Chapter 206: Necessary Public Relations
For Joey Wong, among the cast of Farewell My Concubine, the person she was closest to was Leslie Cheung.
As for Aaron, among Chinese-language actors, the ones who truly caught his attention were Jackie Chan and Jet Li—and perhaps director John Woo as well.
"Let me walk you back, Joey," Aaron said, slipping an arm around her as they headed toward the hotel.
Joey Wong's English name was indeed Joey.
"Thank you," she replied without hesitation, and the two walked together along the beach.
"By the way," she asked, "for Rumble in the Bronx, do I need to join the crew early?"
"Join early?" Aaron smiled.
"The production team is still in the preparation stage. Most of the crew is from Golden Harvest—Dawnlight is mainly providing support."
"The filming will be in Canada," he added.
"Living costs there are much lower than New York, which helps keep the production budget down."
When they reached her hotel, Aaron leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"If you'd like, you could travel around the U.S. or Canada for a while first. I can make the arrangements for you."
Joey nodded.
"Thank you for tonight. I really appreciate you spending time with me."
"With a beautiful woman for company, how could I refuse?" Aaron replied with a smile.
"Are you heading straight back to Hong Kong next?"
"I'll stay in Europe for a bit," Joey said.
"Then I'll go directly to Canada. Rumble in the Bronx starts filming in early July, and I'd like to arrive early to get used to things."
She paused, then added,
"Oh—how about in a couple of days we take a boat out to Île Sainte-Marguerite? The island should be lush right now, with jasmine and gardenias in bloom."
Aaron extended the invitation.
Joey smiled lightly. "Aren't you busy?"
"Not really," Aaron replied casually.
"The company has plenty of staff—most things don't require my direct attention. I'll come pick you up then."
At Cannes, most film deals were struck behind closed doors in hotel rooms. Apart from Farewell My Concubine and The Piano, Dawnlight had little interest in acquiring new projects this year.
That night, inside a yacht cabin, Aaron Anderson rolled off Sophie Marceau and took several deep breaths.
Propping her head on one hand, Sophie traced her fingers across his chest.
"The young director you worked with before—Steven Soderbergh—his film King of the Hill is also in the main competition. Have you been following it?"
"Soderbergh?" Aaron shook his head.
"No. His Kafka from a couple of years ago was pretty mediocre."
He paused, then added,
"The one I know is Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing. It made it into the main competition too—but didn't pick up a single Oscar nomination."
That film starred Branagh and Emma Thompson, along with Denzel Washington and Keanu Reeves. Aaron had also noticed a young Kate Beckinsale in it—another future English rose.
Sophie yawned softly.
"I did hear Brad Grey mention a Spanish film, Belle Époque. It made 725 million pesetas in Spain last year."
Seven hundred twenty-five million pesetas—about $5.5 million.
"I know it," Aaron said.
"Sony Classics has the North American distribution rights."
He remembered it clearly because he had met Penélope Cruz at the Venice Film Festival the previous year, where Jamón Jamón—the film that truly launched her—won the Silver Lion.
At that time, Cruz had just finished filming Belle Époque. When it was released later that year in Spain, it became the country's annual box-office champion.
"Alright," Aaron said, patting Sophie gently.
"Get some sleep. You're one of Cannes' image ambassadors this year—you'll have plenty of daytime events."
---
As Farewell My Concubine screened during the Cannes Film Festival, it was met with overwhelming acclaim.
Festival president Gilles Jacob praised it highly:
"Farewell My Concubine paints a magnificent epic through a dreamlike narrative. With an understanding of modern Chinese history, the film draws us completely into its world. It is one of the finest films of 1993."
Empire Magazine wrote:
"With astonishing production design and a revolutionary dramatic backdrop, director Chen Kaige perfectly captures the relationship between two boys."
Film Weekly commented:
"The film flows with such urgency that every connection feels inevitable. Its visual splendor sweeps away any possible objections."
Time Magazine declared:
"Farewell My Concubine is a deeply moving epic."
The film's reputation exploded, becoming a monumental milestone in the history of Chinese-language cinema.
Director Chen Kaige, at forty-one, was riding high with confidence.
Leslie Cheung, thirty-seven, was peerless.
Gong Li, just twenty-eight, radiated breathtaking brilliance.
Dawnlight's head of distribution, Brad Grey, spoke at length with producer Hsu Feng, praising the film without reservation.
"Dawnlight previously distributed Zhang Yimou's Ju Dou, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars," Brad said.
"The following year, Raise the Red Lantern received the same nomination."
"Chinese-language cinema," he concluded, "has artistic credibility."
Hsu Feng smiled.
"Then how do you see Farewell My Concubine's chances of being nominated for Best Foreign Language Film?"
"A nomination is almost certain," Brad replied confidently.
"But the Oscars are fiercely competitive. Artistic merit alone isn't enough—promotion matters."
"Looking at past campaigns," he continued,
"Chinese filmmakers haven't placed enough emphasis on marketing after being shortlisted."
Hsu Feng frowned slightly.
"But isn't the Academy supposed to judge purely on quality?"
Brad shook his head.
"Quality is essential—but without visibility, even the finest films can be overlooked. The Academy has many voters. If they don't see the film, it doesn't matter how good it is."
"So what do you suggest?" Hsu Feng asked.
Of course she wanted an Oscar. Cannes was prestigious—but its global reach could not compare.
Brad Grey gave his candid advice:
"During next year's awards season, the Farewell My Concubine team should come to Hollywood early—for some necessary public relations work."
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[Art is a universal language that should be judged by its quality rather than its place of origin.]