In this visually breathtaking martial arts story from 9th century China, a 10-year-old general’s daughter, Nie Yinniang, is taken from her family to be transformed into a lethal assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. Ultimately, she is sent back to the land of her birth with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised – a cousin who now leads the largest military region in North China. After 13 years of exile, the young woman must confront her parents, her memories and her long-repressed feelings. Offering a meditation on humanity and nature, The Assassin, winning Best Director at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, is a triumph of sumptuous cinematography and hypnotic pacing.
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and present. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
