Photo- John talks @TEDxUCSD about the documentary film Like We Don’t Exist in University of California in San Diego, USA.
Hello!
I’m Johnfreeco Komoe, Kayan by blood, born in Myanmar, raised by the struggle, and carved into a storyteller on the edge of Bangkok.
My journey didn’t begin in film school or under perfect lighting. It started with a beat-up smartphone, stolen moments, and a deep need to hold on to what the world tries to forget. Every frame I shoot is a piece of resistance, a slice of memory, a voice for the voiceless.
I move between worlds. Documenting conflict, resilience, and the in-between. From the displaced Karenni communities in Myanmar to underground music in Bangkok’s backstreets, my work lives where systems fail and humanity rises. Whether I’m filming a music contest in a war zone, or crafting music videos in Karenni and Burmese, it’s all one thing: TRUTH in MOTION.
I shoot portraits, families, and events to survive. But I tell stories to live. I chase what’s raw. What’s human. What hurts and what heals.
As a photojournalist, I witness. As a documentarist, I reflect. As a filmmaker, I fight to remember. I use modern gear, but the drive behind it? That’s ancient. It’s ancestral. It’s us. It’s human.
Let’s build something brave. Something true. Something unforgettable for YOU.
Email: johnfreeco.k@gmail.com
In action: John documenting the humanitarian works of UNHCR and partners in Lashio, Myanmar.
Amidst Myanmar’s complexity: John is driven by a fierce passion to tell raw, human stories—capturing truth through his lens and turning lived experiences into powerful visual narratives.
Uncovering the real stories behind the camera — where freedom finds its voice.
John behind the camera of a music contest, The Voice Of Freedom in a war-zone, Myanamr.