The 2006 AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival (AFI FEST 2006), to be held in Hollywood between Nov. 1-12, will present the world premiere of Zhang Yimou's Curse of the Golden Flower as its Closing Night Gala.
Written and directed by Zhang, Curse of the Golden Flower stars Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, and Jay Chou. The sumptuous costume drama is set during China's 10th-century Tang Dynasty.
According to the AFI press release, the film "begins on the eve of the Chong Yang Festival, a celebration of family, ancestry and escape from evil fortune that is traditionally associated with chrysanthemum blossoms. On the eve of the event, the Emperor (Chow Yun-Fat) returns unexpectedly with one of his sons under the pretext of celebrating the holiday with his family. However, given the chilled relations between the Emperor and the ailing Empress (Gong Li), this appears disingenuous. The Emperor and Empress both harbor equally clandestine plans. The Emperor senses a looming threat and soon a tumultuous sequence of surprises and secrets are revealed amid the glamour and grandeur of the festival."
No mention of the much-discussed potential gay affair, though I assume that's still a possibility considering all the "surprises and secrets" and "glamour and grandeur." Not that it should matter, either way.
Curse of the Golden Flower has been chosen as China's official selection to the 79th Oscar Best Foreign Film category.