After premiering at DOC NYC, Kenji Tsukamoto debut documentary feature, “Ashima,” comes to the San Francisco Bay Area. Here, he follows legendary rock climber, Ashima Shiraishi, as she aims to master a V14 site – a bouldering grade accomplished by only 0.01% of climbers in the world. Over the course of the journey, we watch Shiraishi blossom into fame during her preteen years, cultivate her confidence under unconditional support of her father and coach, Poppo, and sport the colorful climbing shorts designed by her mother.
We caught documentarian Tsukamoto and producer Minji Chang in the advent of their San Francisco Bay Area premiere at CAAMFest 2024. We spoke about what it takes to make a solid documentary film: moving in with the subject, lots of generous editors, and of course, money.
What inspired the film?
Kenji Tsukamoto: In 2009, I moved back to the US from Japan. At the time, Japan had a really high suicide rate and hikkikomori, or shut-in kids, was a big problem. I wanted to do something that would draw attention to it, but the more research I did, the more I thought, “Oh man, this is so depressing. If I do make a film about hikkikomori, would it really help these kids, or would it just help Westerners better understand the issue?” [Instead,] I thought I should find a role model for these kids that shows that you can branch out, live your own life, and choose a path that’s not as traditional.
So I started to look at different Asian American kids. That’s when I was introduced to Ashima Shiraishi through my boss at the time, climber-photographer-filmmaker Tim Kemple. (He started Camp 4 Collective with climber-photographers Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk.)
During Ashima’s fall break, I flew out there and visited her family. Ashima and I clicked right away. I quit my job with Jimmy, Tim and Renan at Camp 4, and then lived with her family for several years, just documenting their life.
You lived with them?
KT: Yeah.
How did you make that happen?
KT: They had a little loft above their closet. I felt like Harry Potter living under the stairs. (laughs) I asked permission to make a film. They said yes. Then I said, “Hey, I’d be willing to manage Ashima and help you get more sponsors to help ease Miko’s [Ashima’s mother’s] burden of paying for all these trips that she would go on to compete or climb.” So the first year, I just worked on getting Ashima additional sponsors. I wanted the family to used to having me around constantly. I would also have a GoPro sitting around the house or film with a GoPro, so that they got used to having a camera around.
And Minji, when did you get involved in the project?
Minji Chang: Informally 2018, so it’s been six years – well after Kenji filmed everything. I watched a three-minute clip and it was a no-brainer for me. There’s a very clear talent here. There was no story established yet – just beautiful images of Ashima and her dad – but It’s what happens when you find something that is so striking and special, and deserves care and attention and resources.
“Ashima” is really striking, in how modest it is. We see all these intimate moments, rather than the Jimmy Chin-esque grandeur of the outdoors.
KT: I’m not a climber. I don’t necessarily find watching people climb that interesting, especially bouldering. What I find fascinating with Ashima is how she navigated life, in between all these social and cultural dynamics. At home, it’s very Japanese, and in public, it’s all English. Her parents also had her in their 50s; she’s always around older people at home and in the climbing gym. And she’s balancing that with being at school and being around kids her own age. And then there’s the fame.
She’s always navigating these unusual life circumstances. I could relate to what it was like as a Japanese American kid with immigrant parents. We bonded the first week when I first met her at age ten or eleven, just walking around New York. She took me to her favorite dessert shops, chocolate shops, playgrounds. We just swung on swings and talked. I saw a lot of my younger self when I was her age, and the things I was going through in her. That’s what really drew me to telling this story.
So much of the story is just about being a kid.
KT: When she bakes cookies in the documentary, I think that’s the first time she ever baked something on her own. She was struggling for a bit. But it was fun.
How has the film surprised you?
KT: I wanted to film Ashima from 12 to 16, to see her visually grow up. But I ended up maxing out credit cards, taking out loans, running out of money. We spent a lot of time with various editors. They sacrificed so much and brought so much to the table in terms of helping us find the story. Minji would also stay up with index cards, set with different themes and plot points with all these editors, trying to rearrange the story and figure it out.
MC: Making this movie was our V14. (laughs)
KT: Our struggle was to make this make sense to non-climbers.
MC: It was really, really challenging to keep going. We had a lot of Hail Marys and we received a lot of generosity with their time and skills on complete faith. We also had to sink in a lot of funds on our own too, just to make sure the film gets finished. Filmmaking is insanity. You’re operating on a hope and a prayer, with a lot of determination and faith that it will get finished.
How long did this project take you all?
KT: Twelve years. I met Ashima when she was eleven, and moved into her house the following year.
And you’ve traveled with her since.
KT: South Africa, London, California, Portland, Kentucky, Paris, Utah, Boston… we went all over the US and the world together.
How much say did the family have in the portrayal of the story?
KT: Zero. They saw it at the premiere in New York.
What did they say?
KT: They loved it. I was very nervous about their reaction. Poppo is a man of very few words and especially very few compliments, but he told me about how much he liked it. Miko too – there is not a lot that really features Miko and her sacrifice [in comparison to] talking about Ashima. It was nice for us to able to see Ashima talk a little about her mom, and give her her flowers.
MC: Ashima is like a slippery eel, because she’s all over the world doing all these cool things. For us to get a FaceTime with her and to nail a date or text with her was a challenge. Ultimately, the timing didn’t work out for us to be in the same location, because we’re all so busy and traveling. But one day, she happened to be staying at my place in L.A. for a bit. We watched [“Ashima”] on my TV while Kenji watched us watching it through Zoom. It was really special, since she’s watching this other version of herself. She was giggling and cringing, but she loved it.
In the beginning, you mentioned bringing hope to hikkikomori. Now, what do you hope the documentary would achieve?
KT: A lot of people think that Ashima comes from a privileged background because she’s from New York City and she climbs, or that she’s able to because she’s so small, her hands are small, and so on. There are a lot of excuses as to why she’s successful.
But the community stepped up to make climbing more accessible for Ashima. Her family scraped together the funds to let her climb. Lance [from the gym she goes to] heard her story and gave her a free membership. Hopefully, now people can see how smart and talented she is, and ultimately, all the pain and sacrifice she went through to be at the level she’s at.
MC: Climbing is just the background [in “Ashima”]; it is, in the most perfect way, a portrayal of the cyclical or maddening relationship with family: they’re encouraging you one second, screaming at you the next, and in the next, they’re giving you all the inspiration you need.
KT: We don’t know if Ashima is the climber she is because of Poppo or in spite of.
MC: We think both.
I was really struck by these moments in “Ashima” when Poppo tells Ashima to let it all out, to scream into the void.
KT: Ashima always tried to face her back to me, so I couldn’t see her face when she’s stretching or doing exercises with Poppo. She’s always trying to place Poppo between the camera and her so she can hide.
MC: She also used to be embarrassed by her pants; her mom made them for her as a kid. But as an adult, she’s like, “No, these are the best things ever.” It’s such a unique, precious thing her mom did for her.
KT: It’s hard to be different as a kid but now, she embraces it.
Finally: What are you all doing to ‘let it all out’?
KT: There are a couple of documentaries I want to explore. One is about foraging in Brazil, in the Amazon. But for now, we’re trying to recoup the funds that we put into this film.
MC: This is truly the most indie filmmaking experience we could possibly have. We’ve been really fortunate that the audience feedback has been so positive. Hopefully, as a result of that, resources and a sale will come. Filmmaking is hard, but that’s what makes it worth it.
“Ashima” is playing as a part of CAAMFest 2024, and will play on 11 May 2024. Find tickets here.
