Hollywood Director 1992

[Chapter 342: Venice Film Festival]

In late August, just before the Venice International Film Festival, Link accompanied Monica to Venice for the festival's closing ceremony. Monica was a member of the jury for this year's festival, while Link was invited to be a presenter for the awards.

The Venice Film Festival is one of the three major international film festivals in the world and is recognized as the first international film festival, often referred to as the "Father of International Film Festivals." The festival aimed to serve film as a serious art form and sought to elevate the standards of filmmaking, employing artistic merit as the primary criterion for evaluating films. The highest honor awarded at the festival is the Golden Lion.

This year, two films from Guess Pictures were showcased: Gray's Anatomy by Steven Soderbergh, and Paul Thomas Anderson's directorial debut, Hard Eight. After ten days of screenings and evaluations, Hard Eight made into the main competition. Other films in competition included Beyond the Clouds starring Sophie Marceau, French movie Xích Lô (Cyclo) directed by Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung, The Crossing Guard by Sean Penn, Clockers by Spike Lee, and L'Uomo delle stelle (The Star Maker) by Giuseppe Tornatore, among others.

...

Upon arriving in Italy, Link was invited by Monica's family to stay at their place for two days, and he purchased a luxurious mansion in a wealthy neighborhood near Florence. The mansion covered an area of 3.2 hectares, built in the 18th century, beautifully decorated, resembling a palace with intricate carvings and a large garden area. The villa had modern interior design, providing a comfortable atmosphere, perfect for vacationing. Link gave the villa to Monica to live in.

...

Once Link was back in Venice, Sophie Marceau arrived as well. Link took her through the winding streets of the water city, guided by Monica. At night, they stayed at the luxurious Aman Canal Grande Hotel, listening to the flowing waters and gazing at the Venetian starlight.

For Sophie, it was her first time experiencing sleep with other women in the bed. Later, she expressed how wonderful it felt because Monica's French was quite good. After a few days of fun, they developed a good friendship.

...

After two days of enjoying Venice, Link turned his attention back to work.

[T/N: Link met Jiang Wen who directed In the Heat of the Sun, who was also the main lead of his other movie The Sino-Dutch War 1661. Link's Hong Kong investment team invested $500,00 in the movie In the Heat of the Sun after their funding chain broke.

The Sino-Dutch War 1661 was initiated in March, with Link serving as the screenwriter and producer, and directed by Feng Xiaoning, Tsui Hark, and Chen Kaige. The main cast included Jiang Wen, Kate Beckinsale, Tony Leung, Sammo Hung, Brian Cox, Koji Tsuruta, Jiang Wu, Chen Hong, among others.

The film tells the story of Dutch noblewoman Catherine van der Vilder in the mid-17th century. Catherine was born into a prominent Dutch noble family, gifted with intelligence and linguistic skills, and fascinated by Eastern cultures. As an adult, she accompanied her father to the Dutch East India Company's colony in Malacca, spending several years there. Upon her father's death from illness at twenty, she decided to return to the Netherlands. On the journey home, her merchant ship encountered a sudden storm, nearly capsizing. In despair, she was rescued by Zheng Chenggong's fleet. Catherine followed Zheng to his base in Kinmen. Initially, she disapproved of his cause, perceiving him as a local pirate leader causing problems for the Qing Dynasty and the Dutch Navy, leading to heated debates on invasion and national identity.

However, witnessing Zheng's efforts and sacrifices to reclaim his homeland gradually drew her to his charm. She admired his courage, wisdom, and heart, eventually falling for him. Unfortunately, Zheng was deeply in love with his wife, Dong, maintaining a polite distance from Catherine. Eventually, Catherine witnessed Zheng commanding his fleet to break through the Dutch naval defenses, fiercely battling against the Dutch and Qing forces, successfully reclaiming the island of Taiwan.

After the war, Catherine returned to the Netherlands. Before she left, Zheng gifted her a jade pendant engraved with a moon as a keepsake. On her return voyage to Europe, she penned a memoir detailing her experiences in the East, particularly focusing on Zheng's deeds. This memoir later circulated widely in Europe, becoming a significant document for the West's understanding of the Eastern hero Zheng Chenggong.

The Sino-Dutch War 1661 had an initial budget of $20 million, making it the highest-cost film ever produced in China. After six months of preparation, locations for the film, cityscapes, and warships were set up, and filming commenced in mid-August. Link not only acted as a producer but also took on the role of film editor, requiring that every segment filmed was brought to him for editing and review. Only if he approved could it pass; otherwise, the crew needed to reshoot until satisfied.

He insisted on spending more money if necessary, as long as the film's quality was ensured. Under his stringent demands, the anticipated filming period stretched over two years.]

...

Monica and Sophie descended from the hotel, with one wearing a white sleeveless long dress with flowing golden hair, while the other was in a blue mermaid dress, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders. As they walked through the corridor, sunlight illuminated them, highlighting their fair skin and stunning features.

Every patron in the cafe, regardless of gender, turned to look. The men were in awe, while women were envious.

In the afternoon, the three of them went to the Casino Palace to attend the Venice Film Festival awards ceremony.

Ultimately, the Vietnamese-French film Cyclo won the Golden Lion for Best Film, while Hard Eight did not achieve any awards. Beyond the Clouds starring Sophie Marceau, won the International Association of Film Critics Award.

In addition, nine people including director Woody Allen, director Martin Scorsese, and famous Italian soundtrack master Ennio Morricone won the Career Golden Lion.

*****

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