Hmong on Films
I May Be Half Hmong by Blood, but Hmong Stories Hold a Full Place in My Heart
I’m not trying to jump on the Hmong ethnic identity trend. I simply want to take this opportunity to share some personal experiences and stories that I find meaningful and interesting, and that I hope more people will have the chance to discover.
My father is Hmong. Although I didn’t grow up entirely immersed in a Hmong environment, having been connected to Hmong communities throughout my life has given me the opportunity to experience a culture filled with unique charm and depth — its history, beliefs, way of life, language, traditional clothing, and countless little details that people from outside the community may never have noticed.
The Hmong have a long history, with significant historical roots in China before communities spread across different parts of the world, including Thailand, where Hmong communities have settled in several northern provinces.
The more I experience this culture, the more I realize how much there is still to learn. So many of its stories deserve to be explored and shared through art, especially the art form I love most: filmmaking.
For me, films are not simply about entertaining audiences or making them feel excited. They can also create a space for people to discover the lives of others, understand different perspectives and emotions, and sometimes realize that even when our backgrounds are different, there are still things that connect us as human beings.
Over the years, I have gradually incorporated stories and inspiration from Hmong culture into my films in different ways, each offering its own perspective.
🎬 The Beginning — Hold My Hand (2010) This was one of my early projects in which I began incorporating elements of Hmong identity into a story.
At the time, I had not yet explored the cultural dimensions in great depth. Looking back, however, I see it as a small beginning — the starting point of an interest that would continue to grow alongside my experience and journey as a filmmaker.
Sometimes, an idea isn't quite ready to become a fully developed story. It remains with us, waiting until we have gained enough experience to return to it and express it more clearly.
🚀 Immortal Divide
As time passed, the ideas and stories connected to Hmong culture continued to develop in my imagination, eventually finding their way into a science-fiction world set in the future.
This film combines inspiration drawn from Hmong philosophy and aspects of Hmong culture with imaginative ideas about technology and the future. We also filmed in actual Hmong mountain communities, making these real locations part of the world we created on screen.
Filming in these communities brought a distinctive atmosphere and a greater sense of authenticity to the film. It also showed me how local culture can exist naturally within a science-fiction narrative without always having to be presented in a documentary format or explained directly to the audience.
It was another attempt to bring stories rooted in Hmong culture into the world of imagination, allowing them to reach audiences in a different way.
🤝 Belonging
This hybrid commercial-film project brought the storytelling closer to everyday life, focusing on human relationships, emotional bonds, and the context of the community.
I believe this kind of work has its own value. Sometimes, we don't need to explain a culture through extensive information or dialogue. Simply observing how people live, care for one another, and interact naturally can help audiences begin to understand their world.
🕯️ BOND
In 2025, we explored a more intense form of storytelling through a drama and horror film that delves into beliefs and spiritual practices.
What interested me was not simply the fear associated with these beliefs, but also the relationships between belief, family, fear, and the choices people make.
The film featured a predominantly Hmong cast, with nearly 80% of the actors being Hmong. This allowed us to work more closely with the language, performances, and cultural context of the story.
Working with actors from the community also reminded me how important it is to approach cultural storytelling with understanding. It's not just about using cultural elements to create an atmosphere; it's also about respecting the people and the meaning behind those elements.
🏡 More Than Landmarks
In 2026, we explored Chiang Mai through the eyes of two young Hmong siblings who express their vision of their mountain home through their own drawings.
I love the idea that discovering a place doesn't always have to begin with famous tourist attractions or familiar landmarks. Sometimes, it can begin with the perspective of people who actually grew up there and call it home.
The drawings of two children might seem like something simple, but they open up a different way of understanding what the word “home” can mean.
The film won first place, providing an encouraging reminder that stories told through the perspectives of local people can have a powerful impact — and that meaningful stories can sometimes begin with the simplest things close to us.
🧵 Threads of Legacy
This project explores the passing down of stories and cultural heritage, and received a runner-up award.
To me, heritage is not just about objects or traditions handed down from previous generations. It also encompasses memories, meanings, and the things people choose to preserve and pass on to those who come after them.
How can a culture remain alive in a world that is constantly changing? It's a question I find deeply interesting, and one that continues to inspire me to learn more about these stories.
🌀 The Last Spin
One of the projects I feel particularly connected to is a film that places a traditional spinning top game at the heart of its story.
The film brings characters from two different cultures together, using relationships and actions to communicate emotion rather than relying solely on dialogue.
What I particularly love is that even viewers who don't understand a single word of Hmong can still feel what the characters are experiencing through their body language, play, learning, and the moments they share.
The Hmong spinning top becomes more than just a traditional toy appearing on screen. It gradually develops into a meaningful symbol within the story and an iconic visual element that audiences can remember.
The film also won first place. But for me, the real sense of achievement goes beyond the award. It's about seeing how a small element of one culture can help connect people from different backgrounds and bring them closer to understanding one another — even when they don't speak the same language.
🌱 Stories I Still Hope to Tell
Beyond the projects that have already been released, we have several more stories we are continuing to develop.
Temporary is currently in production. It aims to shed light on certain social issues affecting some Hmong communities, bringing attention to challenges that deserve to be understood while inspiring younger generations to get involved in supporting at-risk children and young people.
I believe stories about a community don't have to focus only on its beautiful aspects. Addressing difficult issues with care and respect is also part of understanding society, and it can be a starting point for positive change.
Another project close to my heart is a feature film "Intertwine" currently being developed collaboratively by Nipan Studio and Prahtomgan Studio. The project draws on Hmong culture, beliefs, and ways of life, interpreting them through a blend of drama, horror, and adventure.
We are still developing the concept and the project, but we hope to bring these stories to life as a completed feature film one day, allowing audiences to experience another side of the world through a different kind of cinematic storytelling.
I sincerely hope we will receive the support and have the opportunity to make this project a reality in the near future.
❤️ Because Culture Is Not Only What We Inherit, but What We Choose to Pass On
Looking back, I see each of these films as a small window, gradually opening to reveal different aspects of Hmong culture to audiences.
Of course, these stories represent only a small part of a culture far too rich and diverse to be fully captured in just a handful of films. There is still so much I need to learn, understand, and listen to from the people who are directly part of this culture.
Yet being part of this community, even if only in part, has given me a sense of connection and inspired me to share meaningful stories through the art form I love.
I want audiences to see that Hmong culture is much more than the familiar images people may already associate with it. It is also filled with beauty, ideas, beliefs, hopes, struggles, and the stories of ordinary people whose lives and dreams are no different from anyone else's.
If one of my films encourages someone to learn more about Hmong culture, helps a child recognize the value of their own heritage, or allows people from different cultural backgrounds to understand one another a little better, then I feel that what we do has meaning.
I may not know every aspect of Hmong culture, and I certainly cannot tell every story on my own. But I hope to use my skills and experience to play a small part in documenting, learning about, and sharing these stories with care and sincerity.
To me, preserving culture doesn't mean simply keeping the past intact. It also means allowing these stories to travel into the present, find meaning in today's world, and continue to live in the hearts and minds of future generations.
I may be only half Hmong by blood, but I hope to play a small part in helping Hmong stories be heard, understood, and carried forward for generations to come. ❤️
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