Well-known Chinese fusion singer Gong Linna, one of China's most talented vocalists, has released a new song that is also the official soundtrack of "The Assassin," Taiwan director Hou Hsiao-hsien's martial arts movie scheduled soon for distribution.
The German musical composer Robert Zollitsch, who is also Gong's husband, collaborated with her to bring to life the soundtrack, "Yi Ge Ren Mei You Tong Lei," which literally means, "A Unique Single."
The martial arts film's trailer had been applauded by viewers for displaying wonderful artistry. Hou's "The Assassin" is his seventh Palme d'Or nomination at Cannes, and has won him the Best Director award at Cannes this year. The motion picture also bagged the Cannes Soundtrack Award, thanks to singer-songwriter Giong Lim.
Set in the period of the Tang Dynasty, the film features Nie Yinniang, who comes back to her family after a couple of years in exile. Trouble comes when she faces the crossroad of choosing between killing the man she loves, or disobeying the "order of the Assassins."
Gong Linna admits that she and her husband has watched "The Assassin" a number of times before crafting the song together.
"In this movie, the main character is so unique that there couldn't be anyone else like him in the world. As such, me and my husband decided to name the song 'A Unique Single.' I could feel an energy and vibe when we started practicing the song. But I had to make sure that I sang it in a calm and somewhat restrained manner, as this is what comes across the most out of the main character."
Mainland actress Shu Qi and Taiwan actor Chang Chen are the main artists in the film, which is scheduled for release in mainland cinemas on Thursday, Aug. 27.