Chapter 79: In the South

At noon, in the second-floor cafeteria at the Beijing Film Academy, a table full of delicious food was laid out, accompanied by a bottle of red wine and a bottle of Moutai.

Knowing that foreigners might not be used to Chinese liquor, Tian Congming also brought a bottle of red wine.

After wandering around the campus, Li Jianguo led Gilbert and Ellie to the cafeteria for a meal.

"Director Landry, let me introduce you: Vice President Zhu Zhijun and Tian Congming from the Broadcasting Bureau."

"Hello, I'm Gilbert " Gilbert greeted them politely with a handshake.

Zhu Zhijun smiled warmly, "Ah, having a famous American director here truly brings honor to our humble academy!"

Tian Congming chimed in, "I've heard a lot about Director Gilbert's name. Meeting you today, I can see you're indeed extraordinary!"

"Oh? You've heard of me?" Gilbert asked curiously.

"I heard about you from a friend who went to Japan. Your films are very popular there," Zhu Zhijun explained.

Gilbert was somewhat surprised that his reputation had reached all the way here; it was no small feat.

After some polite exchanges, they sat down and began chatting over lunch.

Ellie, unfamiliar with using chopsticks, was given a spoon by Gilbert.

The others were amazed to see Gilbert skillfully using chopsticks.

Gilbert explained, "I learned from a Chinese exchange student—Chinese language as well."

They were impressed and felt a sense of camaraderie, easing any barriers.

As they ate and drank, the conversation naturally turned to cultural differences between China and America, and they even discussed China's five-thousand-year-old civilization.

Zhu Zhijun and Tian Congming were taken aback to discover Gilbert's extensive knowledge of Chinese history and culture.

If not for his foreign appearance, they might have thought he was Chinese.

As film industry professionals, the topic eventually shifted to movies.

"Director Gilbert, what do you think about Chinese cinema?" Tian Congming asked.

Being part of the official system, Tian was aware that reforms were in the works to transition the film industry towards a more market-driven model.

Gilbert, however, knew little about Chinese cinema of that era. He replied, "I only know two directors—Master Zhang and Pigeon Chen. But I've heard your film market operates on a non-profit model, which isn't sustainable for industry growth. True cinema should be a market-driven art form where content is king, letting audiences decide. You're still quite far from that."

Although his words were blunt, they were truthful.

"What do you think Chinese cinema should do to enter the market economy era?" Tian asked further.

"I'm not very familiar with it, so it's hard to give any specific advice," Gilbert replied.

"That's fine; let's just chat casually. Feel free to share your thoughts," Zhu encouraged.

"Yes, today's conversation stays within this table," Tian added.

Taking this as permission, Gilbert continued, "I think, taking Hollywood as an example, cinema should be treated as a product and developed with a market-oriented mindset. As long as your product is good and the market reaches a certain scale, a positive industry cycle can be established."

Gilbert's insights gave Tian some inspiration.

He thought that introducing Hollywood films might stimulate innovation and competitiveness in domestic films, presenting a possible path forward.

Gilbert hadn't expected his casual remarks to spark an idea for Tian, but he didn't think much of it; after all, the Chinese film market wasn't likely to change drastically within a decade.

Today's conversation was more about sharing his perspective than giving professional advice. A different Hollywood director would probably have kept quiet; Gilbert's frankness was rather audacious.

This meal at the Beijing Film Academy was Gilbert's first encounter with Chinese cinema, and perhaps one of the rare interactions between a Hollywood director and the Chinese film industry.

Afterwards, they took a group photo at the academy's entrance. This picture might even end up in the school's memorial hall someday.

After leaving Beijing, Gilbert and Ellie headed south, visiting Mount Tai, then Nanjing, and spending some time at West Lake.

Gilbert was a little disappointed by West Lake.

It hadn't yet been fully developed, so although it wasn't exactly smelly, it was far from impressive. The famous Leifeng Pagoda looked neglected, and Gilbert didn't see any of the so-called Ten Scenes of West Lake.

But he couldn't blame the locals; not everyone could foresee that natural landscapes could become symbols and cultural icons of cities and even countries.

As a foreigner, Gilbert couldn't meddle in local affairs.

Leaving West Lake, he bought plenty of local tea to take back to the United States, relieved to finally have an alternative to coffee.

Sure, he could buy tea in Chinatown, but he felt it had more authenticity purchasing it in China.

Gilbert and Ellie then went to Shanghai, where he was impressed by the city's development. He even saw many foreigners, although he himself was one.

After exploring Shanghai, Gilbert and Ellie returned to Beijing, and from there, they headed back to Los Angeles.

By the time Gilbert returned to Los Angeles, it was already July.

At this point, Speed was nearing the end of its run in North American theaters and was accumulating ticket sales over time.

The North American box office had already surpassed $140 million, a great success for both Disney and Warner Bros.

The overseas box office was also impressive, reaching $170 million and bringing the global total to $310 million.

However, the movie was still rolling out in other overseas markets, so this was far from the end.

With Speed, Gilbert had successfully risen to the ranks of Hollywood's top directors, attracting considerable attention from Hollywood studios.

His age was also remarkable; at only twenty-three, he had achieved something most found hard to believe.

Of course, the summer's most eye-catching film wasn't Speed but Spielberg's Jurassic Park.

Since its release on June 11, Jurassic Park had dominated the summer, holding the top box office spot for four consecutive weeks.

Its North American box office had reached $224 million, surpassing Speed as the new box office champion.

Globally, it had already crossed the $500 million mark, making it the year's top-grossing film.

Even more impressive was that it was still climbing, with no one daring to guess what final record it might set.

Spielberg and Universal Pictures were the biggest winners of the summer.

Other studios also did well, though none had a blockbuster quite like Jurassic Park.

Disney and Warner were slightly happier, as Speed had brought a decent return on investment, even if it couldn't compete with Jurassic Park.

Hearing that Gilbert had returned from vacation, Touchstone Pictures' CEO Robert Iger made a special trip to visit him at Melon Studios.

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