This post premieres the film, Bayous, Buddha, and Padaek: Southern Louisiana's Lao Foodways, by filmmakers Phanat Xanamane, Sami "Sai" Haggood, and Ba Bader who received a 2022 Community Collections Grant from the Center. The film is a captivating two-part documentary that delves into the rich culinary traditions of the Lao Buddhist immigrant community in Louisiana. This year's American Folklife Center's Homegrown Foodways Film Series celebrates Community Collections Grant recipients.
Below is an excerpt of a guest post on the Library’s Of the People blog comprised of notes, observations, and an interview by Sami Haggood (Project Assistant Director) with Phanat Xanamane (Project Director) on their project, the Louisiana Lao New Year Archive, as part of a blog series featuring the 2022 awardees of the AFC’s Community …
The following is a guest post by West Virginia State Folklorist Emily Hilliard, who directs the West Virginia Folklife Program, based at the West Virginia Humanities Council. AFC staff have been working with Emily, as well as filmmakers Mike Costello and Amy Dawson of Lost Creek Farm, to co-produce the AFC’s Homegrown Foodways in West …