This Ain’t California
Marten Persiel:
This Ain’t California (Germany, 2012)
90 min. - German - English subtitles
Age limit 12 years
Skateboarding can be a dangerous game: you may well break your knee or chip a tooth. For the stars of This Ain’t California, Nico, Dirk and Denis, the dangers of skateboarding are a bit more severe: the smuggled boards may take you to jail!
The superb This Ain’t California by Marten Persiel tells about skateboarding in the former East Germany, where the attitude towards Western follies was anything but benevolent. The hilarious film portrays the history of skateboarding in DDR through the lives of three young men. The old skating crowd gathers to reminisce their late friend, Denis “Panik” Paraceck, and so the journey through memories begins. The archive footage, the old instructive videos especially, form the most entertaining part of the film.
However, there is also a more serious side to the story: This Ain’t California portrays life under the strict supervision of the state. Despite the ever-lurking risk of penalty, young people wanted to live and rebel, and that’s what Nico, Dirk and Denis did. This Ain’t California is a love letter to skateboarding and friendship.
See also:
» Tristan Patterson: Dragonslayer
» Stacy Peralta: Bones Brigade: An Autobiography
» Alex Hammond, Ian Markiewich: Better Than Something: Jay Reatard
» Tristan Patterson: Dragonslayer
» Stacy Peralta: Bones Brigade: An Autobiography
» Alex Hammond, Ian Markiewich: Better Than Something: Jay Reatard
Fri 16th Nov at 4:45pm Tapio 3