Renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and actress Zhang Ziyi attended the 42nd New York Film Festival over the weekend for the screening of computer-graphic, martial-arts extravaganza House of Flying Daggers.

Director of Oscar winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee, was also at the annual festival, which opened last Friday and runs until October 17th, aiming to promote the exciting, beguiling combination of visual poetry.

After Zhang Yimou's first martial-arts epic Hero took in US$50 million at the North American box office last month, his second hit House of Flying Daggers was also warmly welcomed, with some viewers saying it was the best film of the event so far.

What's more, some of America's most prestigious film critics gave the film a special mention in the New York Times.

(CRI October 11, 2004)