National Tide 1980

It was different from Gong Mingcheng who was like a hyena hiding in the shadows, looking at his prey with both greed and fear.

Ning Weimin, who was being stared at from afar, was unusually busy.

Ning Weimin, who is in Cannes, France, is now almost busy all day long, constantly traveling for social events and rushing around to various places.

He is different from Matsumoto Keiko, who only needs to show up, take photos, dress up beautifully every day, and eat and drink well. As a husband, Ning Weimin can't bear to see his beloved wife, who is already a little pregnant, worry and work hard, so he has to take on all the official business.

He needed to represent Keiko Matsumoto and take people to attend screenings, exhibitions, and exchange meetings, meet with film company owners, negotiate copyright transactions with them, and sign a box office profit-sharing contract with Yingoujiana Company...

He also needs to accompany all kinds of new and old friends like an envoy, eating, drinking, having fun, singing and dancing.

In order to open up the situation for the first issue of "FOG PANCH", he even went out of his way to personally "capture" famous directors and actors, and get them to interview the reporters he brought with him.

It looks like he is devoting himself to his wife's career in Cannes, France.

But having said that, his hard work was not in vain, and he really created a miracle.

On the evening of May 24, 1988, the 41st Cannes International Film Festival held a grand awards ceremony in Cannes.

On this night, although "Crazy Rich Asians" produced by Fog Studios did not win the highest award of this film festival - the Palme d'Or, it still won the grand prize of the main competition unit second only to the Palme d'Or - the Jury Prize, thanks to the award-winning public relations of Alain Delon and Catherine Deneuve.

The film festival jury also took great pains to come up with their evaluations.

Specifically, it says this - although this movie does not have any shocking plot and is just a common love story, it is a plain and sincere movie full of humanity and hope!

It combines multiple elements such as love, family, culture and wealth, fully demonstrating the charm and complexity of Asian culture.

First of all, the film is impressive in its visual presentation, creating a world full of luxury and fantasy for the audience through luxurious scene design, exquisite costumes and strong exotic atmosphere.

Especially the two spectacular wedding scenes at the beginning and end of the film, which became a highlight of the movie.

It not only showcases the designers’ ingenuity, but also shows the interesting differences and distinctions between Eastern and Western cultures.

Secondly, the heroine of this film is the most prestigious female singer in Asia, and she uses her most famous music works as the soundtrack of the film, which is also a rare thing.

In this movie, the heroine not only showed excellent acting skills, but also presented her real live singing on the big screen.

Unlike previous musical films, when characters sing at key moments, it always gives people an artificial and deliberate feeling.

This movie uses music and songs as carriers of emotions and is a direct expression of the characters' inner world.

It is precisely because of this that the judges generally believe that the most unique advantage of this film is that it challenges the traditional film musical paradigm and incorporates music into every detail of the story.

So this film also won the Golden Camera Award and Best Artistic Contribution Award.

In other words, the movie "Crazy Rich Asians" swept Cannes, winning three awards in one fell swoop.

Although apart from the Grand Jury Prize, the other two are just small prizes, this is still enough to surprise the world.

After all, this is a game in the white circle. It is unprecedented for an Asian film to win three awards at the same time.

This is not only true for Chinese-language films, but also for Japanese films, which have made history.

Especially for Osawa Yutaka, who is directing a film on his own for the first time, the Golden Camera Award, which is specially given to new directors, is of great significance. It is an extremely important affirmation, which seems to be tailor-made for him.

From then on, with this award, his status as a director in the Japanese film industry was truly secure, and he no longer had to do the work of an assistant director.

Even if you leave Mist Studios, there will be people rushing to bring investment to your door for your next movie.

The same goes for Teresa Teng.

Although the Best Artistic Contribution Award was not given to her personally.

But obviously, the main reason why "Crazy Rich Asians" won this award was the recognition of her personal artistic achievements in the Asian music scene and her musical works.

This is very important.

There is no doubt that the crown of the Asian Queen of Pop on her head will be adorned with another dazzling pearl, which will be enough to make others pale in comparison.

It also gave her an opportunity to promote her personal music beyond Asia.

After all, this is an internationally renowned film award, and it will also enhance her reputation and fame in the European and American markets, which is of course what she has always dreamed of.

This made her even happier than before she came to France, when Japan's national treasure singer Hibari Misora ​​took a liking to her singing of the song "The Flowing River" and took the initiative to invite her to perform on the same stage.

Of course, Teresa Teng knew that it was the Crazy Rich Asians produced by Mist Films that made her successful, and it was also the River Runway given to her by Ning Weimin that enabled her to achieve greater success in her career. Naturally, she was full of gratitude.

Not to mention that Crazy Rich Asians' Cannes premiere was a box office success in addition to the awards.

Since the humor and romance elements of this movie are international selling points, and it also has an extreme expression of the lives of the rich and the class gap, these are the things that ordinary people like and care about the most.

Therefore, the screening halls they rented were almost always sold out, and they never saw any audience leaving during a movie.

This not only boosted the confidence of Inoue Garner, the agent of this film, but also led to the decision to add 87 screens for this film on top of the original 300 screens.

This also means that Teresa Teng has completely washed away her reputation as a "box office poison". She is able to prove to those who once laughed at her that she can also be the leading actress and make a good hit movie.

Judging from the current situation, this movie will not only be a big hit in Japan, but it is also likely to continue to be a box office success in France and Europe. This is something that none of the friends in the film industry that she has met in the past have been able to achieve.

Ah, no, no, maybe there is someone.

But, so what?

Miss Deng doesn't care, so it doesn't matter if that person doesn't mention it...

In short, "Crazy Rich Asians" has undoubtedly become a guarantee of honor and future for everyone because of Ning Weimin's well-planned operation and award-winning operations.

Even the reporters he brought with him were pleasantly surprised. This was enough material for an exclusive interview that could make the front page headlines, but no one had expected it.

So needless to say, Ning Weimin, who was in Cannes, had completely become a god in everyone's eyes. He could finally deservedly become everyone's idol and accept everyone's worship.

He totally deserves it.

Of course, he had to spend a little money to hold a celebration for the success of Crazy Rich Asians.

This is not only a show of arrogance, but also a common practice in the French film and production circles to vent emotions for the sake of indulgence, especially for women who love balls and banquets more than anything else.

If we follow the words of Alain Delon and Catherine Deneuve.

That is, after making a successful movie, you should celebrate its birthday politely, just like you would host an adult dance for your child, and let it bloom in front of all the guests, so as to live up to its life.

"You will also be famous for this." After Catherine Deneuve made this suggestion to Ning Weimin, she continued, "Ning, if you find this matter troublesome, you have to ask Alan to help you. It would be best if you book the best club, a high-end venue, novel programs, free high-end food and drinks, and invite as many actors and directors as possible to Cannes. For VIPs, you should send a courtesy car to pick them up..."

"Leave it to me. I love partying and I'm good at it." Alain Delon didn't shirk his responsibility, but he was a little regretful. "It's a pity that the film festival is not held in Saint-Tropez. Otherwise, our castle hotel would come in handy and we could save a lot of money..."

From his tone, one could tell that the expense of this event must be shocking. Ning Weimin hesitated for a moment, thinking, "Is this... just for show?"

Catherine Deneuve laughed immediately. The French, unlike the Chinese, have a good tradition of diligence and thrift.

Especially a woman like her, who is made of money.

"You will also gain the friendship and respect of many people. Of course, journalists will flock to you, which is equivalent to indirectly promoting your film in France, and even winning the GG in Europe."

However, her words still convinced Ning Weimin, and as a result, the most luxurious carnival ball in Cannes in May was prepared.

On the day of the dance, in a nightclub called "Paradise", there was another grand event that was no less than a gathering of celebrities. Friends old and new of all skin colors, whether known to Ning Weimin or not, came here happily to show their support.

They don't need to bring any gifts, just come with a smile and a thoughtful look, even if it's a fake smile.

The guests who were invited were all prominent figures and were received with the utmost courtesy. In particular, many of them came in with their arms around the waists of beautiful women, with sparkling faces.

No matter what, this is to give face to the owner.

But to be honest, Ning Weimin doesn't actually like such activities because he feels that form is more important than meaning.

What else can such an event do except for show and enjoyment?

There is not much meaning in it. It is enough for the guests to flatter each other and save face.

Of course it can expand interpersonal relationships, but it is not very appropriate to discuss important matters in such a noisy environment.

Especially since Matsumoto Keiko is pregnant, being in a place where smoking and drinking are everywhere is bound to be harmful to her health.

In addition, he has to entertain guests with a smile, which inevitably makes him tired and exhausted. Of course, he will feel sorry for his wife.

But there is no way, when in Rome, you have to do as the Romans do. Who can blame the French for loving this tune?

He didn't want his partners to think that he was an unkind person, or to misunderstand that he was a stingy person who was reluctant to pay for a dance party.

Especially considering the future promotion and distribution of the film in the European market, as well as the issue of co-production, it is even more necessary to get to know some people first.

To put it bluntly, this matter is just like the fact that domestic businessmen love to buy luxury cars to ride in, it is just a face-saving project.

As a Chinese, if you want to expand the market in France, this kind of party is the cost you have to pay.

However, what Ning Weimin most did not expect was that the thing he thought was most unlikely to happen happened.

At the dance that day, the owner of an Italian film studio who was interested in doing a deal with him for the copyrights of several films actually brought a special guest and introduced him to Ning Weimin.

This is a tall, thin, middle-aged man who looks a bit lonely, eccentric, and cold. His reserved composure, pointed chin, and a pair of cold, sensitive blue eyes make people feel uncomfortable. It seems that he hates the world and is wary of everything.

According to the owner of the Italian film studio, since he had heard that Ning Weimin had invested in LVMH and almost bought Dior clothing, he wanted to negotiate a deal with Ning Weimin regarding the equity transaction in his family business.

But when Ning Weimin heard the other party introduce himself, he was stunned and could hardly believe his ears. "What, your last name is Gucci? Is it... the Gucci I've heard of?"

"Yes, it's that Gucci, you're right." The other party said seriously, "My name is Paul Gucci, and I am one of the third generations of the Gucci family."

Then the other party added, "I came to you because you are Asian and I heard that you are very rich. So you should be able to afford the shares in my hands, and it will not have anything to do with my family. I might as well tell you frankly that I don’t have a good impression of my family. I am very disappointed with my relatives, and I have been abandoned by the Gucci family and kicked out of the company. Now I only have 5% of Gucci shares. If you have enough money and are willing to buy it, and you can guarantee me that these shares will never fall into the hands of any of my family members, then I can sell it to you. How about it? Are you interested?"

Lightning strike! Absolute lightning strike!

Ning Weimin never imagined that someone from the Gucci family, the most famous Italian luxury brand, would take the initiative to find him and want to sell him shares.

To be honest, his understanding of this family was limited to hearing about the rich stories of infighting within the family.

In the end, Gucci almost went bankrupt due to internal conflicts and had to be sold to Kering Group.

It seems that the fierce internal strife within the Gucci family is indeed true, otherwise the other party would not have come to him.

Oh, by the way, it seems that there was a period of time when Gucci was almost acquired by Bernard Arnault due to internal strife.

What? Am I already so famous in the European fashion circle?

How could it actually attract people from the Gucci family to come and sell their shares?

If he succeeds, he will truly become the "King of Brands".

Just think about it, Kering and LVMH have the best brands in their hands.

In terms of brand quality alone, he has surpassed Bernard Arnault at his most successful time.