If you watch the new Chinese suspense film "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame", don't forget to take notice of actress Carina Lau's eyebrows.

Lau plays Wu Zetian, the only empress of ancient China, in Tsui Hark's Golden Lion-nominated film. The role requires eyebrow shapes so diversified that Lau had voluntarily bleached her eyebrows to allow makeup artists to work on her more easily, said Bruce Yu, art director of the film.

Yu also said Lau's costumes were lavishly designed and made with layers of embroidery, which add to the empress' majesty.

"Detective Dee", known in Chinese as "Di Renjie Zhi Tongtian Diguo", features Andy Lau as legendary detective Di Renjie who is summoned by the empress to investigate a series of mysterious deaths.

Li Bingbing, Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Deng Chao also star in the film.

With its domestic release set for September 29, the film is the only Chinese-language competitor for the Golden Lion award at this year's Venice International Film Festival, which will open in Venice, Italy on September 1.