Fokus: Skate / Focus: Skate

Focus: Skate

This section of the festival program is a ticket to a destination you might not previously have considered visiting. Perhaps you just found it strange or pointless. Perhaps you wanted to, but you weren’t allowed to. Perhaps you spent some time there, but decided not to stay. If you are among the few who actually inhabit the place, this program will hopefully feel like coming home.

The world of skateboarding is many things: art form, lifestyle, transportation, attitude, recreation, extreme sport, counterculture, fad. There is definitely some kind of a paradox here. On the one hand, skating is all about individualism and self-expression. Mastering the skateboard requires serious commitment, but there are no rules, just constant experimentation, exploring your own boundaries and pushing your own limits. On the other hand, skating is very much about community. About kids hanging out together, about staking out common territory. About teams. For many kids, this goes far beyond the skating ramps and pavements. It can lead to recognition for being good at something. It can add up to empowerment. Controlling the board can open up for controlling your own life.

Skateboarding is of course all about style, which is exactly what makes it so exceptionally cinematic. This can also explain why it is so well documented. Since the 1970’s skaters have filmed and photographed each other, sharing the material on VHS and in fanzines, and these days, on the internet.

Though the selection is modest in numbers – a mere six films – in content it is as immodest and ostentatious as skateboarding itself. It both documents and mythologizes nearly 40 years of contemporary history. We touch ground in California, the German Democratic Republic, and Afghanistan, showing how skating is inherently local and gloriously global.

This is exciting, beautiful stuff. These films are all about the good guys in skating. Nothing about broken bones, little about broken lives. There are other stories, but we have chosen the inspirational, entertaining ones. Because you deserve it!

bONES bRIgADE – AN AuTObIOgRAPHY

uSA 2012 DIRECTOR: Stacy Peralta SCREENPLAY: Stacy Peralta CINEmATOgRAPHY: Pat Darrin RuNNINg TImE: 1h 50m PRODuCER: Nadine Brown SOuRCE: Powell & Peralta

Sør-California, tidlig 1980-tall. Sol og surf og skateboard. Bones Brigade: En gjeng tenåringsgutter uten andre ambisjoner enn å stå på skateboard. For omgivelsene var dette ensbetydende med at de ikke eide ambisjoner. Et liv på tomgang. I dag regnes disse guttene (Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, m.fl.) som legender. Nesten tredve år etter oppstarten forteller de åpenhjertig om hva det betydde for dem å bli sett av voksne som forsto verdien i det de holdt på med, som så hva slags talent de hadde og oppfordret dem til å stå på, bokstavelig talt.

Filmskaper og tidligere skatestjerne Stacy Peralta følger opp suksessen dogtown and z-boys med denne filmen om det største, beste, og mest kjente skateteamet noensinne. I sann Peralta-stil er bones brigade: an autobiography godt illustrert med svimlende mengder sjeldne arkivklipp av formidable skateprestasjoner. Et dekkende ord for det man sitter igjen med etterpå? Respekt.

Southern California, early eighties. Sun and surf and skateboards. Bones Brigade: a group of young teenagers whose only ambition is to spend all their time on skateboards. Period. This is generally considered to be a sign of total lack of ambition – a dead end. Today these guys (Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, to name a few) are considered legends. Thirty years older, they tell what it meant for them to be taken seriously by adults who understood the value of what they loved doing and encouraged them to just go for it.

Ex-skateboard champion-turned-filmmaker Stacy Peralta follows up his hit dogtown and z-boys with this film about the most famous skate team ever. bones brigade: an autobiography bears Peralta’s personal stamp, with generous measures of rare archive footage of the Brigade’s awesome achievements. There is only one word that adequately describes the feeling you have after seeing this film: Respect.

REgISSØREN

Stacy Peralta (f. 1957) er regissør, produsent og manusforfatter. Han har vært profesjonell skater i Z-Boys, mentor for det verdenskjente teamet Bones Brigade, og laget en rekke skateboardfilmer fra 1970-tallet til i dag.

THE DIRECTOR

Stacy Peralta (b. 1957) is a director, producer and screenwriter. He became a professional skater with the Z-Boys, he created and mentored the Bones Brigade team, and has directed a number of skateboard films from the 1970s and onwards.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

1984 THE BONES BRIGADE VIDEO SHOW 1987 THE SEARCH FOR ANIMAL CHIN 2001 DOGTOWN AND THE Z-BOYS (DOC) 2004 RIDING GIANTS (DOC) 2008 CRIPS AND BLOODS: MADE IN AMERICA (DOC)

bRETTKONTROLL

bOARD CONTROL

NORWAY 2006 DIRECTOR: Emil Trier SCREENPLAY: Emil Trier CINEmATOgRAPHY: Marianne Bakke, Fred Arne Wergeland, Per Sveinung Larsen RuNNINg TImE: 28m PRODuCER: Emil Trier SOuRCE: NFI

Fra 1978 til 1989 var skateboard totalforbudt i Norge, inkludert kjøp og salg av utstyr. Offisielt var det frykten for personskader som drev myndighetene. Forbudet ble håndhevet både med bøter og pågripelser. Et paradeeksempel på norsk overformynderi, vil mange si. Paradoksalt nok – eller selvfølgelig – bidro forbudet også til å skape et helt spesielt og kreativt miljø. brettkontroll følger to generasjoner skatere, fra undergrunnskulturen på slutten av 70-tallet da skating foregikk på hemmelige steder i skogene rundt Oslo, til den kommersielle eksplosjonen som skjedde da forbudet ble opphevet i 1989.

Filmen blander arkivklipp og intervjuer med nøkkelpersoner, blant andre Jason Dancona, Torgny Amdam, Terje Håkonsen, Øystein Greni og Joachim Trier. Dette er effektivt fortalt samtidshistorie: På under en halv time klarer brettkontroll å knytte sammen fortid og nåtid.

From 1978 until 1989, skateboarding was prohibited by law in Norway. Skateboard equipment was not considered safe, and out of fear that skaters, pedestrians and other frequent users of public space would get hurt, the authorities issued a ban on using skateboards as well as buying and selling them. Perhaps not surprisingly, the ban had the unintended side effects of making the skaters even more determined and creative. board control follows two generations of Norwegian skaters, from the illegal subcultures in and around Oslo from the 1970s, to the spread of skating after the ban was removed in 1989.

Mixing archive material and interviews, board control is a fascinating glimpse into mechanism of control and creativity in a period of recent Scandinavian history.

REgISSØREN

Emil Trier (f. 1981) er medieviter og har filmutdannelse fra Den europeiske filmskolen i Danmark. Etter debuten med BRETTKONTROLL har han laget flere dokumentarfilmer og musikkvideoer.

THE DIRECTOR

Emil Trier (b. 1981) studied at The European Film College in Denmark, and holds a Bachelors degree in Media Aesthetics. He made his debut as a filmmaker with the documentary BOARD CONTROL in 2006, and has since directed several documentaries and music videos.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

2009 THE NORWEGIAN SOLUTION (DOC) 2009 THE ONLY GAME (SHORT, DOC) 2010 BIG DAY (SHORT, DOC) 2011 I CAME HERE (SHORT, DOC)

DOgTOWN AND Z-bOYS

uSA 2001 DIRECTOR: Stacy Peralta SCREENPLAY: Stacy Peralta, Craig Stecyk CINEmATOgRAPHY: Sebastian Jungwirth, Peter Filafian RuNNINg TImE: 1h 31m PRODuCER: Agi Orsi SOuRCE: Cinemamondo

Det var en gang en surfbrettsjappe i et forfallent strøk mellom Venice Beach and Santa Monica...; slik begynner dette eventyret fra virkeligheten, historien om hvordan de råeste, yngste, in-your-face surferne revolusjonerte skateboarding på 70-tallet – etter det var blitt avskrevet av folk flest som en mote på lik linje med rockeringen og jo-joen. Gjengen på tolv (hvorav ei jente!) ble kjent som Z-boys, og de overførte det feteste fra surfestilen til fortauet, til asfalten, til tomme svømmebasseng. Det som før bare var en hobby, ble en kunstform, en livsstil, en mentalitet.

dogtown and z-boys er med rette blitt beskrevet som et kjærlighetsbrev forkledd som dokumentarfilm. Brevet er adressert til ungdom og opprørere, til 70-tallet, og selvfølgelig: til skating. Men det stopper ikke der. Filmen har i sin tur bidratt til å omdefinere dokumentarfilmen på 2000-tallet. Den skårer høyt på klippestil (spennende) og arkivmateriale (utsøkt). Og sist, men ikke minst: Den har et drepende bra lydspor. Gi deg hen!

Once upon a time, in a run-down quarter somewhere between Venice Beach and Santa Monica, there was a surfboard store... This is how this true story begins: about how the most hardcore, in-your-face surfers of the 1970s redefined skateboarding, which by then had been written off by most people as just a fad. Under the name Z-boys, these guys (and one girl!) took surfing onto streets, pavements and empty pools, and created an art form, a lifestyle, a mentality.

dogtown and z-boys has been described as a love letter disguised as documentary film, dedicated to young people and rebels, to the ’70s, and of course to skating. But there is more to it: The film has contributed to the re-definition of the documentary genre after the turn of the millennium. Its editing and use of archive material is cutting edge – and it has a killer soundtrack. Just dig it!

REgISSØREN

Stacy Peralta (f. 1957) er regissør, produsent og manusforfatter. Han har vært profesjonell skater i Z-Boys, mentor for det verdenskjente teamet Bones Brigade, og laget en rekke skateboardfilmer fra 1970-tallet til i dag.

THE DIRECTOR

Stacy Peralta (b. 1957) is a director, producer and screenwriter. He became a professional skater with the Z-Boys, he created and mentored the Bones Brigade team, and has directed a number of skateboard films from the 1970s and onwards.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

1984 THE BONES BRIGADE VIDEO SHOW 1987 THE SEARCH FOR ANIMAL CHIN 2004 RIDING GIANTS (DOC) 2008 CRIPS AND BLOODS: MADE IN AMERICA (DOC) 2012 BONES BRIGADE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY (DOC)

SKATEISTAN: FOuR WHEELS AND A bOARD IN KAbuL

gERmANY, uSA 2011 DIRECTOR: Kai Sehr SCREENPLAY: Nadia Soraya Hennrich CINEmATOgRAPHY: Kalle Dobrick RuNNINg TImE: 1h 40m PRODuCER: Rene Kock SOuRCE: Sherpa Distribution

Da australierne Oliver (Ollie, så klart!) Percovic og Sharma Nolan kom til Kabul i 2007 som bistandsarbeidere, hadde de med seg tre rullebrett. Når de var ute og skatet på fritida, ble de straks overfalt av unger som hadde lyst ril å prøve. Ollie og Sharma skjønte fort at 1) de trengte flere brett, og 2) skating kunne være døråpner til noe større. Mer enn halvparten av alle afghanere er under 15 år. Mange er gatebarn. De har ulik etnisk bakgrunn (pasjtun, tadsjik, hazara, uzbek) og leker ikke sammen. De er fattige og mange mangler ofte skolegang. Jenter skal ikke drive med idrett offentlig. Og ikke minst: Alt vestlig er i utgangspunktet mistenkelig.

skateistan: four wheels and a board in kabul er en lykkepille av

en film som viser hvordan kjærligheten til brettet kan bryte ned barrierer og bygge selvtillit. Feel-good fortellinger fra det krigsherjede Afghanistan kan vi ikke få for mange av.

When Australians Oliver (Ollie, of course!) Percovic and Sharma Nolan came to Kabul as aid workers in 2007, they brought three skateboards between them, planning to skate in their spare time. They immediately found themselves surrounded by kids who wanted to try skateboarding. Ollie and Sharma soon realized that 1) they would need more skateboards, and 2) skating could be the key to something bigger.

More than half of the Afghan population is under the age of fifteen. Many are living on the streets. They come from different ethnic backgrounds (Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek) and they don’t play together. They are poor, and don’t stay in school. Girls are not allowed to participate in sports in public. And lastly: All Western influence is seriously frowned upon. A bona fide feel-good film from war-torn Afghanistan, skateistan: four wheels and a board in kabul shows how the love of the board can tear down such barriers and be a tool for empowerment and change.

REgISSØREN

Kai Sehr har studert regi ved Det amerikanske filminstuttet i Berlin. Han lar regissert musikkvideoer, reklamefilmer og kortfilm. SKATEISTAN er hans første helaftens spillefilm og springer blant annet ut fra hans livlange interesse for skating.

THE DIRECTOR

Kai Sehr has been a skateboarder since early age, and studied directing at The American Film Institute. He has directed music videos, commercials and short films. SKATEISTAN is his first feature film as a director.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

2009 DRANG (DOC)

THE SEARCH FOR ANImAL CHIN

uSA 1987 DIRECTOR: Stacy Peralta SCREENPLAY: John Smythe, Paul Gross CINEmATOgRAPHY: Pat Darrin RuNNINg TImE: 1h 5m PRODuCER: Stacy Peralta SOuRCE: Powell & Peralta

Hvem er Animal Chin? Svar: Won Ton Animal Chin er en eldre kar fra Kina med langt hvitt skjegg, mannen som oppfant skateboarding, og temmelig hardcore. Men midt på 1980-tallet har sponsing og kommersialisering tatt overhånd i sporten, og Animal Chin er gått under jorda. For å finne ham drar de fem medlemmene av skategruppa Bones Brigade til California, Hawaii og Nevada, og skater på ramper og fortau, i gamle elveløp og tomme svømmebasseng underveis. For det er kanskje ikke så farlig med hele Chin-greia.

the search for animal chin har et plott (med mye sjarmerende småflau dialog) og et snev av kulturkritikk, men som Tommy Guerrero sier i scenen der gutta kjører en Cadillac gjennom ørkenen: «If we don’t find him, that’s ok / we had a rad time anyway!» Denne filmen handler om å vise fram fet skating – og innfrir ett hundre prosent.

Tommy Guerrero and girl (kind of cute) on skateramp. Tommy: «Have you seen Chin?» Girl: «Who?» Tommy: «Chin.» Girl: «Who?» Yes, who is Chin? He is Won Ton Animal Chin, the old white bearded hardcore Chinese guy who invented skateboarding. And where is he? Well, one answer is that he has gone underground, because dark forces – sponsoring and commercialization – have taken over skateboarding. Now, Tommy Guerrero and the rest of legendary skateboard crew Bones Brigade are on the search for him, in California, Hawaii and Nevada.

A different answer is that this Chin business isn’t too important. Yes, the search for animal chin is one of the few skateboard films with a plot, although the dialogue and acting is charmingly cheesy. And it does voice a certain criticism. But the overall purpose is to show some awesome skating. We promise you won’t be disappointed. Unreal!

REgISSØREN

Stacy Peralta (f. 1957) er regissør, produsent og manusforfatter. Han har vært profesjonell skater i Z-Boys, mentor for det verdenskjente teamet Bones Brigade, og laget en rekke skateboardfilmer fra 1970-tallet til i dag.

THE DIRECTOR

Stacy Peralta (b. 1957) is a director, producer and screenwriter. He became a professional skater with the Z-Boys, he created and mentored the Bones Brigade team, and has directed a number of skateboard films from the 1970s and onwards.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

1984 THE BONES BRIGADE VIDEO SHOW 2001 DOGTOWN AND THE Z-BOYS (DOC) 2004 RIDING GIANTS (DOC) 2008 CRIPS AND BLOODS: MADE IN AMERICA (DOC) 2012 BONES BRIGADE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY (DOC)

THIS AIN’T CALIFORNIA

gERmANY 2012 DIRECTOR: Marten Persiel SCREENPLAY: Marten Persiel, Ira Wedel CINEmATOgRAPHY: Felix Leiberg RuNNINg TImE: 1h 30m PRODuCER: Michael Schöbel, Ronald Vietz SOuRCE: Wide Management

Photo: Harald Schmitt

Hva har Alexanderplatz i Berlin med fortau, bakgater og tomme svømmebasseng i Santa Monica å gjøre? Hint: Fire hjul og et brett. Sement. Et offentlig rom å erobre. Lyslugga gutter i sønderrevne dongerishorts som lever ut drømmen om frihet. Likhetene er utvilsomt til stede. Vi møter tre gutter som lar jernteppe være jernteppe. De underlegger seg bylandskapet i smug, de mekker egne brett, de smugler deler – omtrent som i Norge på samme tid (jamfør Emil Triers brettkontroll). Nesten tre tiår senere møtes kameratene igjen – i alle fall to av dem. Dette blir foranledning til et nostalgisk tilbakeblikk. Filmens mange Super 8mm-klipp av skatetricks i ekte Trabi-stil forsterker stemningen.

Apropos ekte: Det finnes folk som mener filmen burde hete this ain’t the gdr. Det er egentlig uvesentlig. this ain’t california er en oppriktig hyllest til opprør, til brettet, til ungdommen.

What do Berlin, Alexanderplatz and the streets, pavements and empty swimming pools of Santa Monica have to do with each other? Clue: Four wheels on a board. Boys in torn-up denim shorts, the wind in their sun-bleached hair, living out their dream of freedom. So there must be some connection. Our three male protagonists are out to conquer public space, they make their own boards, they smuggle parts. Then, almost thirty years later, they meet again – that is, two of them do – and look back on their heydays and their best tricks. Extensive use of Super 8mm archive footage creates a nostalgic mood.

Speaking of tricks: Some have suggested that this film should be called this ain’t the gdr. Which is more or less beside the point. this ain’t california is a heartfelt celebration of youth, rebellion and the board.

REgISSØREN

Marten Persiel (f. 1974) er en tysk regissør og manusforfatter. Han har medieutdanning fra Portsmouth University og filmutdannelse fra Westminister University i London. Han har laget musikkvideoer, reklamefilmer og kortere dokumentarer før THIS AIN’T CALIFORNIA, hans første helaftens dokumentarfilm.

THE DIRECTOR

Marten Persiel (b. 1974) studied mixed media art at Portsmouth University and directing at Westminster University in London. A director and writer, he has made commercials, music videos and documentaries. THIS AIN’T CALIFORNIA is his first feature-length documentary.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

2004 BUHAY NA TABIG (DOC) 2005 SIYEMPRE AMIGOS (DOC) 2007 MIMI, LA JOIE (DOC) 2008 8 SCHRITTE (SHORT, DOC) 2008 1400 FINESTRES (SHORT, DOC) 2010 THREE FOOT CHARLIE (SHORT, DOC)