Vilcek Foundation

Directed by Sherwood Hu
Synopsis: An adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of the Himalayas takes as its dramatic backdrop the majesty and mystery of the Tibetan landscape. It is here, inMore >                                       Kingdom Jiabo, where Prince Lhamoklodan returns after hearing of his father's sudden and unexplained death. As disturbing to him is that his mother, Queen Nanm, has already been remarried - to his uncle Kulo-ngam - who has usurped the throne. The young prince, and rightful heir, becomes determined to learn the truth of his father's death and take revenge. As his obsession begins to menace his spirit, it also casts a shadow over his love for Odsaluyang. Finally, as he threatens his uncle, the new king, at sword-point, his anguished mother tells Prince Lhamoklodan what he must know in order to face his destiny and reclaim his title.

Filmmaker Profile: Shanghai-born Sherwood Hu directed and co-wrote Prince of the Himalayas, his third feature film. Also adapted as a play, the script had a successful run on the stage in Shanghai, and was selected for the 9th Shanghai International Arts Festival. Hu's first feature film, Warrior Lanling, an epic ritual film about ancient China, took the opposite route, evolving from a stage production, "The Legend of Prince Lanling." It received an Honorable Mention from the Kennedy Arts Center. Hu's second film, Lani Loa: The Passage, one of the first U.S./China co-productions, was executive-produced by Francis Ford Coppola and Wayne Wang. Hu has also directed a forty-episode television series, Purple Jade, for China Central Television. Hu received his Masters of Arts degree from the State University of New York and his PhD in directing from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Following an apprenticeship at The Public Theater in New York under Joseph Papp, he began his professional career directing theater productions, including "Rashomon," "Consant Prince," and "The Chairman's Wife." Hu's film work has not weakened his strong connection to live theater - among his recent stage directing credits are A.R. Gurney's "Sylvia," Jean-Paul Sartre's "Dirty Hands," and a modern ballet called "Shakespeare and His Women." Hu has also come out from behind the camera to perform in the lead role of Song Liling in several productions of David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly.