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The Last Prince of the Tribe tells the story of Su Guowen, the last prince of the Blang ethnic group in Yunnan, China, and his struggle to preserve his people’s disappearing traditions.
Su Guowen and his fellow tribesmen have carried on the teachings of their ancestor, Pa Ai Leng, living in the primitive forests of Yunnan for generations. This is a village, where life revolves around animism, Buddhism, and tea cultivation. The Blang people practice Shamanism and ancestor worship, maintaining a close relationship with nature for thousands of years. Without a written language, they have passed down their history, cultural traditions, and daily lives through songs. As early as the 10th century, the Blang people recognized tea in the form of medicine and began the earliest artificial cultivation and planting of tea, which is closely linked to their tribal culture.
As modernity encroaches and the younger generation drifts away, Su takes on the mission of reviving the Blang’s cultural heritage, restoring traditions, and reconnecting his people with their past by gathering oral traditions and re-engaging his community in cultural practices. Through Su Guowen’s story, The Last Prince of the Tribe shows that cultural traditions are also resilient.
Directed by Daoyuan Chi (China)