From a film noir picture, and from other period films, indifferent yet far more raw, and now shifting into a slightly different register, what can an opportunity truly achieve? Billy, taking it as a yes, decided to take part in the latter half of the film; it began in 1930, and by 1941 there is already another character, and this time it shows how Billy's character takes responsibility for Malena and assumes her care, fully aware of everything she has endured, because in that way he understands that the neighborhood in which she lives is, from every angle, a complete moral cesspool—people filled with resentment toward beauty, people filled with hatred toward what they are not.
—Films that are simply enchanting. —Mónica replied.
-You truly like them. —Billy asked.
-Yes, I do, in my own way, I truly believe so. I think that, with a bit of work, they will become the kind of films I will look back on with a certain nostalgia. They are wonderful stories in the way they choose to exist. —Mónica answered, and what, then, can one do when satisfaction becomes so fragile, when one begins to see art not as a painting, but rather as a long two-hour sequence that tells a story, one that slowly forges something over time.
So what could be done, what could be denied any longer? Billy took Mónica's hand.
Reality—or truth—was something simple. What could people do; in the end, they sought refuge, for good reason,n and from so many places, and the tormented passage of The Lady from Shanghai remained etched in people's minds.
Billy and Mónica celebrated the moment in its purity, because nothing announces itself to shyness, what can truly be done when nothing is left behind. Billy kissed her lips, realizing then that she was terribly beautiful in her own way. She was radiant, and it seemed as though angels had patiently surrounded her, illuminating her with a delicate and graceful glow.
—It seems to me that this is a celebration. —Billy said, kissing her and walking with quiet care. Each of them allowed themselves to enjoy the fireworks bursting in the sky, a small yet meaningful gesture of celebration and reunion.
—In fact, it is. A film we have long wanted to make. Shehe replied in that simple way of hers, certain only that its release in March at Cannes would grant it every opportunity, while Malena was expected to open in January—it was, in every sense, an opportunity.
The festival was founded on September 20, 1946, as a project of Jean Zay, Minister of National Education and Fine Arts of the Popular Front, and Albert Sarraut, Minister of the Interior. Relevant information, or perhaps carefully constructed, yet accurate for two simple reasons: first, it brought together the stars of the film world—producers, directors, and artists—to give shape to the festival's identity, one that has been admired at times and resented at others, because such contradictions follow a certain logic.
There was already an idea that the jury president would be Angela Molina, a renowned actress of European cinema, especially in Spain and Italy, an interesting choice, as she was deeply rooted in artistic expression.
—It's wonderful to make this kind of film. —Mónica said, her eyes shining.
—When I was a girl, I dreamed of seeing myself in something as great as art, or greater. —Mónica added.
-Everyone wants to be remembered. —Billy replied, knowing how difficult it was to question the simplicity of such lives. What fear, or what purpose, existed in that space no one could truly deny, and how unforgiving the world was in reducing them to an unspoken agreement.
-But speaking of that, I think I will soon begin painting in oils, imitating talents that have long been studied in the style of Da Vinci, studying color theory, and those techniques we have not fully understood for some time. I believe that if I do it well, you could be my muse. —Billy said, not seeking anything ostentatious or tainted; he had taken up painting as something meaningful now, something that could bring him genuine satisfaction, shaping what he believed to be true art. By studying the great painter Edward Hopper, he found control, a clarity of movement, nothing timid, nothing that diminished the man who painted for life itself. Nighthawks by Edward Hopper became, then, a reality that does not falter. Billy knew well that he echoed the profile of Velázquez, and the tonal interplay of color that persisted throughout.
-It seems you already see me that way, as though I will become a beautiful woman immortalized like the Mona Lisa. I think I'll charge you by the hour. —Mónica said, half in disbelief, resisting the idea of how much she needed to be considered for that kind of role she so urgently desired.
***
February 6.
A month passed, and nothing remained except for one thing that had taken shape within Lux Animation: a well-oiled machine, one that seized any new idea from Mónica or anyone else with relentless force, and what awakening followed when Billy, the owner of the company, left everything open-ended.
-It seems he missed the premiere of Finding Nemo. —Anne remarked, frowning during a week when his absence had become noticeable, though for Billy, long periods of rest and filming felt like a necessary reset.
-They're a kind of vacation. —Rachel replied beside her.
-Yes, well, it's irritating from any perspective. It's frustrating to see how, precisely when he's most needed, he takes time to rest, and that creates a rather absurd situation for everyone. —Anne answered.
Knowing that he would only reappear in March, as agreed, it all felt like an unusual story. Billy had no intention of detaching himself from the straightforward realities in which he still had to deliver the overdue volumes of the series, while Real, hyperrealistic as it was, refused to soften or shy away from its own truth.
—Then we hire someone else. —Anne said.
—Yes, we should bring in someone to help with the animation issues; they've been bothering me for some time. —Rachel replied.
-Only Apple, I understand. —Anne said.
Rachel always searched for reasons, though in truth, it was partly an excuse; for some time now she had loved traveling to the East to enjoy its peace and silence. What better way to immerse herself in her readings, readings that helped her shape ideas and give them form.
—I think anyone would feel the strain of being part of those long numbers, of helping deal with all the political complications within Lux Animation. I believe we need a proper liaison. —Rachel added.
-We need someone from Hollywood, no… Billy will know what to do. Let's hire someone to oversee the other companies; for now, I'll handle things as best I can over the next two months with the help of Jim Gianopulos. —Anne replied, closing the discussion, carefully choosing her words that had nearly faltered, thinking it would only be two months. Little did she know that she possessed the strength to move Hollywood itself, and even make its most seasoned figures respect her, thanks to her sharp eye for numbers, pricing, and the guidance of a few remarkable advisors.