Hollywood What If Chapter 92
Roman Polanski. A famous director. He directed many movies and his most famous one was The Pianist.
However, he was wanted in the USA.
Nevertheless, he fled to Paris and continued his profession as a director.
Roman Polanski had influence in the French film industry and he invited Kazir Grey to his party for several reasons.
First of all, Kazir Grey was a Jew like him. Kazir's mother was from Poland and her parents lived through the horrors of World War II.
Unlike Kazir's mother, Roman Polanski lived through World War II. It was not a good memory.
The second thing was that he heard that Kazir Grey was going to make a movie in France. Maybe he could cooperate on something.
The third was Kazir's influence in Hollywood. Roman Polanski was wanted in the US and he could not get in. He had cooperation with the film companies in Hollywood. But he still wanted to get some information first hand from Kazir.
'If you ask me. It's a mystery how the Academy let Roman Polanski and The Pianist win the Oscar despite the scandal...'.
Kazir Grey had an idea why.
Most of the old members of the Academy were Jewish. They had this collective understanding that they had to help each other. Besides, The Pianist was about the plight of the Jewish people at the hands of the Germans.
The old men of the Oscars obviously liked the movie because of that. So much so that they ignored the fact that Roman Polanski had committed a crime. He was convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor (a 13 year old girl).
'Now, I still don't know the whole story and I can't judge a person based on these articles... I have to meet him before I make a decision.'
Maybe this is why the old men from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences let it slide... Because some of them might be pedophiles.
There were a lot of crimes going on in Hollywood, but they were protected by their halo. One of the reasons Jeffrey Epstein maintained his status for so long.
The stars shone, but they were overwhelmed by the blinding lights of the city. The hustle and bustle of the city continued despite the late hour.
Kazir Grey entered the party with Harold. They were the director and producer, so they had to make connections. The French film industry was quite strong and they had the home field advantage.
"Kazir Grey. It's nice to meet you."
"Mr. Polanski."
Kazir shook Roman's hand. It was a little uncomfortable, but he decided to accept it.
The Jewish director was 63 this year, and he looked old. But he was still active in the industry.
"Kazir, how about we go to a quiet place and talk."
"Okay."
Kazir motioned to Harold Witsend to make contact with the locals. Maybe they could find something interesting that would reduce their costs. They need local companies to help them.
The two directors walked into the garden. Kazir had a glass of champagne in his hand. He knew the French liked to drink champagne and cognac.
"Kazir, I hear you're a Jew."
"That's right."
As expected, Roman played the race card. Kazir decided to shut up and let Roman talk.
"I have a new project and I'm trying to find a distribution company. I was wondering if you could recommend a company."
"Well, I work with Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox. Maybe I can put you in touch with them."
"I had a relationship with Warner Bros. back in 1988. As for 20th Century Fox, this might be the first time."
He smiled.
The two began to talk about movies and their experiences making them. It seemed that Roman Polanski was having a hard time finding a distributor for his next film.
While talking to the old director, Kazir realized that Roman was not so bad after all. At least he felt that way about him.
Maybe he is just showing his good side. Well, nobody wanted to show their devils.
To be honest, that was not his problem. The only reason he attended this party was to make a connection with the local movie industry.
"Ah, by the way, I heard that you held an audition for young women?"
"... Mr. Polanski, I have already cast someone for the role. If you are referring me to someone else, I must decline."
"Ahahaha. No, I won't do that. It would be a breach of contract. I just want to introduce you to someone. She is the daughter of a friend of mine. She actually auditioned for the role of Kim Mills last December, but she didn't make it past the second round."
"Hm?"
Kazir was a bit curious.
"I'm just asking for a favor. Maybe you can help her. You can put her in touch with your agent if you want."
"I want to see her first."
"Of course."
A few minutes later a young woman appeared. She was beautiful, but clearly a minor.
Kazir was actually surprised to see the woman here.
"Hello Director Grey, I'm Eva Green. I went to America last year to audition for Taken. But they didn't like me because of my accent."
The woman smiled at Kazir.
'I didn't expect to meet the famous Bond girl of Casino Royal.'
Besides, Eva Green was also in the Kingdom of Heaven.
"I know a company that can help you gather extras, and their payment is lower than the average."
Roman Polanski added.
"Thank you, Mr. Polanski."
A clear-headed person like Kazir Grey understood that this was just business. He didn't need to let his emotions get in the way of business.
[Author's Note: I did a poll to choose which actress should participate in Taken as Bryan Mills' daughter. The choices are Eva Green, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Keira Knightley, and Jessica Alba. They prefer Scarlett Johansson so she got the role.]