The screening on 2 December will be followed by an in-person Q&A with the cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-bing, moderated by Professor Victor Fan (KCL).

In 8th century China, 10-year-old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is handed over to a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an exceptional assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was betrothed – a cousin who now leads the largest independent military region in North China.

In his final feature film, Hou Hsiao-hsien reunites with leading actress Shu Qi (Millennium Mambo, Three Times) for a sublime and impressionistic refraction of wuxia cinema. Working within this most commerical of Chinese genres, Hou spins a dense yet profoundly rewarding tale, in a style that is uniquely his.  

Filmmaker in Focus: Mark Lee Ping-bing.

Cast:
Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Zhou Yun, Satoshi Tsumabuki