Chinese entertainment: What's wrong with actresses wanting to improve?

Chapter 167: The Premiere of "Your Name"

Fu Yibai stopped at the door of the lounge.

The door was ajar, and there were rustling sounds and low voices coming from inside.

"Tian Tian, ​​don't be nervous, relax."

"I'm not nervous."

"Then why are you clutching your skirt? It's all wrinkled."

"Can't I...can I adjust it?"

Fu Yibai raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

Pushing open the door, I entered the lounge. Jing Tian stood in front of a full-length mirror, wearing a snow-white floor-length dress.

Lu Zheng stood to the side, holding his phone, looking like he had just finished taking a picture.

Jing Tian's eyes lit up instantly when she saw Fu Yibai.

"Brother Yibai!"

She turned around to greet him, but forgot the length of her skirt, tripped, and fell forward.

Fu Yibai quickly stepped forward and reached out to support her arm.

Jing Tian regained her balance, her face flushing red.

"Thank you... thank you, Brother Yibai."

"Are you alright?"

"fine."

She lowered her head, her ears turning bright red.

Lu Zheng watched from the side, his lips twitching, and wisely walked out.

"Well, Mr. Fu, I'll leave Tian Tian to you. I'll go to the theater first."

The door closed, and the lounge fell silent.

Fu Yibai released his grip, took a step back, and looked her up and down.

Jing Tian lowered her head, her fingers twisting the hem of her skirt, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

"Don't be nervous, you're beautiful."

"Really?"

Hearing Fu Yibai's praise, Jing Tian finally relaxed.

"Really, let's get ready and go walk the red carpet."

"it is good."

The two walked out of the lounge, turned the corner, and the entrance to the red carpet was just ahead.

As the staff lifted the barrier, a flood of flashbulbs rushed in.

"Director Fu! Look this way!"

"Miss Jing Tian!"

"Director Fu! What was it like acting for the first time?"

The sound of camera shutters clicking away was deafening, almost drowning out all the shouts.

Jing Tian's body stiffened slightly, and she paused for a moment.

Fu Yibai didn't look at her, but gently tightened his arm, trapping her hand at his side.

"Don't be nervous, look ahead, and smile."

His voice was very soft, almost inaudible in the noise.

But Jing Tian heard it.

She took a deep breath, raised her head, and smiled in a perfectly curved smile.

The two walked down the red carpet, followed by flashing lights.

Jing Tian's white dress swayed on the red carpet, while Fu Yibai, dressed in a dark gray suit, stood beside her like a steady rock.

A reporter called out, "Ms. Jing Tian! What was it like working with Director Fu?"

Jing Tian glanced at Fu Yibai, her smile deepening.

"I'm very happy."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for the reporters in the front row to hear.

The sound of camera shutters exploded again.

At the end of the red carpet, in front of the signature wall.

A staff member handed them a pen, and the two signed their names on the backdrop before turning to face the camera.

Jing Tian stood beside Fu Yibai, her body slightly leaning towards him, her skirt spreading out at her feet like a blooming white camellia.

Fu Yibai had one hand in his pocket and the other hanging naturally at his side, his gaze fixed on the camera, his expression indifferent.

"Take another picture! Director Fu, could you please come closer?"

Upon hearing this, Jing Tian moved closer to him, her arm pressed against his.

The flash went off again.

After taking the photos, the two walked towards the theater under the guidance of the staff.

Guests continued to enter the venue on the red carpet behind them.

The theater was already more than half full.

The front row was reserved for the main cast and guests, while the back rows were for the media and lucky fans.

When Fu Yibai and Jing Tian entered through the side door, a commotion broke out in the theater.

Some people shouted "Director Fu," others shouted "Jing Tian," and the sound of camera shutters was still clear in the dim light.

The two sat down in the middle of the first row.

"President Han is here too."

Fu Yibai looked at Han Shanping beside him and said with some surprise.

"Your Name" wasn't invested in by China Film Group, so it was a bit of a surprise for Fu Yibai that this busy man was here.

"I've come to support you."

"After all, this is your screen debut, so I'm quite curious too."

The lights in the theater gradually dimmed, and the noisy chatter subsided.

Han Shanping leaned back in his chair, glanced at Fu Yibai, and lowered his voice, asking, "Which is harder, acting or directing?"

"Both are difficult."

Fu Yibai also lowered his voice.

"Acting requires following instructions from others. As someone who's used to being a director, sometimes I really want to yell 'cut'."

Han Shanping laughed out loud, his shoulders shaking slightly.

Hearing the noise, Jing Tian glanced at the two of them slightly, then turned back, placing her hands on her knees with her back straight.

The big screen lit up.

When the dragon emblem appeared, the theater was so quiet that only the low hum of the speakers could be heard.

The title of the film "Your Name" appears against a backdrop of countless stars.

The scene shifts to Dali, Yunnan, an ancient city bathed in morning light, with blue tiles and white walls, and the silhouette of the Cangshan Mountains in the distance.

A soft gasp was heard in the theater.

The scene is so beautiful.

It's not the kind of beauty that's deliberately piled up; it's a natural, restrained beauty that carries the breath of life.

Fu Yibai leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the screen.

This was the first time he had watched a play he acted in as an audience member.

It feels a bit strange.

The story unfolds slowly.

Mitsuha, a girl from a small town, and Taki, a boy from a big city, are two complete strangers who swap bodies in their dreams.

The confusion and bewilderment during the first exchange.

After confirming that it wasn't a dream, leave "Who are you?" on your phone and notebook.

Soft laughter occasionally drifted through the theater.

Jing Tian is very talented on screen.

That kind of spirit isn't something that can be built up with skill; it's natural, unguarded, and carries the unique clumsiness and sincerity of a young girl.

Fu Yibai turned his head and glanced at her.

Jing Tian stared at the screen, completely relaxed, clearly immersed in the story.

On the screen, the story continues.

The two people who had swapped phones gradually adapted to this strange life, leaving more and more memos on each other's phones and beginning to participate in each other's lives.

Mitsuha helped Taki win over the girl he liked, and Taki helped Mitsuha gain recognition and pride in the town.

Laughter filled the theater more frequently.

until that day.

Taki could no longer contact Mitsuha.

He found the town by following the map in his memory, only to discover that it had been destroyed in the comet debris impact three years earlier.

Mitsuha died three years ago.

The theater was so quiet you could hear someone breathing.

On the screen, Taki stands in the archives, looking down at the register, where Mitsuha's name is listed, next to her date of death.

Someone in the theater started sobbing.

Han Shanping clicked his tongue softly beside him, but didn't say anything.

The climax of the story.

On the sacred mountain, at dusk.

"Taki!"

"Mitsuba!"

On the screen, the two run toward each other, reaching out, but cannot touch.

The moment when light and shadow intertwine.

Two people from different times and spaces finally meet.

Jing Tian's tears streamed down her face.

"You're really here!"

As dusk fell, they once again forgot each other's names.

The theater was filled with sobs.

At last.

Years later.

Shanghai streets.

The moment when two trains pass each other in the subway.

They saw each other through the car window.

Our eyes met.

Someone in the theater gasped in surprise.

The train passed by, leaving only one's own reflection in the window.

Upon arrival, the two turned around simultaneously and ran back.

On the stairs, they stopped at the same time.

They looked at each other, then silently looked away.

Just when everyone was worried, Taki turned around.

"Wait a minute, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before?"

Mitsuha stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at him, tears falling, but the corners of her mouth curving upwards.

"Me too."

"What is your name?"

As the end credits rolled, the lights in the theater gradually came on.

Quiet.

There was a two-second silence.

Then applause erupted.

Like a tide, it surged from the back row to the front row, coming from all directions.

Jing Tian sat there, stunned, tears still streaming down her face.

Fu Yibai patted her and stood up.

Jing Tian snapped out of her daze, stood up, and hurriedly wiped her face with the back of her hand.

Fu Yibai turned his head to look at her and said in a low voice, "Why are you crying? You acted very well."

Jing Tian sniffed but didn't say anything.

The two walked out from the first row and walked along the aisle toward the stage.

The applause grew louder.

Some people shouted "Director Fu", some shouted "Jing Tian", and others shouted "It's so good-looking".

On stage, the host stood in front of the backdrop and gestured for the two people to stand in the middle.

Fu Yibai stood in the middle, and Jing Tian stood to his right, her eyes still red, but the corners of her mouth were already curved.

The host said a few opening remarks and then handed the microphone to Fu Yibai.

"Director Fu, this is your first time standing here as an actor. What are your feelings?"

Fu Yibai took the microphone and glanced at the audience.

Han Shanping was sitting in the first row, looking at him with a smile on his face.

Then came reporters, fans, and industry insiders.

He looked back.

"My feeling is that acting is definitely more tiring than directing."

Laughter erupted from the audience.

"The hardest part of filming this movie wasn't acting, but being both the director and an actor at the same time."

There was a scene where, after I finished filming one take, I had to run behind the monitor to watch the playback, and then run back to reshoot it.

I ran more than ten laps that day; the number of steps I took was enough to circle the film set ten times.

The laughter grew even louder.

After Fu Yibai and the others' laughter subsided slightly, he continued, "But it's quite worthwhile."

"It's a wonderful experience to be able to live someone else's life."

A reporter raised their hand from the audience.

"Ms. Jing Tian, ​​what are your impressions of working with Director Fu for the first time?"

The host handed the microphone to Jing Tian.

Jing Tian took it and took a deep breath.

"I'm very happy."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was very steady.

There was a moment of silence in the audience, followed by good-natured laughter.

"Director Fu was very strict on set, but also very patient."

When I didn't act well, he would teach me again and again until I got the hang of it.

She paused, then looked at Fu Yibai.

"Thank you, Director Fu."

Fu Yibai looked at her and nodded.

The Q&A session lasted for twenty minutes.

Most of the reporters' questions were directed at Fu Yibai, and the few that were asked about Jing Tian were all about her role and performance.

Jing Tian became more and more relaxed as she answered, and by the end she was even able to crack a few jokes.

After the Q&A session, the host and the cast chatted for a few more minutes before announcing the end of the premiere.

The crowd began to surge out.

Han Shanping stood up from the first row and walked towards the stage.

"Yi Bai, you acted well."

I never knew you were so talented as an actor.

"Comparison is the thief of joy!"

He stopped in front of Fu Yibai and patted him on the shoulder.

"Haha, Mr. Han, you flatter me."

Han Shanping laughed heartily and turned to look at Jing Tian.

"Tian Tian also did very well."

"Thank you for the compliment, Uncle Han."

Jing Tian smiled slightly.

"Okay, I'm leaving."

Han Shanping waved his hand and walked outside.

At this moment, Lu Zheng walked over.

"Director Fu, I'll take Tian Tian back now."

"Okay, I'll leave the rest of the roadshow to Tian Tian and President Lu."

"You're welcome, it's my pleasure."

Goodbye, Yi Bai!

Have a great shoot!

"Okay, goodbye."