Chapter 205: Charity Film Exhibition

When Memoirs of a Geisha was released, its reputation clearly surpassed other films of the same period.

Critics praised the film, calling its visual storytelling and screenplay unique, depicting a tragic tale of its era.

However, when the film had an early release in Japan, it faced strong media resistance.

The reason was simple—there were almost no Japanese actors among the main cast. Aside from Ken Watanabe and Kaori Momoi, who played the mama-san, only a few minor roles were given to Japanese actors.

This angered many media outlets. Combined with past controversies over casting, public criticism grew, leading to a widespread boycott.

But the biggest winner turned out to be Kyoko Fukai, the actress playing Pumpkin.

As the only Japanese actress among the three major female leads, nationalist audiences refused to show appreciation for Zhang Ziyi, instead directing all their praise toward Kyoko Fukai.

Her status in the industry quickly soared.

Seeing this, Hori Yoshitaka immediately called Kyoko Fukai back from the U.S. During interviews, she declared that she returned because she could not tolerate Hollywood's discrimination against Japanese actors.

This statement earned her even more media praise, giving her significant exposure.

Leveraging this wave of patriotism, she appeared on multiple variety shows and successfully secured several film roles.

At the same time, Yasushi Akimoto returned to Tokyo with his project proposal.

A new company had been established, with Akimoto as CEO, while Angel Declaration provided the investment and controlled the company behind the scenes. The company was named Akihabara Project.

The name came from Akimoto's girl group recruitment plan, the Akihabara 48 Project.

After publicly announcing the project, Akimoto received a flood of applications.

However, instead of immediately screening candidates, he first reached out to Sumiyoshi-kai's Foreign Affairs Director, Katsura Otsuka, and arranged a meeting.

Katsura Otsuka had been secretly working with Ethan for a while, receiving numerous benefits. So, when Akimoto made his requests, Otsuka agreed without hesitation.

Before long, the Akihabara Project company secured a ten-year rent-free lease on a theater.

As for how this was arranged, no one questioned it.

At the same time, Akimoto recruited a full team of staff, quickly getting the company up and running.

Meanwhile, Fifty Shades of Grey had reached the halfway point in filming.

The movie's production wasn't particularly difficult—neither of the leads needed to showcase complex acting skills, only the right emotions.

The biggest challenge was the intimate scenes.

For example, at this very moment, Aaron Tveit and Leighton Meester were lying in bed, laughing uncontrollably.

They were filming a candle wax scene.

Aaron Tveit, shirtless, held a specially made candle and dripped wax onto Leighton Meester's waist.

However, Leighton Meester reacted as if she had been tickled, bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

Her laughter was so infectious that even the crew couldn't hold it in, making it impossible to continue filming.

Ethan curled his lips and joked, "Leighton, do you know what you look like? A goose!"

"Gahahaha!" Leighton Meester laughed even harder.

Her laughter spread to the others, and soon the entire set erupted in laughter.

After they finally calmed down, filming resumed.

Under the dim lighting, Leighton Meester wore only a black bra and underwear, her hands tied to the bedpost, her body rising and falling with each drop of wax.

She bit her lip tightly, occasionally letting out suppressed, trembling sounds from her throat.

"Mmm… Ah… Uh…"

The atmosphere made some crew members visibly uncomfortable, but Ethan remained completely unfazed as he called, "Cut!"

"Leighton, your posture is too forced—it doesn't look natural." Ethan walked up and lifted her foot onto the footboard. "Your toes aren't curling. When someone is enduring pain, their toes should be clenching inward. Got it?"

"Got it, director." Leighton Meester nodded and curled her toes slightly.

"And you, Aaron—don't just stiffly drip the wax. You should be enjoying the process. Place your fingers near her navel and gently stroke the wax trails."

"Understood."

"Alright, let's go again."

Ethan returned to the camera, and the scene restarted.

This time, it was much better, but still not quite up to Ethan's standards.

His sharp critiques quickly followed.

"Leighton, relax! Right now, you look like a cobra arching its body. Are you trying to eat Aaron?"

"And you, Aaron—don't lean in so much with your mouth. It looks too creepy, like a pervert! This is supposed to be romantic, understand?"

"Also, adjust the lighting angle 45 degrees to the right. I want a Rembrandt effect to highlight their silhouettes!"

"Got it."

After a series of adjustments, they filmed the scene again.

This time, the results left the entire crew breathless.

Both actors, following Ethan's direction, delivered an exceptionally authentic performance. Aaron Tveit's gaze traced over Leighton Meester's body, filled with indulgence.

Leighton Meester, caught between the pain and pleasure of the wax, alternated between biting her lip, twisting her body, and curling her toes.

With her accompanying sounds, the scene became so immersive that some crew members visibly struggled to maintain their composure.

"Why do I feel like Ethan used to direct adult films?"

A crew member whispered to another.

"I was thinking the same thing. This is intense—I can already imagine the sounds in the theaters when this plays."

"Look at those thighs, that sheen… They even oiled them up. Amazing."

"I love that lingerie set. What brand is it? I want to buy one for my wife."

"Uh, are you sure you want to spend four hundred dollars on lingerie?"

"FXXK, never mind then."

Before long, this scene was finished filming, and Ethan and the others moved on to another set to continue shooting.

As the filming progressed, time gradually entered the night.

After the crew wrapped up, Ethan returned to the temporary apartment he had rented.

He had planned to take a shower and then go to bed, but suddenly, he received a call from an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Ethan?"

"It's me. You are...?"

"I'm Angelina Jolie."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected the most sensual actress in America to call him.

"Jolie, what's the matter?"

"I called because I heard about your photography exhibition from Julia. I'm quite interested. Do you still need photos for your exhibition?"

Ethan nodded. "Of course! I still need a lot of photos, especially of the most sensual women."

In fact, Ethan had been busy lately, taking portraits of many celebrities one after another.

The photography exhibition was also in preparation and was scheduled to open in December.

"That's great. But before the shoot, there's something I want to talk to you about... Where are you?"

"I'm in Toronto."

"I'll be there tomorrow. Bye!"

Ethan looked at the disconnected call and shrugged. Angelina Jolie was certainly decisive.

But he was also curious about what exactly she wanted to talk about.

The next day, while Ethan was filming on set, he received news that Angelina Jolie had come to visit.

He didn't pay much attention since filming was his top priority. So after Angelina Jolie entered the set, she just watched from the sidelines.

It wasn't until the crew took a break in the afternoon that she finally approached Ethan.

"You're really busy." Her tone carried a playful tease, as if blaming Ethan for leaving her hanging for so long.

Ethan shook her hand and smiled. "Sorry, but I really couldn't take time away."

"No problem. I like your work ethic. When I direct, I'm just as focused."

After filming Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Angelina Jolie didn't continue on the path of a sensual actress. Instead, she directed a documentary this year.

She seemed to have intentions of moving toward directing, and there had been many reports about her turning down film roles.

However, that documentary never made it to theaters. It was only screened at film festivals, so Ethan hadn't seen it.

"Come on, sit."

The two of them sat down in the break room, and Ethan grabbed two lunch boxes, handing one to Angelina Jolie.

She didn't hesitate, opening the box right away and starting to eat.

They talked while eating.

"So, what exactly did you come all this way to talk to me about?"

"Ethan, I actually want to persuade you to donate part of the proceeds from this photography exhibition." Angelina Jolie got straight to the point.

Ethan ate his egg and nodded silently. "Why?"

"Look at these children." Angelina Jolie took a stack of photos from her bag and handed them to Ethan.

Ethan took them and saw that they were all pictures of children.

They were kids from underdeveloped areas, wearing tattered clothes, walking on the streets, looking into the camera with wide, watery eyes. It was heartbreaking.

"I adopted a child in Ethiopia. She was only six months old. Her name is Zahara." When Angelina Jolie mentioned the baby's name, a smile appeared on her lips. "She's a little angel, very cute. The second photo is of her."

Ethan flipped through the pictures and saw a dark-skinned little girl lying in a swaddle, smiling at the camera.

"She really is adorable."

Ethan put down the photos and looked at Angelina Jolie.

"I know this is a bit of a big ask, but since you're holding a photography exhibition, I believe you must have a deep love for the world, right? At least from the photographers I know, they all do their best to capture underdeveloped areas and help those in need."

Ethan understood what Angelina Jolie meant. The photography world was far purer than Hollywood. Many photographers started out by capturing ordinary people and poverty-stricken areas.

In the photography community, humanitarian photos were highly regarded because they evoked the most fundamental human kindness and showcased different aspects of the world.

In this era, you rarely saw photography exhibitions or albums focusing on bustling cityscapes. People were more interested in underdeveloped countries and chaotic, cramped slums.

This was also why photography exhibitions attracted many elites—because they needed a place to demonstrate their sense of responsibility and compassion.

Just like various charity auctions.

So when Ethan heard Angelina Jolie's proposal, he found it quite feasible. This approach would broaden the audience for the exhibition and improve its reputation.

"You're right. We really should pay more attention to impoverished areas."

"Oh, Ethan, it's wonderful that you think this way." Angelina Jolie was delighted.

Ethan paused for a moment before continuing, "But I don't know how to run a charity."

"No problem, no problem. I can help you!" Angelina Jolie offered enthusiastically.

Ethan knew she had no ulterior motives because she had indeed adopted many children from impoverished areas.

She was genuinely helping others.

"That's great then." Ethan smiled.

Angelina Jolie also smiled. "I've already set up a foundation, which is dedicated to helping children in underdeveloped countries like Ethiopia. You just need to donate part of your photography exhibition's proceeds. I can ensure that all of it will go to the children."

"No, Jolie." Ethan waved his hand. "I've decided to donate seventy percent of the exhibition's proceeds."

"Oh! My God, Ethan, you're truly selfless!" Angelina Jolie covered her mouth in gratitude. "This is amazing. Thank you, Ethan."

"But I have one concern." Ethan suddenly furrowed his brows.

"Tell me."

"You know, my photography exhibition is actually quite niche. Since it's a new style, I don't know if the public will accept it. If not many people attend, I'm afraid we won't raise much money."

"Don't worry, Ethan. I can help you with publicity. And my boyfriend—I'll mobilize all the resources I can for you."

Angelina Jolie's boyfriend was Brad Pitt.

He had just gotten divorced and was now with Angelina Jolie.

"Thanks, but I also want this photography exhibition to attract... how should I put it... people from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and the fashion industry. Because I plan to hold an auction at the event, which will undoubtedly help the children even more."

"You're absolutely right, Ethan. Hmm... I have quite a few connections—Chanel, Goldman Sachs, Google. I'll reach out to them. And I know some people in the collector's circle. As long as your photography is good, I believe they'd be willing to attend."

"Great, it's settled then."

Ethan nodded in satisfaction. Compared to working alone, Angelina Jolie and her boyfriend had access to far more resources.

Plus, the celebrities he had photographed were all walking billboards. As long as they created some buzz and got endorsements from prominent organizations, this charity photography exhibition could gain significant traction.

Not to mention the gallery—its curators held contact information for many important clients, who were often representatives of financial magnates.

It was easy to imagine that once all these forces were mobilized, the photography exhibition would become a focal point not only in Hollywood but also in the collector's world.

At that point, he could choose the most suitable partners from the attendees.

...

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