In the misty hills of Northern Thailand, a group of tribal people are living much the same way as their ancestors hundreds of years ago. These Hilltribe people live among the spirits in their forests, who affect their health, their crops, and their luck. Now, after years of existence under the shelter of treetops, deforestation and overcrowding are changing traditions that are deeply rooted in their culture. Some would say that the changes are advancements in their standard of living, but others mourn the traditions that have already been lost. Will the Hilltribe people’s beautiful textiles and spiritual beliefs be passed on to the next generation? Will they be able to hold on to their cultural identity throughout these years of change? Can they integrate the old ways with the new? Maybe the spirits know.

For two months in early 2003, I traveled to Northern Thailand to collect footage, stories, and textiles from the Hilltribe villages. I found people who were straddling the line between their old and new ways. My camera witnessed New Year festivals, textile creation, spirit shrines, shamans, beautiful landscapes, and cultures that are on the edge of something very new to them. The changes could be seen in every village, from pickup trucks full of cola to satellite dishes on the thatch roofs. They are sliding down the slope into the mainstream, and it’s hard to gain footing on that slippery shore.

In each tribe, a long-standing tradition of spirit worship, or Animism, is integral to their society. Ancestor spirits, shamans, and spiritual healing all play a daily role in the life of the village. I spoke with a shaman about the spirits in the trees and rivers, and he told me that one must respect these spirits or they will bring you bad luck or illness. I felt the presence of spirits in some of these forests, and it inspired a great respect for the environment around me.

Many of the tribes I visited had long traditions of textile creation. Most tribes wove their own fabric, some cross-stitched, others affixed seeds as decoration, but all of them had a distinct and defined method of creating their textiles. Originally, all the coloring in the garments was created through natural dyes. Recently though, fabric and thread is bought in the market, cross-stitched patterns are mass-produced, and the colors are losing the connection that they once had with nature.

Similarly, other elements in a Hilltribe person’s life can be purchased instead of made, discarded instead of repaired, and have lost the uniqueness that comes with a non-manufactured society. There is a parallel between the changes in Hilltribe culture and the changes in their textiles over the past 30 years.

I brought back examples of textiles made in traditional ways, and others that were mass-produced, to use as a subtext to the live action footage. The textiles will be animated using stop motion techniques. This form of abstract animation celebrates the imperfections in handmade textiles and will add to the storyline presented by the live action footage.

This film was my graduate thesis project for the Experimental Animation department at California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles. Completed May, 2004.