Guests

Ashima Shiraishi

[Profile]
New York City native, Ashima Shiraishi was born to Japanese immigrants. Their father, a former butoh dancer, coached and mentored her early career as a child prodigy rock climber. In the full-length documentary ASHIMA (2023) (DOC NYC, Visions Du Réel), Ashima’s world record breaking first female ascent of a V15 at the age of 14 is captured on screen. Now, Ashima is focused on storytelling, and exploring the intersection of climbing, art, culture, ecology, and social justice. They recently wrote and co-directed the short documentary “MUGA” (2024) where they climb and listen to the ancient gneiss of the Ticino Valley, exploring the liminal space where the boundaries between the self and the stone dissolve.