Project Detail

Barbarian Princess

Synopsis

Set against the dramatic island backdrop of Hawaii, and based on the inspiring true story, Barbarian Princess is a breathtaking romance about an unlikely heroine and her unwavering fight to defend the independence of her people.
 
1888 - Hawaii is a paradise teetering on the brink of civil war. The tide has turned against the long-incumbent royal family, under the malevolent influence of a rebel party with links to the American government. Within months, the Palace is overthrown, and the royals are exiled.
 
Among them, is the beautiful Princess Ka`iulani. Scarcely 12 years old, she is separated from her family and her homeland, and, for her own safety, is sent to a climate and a country that couldn’t be more different from Hawaii – Victorian England.
 
Coming to terms with her fate, Kaiulani undergoes a harsh and testing education that equips her with a sense of honour, duty and pride. What’s more, she falls in love, with the spirited and rebellious young Englishman, Clive Davies.
 
Emerging from her childhood, and inspired by her blossoming romance, Kaiulani realises that she must do all that she can to bring an end to the injustices suffered by her people. She resolves to sail to America, to meet President Grover Cleveland, and to prove that she is anything but a ‘barbarian princess’.
 
Barbarian Princess combines the profound natural beauty of Hawaii with the sweeping romance of a classic Merchant Ivory epic.

Details

Year
2010
Type of project
Features
Running time
103 mins
Format
35 mm
Director
Marc Forby
Producer
Leilani Forby, Wanda Watamull
Co-Producer
Leilani Forby, Wanda Watamull
Editor
Beverley Mills
Screenwriter
Marc Forby
Director of Photography
Gabriel Beristain
Production Designer
Steven Lawrence
Sound
Tony Dawe
Composer
Stephen Warbeck
Principal cast
Q’orianka Kilcher, Shaun Evans, Barry Pepper, Will Patton

Genre

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Matador Pictures and Island Film Group

c/o ContentFilm International

Sales Company

ContentFilm International

19 Heddon Street
London W1B 4BG
UK

T +44 (0)20 7851 6500

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Two men and a woman sit in front of a desk looking concerned Blueberry Inn

Director: Sonia Guggenheim

Year: 2026

Loyal butler Jonathan is sent to rescue the failing Blueberry Inn, unaware his blinkered Lord plots to leave it to him and three chaotic staff as a social experiment. When the Lord dies suddenly, Jonathan discovers he's a co-owner of the Inn and has just one month to save it. Battling sabotage from furious heirs, the mismatched team (and a pig!) rally their communities, securing the Inn's future against all odds.

A small, cute, orange blob character is sat in a simple flat pink environment, looking at the viewer. Above them is a text box, floating Poob

Director: AJ Jefferies

Year: 2026

POOB is ready to LEARN and have FUN! An exploration into control, detachment and agency in an abusive relationship.

Two young girls sit accross from each other at a table Backwoods

Director: Aminah Alhamdu

Year: 2026

Two estranged friends miss the last bus home after a rave and are forced to stick together to make it home before dawn.