"Uncle Didier, it seems like I met your son, Lyman, yesterday."
Christopher Lambert finally understood the familiarity he felt from the young man yesterday. After flipping through his photos at home, he realized that the person was none other than Didier's son, Lyman.
He had attended Lyman's coming-of-age celebration himself. It was unbelievable that seven years had passed, and they would still meet under such circumstances. Christopher Lambert had never expected it.
Time, it passed by so quickly. They used to be neighbors, but now they meet again and didn't recognize each other, needing to confirm their identities through photos. Since Uncle Didier divorced Lyman's mother and remarried, their connection was severed. Christopher Lambert heard a few years ago that Lyman's mother had passed away, but he didn't attend the funeral. Emotions, if not nurtured, will create distance. After such a long separation, they had become strangers.
"Where?"
"Cannes."
"That's right, he lives there. So how did you meet him?"
"He wanted me to invest in his movie."
The phone suddenly went silent, and after a while, Didier's voice came through, "Is he serious?"
After meeting Lyman yesterday, Christopher Lambert had investigated the authenticity of the documents Lyman had given him. He had the authority to speak on this matter, saying, "It seems like he is serious, but he lied to me."
"A lie?" Didier's voice carried a hint of doubt.
"Yes, he said he had a movie that signed a distribution contract with Hollywood's Miramax. I asked some friends in the industry about that contract, and its authenticity is not in question, but the terms clearly show it's a trap. I think your son has been deceived. Moreover, he probably realized the situation, yet he still presented this contract to discuss investment. I feel..."
The phone went silent again. Christopher Lambert's meaning was straightforward in that sentence, but he ultimately didn't say the word "deceived". He didn't want to hurt Uncle Didier too much, after all, they were once neighbors.
"How much money does he want for the film?" Didier's voice sounded calm, as if he didn't pay much attention to Lambert's words.
"Do you want to help your son? Uncle Didier, I think it's not appropriate."
Investing in a movie project that was a scam, Christopher Lambert had lost all interest after thorough investigation.
"I am Lyman's father," Didier's voice remained calm. "Even if this movie project of his is fake, he does need this money, so how much funding does he want?"
"€300,000, Uncle Didier."
Christopher Lambert had already advised against it, but the other person had their own ideas. As a neighbor, he had done his utmost.
"Does his movie project only need that much money?"
There was a hint of doubt in Didier's words, and Christopher Lambert could understand it. After all, Didier hadn't previously delved into the production of a movie. But in the minds of the general public, making a movie was costly.
"I have read the script, the storylines are not complex, there aren't many characters, and the required scenes are minimal. Based on my estimation, assuming Lyman's movie project is indeed real, around €500,000 should suffice. He mentioned that he has already raised €200,000."
Another round of silent silence ensued.
"€500,000 euros, is it? I have that money here. Invest it for me in his name."
"Uncle Didier, won't you talk to him personally?"
The calm voice came through again, "He still resents me, so I won't go. Please trouble yourself with passing it on to him."
After a busy tone, the call was disconnected. Christopher Lambert sighed and put down the phone, finding the father and son quite peculiar.
One who had custody with the father but had never been to his father's new home, instead staying with his mother.
One who had a son under his name but had been absent for so many years. Yet, at a critical moment, he wanted to help.
Such a complex relationship, only those involved can truly understand their feelings. Well, Christopher Lambert didn't understand. But since he had agreed to Uncle Didier's request, he would follow through.
Family, truly the strongest bond in this world.
Lyman, who had never met his father but wanted to help him upon hearing about this, was clueless. He was about to swindle other investors at this moment. Relying solely on one person was clearly not reliable. Although the investor from yesterday seemed very eager to invest, he couldn't give up on other financing opportunities until the money was in hand.
When it came to attracting investment, he was serious.
"Excuse me, sir. I have a very promising movie project here. Are you interested in learning more about it?"
"Not interested."
"Then I apologize for bothering you."
...
"This beautiful lady, may I take a moment of your time? Would you like to learn about a very promising movie project?"
"Interested, huh? Well, here's a rough script of the movie. You can take a look."
"What? No longer interested? Well, I'm sorry for taking up your time and sharing this information."
...
"Excuse me..."
After a busy morning, he didn't receive any favorable responses. This time, Lyman went to the same studio where he had attracted investment last time, but he couldn't find anyone easy to deceive.
Many people were interested in hearing about the prospects of his movie project, but in the end, various concerns led to rejection. Some were skeptical about him directing a movie at such a young age, and the talks eventually fell through. Some had industry experience and directly asked if he had found a distributor. When he mentioned Miramax and presented the distribution contract, they noticed the loopholes and refused. Some kind-hearted individuals even advised him to contact Miramax to inquire about the situation. The contract didn't mention payment for film rights or buyout fees, which were unreasonable aspects that industry insiders couldn't overlook.
Of course, for every kind-hearted person, there are those with a not-so-good temper. When Lyman mentioned distribution or presented the contract, some people bluntly called him a fraud and told him to get lost. There were even those who wanted to physically attack him. Fortunately, Lyman was agile enough to prevent those rude individuals from succeeding.
After a busy morning of intensive promotion, Lyman was feeling tired. He left the studio and randomly found a restaurant, intending to sit down, have a meal, and take a rest.
"Boss, a large portion of macaroni."
After placing his order, Lyman took off his suit jacket and hung it on the chair. Today's operations were undoubtedly unsuccessful, and he needed to reflect on it.
Indeed, smart people dominated this world, and wealthy individuals who were easy to deceive were far too few. The issue with the movie script was not significant. Most of those willing to listen to him didn't find anything wrong with the storyline design. The investors' doubts mainly revolved around the choice of director and distribution.
Lyman's young age didn't convince the investors that he could effectively lead a film crew. As for the filming itself, their confidence was even lower. A good story was not the important factor; what mattered was being able to shoot a finished product that conveyed the intended meaning.
Regarding distribution, Lyman didn't have any good alternatives to replace Miramax, which was laden with hypothetical implications. The signed distribution contract was the only thing he could use to gain trust.
In this vast industry, distribution companies always occupied the top of the food chain. The investors didn't naively believe that simply making a film would guarantee finding a suitable distributor. The cause and effect relationship didn't work that way.
The process for most greenlit films was to secure a distributor first and then proceed with the filming. Otherwise, the risks were too significant. Without a distribution company providing a safety net, it was challenging to instill confidence in investors to invest substantial funds. Therefore, Lyman needed a tiger's skin to pass as his façade, and Miramax was the most reliable among all the empty promises and bluffs.
Why did newly emerged directors often pursue the path of producers or film companies? Because it was an unsolvable dilemma. The movie you shoot needs to be released, and the rights for release lie in the hands of experienced industry companies or producers who have dealt with theaters. That is the reality of the film industry.
When the macaroni arrived, Lyman began to eat heartily. It had been days since he had tasted such delicious food. Constantly eating bread was driving him crazy. After finishing lunch, Lyman didn't continue swindling investors. He had an appointment with the interested investor from yesterday in the same café the following afternoon. He decided to go there early. As for the outcome, the decision was in the other person's hands. He could only accept whatever happened.
After arriving at the destination by taxi, Lyman told the waiter that he was waiting for someone and sat quietly in the agreed-upon spot, waiting for the arrival of yesterday's investor.
Around three o'clock in the afternoon, the investor arrived.
"Hello, M. Lambert."
After a friendly handshake and exchanging pleasantries, the two sat down.
"I've decided to invest in your project."
The first words spoken by Christopher Lambert made Lyman ecstatic.
He didn't expect that he had actually succeeded in deceiving someone, that there was actually a wealthy investor willing to support him with their foolish money.
"Thank you, M. Lambert, for trusting me. I will definitely produce and shoot the film well."
"Well, I have a few conditions. You can listen..."