Chapter 28: Domestic Premiere

March 1st, a small conference room at China Film Group.

Cao Yang arrived with Hou Keming. With the film set to premiere tomorrow, Mr. Han of China Film Group had expressed a desire to meet Cao Yang several times, and today presented the perfect opportunity.

The meeting began with the usual pleasantries. Mr. Han was effusive in his praise, calling Cao Yang a young talent and a hero of his generation, and insisting that they must strengthen their cooperation in the future. Hou Keming merely smiled and remained silent.

While the meeting was ostensibly to discuss matters related to the film's release, the true purpose was for Mr. Han to see Cao Yang for himself. Like many others, he had initially been skeptical that a film winning two Silver Bears could have been directed by a twenty-year-old. He had assumed it was the work of Tian Zhuangzhuang, and that Cao Yang was merely a puppet put forward to bypass the director's ban.

However, after viewing the film at an internal screening, Mr. Han was stunned. Two thoughts immediately crossed his mind.

First, this was clearly an auteur film—how could it possibly be Tian Zhuangzhuang's? The style was completely different; it was undeniably the work of that twenty-year-old student! This was truly incredible, and he had to be courted.

Second, where did that actress, Li Xiaoran, come from? She was extraordinary! It didn't feel like acting; it felt like watching her autobiography. No wonder she won the Best Actress award in Berlin.

Mr. Han couldn't decide whether to marvel at Cao Yang’s luck or Li Xiaoran’s. He could only conclude that it was a case of a perfect script meeting the perfect actress, with the two elevating each other.

The discussion primarily concerned the film’s promotional tour—while roadshows existed in this era, they were known then as "touring premiere events." It was essentially the same thing: traveling to several major cities to hold screenings and Q&A sessions at local theaters, where the cast and crew could meet the audience, sign autographs, and interact.

China Film Group selected seven major cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Wuhan. Later, at Cao Yang’s suggestion, they added Ludong Island, where the film was shot. At the time, no one realized that if the media narrative were steered correctly, filming locations could provide a surprising boost to the box office.

Cao Yang would attend the premieres in Beijing and Ludong Island, while the main cast would handle the other cities. He chose Ludong Island specifically because he was considering it as a location for his next film and wanted to take the opportunity to scout it.

The Beijing premiere was held at the Beijing Theater. In an age before the internet was widespread and news relied on a few portals and print media, these touring premieres were vital for building buzz and reaching potential audiences.

Domestic market performance at the time was lackluster, but the potential was there. Looking at the success of *Titanic* and the upcoming *Hero*—which would mark the dawn of the blockbuster era—it was clear that if the audience were engaged and a trend was established, the market had immense promise.

At 5:00 PM on March 2nd, the invited guests began to arrive. Cao Yang, along with Tian Zhuangzhuang, Li Xiaoran, and Ding Jiali, greeted them. In the film industry, social hierarchy is strictly defined, and one must greet guests according to their status.

Cao Yang made sure to personally welcome the older generation and the Fifth Generation directors, even those who weren't particularly famous. Most were alumni of the Beijing Film Academy, and in this circle, one's alma mater carries significant weight. Almost every member of the 1978 Directing Class who was in Beijing attended. Cao Yang greeted them all individually before escorting them to their seats.

Zhang Yimou also arrived. Although he was from the '78 class, he wasn't from the directing department, which created a slight distance. Cao Yang greeted him personally, then asked Li Xiaoran to escort him to his seat, creating an opportunity for her. Cao Yang knew that Zhang Yimou would likely prioritize marketability and choose Zhang Ziyi, but Li Xiaoran still stood a chance, depending on the film’s box office performance and influence.

Huang Lei arrived with Liu Ruoying. In this era, he felt comfortable bringing her openly, unafraid of public opinion or his partner, Sun Li. The media landscape was not yet dominated by social media, and people in the industry played their games more "transparently" than they would in later years. As a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy and one of the most popular idols of the time, Huang Lei was someone Cao Yang felt compelled to greet. Huang Lei offered his congratulations and spoke with practiced charm; as a teacher at the school, he didn't share the outside world's misconception about the film's authorship.

Liu Ruoying, as Huang Lei’s "fourth type of relationship," was well aware of who the film belonged to. She apologized for missing out on such a great project due to her new album preparations, promising that if another opportunity arose, she would drop everything for Director Cao. The entertainment industry is nothing if not pragmatic.

Having seen and played the game so often, many in the industry had become indifferent to such things. Even Feng Xiaogang showed up, bringing Xu Fan along. He chatted and laughed with Tian Zhuangzhuang, jokingly praising him for his "growing prowess" in winning two Silver Bears. Like others, he assumed the film was Tian's work. Xu Fan joined in the congratulations, playfully complaining that Tian hadn't given her a chance at a good role. Feng Xiaogang’s smile faltered for a moment before he regained his composure.

Li Shaohong, also from the '78 directing class and a close confidante of Tian Zhuangzhuang, was there too. She had directed the highly acclaimed *Palace of Desire* and the heavily criticized *New Dream of the Red Chamber*. She once joked, "He (Tian) just wants to fall in love through his films, and once the filming ends, the romance is over." So, if Xu Fan were to act in a Tian Zhuangzhuang film, Feng Xiaogang wouldn't be entirely indifferent, would he, Gangzi?

Beyond the '78 class, the 1985 class was also famous, featuring names like Wang Xiaoshuai, Lou Ye, and Lu Xuechang. Four of them attended, including Wang Rui, who had stayed on as a professor. It was a curious dynamic: their teacher was Xie Xiaojing, the current head of the directing department, who was from the '78 class and a student of Situ Zhaodun. Since Situ Zhaodun had taken Cao Yang on as a student, in ancient terms, Cao Yang would be the "junior uncle" to Wang Xiaoshuai and the others. Of course, this was just a joke. Situ Zhaodun hadn't come, saying he would wait for the day Cao Yang won a top award at one of the three major European festivals. It was a form of motivation.

Several private film company executives also arrived, though Hou Keming kept them away from Cao Yang, perhaps fearing he might be poached.

Once the time arrived, Cao Yang and his cast took the stage to chat. This was a standard procedure—fodder for the reporters—discussing the inspiration behind the film, the challenges faced, and anecdotes from the set. Naturally, it was all "scripted"; what could and couldn't be said was pre-determined. After all, one couldn't exactly admit that the high-minded motivation was just money and fame. As for the "difficulties" and "anecdotes," they were curated for public consumption. Cao Yang couldn't very well say, "I sent an invitation to Xu Jinglei and she ignored me, or I asked Huang Lei to invite Liu Ruoying and he didn't bother."

It wasn't that he couldn't say it; it was simply inappropriate. If the film hadn't won any awards and needed a desperate boost in heat, many directors wouldn't mind stirring up trouble or offending those who were "safe" to offend.