HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) mentee Sho Araiba reviews ASHIMA, a documentary from director Kenji Tsukamoto that follows Ashima Shiraishi, one of the world’s youngest elite rock climbers, as she embarks on an incredible journey with her biggest supporter and coach, her dad. Together, they set out to conquer a V14 boulder climb in South Africa.
In this video review, Sho seeks to understand the unique family that raised her, contextualizes the cultural differences within Ashima’s family from a Japanese perspective, and features an exclusive interview with director of ASHIMA, Kenji Tsukamoto.
Check out his review in English below:
Check out his review in Japanese here:
Dr. Sho Araiba is a Japanese behavior analyst by day and a YouTuber/filmmaker by night. On his YouTube channel, DR. SHO SHOW, he analyzes anime and movies using behavioral psychology. He grew up in Tokyo, studied in New York, and lives and works in Hawai’i.
The HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) program supports sustainable film criticism in Hawai’i through mentorship and paid career opportunities for Hawai’i-based AANHPI critics. The mission of HOCCI is to broaden diversity in film criticism across the Pacific and use influencer branding strategies to spark career opportunities. The 2024 HOCCI is supported by Critical Minded, a grant-making and learning initiative that supports cultural critics of color in the United States.