The Stage of Challenge Through Film, Conquering the World | Filmmaker & Photographer Tomoki Kawa | ISSUE #13

This time, we want to introduce a young artist's story who dreams of success on the international stage and challenges the art scene in Los Angeles. During the interview, Tomoki spoke calmly, yet his words were filled with ambition and a straightforward passion. With a background as a Japanese-Taiwanese, he understood the importance of language. In an environment where only English was spoken, he honed his language skills and set off for Los Angeles in January 2023 to experience new perspectives born from different languages.

In recent years, the coronavirus has changed the rules of the world. In Japan, he graduated from Osaka University of Arts with a major in film and worked as a freelance filmmaker, mainly involved in shooting music videos (hereafter referred to as 'MV'). However, due to the impact of the coronavirus, his work initially halved. Instead of being discouraged, he decided to create new opportunities, overcome the challenges of the pandemic, and broaden his skills. Inspired by overseas creativity, he sought an environment that would foster his growth, and Los Angeles came to mind. With the street spirit that anything is possible if you keep acting, he decided to move to the U.S.

For Tomoki, Los Angeles was a place with no prior connections. Although he traveled there, he was unsure where to start. However, what needed to be done was not much different from what he had been doing in Japan. He began by attending parties and clubs, approaching stylish people on the street to show them his portfolio. It was a very casual start. Culturally, individuality is respected, and positive feedback is often exchanged, leading to faster connections from casual encounters compared to when he was in Japan. Self-promotion became key to building relationships, and he naturally acquired the skills to appropriately showcase his presence and abilities. The culture and production environment in Los Angeles continue to feel like an ideal place for him.

Let's touch on Tomoki's original experience that led him to pursue film and photography. The trigger for aspiring to be a filmmaker was the impulse of finding a certain MV cool. At that time, without much knowledge about cameras, he entered the film department of an art university with the desire to create films. In preparation for university practicals, he first purchased a camera for filming. However, initially, he had no editing software or even a computer. Without an environment to create films, "when I pressed the shutter, what I captured was not a film but a photograph." This was the beginning of his experience with photography.

In the future, he aims to become a filmmaker involved in creative projects by signing with various agents across borders. While maintaining his identity as a 'filmmaker', he may incorporate a photographer's perspective within the same category of visual arts, but Tomoki wants to pour his passion into film. "My perspective may change in the future, but for now, I want to stay in Los Angeles for five years," says Tomoki. He aims to become a filmmaker who utilizes and integrates into cross-cultural environments, walking across boundaries.

In Los Angeles, he met diverse artists, all pouring their passion into their individual goals. Stylists, singers, models, and of course, photographers and photo artists. Inspired by their attitudes, he continues to progress toward his own goals. "Some people may criticize those who work in various fields as being unfocused, but I get the impression that it is the result of overflowing energy." Everyone has absolute goals. He also realized in Los Angeles that although some older generations might call them young, there are many who challenge themselves at an even younger age.

The path to becoming a filmmaker or creator, and succeeding as a creator, seems clear yet ultimately unclear. Tomoki speaks of the importance of 'Face to Face' encounters learned firsthand in Los Angeles. Although uncertain, confronting things head-on, which may seem like a detour, is actually the shortest path, as realized through encounters with straightforward creators like him.