I watched this little gem of a film recently with my teenage daughter, and we were pleasantly surprised and intrigued by the style of this film. It's got a documentary feel to it that is very natural and freewheeling. The freedom of the kids that comprise Skate Kitchen gave me nostalgia going back 40 years to the summers I spent with my teenage tribe roaming free and having fun together. A beautiful thing. The storyline of Camille who feels so alone until she reaches out and connects with her tribe of female skaters is so relatable - it's a great coming of age theme and a great feminist theme as well. Besides this layer of finding your tribe, the film also explores the whole culture of urban skateboarding - something I knew nothing about and really enjoyed immersing myself in during the film. The other layer of the storyline that I thought was well done was Camille's journey of shifting custody among her parents to try to get what she needed at different stages of her childhood and adolescence - it was heartbreaking and gave insight into her character.
After watching the film, I was very curious how it was made, and I think it's really interesting that Skate Kitchen collaborated on the script and formed part of the ensemble for the film. My daughter thought so much of the film, especially the dialogue, felt very natural/real. I think the director and the cast did a great job with this film. It's a big risk to put your real life and real story on the screen and dedicate so much time scripting and telling it in a novel way.
After watching the film, I was very curious how it was made, and I think it's really interesting that Skate Kitchen collaborated on the script and formed part of the ensemble for the film. My daughter thought so much of the film, especially the dialogue, felt very natural/real. I think the director and the cast did a great job with this film. It's a big risk to put your real life and real story on the screen and dedicate so much time scripting and telling it in a novel way.