vncnus Chapter 184 Winning the Laurel
Chapter 184 Winning the Laurel
On the morning of May 27, 2007, everyone held their breath as the phone rang in Fu Yibai's room.
After confirming that it was the organizing committee's invitation to the closing ceremony, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At 7 p.m., the cast and crew of "The Hunt," dressed in their finest attire, once again walked the red carpet amidst the media's cameras and the cheers of fans.
At 7:30, the awards ceremony officially began. After a brief speech by the film festival chairman, the jury reappeared on stage.
The Lumière Hall was brightly lit, and all two thousand seats were occupied.
Fu Yibai sat in the fourth row by the aisle, with Leonardo DiCaprio on his left and Margaret on his right.
To the side, the other main members of the production team lined up in a row.
The large screen on the stage played clips from this year's nominated films on a loop.
As the light and shadow shifted, Fu Yibai's profile was illuminated by both light and shadow.
Leonardo shifted his crossed legs, his knees touching Fu Yibai's legs.
"nervous?"
Fu Yibai turned his head to look at him.
Leonardo leaned back in his chair with a smile on his lips, but the light tapping of his fingers on the armrest betrayed his emotions.
You look more nervous than I am.
Leonardo chuckled but didn't deny it.
On stage, German actress Diane Kruger, the presenter, walked onto the stage in a dark blue dress with a bright smile.
The opening remarks were concise and humorous, eliciting bursts of laughter from the audience.
The first award was for Best Short Film.
Then there are several awards in the "Un Certain Regard" category.
These were unrelated to the main competition; most of the people in the audience were talking in hushed tones, and applause only broke out as a courtesy when the winners went on stage.
Fu Yibai leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the shadowy edge of the stage.
Leonardo's fingers were still tapping.
"Stop knocking."
Fu Yibai lowered his voice.
Leonardo paused for a moment, looked down at his hands, then clenched them into fists and placed them on his knees.
"Feel sorry."
Margaret chuckled softly beside her.
The awards were presented one by one.
Golden Camera Award, Best Screenplay, Best Actress...
When the presenter announced that the winner of "Best Actress" was Anna Maria Marinka, the lead actress in "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," Fu Yibai's heart skipped a beat.
It's not nervousness.
It was some kind of premonition.
"4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" was his most valued rival, and now that it has won Best Actress, it means that its competitiveness in other important awards will be weakened.
Because the jury usually doesn't award too many prestigious prizes to the same film.
Leonardo had obviously thought of this as well, glancing at him sideways with a look that was hard to decipher.
"Best Actor".
The host read out the award names.
Fu Yibai paused for a moment.
The nomination clips began playing on the big screen.
The excerpt from "The Hunt" appears in the third one.
Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Lucas, stands in the church, silently gazing at his former friend, his eyes filled with pain and questioning that pierces the screen.
The camera cuts back to the scene, focusing on Leonardo DiCaprio.
He sat there with a standard smile on his lips, but his hands, resting on the armrests, were taut.
The award presenter opened the envelope, glanced at it, then looked up and scanned the audience.
The winner is—
He paused, a smile playing on his lips.
"Leonardo DiCaprio, The Hunt."
Applause erupted instantly.
Leonardo sat motionless in his seat.
Fu Yibai turned to the side and patted him on the shoulder.
"Go up."
Leonardo then came to his senses, stood up, and glanced down at Fu Yibai.
His eyes were already red.
He opened his arms and hugged Fu Yibai tightly.
"Thanks."
The voice was very soft and somewhat hoarse.
Then he relaxed, straightened his suit, and walked down the aisle toward the stage.
The applause grew louder.
Fu Yibai leaned back in his chair, watching that figure walk step by step onto the stage and accept the trophy.
Leonardo stood in front of the microphone, looked down at the trophy in his hand, and remained silent for a few seconds.
The audience fell silent.
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the audience before finally settling on the direction of the eighth row.
"Thank you to the jury. Thank you, Director Fu Yibai."
His voice trembled slightly.
"This role is the most difficult one I have ever played."
During filming, every day after work when I returned to the hotel, it took me a long time to get out of Lucas's shadow..."
The applause of the audience was thunderous.
Fu Yibai sat in his seat, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Leonardo continued by listing a list of people he was thanking, then raised the trophy and gestured to the audience.
Amid applause, he stepped off the stage.
When he returned to his seat, he hugged Fu Yibai and patted his back twice.
"Thank you, Fu."
Fu Yibai patted him on the shoulder.
"It's because you acted well."
Leonardo DiCaprio's win puts "The Hunt" and "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" back on equal footing.
The Best Picture award will most likely be decided between the two, but it could also be won by another film.
The awards ceremony continued.
The Best Director award went to Julian Schnabel for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly".
Fu Yibai held his breath.
Next up are the Jury Prize, the Grand Jury Prize, and Best Picture.
The award presenter slowly opened the envelope, and the light focused on the thin card.
The air in the entire Lumière Hall seemed to freeze, and even breathing became clearly audible.
"Jury Award"
The award presenter looked up, his gaze fixed intently on the audience.
Naomi Kawase – The Forest of Funerals
Carlos Regadas – The Silent Sun
Applause surged like a tide, then slowly receded.
Fu Yibai felt his palms sweating slightly.
He casually wiped his hands on the seam of his trousers and refocused his gaze on the stage.
The award presenters for the Jury Prize have taken the stage.
"Grand Jury Prize - 'April 3 Weeks and 2 Days'".
The applause rang out again, more complex than before, mixed with congratulations, exclamations, and knowing whispers.
Fu Yibai's heart sank suddenly, but then strangely calmed down.
What does it mean that the strongest competitor took the honor second only to the top prize?
Almost everyone's gaze, whether directly or indirectly, was directed toward the location of the "Hunting" crew.
Leonardo instinctively gripped the trophy in his hand, Margaret took a soft breath, and Fu Yibai simply straightened his back.
The large screen on the stage switched to his face at the right moment. There weren't many expressions on his face, only a kind of almost frozen focus.
The film festival chairman once again stepped onto the center stage.
He didn't immediately pick up the envelope from the podium, but instead looked around the room and spoke in a calm voice.
"Next up is the last and most important award of this film festival—the Palme d'Or for Best Film."
The air in the entire venue froze completely.
The camera panned across the faces of several popular directors; some were nervously pursing their lips, while others were forcing a relaxed smile.
Fu Yibai felt Leonardo's gaze fall on his profile, but he did not turn his head.
His entire focus was on the unopened envelope in the Chairman's hand.
The chairman finally picked it up. This simple action seemed to be stretched out infinitely.
He took out the card, glanced at it, and a faint, enigmatic smile appeared on his face.
He raised his head, his gaze seemingly traversing mountains and rivers, landing precisely on the fourth row.
"The film that won Best Film and the Palme d'Or at the 60th Cannes International Film Festival is—"
He paused, as if savoring the weight the name carried.
The entire Lumière Hall held its breath, time stretched out infinitely, leaving only the dull echo of hearts pounding in chests.
""hunting"!"