AFI Comes to Palm Springs presented the stunningly beautiful Prince of the Himalayas, followed by a Q&A with the very gracious director, Sherwood Hu. He said this was his second return to both AFI and Palm Springs (via the Palm Springs International Film Festival) since his 1995 film, Warrior Lanling.
Hu discussed the use of trees as a symbol of life. In the kingdom, there is a tree in distress and at a significant moment the previously barren landscape gains foliage. Hu stressed that his version of Hamlet is a film about love -- no longer about revenge. There is much significance in a symbolic moment of rebirth that he inserts into the story, as he wanted to add something new and refreshing. It was within that moment that he conceived his version of the film. The scene takes place in water, which is where civilization originated. Hu said that the 19th century painting by John Everett Millais titled Ophelia was imprinted upon his mind and influenced the story.
Hu was introduced to Shakespeare through Laurence Olivier's 1948 Hamlet, and he was surrounded by his text as the son of a director and actress. He always had a problem with the idea of Hamlet's mother wedding his uncle only two weeks after her husband's death...so he changed it.
He was very open in divulging that his father died in 1989 (coincidentally the year Olivier died), two weeks before the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Hu was studying in New York and was unable to attend his father's funeral. When he did return to China, he was told by an actor friend of his father's that Hu's dad had always wanted to do Hamlet, so this film is Hu's attempt to fulfill his father's dream.
He has come to believe that China is undergoing a spiritual change as the country becomes more materialistic in its path to becoming an economic giant. As an artist and filmmaker, he feels obligated to make a personal change and perhaps influence others, which is why he chose to instill a positive message into the film. He is hoping he will plant such seeds into the audiences' hearts.
Hu witnessed both young and old in Tibet demonstrating bows of reverence during their journeys from village to temple, giving all they had in devotion. He feels Tibet represents one of the last places to still have sincerity, purity and spirituality. While there, he met two Lamas, one of whom gave him advice: the story should take place before the Tang Dynasty (pre-600 AD, before Tibet was unified) and Hu should not touch on Tibetan Buddhism, but rather focus on the original Tibetan religion.
The film currently does not have distribution, but it is so stunning that I cannot imagine that fact will be true for long.
Hu's next film will occur in 1920s gangster Shanghai. In a tribute to Coppola (who produced his 1998 film, Lanai-Loa), it will be like "Godfather meets Gone with the Wind," Hu explained.
Comments (2)
Based on what I saw today, Sherwood Hu is an impressive director and an even more impressive man.
Posted by Brian | November 18, 2007 1:17 AM
Posted on November 18, 2007 01:17
Love the film and love the direction.
Posted by mumu | November 19, 2007 5:59 PM
Posted on November 19, 2007 17:59