Spirit Path
(Working Title)
Young rising Hmong Americans reclaim and
re-imagine traditional spiritual practice during the rise of a new age of shamans in the Midwest.
In Spirit Path (working title), the first generation of openly LGBTQ+ Hmong Americans in the Midwest are questioning spiritual belonging in traditional spiritual practice. Navigating a tradition that has excluded women, queer and trans individuals, many are questioning how to reclaim space in a tradition that traces back thousands of years. In the past decade, a new generation of Hmong shamans has been rising, and many of these healers are queer. Two shamans reveal their journey to accept and understand their role as healers and cultural bearers alongside their identities as queer individuals. Researcher Kong Pheng Pha shares his latest observations on the lived experiences of queer Hmong Americans and the ways that young Hmong Americans are navigating traditional spirituality. Together, queer community members slowly unravel the big questions about their belonging in Hmong cosmology and reimagine what healing practices can look like when it includes them.
This short film is a sibling piece to the feature-length documentary-in-progress Spirited.
To learn more about Spirited, visit spiriteddocumentary.com.
Team
Producer & Director:
Producer:
Cultural & Community Producer:
Cinematographer:
Second Camera:
Editor:
Consultant:
Consultant:
Participants
Joua Lee Grande
Quyen Nguyen-Le
Billy Lor
Xiaolu Wang
Nkaujoua Xiong
Quincy Yangh
Chali Lee
Tou Fong Lee - Shaman & Culture Bearer
Dr. Kong Pheng Pha, Ph.D. - Researcher & Professor
Type:
Anticipated Duration:
Status:
Short documentary
10 minutes
In production
The Series
This short film will be part of a shorts series about Asian American faith experiences in the Midwest supported by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) and the Asian Pacific Americans Religions Research Initiative (APARRI). More info to come.