HLnovel Chapter 56 Re-entering Berlin
Chapter 56 Re-entering Berlin
June 3, 2004, Beijing Capital International Airport.
The cold winter morning light cast long shadows on the polished floor of the waiting hall through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.
After completing the check-in procedures, Fu Yibai and his group were waiting in the VIP lounge.
He was wearing a well-tailored dark gray cashmere coat over a simple black turtleneck sweater. He stood tall and calmly, looking down as he flipped through a summary translation of a German film festival program.
Wang Peng sat next to him, his laptop open on his lap, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he checked the last few details of the itinerary. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead—not so much from the heat, but from a mixture of tension and excitement.
Liu Yan sat quietly beside Fu Yibai, holding Fu Yibai's briefcase and a thermos in her hands.
Today she wore a long, off-white down jacket, which made her skin look fair. Her long hair was draped smoothly over her shoulders, and she wore just the right amount of light makeup. Her gaze was mostly on Fu Yibai. Occasionally she would get up to refill his hot water, her movements light and almost silent.
The three lead actors, Li Xuejian, Sun Honglei, and Zhang Yi, arrived a little later.
As always, Teacher Li Xuejian remained calm and low-key. Wearing a dark blue Chinese-style cotton coat, she shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with Fu Yibai before quietly sitting aside and closing her eyes to rest.
Sun Honglei seemed much more excited. He had dressed up specially for the day, wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses. Upon seeing Fu Yibai, he immediately greeted him respectfully.
Then, somewhat excitedly, he went on and on about expressing his gratitude.
Zhang Yi was relatively reserved. He greeted Fu Yibai respectfully and then sat quietly next to Sun Honglei. However, his slightly clenched hands and the occasional glances out the window betrayed his excitement and anticipation.
For the three of them, the Berlin Film Festival is a crucial step in their acting careers, especially for middle-aged and young actors like Sun Honglei and Zhang Yi, for international recognition means a leap in status and resources.
"Everyone's here."
Wang Peng closed his laptop and spoke to Yi Bai in a low voice.
"Mr. Fu, as planned, we will arrive in Berlin around 3 p.m. today. We will be picked up by people from the local public relations company we are cooperating with, and they will take us directly to the hotel we booked."
There are no official plans for tonight, so you can rest and adjust to the time difference. Tomorrow morning, the film festival organizers will have a brief welcome reception and media photo session, and in the afternoon, our film will have its first public screening at the Palais des Festivals.
Fu Yibai nodded and put away the program booklet.
"Is the media list and potential questions ready?"
"It's all ready. We have both English and German versions, and we've also prepared a simple response template for each of Teacher Li and the others."
Wang Peng replied, glancing at the three actors.
"However... Mr. Fu, I'm worried about Honglei's personality; I'm afraid he might get too excited, or the German journalists might ask rather pointed questions..."
"Don't worry, Mr. Wang."
Sun Honglei, with his sharp ears, immediately leaned closer, grinning, and pushed his sunglasses up to his head.
"I can distinguish between what's important and what's not, and I will never mess things up when it's time to be serious."
"I'll shoot wherever Director Fu points!"
Li Xuejian opened her eyes and smiled gently: "President Wang has prepared very detailed information, so we are confident."
Zhang Yi nodded in agreement.
"That's good."
Fu Yibai's gaze swept over the crowd.
"This trip to Berlin has a clear objective."
Showcase your work and strive for awards.
In public, everyone should adopt a unified approach, focusing on the film's artistic pursuits and social concerns, while avoiding personal discussions and any sensitive topics.
Private public relations activities will be arranged by Wang Peng.
Everyone's expressions tightened, and they responded in unison.
The boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker.
The group got up and headed towards the boarding gate.
……
Berlin, Tegel Airport.
The flight landed smoothly at 3:20 p.m. local time.
Stepping off the covered bridge, a wave of damp, cold air hit me. Unlike the dry chill of Beijing, the cold here seemed to penetrate my clothes.
At the arrivals gate, two Germans dressed in smart suits and holding signs in Chinese had been waiting for some time.
One of them was a middle-aged man in his forties with meticulously combed hair. He introduced himself as Friedrich Schmidt, one of the heads of a public relations firm.
The other assistant was a younger woman who spoke fluent Chinese and was responsible for translation and coordinating specific tasks.
"Mr. Fu, Mr. Wang, welcome to Berlin!"
Mr. Schmidt stepped forward to shake hands, his English, spoken with a German accent, clear and forceful.
"The car is already waiting outside. The hotel is located near Potsdamer Platz, which is very close to the main venue of the film festival, the Palace of Cinema, making it convenient for everyone's activities."
After exchanging pleasantries, the group walked out of the airport and boarded the waiting business vehicle.
The cityscape of Berlin flashed past the car window, a mix of architectural styles, from a profound sense of history to modern, simple lines.
Posters on the street already feature promotional images for the 54th Berlin International Film Festival, with a striking red background and black bear logo.
The convoy arrived at the hotel.
The hotel boasts a long history and magnificent architecture.
The rooms had already been arranged. Fu Yibai naturally had a suite, while the others had single rooms.
After settling in briefly, Fu Yibai convened a short meeting with the core members in the small living room of his suite.
"Please adjust to the time difference yourselves. Meet in the lobby at 9:00 AM tomorrow for the official welcome reception at the film festival."
Fu Yibai's words were concise and to the point.
"clear."
.........
February 4, the day before the official opening of the Berlin Film Festival.
The official welcome reception in the morning was more like a large social event.
The area around the cinema was bustling with activity, as filmmakers, media reporters, film distributors, and movie fans from all over the world gathered there.
The air was filled with a variety of languages, perfumes, and excited emotions.
When Fu Yibai and his group appeared, they attracted a lot of attention.
"Black Coal, Thin Ice" won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival last year, which has given Fu Yibai considerable recognition in the international art film circle.
This year, he returned to the main competition with his new work, which naturally attracted much attention.
Flashbulbs went off, and reporters bombarded him with questions.
"Director Fu, you won the Jury Prize last year for 'Black Coal, Thin Ice,' and you're nominated for the main competition again this year. How do you feel about this?"
"The title 'No Country for Old Men' sounds very somber. Could you talk about your initial motivation for creating this film?"
Are you looking forward to this year's Golden Bear Award?
Fu Yibai smiled calmly and responded fluently in English.
His answer maintained an Eastern sense of subtlety and grace while clearly conveying the film's core message, earning nods of approval from many reporters.
No other activities were scheduled for the afternoon.
Fu Yibai told everyone to move around freely, adjust to the time difference, or take a short walk, but reminded them not to go too far and to be careful.
He returned to his hotel room, opened his laptop, and checked the briefing that Zhao Qi had sent from China.
Fan Binbin's contract termination is progressing smoothly. The two sides are currently negotiating the specific termination amount and details of the handover of the remaining contracts, but the overall situation is already settled.
Morning Light's PR team is monitoring the internet, and so far there has been no organized negative public opinion.