The Split Horn: Life of a Hmong Shaman in America

An intimate account of a Hmong shaman struggling to maintain his ancient traditions in the United States while his sons and daughters succumb to the allure of American lifestyles.

Film Signature Image
Series
True Stories, Independent Lens
Premiere Date
October 1, 2001
Length
60 minutes
Funding Initiative
Open Call
  • Award laurels-r Created with Sketch.
    2002 Society for Visual Anthropology Film and Video Festival-Top Award For Excellence
    • Producer

    Taggart Siegel

    Taggart Siegel has been producing and directing award-winning documentaries and dramatic films for 20 years. His many documentaries include The Split Horn: Life of A Hmong Shaman in America, a sweeping story of a Hmong shaman struggling to maintain his ancient traditions as his children embrace American culture. Siegel’s social documentaries Between Two Worlds, Blue Collar & Buddha, Heart Broken in Half,… Show more and Bitter Harvest, have aired on PBS, cable television, and are distributed worldwide. Siegel produced and directed the theatrical feature Shadow of the Pepper Tree and the short dramatic films Affliction, Ember Days, and Body Memories. In addition, he has produced many films including Destroying Angel, The Beloved, and The Disenchanted Forest for National Geographic Television. He is the founder of Alchemy Films, an independent production company, and is also executive director of the Collective Eye, Inc., a non-profit media organization based in San Francisco. Show less

    Other ITVS Films
    The Real Dirt on Farmer John
    SEED: The Untold Story
    Producer

    Jim McSilver

    We fund untold stories for public media.

    Learn more about funding opportunities with ITVS.

    MORE INFO

    The Film

    The sweeping story of a Hmong shaman and his family living in Appleton, Wisconsin, the split horn documents the 17-year journey of Paja Thao and his family. From the mountains of Laos to the heartland of America, this documentary shows a shaman's struggles to maintain his ancient traditions as his children embrace American culture.

    Topics