David Usui

Biography

David Usui has spent over 15 years crafting character-driven stories as a director and cinematographer. His work has been featured on PBS, ITVS, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and VICE. His collaboration with the legendary director Albert Maysles on In Transit—a contemplative exploration of life on Amtrak’s Empire Builder—premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, where it earned the Special Jury Prize for Best Feature Documentary. In Been Here Stay Here, his directorial debut, David captures the quiet yet profound crisis unfolding on Tangier Island, where a close-knit Christian community contends with the heartbreaking reality of losing their home to rising seas. The film navigates the delicate intersection of faith, hope, and the unrelenting force of climate change, offering a meditation on both the resilience and fragility of place and belief in a world rapidly shifting beneath their feet. In 2009, David co-founded Lost & Found Films, a production company creating documentary and commercial content for brands, NGOs, and broadcasters. He studied philosophy and environmental studies at Western Washington University, and served as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.