-born actor also won the "Big Three" best actor, there is no need for Xin Ye to make underground movies spring up again and again.

Then, I guess, the two movies that Xin Ye talked about before will also be pornographic...

What will Xin Ye do in the future?

It's impossible to just dodge with yourself and make a movie, it will completely destroy him.

This is the moment when his career as a film king took off.

What's more, the male protagonists I want to shoot in the next two films are not suitable for him, and at the same time, I can't predict whether I will be shortlisted again, whether I will win awards again, and whether I can sell the rights-he is just a small It's just a director, he may get nothing in the future.

Xie Lansheng still remembered that Xin Ye once said that he had two things he wanted to do, one of which was to be an actor, and another thing he wanted to do.

Xin Ye also said at the time: "In fact, when I first graduated from Harvard, I thought acting was quite boring, but after getting along for four months, my view has changed. Participating in movies is very interesting, and my level is far from enough."

If the passport is also taken back, then Xin Ye will be finished, he will be detained here, and he will not be able to return to LA.Although it feels that this may not be very big, or extremely small, don't take chances.Xin Ye is not the same as him - his family and friends are all in the United States, and Xin Ye can't afford to be banned again and again. However, the life of an actor is short, and his early 20s are the best years, so he can't wait.

After much deliberation, Xie Lansheng felt that it was best for Xin Ye to go back to the United States to pick up the new movie that the two American directors wanted to produce, and not to come back for the time being until "safety" was confirmed.Xie Lansheng knew that the film would start soon, and it was said that it would take a year to shoot, and Xinye could barely catch up when he returned to Los Angeles immediately, there was absolutely no need for the film star to be released here.In fact, there are not many good movies that Chinese can participate in in LA. Xinye always thought that the Shanghai Film Studio's movie was interesting, and the other party wanted to participate, but now...

After getting the answer, Xie Lansheng called Xinye, who was still in the VIP building of the Beijing Hotel.

Xinye's voice over there was lazy: "Huh?"

"Xin Ye," Xie Lansheng said, "I have something important to tell you."

Xinye was silent for a moment, then chuckled lightly: "Just in time, I also have something important to tell you."

"what?"

"Let's meet and talk." Xin Ye asked, "Lan Sheng, in the whole of Beijing, is there anything you particularly like?"

"A place I particularly like..." Xie Lansheng pondered for a moment, then replied, "I like the sunset in Jingshan very much."

"Okay then," Xin Ye said in a deep and magnetic voice, "let's all meet and talk. Tomorrow at four o'clock in the afternoon, I'll pick you up to watch the sunset at Jingshan, explain the 'important things' to each other, and then have a 'Shunfeng' meal."

Xie Lansheng thought about it, and felt that this was not bad, so he didn't directly ask Xin Ye to go back to the United States, but replied: "Okay."

The author has something to say: In reality, no actor should have been banned because of "underground film". Will be called like this!