Brotherhood of Blades

Brotherhood of Blades is an impressing period drama set in 1927, near the end of the Ming dynasty in China. We follow three members of the secret police who have been entrusted by a young emperor to liquidate the powerful eunuch Wei. This is a society penetrated by corruption, abuse of power and crumbling alliances. The three protagonists become aware of this, and it quickly becomes uncertain which side is the most strategic, most financially fruitful and has the highest chance of survival. In the background, one of the main characters experiences an impossible relationship with a prostitute concubine. Driven by various temptations and needs, the three of them become pieces in a puzzle they don't have the power to control.

The relatively unexperienced director Lu Yang initially received financial support for his third film when it became clear that Chang Chen (Happy Together, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) would star as one of the main characters. The result is a tour de force in martial arts battles interspersed with beautiful costumes. The film was nominated for five awards at the Taiwanese Golden Horse Film Festival, and won the one for best costumes.

Lu Yang studied at Beijing Film Academy. He made his directorial debut with My Spectacular Theatre in 2010. In 2012 he made A Motor Home Adventure, before he wrote and directed Brotherhood of Blades in 2014.