Chapter 7

va's short film quickly received a high score from Rosen and was then handed over to the other judges.

Finally, the judges held a seminar to discuss which high-scoring works would make the final competition lineup.

Each of the high-scoring works had a remarkable level of completion.

However, the most eye-catching of all was undoubtedly Eva's "The Land Where Angels Descend."

The judges were not astonished by the long take itself. After all, these judges were seasoned members of the Irish Film Association and weren't easily overwhelmed by a five-minute long take.

What surprised them was how an 18-year-old freshman film student with no prior experience managed to shoot it.

"This film, 'The Land Where Angels Descend,' is undoubtedly a solid entry. There's no question about its qualification, right?"

"Indeed. When Rosen first showed me this film, I found it outstanding."

"After reviewing that girl's resume, I'm even more intrigued."

"An excellent young talent. I support her inclusion."

In the end, after a round of discussions, Eva's short film and several other excellent ones were shortlisted for the competition.

All shortlisted works would be displayed on the official website of the Irish Film Association.

Then, a panel of judges from various film industries would vote to select the ultimate winner and other award recipients.

Soon, the competition lineup was posted on the official website.

However, the directors' names were temporarily hidden.

Many people in the Irish film industry were interested in this competition. After all, the winner each year was usually a very promising newcomer with unlimited potential.

Many companies were ready with contracts, waiting to sign the newly crowned rising star.

When the competition lineup was announced, people were surprised to find that this year's entries were exceptionally high quality.

There were meticulous and excellent documentaries up to 30 minutes long, meaningful and dark short stories around 20 minutes, and purely technical 10-minute visual shorts.

However, seeing a short film only five minutes long was a first.

Five minutes was too short to tell a deep story.

So initially, the five-minute "The Land Where Angels Descend" didn't receive much attention.

But if a five-minute film made the cut, there had to be a reason, right?

When people clicked on the short film, everyone was stunned.

A five-minute super long take perfectly demonstrated what "one continuous shot" meant!

Whether it was the colors, the camera work, or the texture, it was all exceptionally done.

Many viewers and some film professionals gave it very high praise.

"I thought the best would be that 30-minute documentary, but this five-minute short got my blood pumping."

"The director is very talented."

This short film soon caused quite a stir.

Its view count skyrocketed.

Since this competition usually featured newcomers, no rookie had ever dared to shoot a continuous shot short film.

And the completion rate of this short film was astonishingly high.

People couldn't help but admire it!

Eva's short film quickly made it into various related media news reports.

Any media covering the Irish Film Association's short film competition mentioned this most impressive short film.

"A perfect continuous shot."

"Amazing use of color."

"If the participants' names weren't hidden, I'd really want to interview this person."

However, whether Eva would win an award was uncertain, as other entries also showed strong promise, with different styles making direct comparison difficult.

But until the final results were announced, Eva remained an ordinary university student.

She attended classes during the day and worked at night, day in and day out.

However, she called her mother in the rural county of Louth every day.

Eva grew up in a single-parent family, with only her mother taking care of her. Her mother never mentioned her father, and Eva didn't ask.

She knew that every woman who remains silent about past relationships has a sad story she doesn't want others to know.

The original Eva didn't understand these emotions and felt her mother was hiding something out of disrespect for her.

But Eva understood that it wasn't disrespect but rather feeling too pathetic and fearing others' pity.

Moreover, Eva's mother seemed very worried about her being hurt by men, constantly warning her about emotional deception over the phone.

Eva always comforted her mother, "Mom, you're overthinking. I'm not interested in relationships, nor do I have any interest in men."

Such remarks easily led to misunderstandings.

However, at school, Eva often overheard discussions about the short film competition, especially in the film directing department.

"Hey, did you check out this year's short film competition?"

"Yeah, there's a five-minute short film that's a continuous shot!"

"Wow, that's amazing. I watched that short film several times. There's so much to learn from it."

"Absolutely. Whether it's the camera movement, color grading, or the incredible continuous shot, it's exceptional!"

Eva felt quite happy hearing their discussions.

After all, it was her work.

Most people speculated about the director's identity.

"Maybe it's a hidden master from the community."

"Perhaps it's a retired hermit living deep in the mountains."

"Or maybe it's someone who failed in the film industry and is trying to start over."

No one guessed it was someone like Eva.

But they would find out soon.

Because the awards ceremony was approaching.

Before the awards ceremony, Rosen, one of the judges, had a task: to interview the people around each finalist to get their views, to ensure the short film was indeed made by the finalist, and to understand them better.

Rosen first interviewed Eva's teachers, without revealing she was a finalist, just to get some insights.

However, to Rosen's surprise, the teachers' reactions were generally negative upon hearing Eva's name.

"This girl, I can only say she's terrible."

"You barely see her all year, always skipping classes. I dare say she won't graduate!"

"Her talent is mediocre. I highly doubt she'd participate in any competition. I'm skeptical of her abilities."

"Eva Cody's assessment scores are mostly at the bottom."

The teachers had a generally low opinion of Eva, not thinking highly of her as a student.

Rosen was surprised. This was the girl who made that short film, yet her teachers called her mediocre and a bottom student?

It was bizarre!

Then he visited the studio Eva hired and the actors she worked with, getting a completely different response.

They generally found Eva very dedicated, highly skilled, and extremely intelligent.

"This girl is a monster!"

"She's really impressive!"

"I admire her a lot. She's serious and dedicated."

"I can attest that this short film was indeed made by her."

They gave high praise to Eva's talent and professionalism, confirming that the short film was her work.

Rosen was puzzled...

How could the same girl receive such extreme evaluations?

She undoubtedly had exceptional talent and skills, but why was she perceived so differently at school?

...

The more Rosen delved into understanding this girl, the more fascinating he found her.