We had the good fortune of connecting with Aksa Lima and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aksa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

In my opinion, life is about taking risks.
But also about opportunities. It would be very easy to look back on my career so far and say that I got somewhere just because of my audacity and taking risks. I came from a poor childhood in São Paulo, and I was given opportunities to study, to access places and people, and so my partner Caio Oliveira and I built Lampiao Content, an audiovisual production company that has 7 years of operation in Brazil. And thanks to new opportunities and new risks, 2023 is Lampiao Content’s first year of operation in the US.
I’ve been directing commercials for over 8 years in Brazil and last year we decided to take a risk again and come to Los Angeles to expand my possibilities as a director and our business in producing content for brands. Although exciting, it always gives butterflies in the stomach.
The first challenges we faced were understanding the market differences between the two countries, going through the company’s opening bureaucracy, and finding a good team here in LA. But it has worked so far, we are working with brands that share the same values as us and the future will bring great things.

I’m also excited to release the short film Petrichor (working name), we’ve already shot most of it. I share here the first frames of this short that is beautiful and that I am very proud of. It’s been wonderful directing fiction.
I hope I always have the courage to take risks, instead of staying in the same place.

       

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I seek to explore human connections and social issues in my art, telling real stories beyond common stereotypes.

This approach comes from my experience living on the outskirts of São Paulo. Both in commercials and in fiction, my experience makes my look sensitive and delicate for these issues.

I’m currently working on post production for a short film I directed in my hometown. It tells the story of a controlling artist who has to deal with a hyperactive child in order to complete her project. The story takes place in a public school and addresses social problems, meritocracy and human fragility when facing one’s own past.
I’m very proud of how this project has evolved and I think trying to portray my origins has revealed a lot about me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in Los Angeles has been a crazy experience! But day-to-day life certainly gets better by eating well. I would definitely recommend Leo’s Tacos, Bob’s Big Boy, Mendocino Farms, Amp Coffee. To visit, in addition to the classic sites, just drive on the 405 and watch the sun set over the Downton skyline. It is an incredible sight!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To everyone who supports me and especially to my life partner Caio Oliveira, who loves to take risks with me. To those who have opened doors and created opportunities for me so far.

Website: https://www.aksalima.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aksalimaa

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aksalimaa/

Other: https://www.vimeo.com/aksalima

Image Credits
000 Photo: Marcelo Batista 002 DP: Marcelo Batista 003 DP: Elvis Cavalcante 004 DP: Marcelo Batista 005 DP: Lucas Mello 006 DP: Camila Prisco 007 DP: Lucas Mello 008 DP: Dariely Belke 009 DP: Dariely Belke 010 DP: Dariely Belke 011 DP: Dariely Belke 012 DP: Dariely Belke 013 DP: Dariely Belke

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