Meet Momo Lee Aoi | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Momo Lee Aoi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Momo, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
As a freelancer, I tend to say yes to jobs that come my way. My mindset towards having a work life balance used to be to work until I had no more work, and then I would take a break to catch up with life. There is no perfect cut off as a freelancer because we always have to think about the next job, and the work didn’t seem to stop coming unless I learned to say no. The pandemic has definitely changed the dynamics between work and personal life. I felt like I was in a constant work mode, and I lost the physical interactions with my communities. I had to do a better job at finding my personal time within my work-time each day.

I let go of the mental model of thinking of work-time and home-time being distinct and separate blocks. I started to adopt the integration of work and personal life. I treated every job as if it’s my passion project, and I expressed my gratitude and compassion to my colleagues. In addition, I began to do detailed journaling. I wrote down everything that I wanted to do in a daily, weekly, and monthly fashion. This included what movies to watch, places to go, meals to cook, new hobbies to take up, and friends to call. During my short spare time I would catch up on my list and check things off. I feel gratified when I look back at what I’ve achieved on top of work this past year.

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.
My company is called Intermix Productions. It developed from a collaboration with a group of friends that I met during film school. We are a team of very diverse freelancers from all over the world: Belgium, Spain, China, Brazil, and the USA. All of us are from different backgrounds, but have been living in America for over ten years, so that’s where the company got its name from. We mainly focus on cross-culture documentaries and commercials. We produce human stories. Our goal is to inform and raise awareness of different cultures, customs, human behaviors, and to ultimately bridge these cultures and languages.

Currently, we’re producing a feature documentary called Yoshi. This documentary follows a young Japanese artist, Yoshi, who is walking across the USA and Japan in search of identity and family relationships. It took him 8000 miles and four years to get there. The film focuses on how Yoshi’s perspective was shaped by this 8000 mile journey and how it reconnected him to his roots back in Japan. This film is the best representation of our company’s mission. With more productions in the pipeline, we hope we can open the window to more viewers worldwide.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
La-La Land just has so much to offer including: world-class food from melting pot menus to Michelin-ranked restaurants, high-end hospitality to a hippie underbelly, pro sports, live music, bars, Hollywood-themed clubs, food trucks, beaches, and mountain hikes. It’s overwhelming to navigate if you didn’t come with a plan, so here’s what I’ve discovered so far, and where I would like to bring visiting friends.

Day 1: I used to live in Koreatown, so I would go to LINE hotel and Republique for brunches. After brunch, we would go to the Broad museum in DTLA, followed by MOCA museum just across the street. The Disney concert hall is also worth checking out. They offer self-guided tours of this Frank Gehry designed architectural marvel. If you get hungry, the fancy restaurant Otium is right next door. You don’t want to miss their sophisticated French toast. We would then end the day at Bonavista Revolving Lounge at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel. Their revolving cocktail lounge offers soaring views of Downtown LA. Remember to order a shrimp cocktail.

Day 2: A trip to La La Land isn’t really complete until you’ve gone to Hollywood, but I’d skip the Walk Of Fame or hand and footprints at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Instead we would take a studio tour on a historic lot like Warner Bros or Paramount. In the evening, we would stop by Hotel Cafe for a live show by emerging bands.

Day 3: Hike day. There’s endless trails to go on in LA. Griffith Park Trails is my choice because it’s not as crowded as Runyon canyon, and you get spectacular views of LA. Oh, don’t forget to stop by The Trails cafe at the trailhead. It’s a great cafe in the forest. Then it’s time for Korean BBQ. After an all-you-can-eat meal, we would go get scrubbed within an inch of our lives at a 24/7 Korean spa. It’s the sweat of your life time.

Day 4: After our spa day, it’s time to hit the beach cities. Venice Canal is a must for me, plus, the beach is right next door. Renting a bike is an option too.

Day 5: Getty museum and PCH drive. The Getty museum is my hangout place. We would take the trolly up the hill, order a coffee, and read a book before enjoying all the artwork that they have to offer. Afterwards, we’d take a drive on the PCH and enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

Day 6: Go to a Hollywood Bowl concert. The iconic venue is set in the backdrop of the Hollywood Hills and the famous Hollywood Sign to the northeast. Best of all, you can have a picnic on the hills before the concert, and BYOB inside.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shout-out to my friend and my documentary subject Yoshi Watanabe. He’s my personal hero. I’m forever inspired by his endurance and determination to walk 8800 miles across two continents for a cause that he believed in. I’m very grateful for his openness during our 5-year-long production. I hope in the very near future, the world will get to hear your incredible stories!

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