Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien has praised actress Shu Qi during a visit to Belgium. Shu is the main actress in his most recent award-winning film The Assassin.
The Assassin is a martial arts film set in the Tang dynasty and portrays the story of a girl who was kidnapped at age 10 and trained to become an assassin.
One of the festival’s judges, director Guillermo del Toro, said The Assassin speaks in a strong poetic language. Ethan Coen, a co-chair of the jury, said the movie has an identity.
Hou said Shu Qi is very warm and genuine. He said he sees her uniqueness and that she was able to display her unique qualities in the film.
Hou and Shu have worked together in the past. In 2005, Shu Qi won the Best Actress Award at the 2005 Golden Horse Awards for her three roles in Hou's film Three Times. In 2000, Shu also starred in Hou’s critically acclaimed film Millennium Mambo .