Film Festival

This video strives to help Hmong people understand epilepsy, especially the need to get medical help and support when their children have seizures. The Hmong are recent immigrants to the United States, refugees from the Vietnam War. They have a long history as a fiercely independent and self-sufficient farming culture. Having taken the side of Americans in the war, the Hmong lost their homelands and were dispersed when the U.S. troops departed. Some came early to America, but many spent almost a generation in Thai refugee camps waiting for refugee status and emigration. Originally assigned and placed in various communities around the U.S., the Hmong have gradually followed their tradition of living in clan-based communities by relocating to areas where elders and religious leaders have determined are safe and secure. A large majority of Hmong Americans now live in three states: California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Traditionally, the Hmong had no written language, and practiced what Western anthropologists call an animistic religion. Their view of seizures reflects their spiritual beliefs. The Hmong term is quag dab peg (pronounced "kwa da peh"), and translates as something like “a spirit grabs you and throws you down.” Not only does Hmong tradition dictate that a seizure is a highly charged spiritual experience, but it imparts the occurrence with the expectant possibility that the subject of the experience may be marked to have special powers to help other people, to become a shaman, after wrestling with a spirit and surviving.

Healthcare for the Hmong people in America has been fraught with many language and cultural hurdles, but epilepsy presents a particular challenge. In this video, the topic is approached from the Hmong point-of-view and in the Hmong language (with English subtitles), and attempts to bridge traditional Hmong cultural beliefs and modern American medical practice, not to deny either one but to honor spiritual practices while also helping Hmong children get the help they need. As one Hmong gentleman said who called in to a Hmong radio show on which Dr. Zupanc was interviewed, "Before we were in the old country and followed the old ways. Now we are in America and we need to learn new things to help our people." All those appearing in the video (except Dr. Mary Zupanc, a pediatric epileptologist at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin) are Hmong, and the settings and music reflect Hmong culture. The video was produced by Pa Britney Xiong and Paoi Lor, and directed by Thay Yang. It was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. All those appearing in the video (except Dr. Mary Zupanc, a pediatric epileptologist at Children's has been fraught with many language and cultural hurdles, but epilepsy presents a particular challenge. In this video, the topic is approached from the Hmong point-of-view and in the Hmong language (with English subtitles), and attempts to bridge All those appearing in the video (except Dr. Mary Zupanc, a pediatric epileptologist at Children's In this video, the topic is approached from the Hmong point-of-view and in the Hmong language (with English subtitles), and attempts to bridge All those appearing in the video (except Dr. Mary Zupanc, a pediatric epileptologist at Children's In this video, the topic is approached from the Hmong point-of-view and in the Hmong language (with English subtitles), and attempts to bridge All those appearing in the video (except Dr. Mary Zupanc, a pediatric epileptologist at Children's In this video, the topic is approached from the Hmong point-of-view and in the Hmong language (with English subtitles), and attempts to bridge All those appearing in the video (except Dr. Mary Zupanc, a pediatric epileptologist at Children's In this video, the topic is approached from the Hmong point-of-view and in the Hmong language (with English subtitles), and attempts to bridge All those appearing in the video (except Dr. Mary Zupanc, a pediatric epileptologist at Children's In this video, the topic is approached from the Hmong point-of-view and in the Hmong language (with English subtitles), and attempts to bridge All those appearing in the video (except Dr. Mary Zupanc, a pediatric epileptologist at Children's . Traditionally, the Hmong had no written language, and practiced what Western anthropologists call an animistic religion. Their view of seizures reflects their spiritual beliefs. The Hmong term is (pronounced "kwa da peh"), and translates as something like “a spirit grabs you and throws you down.” Not only does Hmong tradition dictate that a seizure is a highly charged spiritual experience, but it imparts the occurrence with the expectant possibility that the subject of the experience may be marked to have special powers to help other people, to become a shaman, after wrestling with a spirit and surviving. , but many spent almost a generation in Thai refugee camps waiting for refugee status and emigration. Originally assigned and placed in various communities around the troops departed.