The film "The Assassin," will be hitting the mainland's theaters by the end of August, according to the film's director, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, at the 18th Shanghai International Film Festival.

Hou received Best Director for the film at the main competition category of the 68th Cannes Film Festival in May.

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During the press conference in Shanghai, Hou jested, saying, "You have seen many of films on small screens via DVD or VHS, but now this will be on the big screen." His films had never been screened in China until now.

At the film's promotional event, Hou attended with actress Zhou Yun and actor Chang Chen, according to China.org. Lead actress Shu Qi was not present because of a busy schedule.

"The Assassin" is a martial arts film coproduced by Taiwan, China and Hong Kong.

According to Hou, he prepared for the film for 25 years because he got the idea years prior to filming.

"The Assassin" is an adaptation of an old story from the ninth century Tang Dynasty, reported CRIEnglish.

A female assassin, played by actress Shu Qi, is sent to her home province to kill the governor played Chang Chen. The female assassin had apparently been in love with the governor for many years.

The governor's wife is played by actress Zhou Yun.

Hou praised Shu Qi, saying that she "is the modern-day Nie Yinniang."

"She is so pure and true when dealing with other people, and everybody in the cast and crew loves her," he said.

Following the film's Cannes premiere, critics from China as well as other foreign media applauded the film. Some even called "The Assassin" such "groundbreaking" work that "delivered the poetic beauty of the spirit of Chinese culture and martial arts."

In a review, The Guardian said, "There is no doubt that The Assassin--Hou's first feature for eight years--is a movie of great intelligence and aesthetic refinement; there is majesty and mystery in this film, particularly in the visually remarkable final minutes, when its enigmatic power begins a kind of final ascent."

However, other critics said they were confused by the film.

In response to the criticism, Hou said, "When you watch a film, you will keep your eyes on the screen when you feel drawn to it, no matter whether you understand it or not."

"If you are impatient and can't go on watching, that is the film's problem. I feel that Hollywood films state every detail in their narratives, but I think real life is not like that. You don't have to fully understand the scenes and characters, you just feel it. This is related to your life experience. Everyone sees things differently, from different perspectives," he added.

"The Assassin" is set for release on August 27 across mainland's theaters.

Tagsthe assassin 2015 china, Shanghai International Film Festival, The Assassin, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Cannes Film Festival, Zhou Yun, Chang Chen, Shu Qi