Pinewood senior Braxton Kimura released his 32-minute documentary “The Last Bite” this last August, marking the next chapter in his effort to raise food allergy awareness through his initiative in Pinewood’s Social Entrepreneurship Program, Beyond The Shell. The film builds on local efforts and pushes his awareness campaign to a national level, using personal stories and expert interviews to highlight both the challenges and progress within the food-allergy community.

   Kimura released “The Last Bite” to the public after its trailer premiered in June. The documentary follows the senior through a typical day in his life and highlights his hypervigilance taken toward every meal. He explains how that project came to life from years of quiet management and a desire to help others just like him.

   “For years I managed [my allergies] quietly. But soon I realized there are millions of others just like me who deserve to feel seen and heard,” Kimura said.

   Long before the documentary, Kimura founded his initiative Beyond The Shell through Pinewood’s Social Entrepreneurship Program. The project began as a simple way to educate his community about food-allergy safety by distributing resources such as online pamphlets and verified presentations from organizations like FARE. Since then, it has led Pinewood’s Food Allergy Awareness Club, which has grown by 35% since last year due to increased student participation and new schoolwide allergy-safety initiatives.

   “Some teachers have even put up nut-free classroom signs outside their doors,” Kimura said.

   In May of this year, Kimura also hosted a citywide fundraising walk that raised more than $3,000 for FARE​. The initiative laid the foundation for the documentary, allowing him to raise awareness on a higher scale

   After years of navigating allergies on his own, Kimura found guidance and inspiration from both Pinewood faculty and national experts featured in the film. Among them is Dr. Sung Poblete, CEO of Food Allergy Research & Education, a nationwide nonprofit that funds research for allergy treatment and cures and advocates for patient safety. Another figure featured in the film is Dr. Robert Torrano, Kimura’s own allergist and immunologist from Allergy and Asthma Associates of Northern California, specializing in severe food allergies.     

   Kimura also explained that the transition to filmmaking was not easy.

   “By far the most difficult part of the documentary was being vulnerable on camera,” Kimura said. “I knew it was going to reach thousands of people, and talking about topics that are really sensitive to me was hard at first.”

   Not only has the experience influenced thousands, but it has changed Kimura as well.

   “I’ve experienced a lot of self-growth through this whole project,” Kimura said. “I quickly went from being someone who didn’t talk about their allergies to someone who’s proud to advocate for them.”

   Moving forward, Braxton advises his community to use their own voices to further awareness of allergies. 

   “My call to Silicon Valley is simple: use your innovation to help us find a cure,” Kimura said.