It’s attuned to the sensory density of skating – a rarity in cinema.Ĭompare with Lords of Dogtown (2005): Stacy Peralta’s celebration of his own legendary SoCal skate crew the Z-Boys at times feels like a compilation of polished music videos from the 1970s (Nazareth, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath), rather than cherishing the sonic quality of skateboarding. From the screeching of polyurethane wheels on asphalt to the tapping of aluminium alloy trucks on polished granite ledges, the film embraces the instantaneously recognisable sonic traces of skateboarders. Skate Kitchen opens with a modernist soundscape, if only to reassure skateboarders that this is a legitimate representation of their culture. The films may be timely in their thematic approach, but what exactly has the world of skateboarding to offer to cinema? Bing Liu’s documentary Minding the Gap bridges the overlooked chasm between skating and family life (including domestic violence and teenage pregnancy) Jonah Hill’s directorial debut Mid90s challenges the often nostalgic outlook on Southern California as the birthplace of skate culture and Crystal Moselle’s Skate Kitchen works towards a more inclusive environment for women and people of colour in skateboarding. Cinema might make itself an ally in this fight.Ģ018 brings three socio-political films on skateboarding. Recently founded queer collectives such as Doyenne, Skateism and Unity are tackling some of its most pressing issues, yet the repercussions of transphobia, racism, bigotry and censorship remain staggering. Though skateboarding is deservedly praised for channelling activist youth cultures and human rights movements, a haughtily conservative spectre also moves through it. As much as it highlights the elegance of skateboarders on screen, its coming-of-age story is an open critique of contemporary skate culture. Skate Kitchen simultaneously embraces and censures the world of skateboarding.
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