On My Road to Dharma

De Hong is a Vietnamese American monk who has been teaching meditation in California prisons for ten years. Every week, he spends four to five days on the road, traveling between prisons across the state. By following him into the women’s prison in Chino, interviewing formerly incarcerated people, and joining their meditation activities, we begin to uncover how he started this work and what has kept him going for a decade.

Surprisingly, he has become more than just a friend to the people he meets in prison. As we build trust with each other, he invites us to his birthday party, introduces us to his family and accept our interviews. By the end, on one of our trips to Lancaster, De Hong shares a story about his father, and we slowly come to understand why he chose this path of practice.

Credits
Producer: De Hong
Director of Photography: Yihuan Zhang
Editor: Sche-Hao Thomas Wang, Sumeng Micky Wang
Composer: Yefan Zhang
Sound Designer: Raven Liu, Yorkson Yuxuan Liu
Music: Yefan Zhang

Plays in

30 for 30: Coming Home

Intimate portraits of resilience. From preserving Aloha far from home to pioneering athletes, activists, and spiritual teachers who defy expectations in the face of geographical barriers, prejudice, and societal norms—these short documentaries show how staying true to one’s self can be a transformative force.