Renowned Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien will compete at the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival in France with his first martial arts film "The Assassin".
Cannes Film Festival officials unveiled the lineup at a press conference in Paris on Thursday. "The Assassin," a Tang Dynasty martial arts epic, is among the 17 films that will vie for the festival's highest prize, the Palme d'Or. Chinese director Jia Zhangke's "Mountains May Depart" and Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda's "Our Little Sister" are also among the 17 competition titles.
Hou is a prominent figure in Taiwan's "New Wave" cinema movement, which began in the 1980s. The movement is characterized by realistic and sympathetic portrayals of Taiwanese life, in stark contrast with the kung-fu action films and melodramas of earlier decades.
Hou's "A City of Sadness" won the Golden Lion at the 1989 Venice Film Festival, becoming the first Taiwanese film to be awarded the honor. His "The Puppetmaster" grabbed the Jury Prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.
The Cannes Film Festival will run from May 13-24.