Movies
April Jones
Concrete Law + Suvilahti DIY vs. City of Helsinki
United States 2024
50 min •
English
S
Theme: Must see
15.11.2024 | Time 17:15
| Venue: Tapio 3
| BUY TICKET
The power of DIY culture
How renegade skateboarders turn their frustration with the lack of government support into fuel for political action. The Channel Street Skatepark flourished for over a decade until overpass construction led to an ongoing shutdown. Facing the fate of demolition, founders and advocates navigate their way through political minefields to save their community-built skatepark, in a section of one of the busiest shipping ports on the planet.
An award winning documentary film Concrete Law, directed by April Jones, captures the essence and grit of urban resilience and solidarity. A story that transcends skate culture and tests community perseverance in the face of political challenges.
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After the Concrete Law documentary, a short film Suvilahti DIY vs City of Helsinki (7 min) will be shown about the fight to save Suvilahti Skatepark, a globally unique skatepark that now finds itself under threat as commercial interests take precedence. This isn’t just about losing a park under the wheels of a new entertainment complex – it's about an entire neighborhood that serves as a hub for grassroots urban culture and a vital meeting place for the community.
Santeri Sihvonen from the Finnish Skateboarding Association and Aleksi Martikainen from RUJO ry will join the screening to shed light on the state of skating in Finland and answer audience questions.