The Long-delayed and widely anticipated thriller "No Man's Land" by Ning Hao will hit Chinese screens on December 3,although how it got approval from censors remains a mystery.

The premiere for the film was held on Sunday after nearly four years of delay. Leading actor Xu Zheng denied the widely circulated rumor that the film was banned by the Chinese government saying "it was just a delay."

While it was originally finished in April 2010, "No Man's Land" was rejected by Zhao Baohua, a member of the film review board of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), who alleged that the film was "trash" and its depiction of depraved individuals was not on a par with reality.

Zhao was quoted as saying that the film "has no character who is not depraved". He also took a shot at Ning Hao directly, saying that the director had forgotten about the social responsibility of being an artist, adding that the gratuitous nature of the movie reflected his narcissism.

Director and actors attending the premiere didn't mention how the film finally got approved. But surprisingly, the film was not censored as much as had been expected. Huang Bo, another leading actor in the film, said that some violent and bloody scenes were cut, but not much.

Two leading actors, Xu and Huang, have seen their popularity rise in the past three years in the absence of "No Man's Land."

Xu's directorial debut "Lost in Thailand" grossed US$207 million and is the highest-grossing film ever in China. Huang, by starring in "Lost in Thailand" and another box-office hit, "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" directed by Stephen Chow, has become a top comedian in China.

Observers said if the "No Man's Land" was screened four years ago, Xu's career would be different. But Xu said, "Every film has its fate and every actor has his fate. I was labeled as a comedian," Xu said, "People have not seen the other part of my character. Now 'No Man's Land' will be released, I welcome comments about my performance." He added people should see "No Man's Land" as a fable.

Director Ning, who made his name with "Crazy Stone," a dark horse released in 2005 which is often compared to works by Guy Ritchie, didn't even consider that his status in the Chinese film industry would have been higher due to the film. "We are filmmakers, not athletes who compete for Olympic gold medals," Ning said.

For him, the most regrettable thing is not that his film was censored, but that he didn't have the chance to make further corrections to clarify the film's theme.

"No Man's Land" is a road movie set in the remote west of China, mostly on the Gobi desert in Xinjiang, where Xu plays a lawless lawyer and Huang is a cruel killer. "It's a tall story," Ning said. The film explores the raw animal nature in people.

In the face of competition from Feng Xiaogang and Jackie Chan's blockbusters in China's New Year season, the director said he felt no pressure to make a profit since the cost of the film was just 16 million yuan. "In the industry today, it is almost impossible to make a film for this amount," he sighed, "So I now don't worry about the box office any more."

Ning said that even though Hollywood has big impact on the Chinese film market, " our local films and our own actors and materials are very competitive and I believe audiences prefer our stories."

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