Meet Karim Dakkon | Cinematographer & Director

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

Hi Karim, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I often take risks as an opportunity to grow, whether it be with a project beyond what I believe is my scope, or experimenting with a new medium. Sometimes I will even take risks in collaborating with fellow artists who may not have past work to prove their talents, but give off a particular vibe that attracts me. Most of the time, the risks don’t generally pay off, but I rarely regret it; risks always take me to the next level even if I have to fall down a few steps to get there. For me, it’s key to figure out what I have to express, and progress is more about finding that, rather than climbing up aimlessly.

There’s always been a contradiction to my deepest artistic endeavors. In my early 20s, I took on a traditional watercolor animation I did solo, and it honestly took away valuable time I needed to develop my career as a cinematographer. However, in doing so, I was overwhelmed by how much drawing it needed, and so the immersion into the medium made envisioning visual stories feel second nature.

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?
I’ve had a lot of friends come visit over the years, and everytime I feel like I am discovering LA for the first time myself. People are generally in recovery mode from traveling, so the first day would be light. I’d start off hitting up some thrift stores like 2nd Street after some coffee from either Yala or Lynx- all of this is on Ventura and by my house. From there we’d head over to one of my favorite Thai restaurants, Luv2Eat, for some healing food. I recommend the Fish Curry and Papaya Salad.

The next day we’d go to The Broad and then take the Angel Flight Railway to Grand Central Market for some lunch. I prefer to drive as little as possible so we’d target things in close proximity like Little Tokyo to explore anime shops, vintage game stores, and more snacks. To top of the day, I’d take them to Mrs. Fish for craft cocktails and Sushi- I love the aquarium above the dining area.

At this point, plans start to put too much pressure on the trip, so I like to put a bunch of things on a board that we can pick from. But ideally, we’d do the Bridge to Nowhere hike, followed by bar hopping a few speakeasies, maybe karaoke depending on who’s visiting. The other days would include going to more Museums like the Getty and Museum of Motion Pictures, searching for the best street tacos in South LA, getting Ethiopian food in little Ethiopia, waiting in line for Holbox because it’s worth it, and watching a movie at the Chinese Theater. One great breakfast spot is Cafe on 27 in Topanga Canyon. I go for the food and the view.

Depending on who’s visiting, I’d love to take some friends on a group bike ride and/or rock climbing at Point Dume. Regardless, we are going to the beach. Lastly, if they are leaving on a Sunday, we’d go down to Venice Beach to watch people skate at the iconic Venice Skatepark, and witness all the street performers in the area. From there, LAX is close by, otherwise we can go to Santa Monica for onigiri at Sunny Blue.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I plan to explore many mediums and genres in this lifetime, and lately that’s been documentary filmmaking. So firstly, I’d like to thank Subtropic Film Festival in my home town West Palm Beach, FL, for not only showing my feature documentary about artists in prison, but creating an opening day premiere at South Florida’s biggest art museum, the Norton Museum of Art. I also couldn’t have completed this film without my partner of 12 years, Camilla Tasca, who has always been there for me, growing with me and encouraging me to keep making art through every phase of it.

As for inspiration, I attribute much of it to The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, a novel that challenged my appreciation for the beauty and complexities in everyday life- things that might have gone unrecognized if not for reading it during my adolescence.

I’ve always been into creating art, but the catalyst that made me a filmmaker traces back to skateboarding. It conditioned me to overcome pain and failure, and became the first force in my life that made me pick up a camera. It also opened doors to my closest friends that have remained in my life to this day. No matter how far my spark has sunken, I can’t help laughing too much when I’m around them. We’re a disaster in any professional setting.

I’d also like to thank my close friend Julian Baner for trusting me to shoot his first feature, Some Southern Waters- a black and white genre-bending fever dream about a musician dealing with the tragic death of his girlfriend. Through that experience I also met Mariah Morgenstern, one of the film’s main actors, who later entrusted me with shooting many of the projects she produced and directed under her company, New Royalty Films.

Website: https://Karimdakkon.com

Instagram: @karimdakkon

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karim-dakkon-701a2360

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karim.dakkon

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF1ZYmqK_uOkdHvr2gxq0_A

Image Credits
Nick Bardin
Carolyn Gabrielle
Aaron Jackson