The Center
Description
An intimate witnessing of the life and work of Amema (Mimi) Saeju, a Lisu woman, educator, anthropologist, and Indigenous cultural protector based in northern Thailand, who founded the Lisu Cultural Heritage Center in Chiang Mai. Through this center and by fate, Mimi miraculously reunited a Lisu mother and her Italian-Lisu daughter who had been tragically separated for 27 years.
Longer description:
This film will follow Mimi Saeju’s life and work, with a focus on her founding of the Lisu Cultural Heritage Center and the impact this space has made in its cherishing of the past while building for the future.
Mimi was deeply inspired by the work of her foster parents, renowned historian and researcher, Dr. Michael Vickery, and internationally known anthropologist and professor, Dr. Otome Klein Hutheesing.
Michael reported to Amnesty International, the Red Cross, and the United Nations about human rights issues in Southeast Asia, and was a foremost expert on Cambodian history and politics. He had an illustrious career as a researcher and lecturer at numerous universities around the world.
Otome traveled to Thailand after graduating with a Ph.D. in Sociology and teaching worldwide. After being introduced to a Lisu woman in 1981 (Mimi’s grandmother), Otome conducted extensive research and built meaningful relationships with the people of Doi Laan for more than four decades. In her final years, Otome split her time between Chiang Mai and the village, relying on Mimi as her primary caregiver.
Mimi – while completing her Master of Arts in Ethnicity and Development – came to recognize and appreciate the value of the materials her foster parents had amassed throughout their lives. The artifacts, photographs, artwork, traditional costumes, and handicrafts in their collections carried stories of tradition and the richness of the Lisu culture, and Mimi decided this history needed a home. With the support of her community, Mimi secured funding for and converted Michael and Otome’s home into the Lisu Cultural Heritage Center (LCHC) in 2016.
The LCHC is the first place in Chiang Mai where visitors can view Lisu cultural heritage in all its varied aspects: ritual, music, livelihood, handicraft, and the evolution of traditional costume.
In addition, the space includes a market, featuring a variety of Lisu-made handicrafts that build upon the center’s mission to promote, protect, and preserve Lisu cultural heritage. Many of the handicrafts are meticulously created by elders and cultural custodians, who are reviving these traditions and skills through mentorship of younger generations. The depth and purpose of their cultural knowledge is invaluable, as this transmission breathes new life into tradition.
(Subplot)
In 2021, a woman in Mimi’s village approached her asking for help finding her daughter. The woman’s former husband had returned to his native Italy 27 years prior with their 4 month old daughter, Ale Mè, and any efforts to find her had been unsuccessful. Despite Mimi’s best efforts, she was unable to find the daughter.
In September 2022, Mimi received a message through the LCHC Facebook page:
“I came to Italy with my father when I was 4 months old and never saw my mother again. Could you help me to find her?”
In February of 2023, the two were reunited after almost three decades apart. The LCHC is what brought the daughter home. Upon meeting Otome, Ale Mè told her:
“My dad told me ‘If you want to find your mother, look for Otome. Because of your book, I found Mimi – and so I found my mother. I always dreamed about the moment I will go back to Thailand to find my roots, and maybe the rest of my family.”
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Bios:
Amy Max – DirectorAmy is a story-exchanger by nature, through whatever medium it takes. An impassioned listener and student to all that surrounds her, she is intent on connecting with and honoring the transformative and healing power held by and in the stories of people and land. She has worked within various worlds, including: the United Nations, Norwegian Nobel Institute, and International Center for Dialogue and Peacebuilding; DEI strategy and events; PowerSource Global Summit – NASA. She received her B.A. from the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, majoring in Global Studies with an emphasis on Human Rights and Justice. She also studied at the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This invaluable, multidisciplinary educational and experiential background informs her storytelling process. Filmmaking allows for the convergence of every personal and professional endeavor she has undertaken, as her driving force in life is to cultivate curiosity, expansion, and connection – both within herself and the world at large.
Amema (Mimi) Saeju – Consultant, Translator
Amema (Mimi) was born in the Lisu village of Doi Laan in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai in 1981. She holds a Master of Arts in Ethnicity and Development from Chiang Mai University, where her thesis was “Commoditization of Lisu Handicrafts”. Her studies, passion, and identity as an Indigenous woman compelled her to establish the Lisu Cultural Heritage Center in 2016. That same year, she was selected as a delegate of YSEALI (The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative) to take part in a professional fellowship in Montana, where she was hosted by Native tribes in the region, and received recognition by former US President Barack Obama for her cultural preservation work.
Additionally, Mimi has been involved in and spearheaded many research projects related to cultural preservation, including: building comprehensive archival databases (Institute of Research for Development (IRD) with the Center for Ethnic Studies and Development (CESD) of Social Research Institute, Chiang Mai University), recording and translating of traditional Lisu folk tales to Thai and English (supported by the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre), and digitizing the works of esteemed anthropologist, Otome Klein Hutheesing, and renowned historian, Michael Vickery – to name a few.
As a spokesperson for the Highland People Taskforce, Mimi attended the 16th Annual Human Rights & Peoples’ Diplomacy Training in Timor-Leste, organized by the Diplomacy Training Program (DTP).
She participated in the Asian Indigenous Women’s Network (AIWN) Inception Meeting and Global Strategy Workshop for Indigenous Women on Effective Engagement in the Implementation of Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), in Manila, Philippines.
Mimi continues to actively engage with various Indigenous communities and networks, including the Lisu International Fellowship Alliance to foster collaboration, strengthen community ties, and expand impact.
Sakda Saenmi – Advisor/Consultant
Mr. Sakda Saenmi is a Coordinator of the Network of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand (NIPT), Secretary General of the Council of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand (CIPT), and former director of Inter Mountain Peoples’ Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT). He has over 30 years of experience working with Indigenous Peoples, communities and networks in Thailand in the fields of Indigenous-based development works with Indigenous Peoples’ movement, community organizations, and networks in related issues, such as; capacity building, leadership development, alternative education and cultural revival, natural resource and biodiversity management, human rights development and more. He has been working extensively in the Protection of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (IPs), to assist local Indigenous Peoples in gaining citizenship, and obtaining access to education, public health and other relevant rights from the local to the national level.
Joelle Allen – Advisor/Consultant
Joelle Allen is the CEO and Founder of Interaction Traction, and also serves as the VP of Strategy for Charlotte (NC) based Wright Angle Productions. In this role, she leads strategic planning, aligning market research with operational, financial, and marketing goals. Recognized as a Trailblazer by NASA for expanding diversity in STEAM, she brings expertise in branding, building inclusive teams and driving growth through innovative and collaborative storytelling.