Sacrifice

Assassinations, baby-swapping and vengeance - SFF 2011 Jury President Chen Kaige (The Emperor and the Assassin, Farewell My Concubine) adroitly combines the elements of classical melodrama with historical epic to produce a gripping, emotionally resonant film of great impact. Sinister army general Tu'an Gu (Wang Xueqi) plots the overthrow and decimation of the powerful Zhao clan. Cheng Ying (played by Cannes award-winning Chinese actor Ge You) is a humble doctor and new father assigned to the birth of the Zhao heir. When Tu'an Gu's evil plans are put into action, Cheng Ying rescues the infant Zhao, triggering a chain of events that will ultimately lead to great personal sacrifice and a patiently hatched plan of revenge. Visually ravishing and featuring immaculate period design, the impressive scope and scale of the production are in grand contrast with the intricacies of the father-son dynamics at the heart of Sacrifice.

Australian Premiere

Filmmaker Guest Chen Kaige