It is often said that “the greatest triumphs arise from the most devastating tragedies,” a phrase that captures the pain of losing a loved one while emphasizing the beauty that can bloom from such experiences. For Chezik Tsunoda, grief manifested into creation.
Mourning the death of her young son due to complications from a drowning accident, Tsunoda wrote, directed, and produced the 2023 documentary, Drowning In Silence. The film, which runs for an hour and 21 minutes, reflects the time spent between the Seattle-based director and her son, Yori. It then chronicles the emotionally taxing journey Tsunoda faced following his passing.
Yori’s death highlighted a troubling issue, especially within the African American community: a lack of water safety knowledge. Many Black people enjoy pool parties, but rarely take the time to educate themselves about proper behavior in the water. Tsunoda’s response to this cultural gap was to found a non-profit organization, No More Under. This organization is dedicated to providing “water safety education, legislation, and increasing equitable access to swimming tools and lessons.”
Since its inception, No More Under has taught 5,288 swimming lessons. As stated on their website, “No More Under facilitates connections between existing organizations to support deserving children through learn-to-swim programs. We are not a swim school; rather, we maximize impact by connecting deserving people needing to learn to swim with organizations that provide learn-to-swim programs. No More Under covers the costs of the lessons, with the support of partners, to ensure financial barriers are removed for participants.”
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Heartbroken but steadfast, Tsunoda’s desire to educate the masses on the importance of water safety, especially among the African American population, has sparked an unexpected revival. Accrediting the documentary as not only a legacy honoring her son but also as a reignition of her passion for filmmaking, Tsunoda birthed and branded her own company, Visually Inspired Productions. She envisions her studio as a visual outlet working to magnify and document the disparities within overlooked communities.
Her next film, My Neighbor’s Keeper, is already in production and slated for release soon. In this documentary, Tsunoda partners with actor and producer Hill Harper to explore the travesties of homelessness on the West Coast. By broadcasting the tribulations that displaced people face daily, she continues her mission to give a voice to communities often seen but rarely heard.
Tsunoda is no stranger to the entertainment industry. She cites her early days as a member of production teams on major music networks such as BET, MTV, and VH1. With a career spanning two decades, including music videos for artists like Ghostface and other Wu-Tang Clan rappers, Tsunoda has found her own groove vocalizing for the downtrodden.
Her passion is driven by a commitment to amplifying marginalized voices, a sentiment she clarifies in the vision statement of Visually Inspired Productions: “Amplifying the most overlooked and dismissed voices is vital to understanding the world we live in and creating a path towards the world we hope to build.”
Tsunoda’s efforts through No More Under and Visually Inspired Productions ensure that future generations will have the knowledge and resources to prevent tragedies like the one she endured, while also bringing much-needed attention to broader societal issues.
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