Lil’ buddha

A film by Gnarly Bay

“We joined Lo Phong La Kiatoukaysy also known by his trail name “Lil’ Buddha” on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) for a few days this fall to capture this film for Outside TV's 'Outsiders of the Year' series.

Lo Phong was just crossing the Colorado / New Mexico border, heading southbound when we met up with him. Coordinating with a thru-hiker for film production takes adaptability on either side of the camera, but we did our best to keep up with him for ~42+ miles!! over 2 days.

Lo Phong has hiked over 48,000 miles since age 19. He attributes his motivation and drive to his Hmong lineage, a family of survivors who’ve historically persevered and celebrated their freedom since their removal from SouthEast Asia by the US military in 1976. Lo Phong’s story chronicles the journey of a refugee on a quest for freedom and a sense of home. Lo Phong finds redemption from generations of trauma through his relationship with the natural world, shared connection with others and his advocacy work for inclusion and diversity in the outdoors.

Lo Phong is currently working with Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) to raise awareness and funds for STOP AAPI Hate. CAA’s mission includes fighting for systemic change by advocating for racial justice and to serve as the lead aggregator in critical data gathering to track and respond to the surge in violence and xenophobia.

Thank you Lo Phong for taking the time from your journey to share your story and thanks to the gnarly bay crew who was able to keep up!”

Director & temporary thru-hiker: Lindsey Hagen
DP & Edit & temporary thru-hiker: Chris Naum
Head of Production: Aaron Schurman
Post Supervisor: CJ Taglione
Head of Post: Jordan Ingram
Color: Jack Ieronimo
Mix: Jared Blizzard

Executive Producers:
Outside TV - Rob Faris & Chris Crowley
Gnarly Bay - Dan Riordan