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Helming Hollywood

Levin, who had experienced ups and downs in the entertainment industry in his previous life came to Hollywood in 1996 from 2014. It's a slow-paced novel. Unofficial translation of the novel by heracross. Raw version can be found at https://www.uukanshu.com/b/24330/. You can read advanced chapters on my Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.

Sayonara816 · Realistic
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342 Chs

Object of Discrimination

The camera moves up, and people see the owner of this pair of shoes. This was a young black man. He was sitting there, his eyes darting around in boredom, his hands constantly tapping, and he looked quite agitated.

Then, the camera pulled back and took in everyone. These people were sitting in a row, and many of them were still looking through the materials. It seemed that they were waiting for the interview.

The zoomed-out lens showed not only the crowd but also the decoration inside the room.

The exquisite dressing table, the beautiful floors, the murals on the walls, the Easter eggs used as decorations... the whole room gave off an unusual aura of wealth.

In the hall full of classical colors, the only one who seemed out of place was Driss sitting there. 

He was wearing work clothes, and his eyes scanned the murals in the hall with a hint of provocation. The dull music made him a little restless, and the slight movement of his nose reflected his emotions well.

In such a room, a poorly dressed black man appears, which looks quite strange - and this peculiar contrast is also the fascinating beginning of the film.

Obviously, he doesn't belong here. So what is he here for?

The movie's plot did not drag on; soon, people knew what was happening in this room. Inside the room, an interview was taking place. 

Near the window of the room, a man paralyzed in a wheelchair sat there, looking at each applicant who came in without saying a word while the woman sitting in front of him was consulting everyone one by one.

"I once studied nursing... I have experience in this area... I can take good care of patients..."

A person who came in was also telling his own experience, and people quickly understood. What is this recruitment targeting?

Obviously, the purpose of this recruitment is to find someone to take care of the paralyzed man. The head of the family was paralyzed, and he needed a caregiver. The woman is his housekeeper and is holding an interview for him.

The owner seemed quite wealthy: he had a huge house. The magnificent decoration and his dedicated butler reflect his wealth everywhere. However, sitting in a wheelchair, he had an almost indifferent look.

No matter how much money he has, he is already disabled — no amount of money can buy health.

"What is the purpose of your coming here?"

"To take care of people... for humanistic care... to repay the society..."

It has to be said that among the people who applied for the job, there was no shortage of people with excellent professional knowledge. Their experiences and past are all worthy of pride, and when talking about their purpose, they all seemed to have grand ambitions, too. 

However, when these people began to talk about how they took care of patients in the past, how they paid attention to patients, and how they treated patients, they did not notice that Philip in the wheelchair had a rather indifferent expression.

It seemed that he didn't like these people. He didn't like them calling him a patient. Although he was paralyzed, he hated the pitiful tone of these people - sometimes, pity itself was discrimination.

The rich man is obviously a successful man. Any successful person will not like discrimination from others. Even if this kind of discrimination is disguised, it is difficult for him to accept it.

After seeing a few applicants, the plot progressed. The black man, Driss, waiting outside the door, couldn't wait any longer. 

When the next name was called, he stood up and rushed into the house first. Unlike others, he was not cautious. Instead, he said hello carelessly.

This person, who was completely different from the other applicants, immediately attracted attention. Philip motioned not to turn him out. Instead, consult him.

"What experience have you had?" This question is almost the same as the question just now.

"Experience? I have done music and played in a band. I have great taste in music..."

However, the same question got different answers. The black man's response was completely different from the person just now. Others were talking about workability, but he directly mentioned his hobbies.

However, this strange answer aroused the interest of sitting Philip. After listening to others talking about his disability for so long, he wanted to change the topic.

"Do you like music? What do you think of Beethoven and Chopin?"

Hearing Philip's question, some people in the audience laughed out loud: one of the two people was talking about black music, and the other was talking about classical music. They don't go together.

Sure enough, after a few words, Driss ruthlessly mocked Philip's taste again - they all knew different things, and he could not hide his contempt.

However, this attitude made Philip very happy: the other party laughed at his musical taste but did not laugh at his disability - for a disabled person, this is too rare.

He also signaled for the housekeeper to continue asking.

"Why do you come to work?" It's still the same question as before.

And this time, his answer was quite simple, "Money, what else could it be?"

Compared to the person just now who answered with humanistic care, this answer seemed much more straightforward and vulgar. However, this answer is also much more real. 

Moreover, this answer is something Philip likes very much: he doesn't like others to mention his injuries, and that kind of care is not what he wants.

"Besides money, don't you have any other pursuits?"

He asked the question again, and this time, Driss smiled slyly, "Of course there are; it's a big pursuit."

While speaking, He winked at the woman sitting in front of him. After this teasing gesture, he showed a knowing smile to Phillip. And this smile also made Philip laugh.

The banter between this seemingly vulgar man made Philip feel relaxed.

This person is different from other people: when other people come in, they all talk about their nursing work. They all seem compassionate and have strong care for patients, but they all reveal a kind of care all the time, 'I care about you, you're the patient, you're not like us' attitude.

Unlike them, the black Driss did not have such an attitude. Although he seemed very ungrateful and what he said was rude, he was not so careful in his words and pretended to be cautious about Philip's illness.

This made Philip, who seemed a little restless in the wheelchair, finally smile: Even though the black man in front of him was not so sensible, he did not stare at the other person's paralysis but regarded him as an equal.

"If you hire me, then sign, and I will stay and work. Otherwise, tell me quickly, and I will leave." 

"I don't think I can sign for you right away."

Liszt was still saying something. As he spoke, Phillip started his wheelchair from behind and slowly turned it out. He wanted to confirm that the other party really did not mean to discriminate against his disability.

"Oh, you... seem to be in some trouble."

Seeing Philip's disability, Driss said softly. This somewhat disappointed but not excessive attitude made Philip quite happy.

"Come here at nine o'clock tomorrow, and I will give you an answer," Phillip replied, asking him to leave.

Although he didn't say it explicitly, the audience knew better what the outcome would be than Driss, who didn't know the situation. Obviously, Philip had made up his mind to let him become his caregiver.

This application scene is basically the meeting and acquaintance of two people. On the one hand, it shows Philip's mentality after becoming disabled. On the other hand, it also shows the difference between Driss and other applicants.

An old rich man who is disabled, but deep down he has low self-esteem and excessive self-esteem, and a black man who has no knowledge or professional ability but has pretty good communication skills and doesn't overthink - these are these two people's personal images.

Here, he did not discriminate against Philip, which was the prerequisite for establishing friendship between the two people.

And this is where people find it somewhat ironic: Generally speaking, between blacks and whites, the latter discriminates against the former. But here, the white person is more worried about being discriminated against - the arrangement of fate seems a bit strange.

The camera turned, and it was no longer a magnificent house. Driss, who returned home, also showed the situation at his home.

His family situation is obviously not very good. Younger brothers and sisters live in the same room, and it is impossible to get some space even when showering. His mother went out to work and earned just enough money to make ends meet. The family was extremely poor.

Completely different from Philip's home, Driss's residence was simply like a pig's nest; the difference was beyond imagination.

During his conversations with his relatives, people quickly got some new information: his brother seemed to be interacting with some unscrupulous people - it can be seen that Driss is very worried about his living situation. But there was nothing he could do about it - he himself seemed to have just been released without a job, and his life was full of stress.

Like many black people, there was nothing special about his life. This is just a regular black man, not smart, not rich, not special. His life was equally embarrassing. For him, finding a job is an urgent problem.

At this time, people have already understood a lot. Because he did not discriminate against Philip's disability, Driss had already gained Philip's friendship. On the other hand, Driss' living situation is obviously not very good.

If this is a movie describing the friendship between two people, then a question is obvious: Can Philip treat Driss without discrimination?

*****

Thanks and kudos for my patreons 

Marcelo Maia

Britanna

Mandy G

Scott DePaepe

Oluwatimileyin Olayemi

Herylle Ian Gloria

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