“From Hell to Hollywood” is a documentary feature that tells the story of Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photojournalist Nick Ut. Ut’s prize-winning photo, “The Terror of War,” is credited with helping bring an end to the Vietnam War. He was just 21 years old when he shot the photo. While the story of this photo has been told before, “From Hell to Hollywood” includes exclusive interviews and never-before-seen photos from this seminal moment in history. The film also chronicles Ut’s journey to Los Angeles, where he became one of the most important American news photographers for the next 40 years.
Ut covered every major news event from the Los Angeles Riots and the O.J. Simpson trial, to the annual devastating California wildfires and major sporting events. In “From Hell to Hollywood,” a variety of luminaries pay tribute to Ut and his most famous photos including fellow Pulitzer winners David Hume Kennerly, Peter Arnett and David Burnett; Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark; civil rights activist Gloria Allred; and socialite Paris Hilton. The film is narrated by actor, activist and international icon George Takei.
Produced and directed by Emmy-winner Jon Kroll and produced, photographed and edited by multi-award-winner Scott Templeton, “From Hell to Hollywood” includes unique insights and revelations about “The Terror of War,” and surprising, intriguing and entertaining stories about Ut’s half-century career. The film reveals that there is much more to this amazing man than the photo for which he is best known.