Chapter 63

"Is this the home of Director Chen Tiandu? We are from CCTV. This is our Deputy Director Luo Ming, and this is the Chairman of the China Film Association, Xia Yan. We have come to visit you specially."

"Guests are welcome, please come in." Chen Tiandu's second uncle invited the guests in.

His name is Chen Yongping. Unlike Chen Tiandu's father, who had a stable job as a civil servant, he had ventured into business early on. He ran a clothing store, which, though not big, made him some money. With his gentle personality and traditional Confucian scholar-like demeanor, he easily gained people's trust in business, and his career was thriving.

As soon as the leaders entered, they immediately saw Chen Tiandu and Kate Beckinsale sitting there, quite conspicuous.

Kate Beckinsale, a foreign beauty, was stunning even by Chinese standards. The cameraman instinctively wanted to open the camera cover to take a shot.

Chen Tiandu, however, promptly blocked the camera, looking at him with a half-smile. The cameraman blushed, realizing how impolite it was. In the past, CCTV's cameras could shoot anyone they wanted, and if Chen Tiandu were just an ordinary person, they would have done so without hesitation. But now, shooting without permission would be an invasion of privacy, so he awkwardly put the camera down.

"I am Chen Tiandu. Welcome. Director Luo, Chairman Xia, please come in. If you don't mind, let's have a simple meal together."

"Coming here so suddenly, we are really disturbing you. This must be Mr. Chen, nice to meet you..." Deputy Director Luo immediately tried to build a rapport as he entered.

However, the Chen family's home was not very large. With Chen Tiandu's family and his second uncle's family gathered together, it was already quite crowded. This scene clearly looked like a family dinner. With so many people suddenly crowding in, it became even more cramped.

Everyone felt a bit awkward. Xia Yan said apologetically, "We came suddenly and disturbed you. Actually, we are here to invite Director Chen to join the China Film Association. We also want to invite you and Director Spielberg for an interview program called 'A Journey Through Chinese Cinema.' Do you have time?"

Chen Tiandu understood. They were indeed here for Spielberg. While there was a disdain for foreign worship in China, certain actions showed a clear preference for foreigners. In their minds, ten Chen Tiandus might not equal one Spielberg.

He was a bit hesitant and said, "Thank you for your kind invitation, but the timing is too tight. To be honest, we just landed this morning. Everyone is still adjusting to the time difference and resting at the hotel. This time, we returned to China to shoot 'The Matrix,' and we didn't originally plan to shoot anything domestically. I changed the schedule and location to come here. The film has a large budget, and several major companies are closely monitoring it. Our shooting schedule is very tight. We will only be in China for less than half a month, and many plans were set long ago, so it might be difficult to find time for other activities. As for Director Spielberg, I can help you contact him, but I can't decide for him."

Hearing this, the leaders' faces turned a bit awkward.

Indeed, coming straight from the airport without any prior notice was bound to be awkward.

This was the usual way high-ranking officials conducted themselves, without much regard for others. They might not have thought about these details before coming, but now they realized it was inappropriate.

Chen Tiandu said, "How about we reschedule for tomorrow at a different place to discuss this in detail? Director Spielberg has expressed interest in China, and I can convey the invitation to him. What do you think?"

"That would be best..."

Coming so suddenly, they naturally didn't achieve much. As they were leaving, Chen Tiandu gave each of them a gift box from the United States, ensuring the leaders didn't leave empty-handed.

As the group hurriedly left the neighborhood, Deputy Director Luo touched the gift box, confirming it only contained simple ginseng, and felt a bit disappointed. He whispered to Xia Yan, "Chairman Xia, do you think Chen Tiandu really made several hundred million from one movie?"

"Logically, it's impossible. He's just a newcomer. If the movie were that profitable, we would have heard from Wu Yusen long ago," Xia Yan said. "But the Western media reports seem credible, so who knows?"

Luo Ming smiled, "Chen Tiandu has agreed to join the Film Association. You can now hold your heads high."

Xia Yan raised an eyebrow, "Why do you say that? Actors are just performers. To put it bluntly, 'money has no heart, and performers have no loyalty.' How many actors have donated to the Film Association? Besides, the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards are fair and cannot accept donations from any film company. We are just doing our duty."

Luo Ming sneered, unimpressed.

...

Chen Tiandu had no experience dealing with people from the Chinese film industry. Receiving such an invitation suddenly left him at a loss. "I guess I'll leave this to Kong Yiji in the future."

After sending off the hurried visitors, he received another call, this time from the Central Academy of Drama.

It was actually the president, Xu Xiang, who called personally, saying he wanted to organize a graduation ceremony for Chen Tiandu. "Tiandu, Chinese cinema has been declining in recent years. Comrade Xiaoping passed away just over a year ago, and he advocated for reform and opening up, saying, 'implement a market economy, don't rely on the government for everything.' But we lack experience in this area. You have been very successful in the United States, and your movie became the global box office champion. This is all due to your experience in the market, which is what Chinese filmmakers lack. I would like to invite you to give a speech at the school to share your experience in making 'The Sixth Sense' and show everyone the differences between domestic and Hollywood films. What do you think?"

Chen Tiandu was taken aback. He hadn't even received his diploma yet, and he was being asked to give a speech to his alma mater. This was too much to ask.

Indeed, the development of Chinese cinema has been challenging.

In 1989, domestic box office revenue was 2.7 billion yuan, with 2.93 billion viewers. In 1990, it was 2.5 billion yuan, and in 1991, 2.36 billion yuan. The film "Zhou Enlai" grossed 270 million yuan, creating a viewing craze at a time when tickets cost only 2 yuan. In 1992, it reached a peak of 3.2 billion yuan, and in 1993, 2.8 billion yuan. By 1994, Chinese cinema began to deteriorate rapidly, and Hollywood blockbusters became the market's savior.

In 1995, national box office revenue fell to 1 billion yuan, with fewer than 100 films produced. By this year, total box office revenue is less than 1.4 billion yuan, with American blockbusters accounting for 785 million yuan, more than half. The box office could only break 1 billion yuan this year thanks to "Titanic's" 360 million yuan contribution. The number of viewers is just over 300 million, a hundredfold decrease.

From 1995 to the present, it has been the most difficult period for Chinese cinema, with filmmakers seeing no future.

Apart from a few major directors who focused on portraying the ugly side of Chinese society to win Western recognition and awards, these films couldn't even be shown in their own country, which is ironic.

Growing up under the red flag, Chen Tiandu also wanted to contribute to the country.

But he was just a small figure, and he hadn't even found his footing yet. How could he turn the tide?

He frowned, wanting to help but being honest, "President, I appreciate the school's arrangement. I have decided to donate five of the most advanced cameras and projectors to the school to assist with teaching. As for the speech, I'm afraid I'm not up to it. I made a horror film, which, although it reflects social relationships, features supernatural elements and can't even be shown in China. I don't know how to talk about it, and not everyone may have seen my film."

"Thank you for the donation. I understand your situation!"

Xu Xiang smiled, "I would also like to see this year's global box office champion, 'The Sixth Sense.' If you can provide the film, the school can organize a viewing and learning session. Although some types of films can't be made in China, you can still share your successful experiences."

With that, Chen Tiandu had no choice but to agree, "Alright, I have the film. I'll bring a few copies back for the school, along with a few copies of 'Saving Private Ryan.' As for the time, I'll send someone to contact you."

...

Finally, after dealing with the "famous" visitors, the family could enjoy a hearty dinner.

"Oh, my God, this is so delicious. I remember this soup. Christmas, did you make this soup? The ingredients are the same, but it tastes even better than yours." Kate's tongue was rolling as she kept talking.

The whole family laughed, and Chen Tiandu's face turned a bit red. He playfully said, "In ancient China, women would pour wine for men. When I finish my drink, you should refill it for me. Do you want to learn?"

Kate looked puzzled, and Chen Tiandu's grandmother tapped him on the back of the head, "Don't bully her. That's feudal superstition. How can you say such things?"

Chen Tiandu was immediately embarrassed.

After the meal, Chen Tiandu began to persuade his father to resign. Since he was taking this step, he was well-prepared.

He saw the potential in the domestic film market and planned to act early. Over time, he aimed to establish a top-tier cinema chain in China. He recommended that his father, Chen Yonghe, go abroad to learn about advanced multiplexes and service-oriented business models in Europe and America, then return to set up their own cinema chain.

His second uncle, Chen Yongren, was quite interested, "Since the reform and opening up, many concepts have changed. Many of my classmates who went into business have become wealthy. People are profit-driven, and I think this might be the future trend. Although the domestic film industry is insignificant, a country cannot let its cinema remain in this state forever. I fully support Tiandu's idea."

Chen Yonghe was more cautious, "Cinema is a new industry, and we don't understand it. Even if we勉强开一家电影院，最多也只能人云亦云，无法获得好的电影放映，没有任何特色。"

Chen Tiandu大包大揽，“这些我来负责就行。再说，我赌的是未来，不是现在。国内目前还没有开放电影发行、拍摄、放映，实施电影院线制。但相关部门已经在探讨了，我估计也就是这几年就会出台规定，这是大势所趋，否则国产电影就真的要死了。到时候影院可以自由选择院线加盟来取得影片来源，电影拍摄也不再是由电影制片厂垄断拍摄，只要取得拍摄许可证和放映许可证即可。影院也能采用分账的形式来分取利润……”

“等等，既然还要过几年才出台规定，现在又怎么经营院线呢？”陈永平提出疑问。

陈天都解释道：“二叔，目前国内房地产还是个新兴行业，我们做不了院线却需要提前布置基础设施。趁着现在地价便宜，先将地盘找好却是必须的，一旦等到那个时候地价就不会像现在这么便宜了。目前国内的几条电影院线都是国营的，可以说毫无竞争力，懂行的人也真的不多。请别人来干我更不放心，只要爸和二叔愿意干就行。经营方面说不上在行，但电影我还是能拿主意的……”

他口若悬河，说得天花乱坠，终于打动了父亲。

陈永和答应过年后去考察考察，然后再回来制定计划。陈天都慷慨地提供100万美元作为前期活动资金，让自己的父亲和二叔使用。

一出手就是一百万美元，直让陈永和想敲他几栗子。

“儿子太有出息了，连后半生都给你安排妥当了，还能说什么。”

陈家两兄弟对视一眼，相继无语，直感岁月催人老啊，不服不行。