As pride month comes to a close, I've decided to share one of the most important moments of my life. On June 10, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris, my boss, officiated my wedding. Surrounded by love and support we said our vows and Harris pronounced us to be spouses for life.
While bigots try to silence our voices, we continue to fly our flag and love out loud. Queerness was once celebrated and uplifted in the White House, and it will be again. In my latest for @contrariannews , I got to reflect on Harris' allyship, the current threats to the LGBTQ+ community, and my wedding to my beautiful Kathleen.
📸 @jackimages
They can take the portrait of @vp46archive@kamalaharris out of the frame in the White House. But they cannot erase what she did. My feelings in @slate , edited by the brilliant @knicole_a and @kleeny88 .
Link in bio. Love you all.
Image: screenshot of my slate article “I was Kamala Harris’ Videographer. The Experience Completely Changed Me” by Azza Cohen
On my last day serving as @kamalaharris videographer, my mom wrote to me: “History will look back with well-deserved respect for the work and advocacy of the first ever woman of color whose accomplishments were often overlooked. And you were there my sweet Azza, with your golden camera— recording the extraordinary magnificence of what is possible only in America —a girl holding a camera — whose great- grandmother mother who could not read and fled pogroms recording for all the world to see— the woman who rose to the 2nd highest office in the world —who was the daughter of immigrants. That is the promise of our nation, it is an American story, and is your story.”
I’m crying as I reread this, and as I post this. As the bigots try to rewrite the American story, we are entitled to our sadness and our tears — and we are ALSO entitled to our purpose, our hope, our resistance.
More soon, but the biggest thank you to my fellow camerapeople — @jackimages@pollyirungu@hopiehall@jennasumar@drew_heskett@awilsonw@joywngugi@melbduran@filmber@neeharikasimha@jasonrgarza@kitkarzen@bexxfrancois@schultzinit@olivercontreras@kdricksphoto@izzyandaya@emccall7@darcyhpalder@patriciarchy@yashmori@cameronsmithphoto@hussiens
It was an honor to lens alongside you brilliant people.
Biggest thank you to my mentor @purcellcarson who referred me to this job. I still can’t believe it.
Stay tuned for more stories by @kleeny88 and me <3 xoxo
Daring to hope is a precious thing.
I have spent the last month lensing @jasmineforus on her historic US Senate campaign. Believe me when I say: she is the one we’ve been waiting for.
I swore off campaigns after the devastation of 2024. But now is not the time to sit democracy out.
Texas, there are ten days until the primary election. Have you voted? And brought ten people to the polls?
Stay tuned for footage stills. And stay tuned for history.
We're incredibly excited to collaborate with @vitalvoices to film and amplify the powerful messages discussed by brilliant women on their podcast. In a time when women's voices are supressed and censored, Cohen Borschow Media is committed to uplifting diverse and female-led organizations that challenge the status quo. Stay tuned and follow along to join this incredible community of leaders.
Hey there, we're Azza and Kathleen
We cofounded Cohen Borschow Media to continue our shared commitment to change making through storytelling.
We tell stories that matter – stories, that challenge, illuminate, and transform. We believe storytelling is not just a craft, but a responsibility, one that demands collaboration, integrity, and deep respect for the people whose lives are at the center of our work.
Our focus is on values-driven projects that open minds and expand possibilities. As filmmakers and creators, we bring our own intersectional identities – feminist, queer, immigrant, disabled, Jewish – to our work, but our mission is bigger than us. We believe in storytelling as a tool for a more open, free, and just society – one where differences are seen not as barriers or scapegoats, but as sources of strength.
We don't fit stories into pre-existing molds. We create space for them to be told in their fullest truth. Through film, digital media, and immersive storytelling, we collaborate with communities to craft narratives that feel honest, urgent, and necessary.
Cohen Borschow Media is about shifting perspectives, deepening, empathy, and building a more expansive world – one story at a time.
Follow us on our journey.
If we don’t portray women with authority & dignity with our camera lenses, we will not elect a woman president. I had a great conversation with @maskulinitypod talking about angles, filming VP Harris, and masculinity on screen.
Seeing Kamala Through a Different Lens:
MASKulinity Podcast
Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
THE WHITE HOUSE IS DIGITALLY ALTERING IMAGES. And your taxpayer dollars are funding it.
Old school fascists could never have dreamed up such a tool for oppression & control.
Let them know you are NOT OKAY with the government creating its own literal fake news at whitehouse.gov/contact
