6/15/2012 New TIPOFF: THIS AIN'T CALIFORNIA
Common
adjectives for a documentary might be “interesting,” “informative,” or
“stimulating,” but it's not so often that a nonfiction narrative is "explosive." The directors often seem to conform to established filmic patterns
rather than using their full creative capacity to really explore their subject.
This Ain’t California is an exception to
the rule.
The
story, ultimately, is one that has been told before, being at its core a
narrative on oppression in East Germany. The way it is related, however, is
completely original. Director Martin Persiel explores the small but steadfast
clan of skateboarding devotees in the GDR in the 1980s. Their movement, as
described by one of the characters, is “the desire for freedom turned
lifestyle,” and it’s a bizarre but extreme power this misplaced trend exudes.
The film’s story is grounded in the narrative of a small skating troupe,
beginning with footage the skaters filmed themselves through their childhood
and adolescence. These clips are then complemented with interviews with surviving members conducted by Persiel in the present. The style allows the audience both to experience the
raw highs and thrills of surfing a concrete city and then to reflect upon these emotions within their context.
One
might think that so many sources of footage would result in a jumpy or unclear
narrative, but instead the patchwork quality, exaggerated to the ultimate
effect, only works to the film’s advantage. Not only do the clips come from
different time periods, but the forms varies from newsreel, to animation, to
stills, to Super 8 footage. This makeshift visual style is the perfect form
to fit the story’s function—skateboarding was a departure from convention, and
the footage consequently reflects the experimentation of the period.
The
film is clever, and insightful, and beautiful all at once. Not to mention explosive.
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