The Assassin

The Tang Dynasty in the ninth century. At the age of ten, Nie Yinniang is kidnapped by the nun Jiaxin, who trains her to become a calculating assassin.

Although Nie is well-trained, she has certain weaknesses that prevent her from completing all her assignments with precision. As a result, she is sent on a journey intended to punish her but also to help her sever all emotional ties. It’s not enough for Nie to excel in the art of killing; everything she has ever loved must be removed from her life.

The story of the female assassin not only portrays a historical conflict and an individual journey in which Nie must choose between the world she was torn from at the age of ten and her responsibility to the nun Jiaxin.

Director Hsiao-Hsien has crafted a visually stunning martial arts film, blending familiar wuxia genre elements with his unique style, creating something unlike anything seen before. Cinematographer Mark Lee Ping Bing, who has collaborated with Hsiao-Hsien nine times, delivers another successful partnership. The camera stays at a distance, barely moving, and the long scenes resemble grand paintings, making this an aesthetically perfect film that is truly worth watching.

Film fra Sør Arkiv 2015

Director

Hou Hsiao-Hsien (b. 1947) is a Taiwanese film director, screenwriter, and actor. He's a central figure in the Taiwanese film industry. His films are known for long takes and minimal camera movement. Hsiao-Hsien won the Golden Lion in Venice in 1989, and for The Assassin he won the award for Best Director during Cannes 2015.

This film is part of