Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in Kabul (Kai Sehr, 2011): Germany/USA

Reviewed by Kathleen Amboy.  Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Lobero Theater.

  “Skateboards for guns?”  Interesting concept and one which is vocalised by street skater Louisa Menke when she and her comrades are permitted to skate in the desolate ruins of the Queen’s Palace in Afghanistan, albeit under the watchful eyes of friendly armed guards.

Back in 2007 humanitarian aid workers (and skaters) Oliver “Ollie” Percovich and Sharna Nolan began attracting attention to their boards in Kabul with the local kids.  Eager to share their skills, friendship and hope to 50% of the population, Percovich and Nolan then demonstrated, taught, and revived an old fountain into a skate park, which eventually became a popular hangout to poor street kids as well as the affluent, including  local girls who are forbidden to participate in outdoor sports.

The birth of Skateistan began, but then a local heavy, with intent to demonstrate his power, filled the skatepark/fountain with water “for security issues,” which led Ollie to envision a bigger and better, state-of-the-art indoor park.  Determination, hard work, and support from the governments of Norway, Canada, Germany and Denmark, turned the goal into a reality in the biggest indoor sports facility of Afghanistan, built within one year.

The film begins a bit slow and unsure in direction, but soon gains in momentum as Ollie seeks the help of his skater friend Kenny Reed and others to join him.  They seek out interesting skate spots, including an abandoned pool which was used by the Taliban to torture and hang victims from the diving board.  It tugs at your heart to witness pro-skaters Reed, Menke, Cairo Foster, and Maysam Faraj give demos to the war casualties, while teaching the kids technique, and all the while observing the transformation taking place within their own hearts. 

It is an eye-opener for any Westerner, especially Santa Barbarans who view skateboarding as a sport, a way of life, and a mode of transportation, to see these little kids deriving the simplest of pleasure on a board, while momentarily escaping their reality.  After the film’s premiere on January 29th at the Lobero, the cast received a huge round of applause with a standing ovation.