앤 후

At the height of her career as a businesswoman, Hu withdrew and took an 18-month sabbatical, during which she traveled the world alone. Visiting such far-flung places as Egypt and Tibet, she developed a greater appreciation for the various cultures of the world. To further satisfy her yearnings, Hu enrolled in a summer course at NYU's film school and found her metier. Penning the experimental screenplay "Dream and Memory" (1993), she went on to finance and produce the 85-minute, 16mm drama which focused on a pair of artists whose lives are altered by the Cultural Revolution. Now ensconced in her new career, Hu began to research a documentary on the Red Guards but stumbled upon a screenplay that caught her attention and eventually became "Shadow Magic" (2000), a lilting drama set in 1902 about the introduction of movies to Chinese society. The film worked on many levels: not only did it depict a society in flux thanks to new technologies but it also dealt with a clash of cultures and the passing of older traditions. The beautifully rendered film which was a rare joint production between China and Taiwan earned laudatory reviews and numerous prizes.