Receiving the coveted little golden statuette from the presenter, Laila felt an unusually strange sensation in her heart. She believed her expression must have been equally peculiar because bursts of laughter and applause emanated from below.
"This is truly a surprise." Laila stood on the stage for quite a while before speaking. She wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, as if it were a century or just a few seconds. The whole thing was so unbelievable, never within her expectations.
She had always been a rational person, meticulously considering everything. So when things deviated from her expectations, she found herself at a loss, her mind blank. Fortunately, she reacted quickly, organizing her thoughts in an instant.
"Well, I'm a director, and I've won the Oscar for Best Editing."
Her self-deprecating remark sent the audience into laughter.
"This is an unexpected harvest, and I'm excited and at a loss for words." Laila looked at the little golden statue in her hand. "I believe any filmmaker dreams of touching it; it's so wonderful and moving."
Her words resonated with many, questioning why so many filmmakers relentlessly pursued the Oscars. Wasn't it for the chance to lay hands on that little golden statue? If it were possible for them to win it, they might also be captivated by its charm.
Laila looked down and continued, "I have always considered editing as a very important task, so important that I am unwilling to entrust it to others."
Another round of light laughter echoed through the audience.
Many who knew her were aware that she edited each of her films. Media reports had even covered her various "unrelated" jobs, including film editor.
After everyone had their share of laughter, Laila smiled again, "With the same material, an editor can create countless different stories. I think many directors share the same feeling: your own creation can be understood in ways you never imagined."
This statement once again united the directors because many of them were "victims" themselves. Without editing rights, they had no control over how their films would be edited. Encountering a skilled editor might turn your movie into a classic. However, with an editor who couldn't understand your vision, your film might end up in the category of forgettable.
So editing was indeed a very important task, to the extent that directors earnestly wished to have control over it. Unfortunately, in Hollywood, only top-tier directors had such privileges; others had to stick to the traditional filmmaking process.
A bunch of winners made peace speeches, and Laila also joined the bandwagon, making a brief statement about editing before expressing hope for world peace. She then left the stage amidst applause.
"Congratulations, Laila." As soon as she returned, Roy embraced her.
"Thank you."
Even though it wasn't a director's trophy, Laila was still very happy. She didn't think this trophy was inferior to the director's little golden man. In fact, quite the opposite; in her heart, this trophy was more important than the director's award because she had earned it entirely based on her own abilities.
Directing "Chicago" owed more to the advantage of her rebirth. Knowing the trajectory of the film in the original world, she chose to film it. Moreover, the original version provided her with many insights. When she shot, she couldn't help but compare both versions. Therefore, her work could not strictly be considered entirely her own achievement.
But editing was different. It was her own work, less influenced by the original version, a result of editing based on the materials she shot and her insights. So, at least for this film, she believed Best Editing carried more weight than the Best Director she had aspired for.
Moreover, it was the first Oscar she had won in her two lifetimes, and even if she received more in the future, she would cherish this one the most.
The crew congratulated Laila one after another. They didn't understand much about editing, and they didn't know if she was the youngest recipient in this category. But looking at her age, she probably set a record that couldn't be beaten by anyone under 24.
As the awards were presented, the atmosphere at the Dolby Theatre became tense during the intense competition for "Chicago" in the final categories. Almost every major award had "Chicago" on its nomination list.
"The winner for Best Supporting Actress is... Catherine Zeta-Jones!"
"It's me! Oh my God, it's me!" Catherine Zeta-Jones stood up excitedly, walking to the stage amidst the applause from the crew members and the entire audience.
"Thank you! Thank you, 'Chicago'! Thank you, Director Moran, thank you, everyone." She thanked everyone with excitement, her tearful eyes revealing just how moved she was.
But this was just the beginning, and the award for Best Actress also stirred up a wave of excitement.
"The winner for Best Actress is... Renée Zellweger!"
Renée stood up abruptly, covering her lips in disbelief as she looked at the stage.
"Congratulations, Renée!" Laila clapped her hands vigorously.
"Yes, I did it!" Renée hugged her excitedly before heading to the stage.
Taking the little golden man, tears fell from her eyes. "Getting this award is really wonderful. I want to thank Director Moran; she saw my potential and helped me uncover it. When she said to me, 'Your current acting is Oscar-nomination level, but are you really satisfied?' I'm glad I said 'no.' She was right; I can do better!"
Cheers erupted. Every person who won an award had gone through so much effort and deserved more applause and blessings.
Laila clapped her hands vigorously, reflecting on the incredible twists of fate. In her previous life, Renée didn't get the Best Actress trophy, but now, she took it home, which belonged to Nicole Kidman originally. Did this mean that her method of instructing actors was actually effective?
If that was the case, did it also mean that the subsequent awards might change? Like Roy's Best Actor? Or her Best Director? Or perhaps awards that were supposed to be received but ended up being missed?
Unconsciously, Laila's heart tightened.
The calm and carefree feeling of controlling the future in her heart had disappeared. In its place were the uncertainties of the future and a profound anticipation.