Mika Johnson
| Mika Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 10, 1975 San Diego, California, United States |
| Residence | New York City, United States |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Spouse | Kaori Mitsushima |
| Website | |
| Web Series "The Amerikans" (February 2011-Present) | |
Mika Johnson (born July 10, 1975) is an American filmmaker, photographer, writer, and musician.
[edit] Biography
Johnson was born in San Diego, California and his family later relocated to Amherst, Ohio. He graduated in 2000 in with a B.A. from Oberlin College, where he studied film and world religions. Johnson then pursued these interests full time, while living and working in Tokyo, Berlin, Prague, and New York City.
He directed a documentary Lake Street USA and two short films, The Mountain of Signs (2003) and Yonder (2006). The themes of spiritual awakening and the exploration of dreams are essential concepts in his work. He cites the films of Bela Tarr, Andrei Tarkovsky, David Lynch, Sergei Parajanov, and Luis Buñuel as cinematic inspirations.[citation needed]
In 2008, Johnson co-founded Arcanum Productions, a Brooklyn-based company devoted to making independent films for the World Wide Web. His current full-length feature film project - Amerika: A Notebook in Three Parts - tells the story of a young Japanese woman who travels across the United States in search of her father, and in that process, discovers her own version of the American dream.
In 2011, Johnson began directing "The Amerikans": 3 to 5 minute webisodes that present intimate portraits of people living in Northeast Ohio. By using traditional narration, documentary-style interviews, and fiction filmmaking techniques, the short episodes go behind the ordinary exterior of the subjects' lives, as their dreams and fantasies come to life.
In addition to filmmaking, Johnson is also the vocalist and guitarist for the German-based band Voco.
[edit] References
- Chicago Art Magazine/D.I.Y Film, July 8, 2011
- Chicago Art Magazine/D.I.Y Film, June 9, 2011
- The Oberlin Review, May 12, 2011
- Metropolis Magazine, September 30, 2010
- PNN - Palestine News Network, September 30, 2010
- Click Opera (Momus's LiveJournal), October 8, 2009.
- Los Angeles Times, September 10, 2009.
- The Morning Journal, July 23, 2009.
- Chronicle-Telegram, March 18, 2009.
- Oberlin Tribune, March 3, 2009.
- Beyond Race Magazine, 2007.
