Thursday, November 12 | 8Â p.m.
Friday, November 13 | 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 14 | 5:30 p.m.
In the midst of China’s ninth century Tang Dynasty, a general’s young daughter (Shu Qi) is kidnapped and trained to become a great assassin. When she fails to complete a mission for sentimental reasons, she is assigned to kill her betrothed (Chen Chang). Awarded the Best Director prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, The Assassin is world-class filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien’s (Flowers of Shanghai) first film in eight years and his first attempt at producing work in the wuxia (martial arts) genre. What emerges is a true pinnacle in the recent history of the genre, a work of uttermost originality that above all attends to the exquisite decors, lavish period costuming, and to the flickering candlelight of the bygone dynastic age. As beautiful as it is hypnotic in its measured pacing, The Assassin is almost certain to rank among 2015’s greatest cinematic achievements.
To read more about Hou Hsiao-hsien’s The Assassin, click here.
Director Hou Hsiao-hsien 2015 Taiwan/China/Hong Kong 105 minutes NR DCP
