Chinese film director Lu Chuan poses at a press conference for his new project Banquet at Hongmen in Beijing on December 15 (CFP)

Chinese director Lu Chuan, whose award-winning film City of Life and Death focused on the Second World War Nanjing Massacre, is going further back in time for his new film to depict another turning point in China's history.

Lu's next drama will depict a famous meeting that occurred in 206 BC and heralded the fall of the Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BC).

Shooting on Banquet at Hongmen was expected to begin in June 2010 and the film was planned for release at the end of 2010, Lu told a press conference in Beijing Tuesday.

Xiang Yu (232 - 202 BC), the most powerful rebel of the Qin Dynasty, orchestrated the banquet to kill Liu Bang (256 - 195 BC), Xiang's biggest rival who later founded the Han Dynasty. Liu managed to escape the banquet and later led his army to defeat Xiang.

Banquet at Hongmen has become a colloquial Chinese term to refer to treachery or a trap hidden in an act of goodwill.

"I'll let the camera roll back to ancient times, but tell a story with a modern insight," Lu said.

The screenplay was still under revision and the cast was yet to be decided, said Lu.

"A person's life is like the Banquet at Hongmen," reads the poster Lu had for the movie.

Lu, 38, is considered one of the most talented young directors in China and he won global acclaim for Kekexili: Mountain Patrol.

City of Life and Death, which gives account of the Nanjing Massacre of Chinese civilians by the Imperial Japanese Army 72 years ago, won the top Golden Shell award at the 2009 San Sebastian film festival in Spain.

(CRIENGLISH.com December 16, 2009)