novelraw Chapter 479 Venice Film Festival
Chapter 479 Venice Film Festival
"Thank you to the Venice Film Festival jury."
Thank you to everyone on the staff of "The Woman Who Left".
Thank you to my agent and my team.
Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice trembled.
"Also, Director Fu Yibai."
She paused for a moment, her gaze sweeping across the crowd and landing on the man in the black suit in the first row.
"The person I want to thank the most is you. You have given me everything I have today. Without you, there would be no Fan Binbin standing here."
She raised the Volpi Cup, and the lights exploded in a shower of shimmering light on the trophy's golden surface.
"Thanks."
Applause erupted again.
When Fan Binbin returned to his seat, his body was still trembling slightly with excitement.
"If you cry and your makeup gets ruined, you won't look pretty."
Fu Yibai handed her a tissue, which she took and used to wipe away the tear stains from the corners of her eyes.
I'm beautiful no matter what.
Fan Binbin gave Fu Yibai a reproachful glare.
The awards ceremony continued.
The Silver Lion for Best Director was awarded to Alexander Sokurov for "Faust".
Sokolov's acceptance speech was brief and restrained, much like the style of his films.
The Jury Prize was awarded to the Italian film "Inland".
When the director took the stage, the entire Italian audience stood up and applauded enthusiastically.
Fu Yibai was not surprised by this result; the jury always had to give the host country an explanation when balancing the awards.
The host walked onto the stage for the last time. The atmosphere in the entire theater tensed up at that moment.
"Next up is tonight's highest honor—the Golden Lion for Best Film."
Clips of the five nominated films flashed across the big screen in turn.
"Inland", "Faust", "Shame", "Killing", "The Woman Who Left".
The award was presented by Darren Aronofsky, the chairman of the jury.
He walked up to the microphone, holding the golden envelope in his hand.
"In this year's main competition, the jury watched a total of twenty-three films."
Every film deserves to be seen; every film has its own power and voice.
He spoke slowly, and each word was pronounced very clearly.
"But there was a city, a woman, and a group of people whose story left the jury silent for an entire night after watching it."
The audience was so quiet that you could hear the faint sound of the air conditioner blowing air.
Aronofsky opened the envelope.
"Golden Lion Award - 'The Woman Who Left', by Fu Yibai."
A wave of sound erupted beneath the theater's dome.
Applause, cheers, some people stood up, and more people stood up.
Fan Binbin was the first to stand up and applaud vigorously.
Margaret and Wang Peng, standing to the side, were both puzzled and excited.
Fu Yibai shook hands with his team, the judges and directors in the same row, and stepped onto the podium to receive the award amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd.
Aronofsky handed him the Golden Lion trophy, and the two shook hands. Aronofsky stepped back, giving him the microphone.
Fu Yibai stood in front of the microphone, holding the golden lion in his hands, and remained silent for two seconds.
The applause in the theater gradually subsided, and everyone returned to their seats, waiting for the man who had already won the Berlin Golden Bear, the Cannes Palme d'Or, and the Oscar for Best Director to speak.
"Thank you to the Venice Film Festival jury."
His voice was steady, without any deliberate excitement or feigned modesty.
"Thank you to every member of the crew."
Thank you to my colleagues at Morning Light Media.
He paused for a moment.
"From Berlin to Cannes, from the Oscars to Venice."
Golden Bear, Golden Palm, Golden Man, Golden Lion.
Four trophies, four cities.
Someone asked me what I would do after collecting them all.
He glanced down at the golden lion in his hand.
My answer is—to keep making movies.
Laughter and applause erupted from the audience.
Awards are the result, films are the process.
I enjoy the process and am grateful for the result.
These trophies won't stop me; they'll only make me more certain that I'm doing the right thing.
He raised the golden lion.
"This award is dedicated to all filmmakers who love movies."
He bowed, turned, and walked off the stage. Applause erupted behind him, and the entire audience rose to their feet.
At midnight local time in Venice, the media center behind the Lido Cinema Palace was brightly lit.
After leaving the closing ceremony, Fu Yibai and Fan Binbin were led directly to the press conference hall by staff.
The moment the door was pushed open, a burst of flashes turned the room into daylight.
Dozens of cameras were set up in the back row, while the front row of reporters' seats was full of people. Questions in Chinese, English, and Italian mingled together, creating a buzzing sound.
Fan Binbin held the Volpi Cup in his left hand and linked arms with Fu Yibai with his right as the two walked onto the stage.
Wang Peng and the rest of the crew stood on either side.
The first to speak was a journalist from the French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma.
"Director Fu, from the Berlin Golden Bear to the Cannes Palme d'Or, from the Oscars to the Venice Golden Lion, you have spent eight years collecting awards from the three major European film festivals and the highest North American awards."
This achievement is extremely rare in the history of world cinema. How do you view your creative trajectory over the years?
"I'm very lucky."
Fu Yibai did not use words like "effort" or "talent".
"I was lucky to have met the best team, the best actors, and the best partners."
From the first movie to now, the people around me have never let me down.
The director's responsibility is to bring everyone's talents together into a cohesive whole. If that whole is successfully integrated, it's the achievement of the entire team.