Caught in Affairs with Superstar

Chapter 1398: Chapter 725: Venice International Film Festival (Part 3)

It’s missing a bit of consciousness.

After the screening ended, applause in the audience and media seats lasted for a while.

Clint Bruster said a few words to Hou Mengjie and Yao Yuanfeng, and then came to say goodbye to Zhou Yun: "You are truly unparalleled; you are still the most captivating in this film."

Zhou Yun replied with a smile, "Thank you for the compliment."

For the subsequent media interviews, Zhou Yun attended together with everyone.

A reporter asked, "Miss Zhou Yun, why did you choose to make this wuxia film?"

Zhou Yun answered, "Because the production company is New Shield, with whom I’ve worked before. When Mr. Yao Yuanfeng approached me with the script, he said it was very good and invited me to join. I hadn’t done a wuxia film before, so I accepted."

Another reporter asked, "You starred alongside several other young actors in this film, rumored to be outstanding young actors from China. How did you feel acting with them?"

Zhou Yun replied, "Being able to collaborate with so many talented actors in this film was a precious opportunity, and I learned a lot from them during filming."

...

Zhou Yun’s answers were impeccable and diplomatic. But when Zhou Lan saw them, he jokingly teased, "You really won’t utter a false word, won’t even say it was a pleasant filming experience."

Zhou Yun said, "It wasn’t pleasant in the first place."

During the filming of this movie, Zhou Yun constantly felt like a puppet on strings, having to follow Hou Mengjie’s directions in every action and performance.

If Zhou Yun had shown even a slight disrespect to the director, a major conflict would likely arise between them.

Often, we see news of disputes or disagreements in a crew between a celebrity actor and a director, or other actors. Such circumstances often stem from differing philosophies on filming. Especially for high-profile actors, the more renowned they are, the stronger their own convictions, and the more they protect their image, possibly conflicting with the director’s vision.

Zhou Yun chose not to clash with the director. After attempts to communicate failed, Zhou Yun opted to follow the director’s arrangements on set, but she decided not to work with Hou Mengjie again after the film.

She does not deny that Hou Mengjie is a talented director, but they are not compatible; he does not suit her.

"Four Killers" received good reception at the festival, ranking second in media scores despite several competing films yet to premiere.

Everyone thought that with such accolades, "Four Killers" might win a trophy.

But if they did win, what award would it be?

Moreover, despite favorable media reception, some criticized the film for lacking artistry and being too "indulgent" or "commercial" in places.

There was certain controversy.

Yao Yuanfeng and others stayed in Venice, but Zhou Yun had to leave first.

Initially, the festival invited Zhou Yun to be an award presenter at the closing ceremony, but she had no time available and politely declined.

Zhou Yun left the main group and returned to China alone, immersing herself in the "Moon Sinking at Sea" crew to continue filming.

Five days later, the Venice International Film Festival closed with awards handed out one by one, but "Four Killers" received none.

...

This result was most disappointing.

Especially since after the screening of "Four Killers," media comments, while not excessively praiseful, were generally positive.

The atmosphere led many to believe it would receive at least one award.

The final outcome of receiving no awards surprised many.

Marketing accounts suggested Zhou Yun returned early, likely having learned through insider sources that "Four Killers" would not win, thus ending her Venice trip prematurely.

Despite fans clarifying that Zhou Yun had stated prior to departure she would only stay two days, many accounts pursued clicks and attention with such speculations.

Zhou Yun ignored these reports.

Whether "Four Killers" won or not, Zhou Yun did not hold significant expectation.

Frankly, she did not place much importance on this film.

It was not a work she cherished personally.

Yet at this moment, "Four Killers" announced its release date, slated for October 1st, during the National Day holidays.

This aimed to leverage the Venice International Film Festival’s momentum for an early release.

Although "Four Killers" did not win any awards, the film garnered international attention, with many distributors negotiating its release rights in other countries and regions.

Partly due to the attention garnered from Zhou Yun’s email debacle with He Xuran and the others, and partly because it’s a wuxia film.

Chinese wuxia films maintain a stable market across countries, usually selling well, especially with a renowned actor like Zhou Yun starring.

However, many distributors, in purchasing the film’s rights, expressed a desire for Zhou Yun to partake in promotional activities. Yao Yuanfeng could not decide for Zhou Yun, needing to consult with Zhou Lan.

Zhou Lan’s stance was clear: participation in promotional activities was possible, but compensation should adhere to market rates, not done for free, and the decision to participate solely rested with Zhou Yun.

These negotiations involved many details.

Zheng Xiaojue was tasked with handling and facilitating these matters by Zhou Lan.

While Zhou Yun was filming "Moon Sinking at Sea," only Liu Yun, an assistant, attended to Zhou Yun’s various mundane tasks.

Fortunately, though Liu Yun spoke little, she handled work diligently, and managed Zhou Yun’s affairs efficiently without any slip-ups.

Zhou Yun and Song Chi, the leading actors, each only had one assistant, which created a bit of awkwardness among some of the other young actors in the crew.

Nowadays, any actor with slight fame generally has at least two assistants.

The number also serves as a sign of status, ensuring they don’t appear lesser.

But with both leads having just one assistant, those with more seem notably extravagant, and like divas.

If media reported this, many would criticize them for having greater pomp than the leads.

Thus, all decided to bring only one assistant each on outings.