‘Sumpa Kingdom’ Screens at Shanghai, Director Lhapal Gyal and Cast Discuss Sacred Mountain Landscapes

By Naman Ramachandran

Naman Ramachandran

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“Sumpa Kingdom,” a drama set in Xizang selected for the Belt and Road Film Week sidebar at the Shanghai International Film Festival, held a post-screening event, with director Lhapal Gyal, producer Sonam Gyal and cast members Tenzin Tsundue, Joy and Sonam Wangmo in attendance.

Adapted from the novel of the same name by writer Miaolian, the film spans two time periods. Its first strand, set in 1995, follows a rural doctor in Nagqu who takes in an orphaned Tibetan baby girl. In 2024, now grown and with her adoptive father’s approval, the young woman sets off with a wealthy merchant to piece together the historical enigmas surrounding the ancient Sumpa kingdom. Lhapal Gyal said the team retained the spiritual core of the source material while reworking character relationships and the narrative structure, drawing on their own direct encounters with the landscapes, customs and culture of Xizang.

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