Actress Zhang Yuqi in director Wang Quan'an's film "White Deer Plain" [Photo/douban.com]

Director Wang Quan'an has announced that his epic film "White Deer Plain" has set its release date for September 13, qq.com reports.

The movie was screened at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival and received mixed reviews. It was highly praised by film critics but was also criticized for its long length, which is 220 minutes.

Because of this, Chinese audiences will see a 160-minute version.

The film is adapted from Chen Zhongshi's 1993 novel of the same name, depicting the hardships of several generations living on the White Deer Plain in northwestern China. The novel, which mirrors the radical changes taking place in the Chinese countryside for over half a century, won the Mao Dun Literature Award, China's highest award for literature, in 1997.

By Chen Nan